Carroll County Students Drew Voigt & Kelsey Stansbury
Celebrating Towson Pride in Annapolis
Enjoyed meeting Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, guest of former Gov. Bob Ehrlich and joined by Gov. Larry Hogan and Congressman Andy Harris
Governor Hogan's Procurement Commission
Last week, Governor Hogan issued an
Executive Order creating the Commission to Modernize State Procurement. The Commission is being chaired by L
t. Governor Boyd Rutherford who previously served as the secretary for the Department of General Services for the state and had oversight over billions of dollars in annual procurement in his role as assistant secretary and chief acquisition officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Department of Legislative Services estimates that the state could save approximately $100 million by modernizing our procurement process. Governor Hogan's
bipartisan commission will conduct a comprehensive review of Maryland's procurement code and regulations. Due to an outdated approach, as well as a lack of modern technology, the state's current process for procurement is considered unpredictable and discourages full participation among Maryland citizens and the business community. Currently, the Board of Public Works annually oversees $4 billion worth of procurement contracts and modifications.
Smoking Marijuana on the Boardwalk?
The House debated a bill dealing with marijuana use in a motor vehicle and in public places. As introduced, House Bill 183 would not only have made smoking marijuana while driving or riding in a vehicle a criminal offense, but also using marijuana in public places like the Ocean City Boardwalk, Camden Yards, Six Flags, and other locations where families gather.
Unfortunately, by the time that legislation reached the full House for debate the House Judiciary Committee had removed the language from the bill that made smoking marijuana in a public place a misdemeanor.
House Bill 183 became necessary when the House and Senate overrode Governor Hogan's veto of SB 517 earlier this session. That bill eliminated the criminal sanctions for the use of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle or in a public setting, which is why Governor Hogan vetoed it. During the debate on the override, House Democrats assured the body that they had bills to fix these issues. This week, their "trust us, we'll fix it" defense was attempted again, as they assured the body that there was another bill coming to address the public use issue.
An effort by our Republican members to restore the criminal penalties for smoking marijuana in public was defeated. It is importance to keep Maryland resort areas family friendly by making the public use of marijuana a criminal offense.
The fight is not over. Proposed, House Bill 777, Criminal Law - Smoking or Consuming Marijuana in a Public Place - Prohibition, will again make smoking marijuana in a public place a misdemeanor. We will see if this common sense bill passes.
