Scores of laws passed during this year’s General Assembly session go into effect Monday. Some key new laws Oct. 1 include measures to: Ban spoofing phone calls Stop the distribution of electronic cigarettes to minors Create a new extreme risk protective order (red flag) that will take guns away from alleged abusers Shrink the period...
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Important deadlines for the upcoming 2018 Gubernatorial General Election are approaching. The deadline to register to vote, change party affiliation, update an address, and request an alternate polling place for this election is 9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16, 2018. To vote in the upcoming general election, Maryland residents who are eligible to vote but are...
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Governor Larry Hogan today announced the appointments of Pamela Knoop Alban, Elizabeth Sheree Morris, and Robert Jeffrey Thompson to fill three vacancies on the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. The seats became vacant following the recent retirements of Judge Paul F. Harris, Jr., Judge Paul Goetzke, and Judge Michele Jaklitsch. The governor made the...
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Citizens wanting to learn more about progress made by the county during the last fiscal year can view the 2018 State of the County video report. The 22 minute report highlights accomplishments made on projects and programs undertaken in 2017 and 2018. The report also looks ahead to projects currently underway, including the new...
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Governor Larry Hogan today announced a new parental leave policy for Maryland state employees, which will provide up to an additional 60 days of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child under six years old. To provide more flexibility for working parents, the 60 days may be used any time within...
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Governor Larry Hogan today announced approval of an average 13.2 percent premium rate decrease for individual health insurance plans with an effective date of January 1, 2019. These rates reflect the impact of Maryland’s 1332 State Innovation Waiver, which creates a State Reinsurance Program to help stabilize Maryland’s individual health insurance market and prevent...
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U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) applauded the Senate’s passage of the bipartisan Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, which will help address this public health epidemic and the ripple effects of the crisis on children, families, and communities. In addition, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Van Hollen helped secure...
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The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that new regulations regarding the use of fertilizer products will take effect October 1 as a result of changes made to Maryland’s Lawn Fertilizer Law during the 2018 legislative session. The changes make regulations for organic fertilizer products consistent with those for synthetic products. Additionally, they give...
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Congressman Steny H. Hoyer joined Senator Chris Van Hollen and local officials at a roundtable to discuss public safety needs and the opioid crisis in Charles County. “I thank Senator Van Hollen for organizing this important discussion on public safety today,” said Congressman Hoyer. “I appreciated hearing from local leaders, school administrators, clergy, law enforcement...
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The Constitution of the United States is recognized as the guardian of civil liberties. It embodies the principles of government in a Republic dedicated to rule by law. September 17 marked the 231st anniversary of the drafting of the U.S. Constitution by the Constitutional Convention. The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County have issued a proclamation...
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U.S. Senator Ben Cardin lauded Senate passage today of a package of bills to tackle the opioid epidemic facing the country. Included in the package are Cardin provisions that would expand the use of telehealth services for the treatment of opioid use, bundle payments for medication-assisted treatment under Medicare, study the expansion of successful peer support services and...
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As part of ongoing efforts to prevent traffic crashes and save lives on Maryland roads, Governor Larry Hogan today announced that $12 million in federal highway safety funds will be granted to approximately 90 agencies and organizations across the state with the goal of reducing crashes and related injuries and deaths. “The safety of our...
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Governor Larry Hogan and Labor Secretary Kelly M. Schulz today announced that Maryland has reached more than 10,000 registered apprentices currently earning and learning in the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program – the highest participation rate since 2008. The announcement was made during the September meeting of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council (MATC),...
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U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced former Maryland State Delegate Michael Lynn Vaughn, 60, of Bowie, to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a bribery conspiracy in connection with a scheme in which he accepted bribes in exchange for influencing the performance of his official duties. A federal...
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The Charles County Sheriff’s Office has begun the process of implementing legislation that was signed into law regarding tow services in Charles County. House Bill 1320, which passed in March 2017 and was initiated by Sergeant Jon Burroughs of the CCSO Traffic Operations Unit, ensures oversight and regulation of towing operations within Charles County....
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From Delegate Mark Fisher (R -District 27C) I am pleased to join Governor Larry Hogan and offer my endorsement of Jack Bailey for State Senate in District 29. We need a proven leader in Annapolis who will work with our delegation and with our governor. Jack has served the State of Maryland for 30...
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Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) announced that St. Mary’s County Public Schools will receive nearly $190,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant program. Specifically, the grant will aid the ongoing recovery effort of...
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The deadline to request a 2018 Primary Election absentee ballot be received by mail is June 19, 2018. The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the primary election for online delivery is June 22, 2018. Any registered voter in Maryland may request and vote by absentee ballot. A voter who wishes to vote...
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Jack Bailey, Senate candidate for District 29 (Calvert and St. Mary’s), has received the endorsement from the National Rifle Association. In addition, Jack Bailey received an AQ rating from the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF). This rating is reserved for a pro-gun candidate based on responses to a candidate questionnaire. It is...
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Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) will permanently eliminate the $7.50 E-ZPass Maryland transponder fee for all new customers, putting $46 million back into Marylanders’ wallets over the next five years. In 2015, the governor announced major toll rollbacks across the state, resulting in $270 million in savings for our citizens....
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SMNEWSNET received the following press releases from County Commissioner John O’Connor and Tom Jarboe. ________ John O’Connor: As one of your County Commissioners I am pleased to offer my strongest endorsement of Jack Bailey for State Senate in District 29. St. Mary’s County needs a Senator who will understand the County Commissioners and the community. I...
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The Maryland Fraternal Order endorsed Jack Bailey, for Maryland Senator of District 29. Below is a copy of the letter. To Mr. Jack Bailey, As President and on behalf of the over 21,000 men and women of the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police, it is our pleasure and honor to stand with you and...
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Governor Larry Hogan announced his endorsement of Jack Bailey for the Republican Party nomination in Senate District 29. “Southern Maryland needs a fighter like Jack Bailey in the Maryland Senate,” Governor Hogan said. “Unfortunately, the incumbent has consistently sided against our administration and against the people of Southern Maryland on important issues. Unlike his...
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Senate Minority Leader J.B. Jennings (R, Baltimore and Harford Counties), announced the GOP Caucus endorsement of Senator Steve Waugh: “He’s a vital part of it…As minority leader, I work with Waugh, and that’s who I’ll be working for in the election.” Last week, a press release from the Governor’s office regarding candidates for State...
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Governor Larry Hogan joined Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Secretary Pete K. Rahn and MDOT State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) Administrator Greg Slater to announce the start of construction for the much-anticipated MD 5 (Point Lookout Road) at Abell Street/Moakley Street intersection improvements project in Leonardtown. This long-awaited project, which is a priority of...
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