Jim McKay died last June on the day that the Belmont Stakes was run.
Not long after that (I don't remember exactly when), I thought of renaming the Maryland Million in his memory.
Earlier today, after the Rules Committee took favorable action on my resolution to accomplish that, I said to myself, "It's finally coming to the floor."
There was a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
More than a name
Newly offered amendments won’t jeopardize my bill to allow wrongly convicted prisoners to present newly discovered evidence.
At this late hour, prosecutors are proposing changes to my bill creating a writ of innocence. They would be offered in a conference committee, except the conferees won’t be meeting.
The Senate crossfile of this legislation has already passed. That bill can be signed by the Governor.
I’m not going to accept weakening amendments to my bill so that it too can be reviewed and then signed by the Governor.
If both bills were to pass the legislature, the prosecutors would lobby the Governor to sign only the one with my name and their amendments.
So my chairman has agreed not to have the House conferees meet.
You can get a lot done, the old saying goes, if you don’t have to get all the credit for doing so.
At this late hour, prosecutors are proposing changes to my bill creating a writ of innocence. They would be offered in a conference committee, except the conferees won’t be meeting.
The Senate crossfile of this legislation has already passed. That bill can be signed by the Governor.
I’m not going to accept weakening amendments to my bill so that it too can be reviewed and then signed by the Governor.
If both bills were to pass the legislature, the prosecutors would lobby the Governor to sign only the one with my name and their amendments.
So my chairman has agreed not to have the House conferees meet.
You can get a lot done, the old saying goes, if you don’t have to get all the credit for doing so.
Thursday, April 9 – Little things and new things
Lots of little things can go wrong with your bills in the final week.
But not this session. Not so far, at least.
In fact, little things have been going right.
A hurdle was removed for my writ of innocence legislation when the Senate committee acted favorably on my bill and did not adopt the wordsmithing amendment it put on the Senate version.
We finally read the Senate amendment to the green jobs bill. It’s ok. So we won’t need a conference committee on that legislation.
So with fewer of my bills still to watch over, I’ve been given additional responsibilities.
In addition to the workgroup on the Preakness bill, I was appointed to the conference committee that will decide whether we should issue a driver’s license for people who don’t have the documents to establish legal presence in the country.
But not this session. Not so far, at least.
In fact, little things have been going right.
A hurdle was removed for my writ of innocence legislation when the Senate committee acted favorably on my bill and did not adopt the wordsmithing amendment it put on the Senate version.
We finally read the Senate amendment to the green jobs bill. It’s ok. So we won’t need a conference committee on that legislation.
So with fewer of my bills still to watch over, I’ve been given additional responsibilities.
In addition to the workgroup on the Preakness bill, I was appointed to the conference committee that will decide whether we should issue a driver’s license for people who don’t have the documents to establish legal presence in the country.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Great Odds on Saving the Preakness
If Susette Kelo had won her case in the Supreme Court four years ago, Governor O’Malley’s bill to save the Preakness could not have been introduced today.
Ms. Kelo challenged the constitutionality of the City of New London’s using the power of eminent domain to buy her home against her will.
The public purpose that prompted the City’s taking of her property was economic development.
Writing for a 5-4 majority, Justice Stevens held that the Court had a “longstanding policy of deference to legislative judgments” as to what should be considered a public purpose, where the state has formulated a plan that “it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community.”
“Today the Court abandons…[a] long-held, basic limitation on government power,” said a dissenting Justice O’Connor. “Under the banner of economic development, all private property is now vulnerable to being given to an owner who will use it in a way that the legislature deems more beneficial to the public.”
House Bill 1578 would give the State the authority to exercise eminent domain to buy Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes. The Governor’s legislation declares that the race “has a very significant and positive economic development impact on Baltimore City and the State.”
When Ms. Kelo lost her case in 2005, if you had wagered that it would have an impact on the Preakness, you would have gotten great odds. And today, you would have collected your winnings.
Speaker Busch has named me to the House workgroup that will hold a hearing on the bill tomorrow morning.
Ms. Kelo challenged the constitutionality of the City of New London’s using the power of eminent domain to buy her home against her will.
The public purpose that prompted the City’s taking of her property was economic development.
Writing for a 5-4 majority, Justice Stevens held that the Court had a “longstanding policy of deference to legislative judgments” as to what should be considered a public purpose, where the state has formulated a plan that “it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community.”
“Today the Court abandons…[a] long-held, basic limitation on government power,” said a dissenting Justice O’Connor. “Under the banner of economic development, all private property is now vulnerable to being given to an owner who will use it in a way that the legislature deems more beneficial to the public.”
House Bill 1578 would give the State the authority to exercise eminent domain to buy Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes. The Governor’s legislation declares that the race “has a very significant and positive economic development impact on Baltimore City and the State.”
When Ms. Kelo lost her case in 2005, if you had wagered that it would have an impact on the Preakness, you would have gotten great odds. And today, you would have collected your winnings.
Speaker Busch has named me to the House workgroup that will hold a hearing on the bill tomorrow morning.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Deals struck and struck
Who would oppose providing training in green jobs for current and former welfare clients?
23 members of the House did this morning, all but one of them Republicans.
And I thought the Gingrich revolution was about moving people from a welfare line to the work place.
Giving people an opportunity to enter a growing sector of the economy is apparently no longer a plank in the GOP platform.
----
Dozens of conference committees will meet over the next seven days. Three delegates and three senators will be asked to resolve the differences in a bill that were created by amendments put on the legislation after it crossed over to the second house.
Of particular interest to me are those for my bills.
My legislation creating a writ of innocence is one of them. I expressed my desire to serve on the conference committee.
“The difference here is over just a couple of words,” someone responded.
“I want to make sure the right thing happens,” I replied.
A discussion on someone else’s bill that’s headed to a conference committee revealed that a deal has already been struck as to the end result.
“You need a conferee who will keep the deal struck,” I replied.
23 members of the House did this morning, all but one of them Republicans.
And I thought the Gingrich revolution was about moving people from a welfare line to the work place.
Giving people an opportunity to enter a growing sector of the economy is apparently no longer a plank in the GOP platform.
----
Dozens of conference committees will meet over the next seven days. Three delegates and three senators will be asked to resolve the differences in a bill that were created by amendments put on the legislation after it crossed over to the second house.
Of particular interest to me are those for my bills.
My legislation creating a writ of innocence is one of them. I expressed my desire to serve on the conference committee.
“The difference here is over just a couple of words,” someone responded.
“I want to make sure the right thing happens,” I replied.
A discussion on someone else’s bill that’s headed to a conference committee revealed that a deal has already been struck as to the end result.
“You need a conferee who will keep the deal struck,” I replied.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Opening Day
I don’t leave many baseball games in the 7th inning, especially when the Orioles are ahead.
But it’s not often that I’ve volunteered to give the prayer to open the session.
This is what I wrote and said:
“Wait ‘til next year,” they used to say at Ebbets Field, until the Brooklyn Dodgers finally won their first and only World Series in 1955 – after 71 years without a championship.
How does that compare to 11 consecutive losing seasons?
And the start of a season where the Orioles’ most highly regarded player has yet to make it to the Show and is beginning the season in the minor leagues?
This year, Passover begins two nights after Opening Day.
“Next year in Jerusalem!” Jews have said for millennia at the conclusion of the Seder.
Long before this season’s end, Oriole fans may have to settle for “Next year in October!”
And then I added:
But when you win on Opening Day, beating the Yankees, 10-5, there’s no one better to quote than Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks:
“Let’s play two!”
But it’s not often that I’ve volunteered to give the prayer to open the session.
This is what I wrote and said:
“Wait ‘til next year,” they used to say at Ebbets Field, until the Brooklyn Dodgers finally won their first and only World Series in 1955 – after 71 years without a championship.
How does that compare to 11 consecutive losing seasons?
And the start of a season where the Orioles’ most highly regarded player has yet to make it to the Show and is beginning the season in the minor leagues?
This year, Passover begins two nights after Opening Day.
“Next year in Jerusalem!” Jews have said for millennia at the conclusion of the Seder.
Long before this season’s end, Oriole fans may have to settle for “Next year in October!”
And then I added:
But when you win on Opening Day, beating the Yankees, 10-5, there’s no one better to quote than Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks:
“Let’s play two!”
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Entering the home stretch
A new entrant in the Pimlico bankruptcy stakes.
Except horse racing and the Preakness are not in Carl Versatandig’s plans for the race track site, according to Friday’s Sun. He wants to build a shopping center instead.
That prompted me to ask the Attorney General’s office if the State or Baltimore City could take certain steps to prevent the track from being razed.
I don’t want to go public with a proposal if it’s unworkable or unconstitutional.
My requests outnumber those from any other legislator, the AG’s office has also advised me.
----
My green jobs bill got a favorable report from the secondary committee, its chairman informed just before Friday’s floor session.
So I asked the Chief Clerk what steps had to be taken now to get the bill to the House floor.
Then I passed the details on to my colleague and co-sponsor on Appropriations, the lead committee.
On the General Assembly web site this morning, I read the good news:
HB 268 Status as of April 6, 2009: Bill is in the House - Favorable with Amendments Appropriations
On to the House floor and the final week of the session!
Except horse racing and the Preakness are not in Carl Versatandig’s plans for the race track site, according to Friday’s Sun. He wants to build a shopping center instead.
That prompted me to ask the Attorney General’s office if the State or Baltimore City could take certain steps to prevent the track from being razed.
I don’t want to go public with a proposal if it’s unworkable or unconstitutional.
My requests outnumber those from any other legislator, the AG’s office has also advised me.
----
My green jobs bill got a favorable report from the secondary committee, its chairman informed just before Friday’s floor session.
So I asked the Chief Clerk what steps had to be taken now to get the bill to the House floor.
Then I passed the details on to my colleague and co-sponsor on Appropriations, the lead committee.
On the General Assembly web site this morning, I read the good news:
HB 268 Status as of April 6, 2009: Bill is in the House - Favorable with Amendments Appropriations
On to the House floor and the final week of the session!
Final days and delays (April 2)
It isn’t glamorous, but it’s what I need to do.
The green jobs bill should be on the voting list of the Economic Matters Committee (ECM) this afternoon.
So for this morning’s floor session, I wrote the names of the seven ECM subcommittee chairs on a file card. I spoke with five of them - and the committee chairman, about the bill. Positive responses from all.
---
The politics can get very local in the final days of the session.
A House committee or member will delay action on a Senate bill and a Senator will do likewise in response.
Or put another way, if you kill my cat, I’ll kill your dog.
So it was encouraging to see that 36 House bills, many of which were heard in my committee, Judiciary, got a favorable report from the Judicial Proceedings Committee yesterday and will be considered by the full Senate tomorrow.
The green jobs bill should be on the voting list of the Economic Matters Committee (ECM) this afternoon.
So for this morning’s floor session, I wrote the names of the seven ECM subcommittee chairs on a file card. I spoke with five of them - and the committee chairman, about the bill. Positive responses from all.
---
The politics can get very local in the final days of the session.
A House committee or member will delay action on a Senate bill and a Senator will do likewise in response.
Or put another way, if you kill my cat, I’ll kill your dog.
So it was encouraging to see that 36 House bills, many of which were heard in my committee, Judiciary, got a favorable report from the Judicial Proceedings Committee yesterday and will be considered by the full Senate tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
To vote or not to vote
“I don’t care which bill gets signed.”
I was talking to Senator Delores Kelley.
The subject was green jobs.
She is the sponsor of the Senate crossfile.
“You shouldn’t wait for my bill to pass the House and then get out of the Senate Rules Committee,” I continued. “The sooner the Senate Finance Committee acts on the issue the better.”
Under my longstanding newsletter test, if I can legitimately take credit for moving public policy in the right direction, my name doesn’t have to be first on the sponsor line of a bill.
----
I was about to speak on my burial bill before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
I always try to begin my testimony with a phrase or sentence that will get the attention of my colleagues. “It’s the rhetorical equivalent of hitting someone in the middle of the forehead with a two-by-four,” I tell my students.
I thought about quoting from the graveyard scene in Hamlet: “Alas, poor Yoric, I knew him well.”
But the committee chair said no one had signed up in opposition to my bill. So I kept it short and simple.
I was talking to Senator Delores Kelley.
The subject was green jobs.
She is the sponsor of the Senate crossfile.
“You shouldn’t wait for my bill to pass the House and then get out of the Senate Rules Committee,” I continued. “The sooner the Senate Finance Committee acts on the issue the better.”
Under my longstanding newsletter test, if I can legitimately take credit for moving public policy in the right direction, my name doesn’t have to be first on the sponsor line of a bill.
----
I was about to speak on my burial bill before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
I always try to begin my testimony with a phrase or sentence that will get the attention of my colleagues. “It’s the rhetorical equivalent of hitting someone in the middle of the forehead with a two-by-four,” I tell my students.
I thought about quoting from the graveyard scene in Hamlet: “Alas, poor Yoric, I knew him well.”
But the committee chair said no one had signed up in opposition to my bill. So I kept it short and simple.
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