Aberdeen city officials are moving closer to adopting a charter amendment providing for a runoff when there are ties in future elections for mayor or city council seats. City Council members and Mayor Patrick McGrady briefly discussed a draft amendment during an hour-long work session at City Hall Monday evening, two days after a new state law took effect Saturday …
Continue readingBy David Anderson Legislation that would allow health systems, such as the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, which operates two hospitals in Harford County, to open medical centers and close hospitals without going through the state’s extensive certificate of need process, was approved on Monday’s final day of the 2016 Maryland General Assembly session. Passage of Senate Bill 707, …
Continue readingEditorial The Aegis ter the 2015 Maryland General Assembly session drew to a close, the Harford County Delegation’s chairman remarked: “Our new delegates did a fantastic job and really stepped up to the plate in getting legislation through. We worked really well as a team.” It was the first time in a dozen years – maybe more – such a …
Continue readingBy David Anderson Even with two freshman senators and three freshman delegates, the 11 members of Harford County’s legislative contingent finished a productive 2015 General Assembly session that ended in Annapolis Monday night, several members said. Among their successes in the 90-day session were the passage of three state bond bills for Ripken Stadium, Ladew Topiary Gardens and the Susquehanna …
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By Bryna Zumer Dispite skepticism from Aberdeen city officials, the sponsor of state legislation that could fund as much as $200,000 for repairs at Ripken Stadium says the measure is not dead in the Maryland General Assembly. Del. Mary Ann Lisanti introduced House Bill 1280 on March 12 to create state debt up to $200,000 in matching funds toward stadium …
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By David Anderson Members of the Susquehanna Hose Company of Havre de Grace recently received surprise news that state bond funding was approved to help with the purchase of a new fire and rescue boat. The Maryland House of Delegates approved a capital spending package for fiscal 2016 on April 2 that includes $100,000 toward the new boat. “We now …
Continue readingBy Rebecca Lessner Women’s rights representatives are seeking “fundamental fairness,” by protecting workers who wish to discuss their wages and bringing in the issue of discrimination for gender identity in the workplace. HB 1051 was brought before legislators of the House Economic Matters committee on Tuesday, where some legislators were stunned to hear statistics about disparate pay. Business leaders opposed the …
Continue readingBy Bryna Zumer Aberdeen leaders are hoping to avoid paying to move utility lines for state highway projects near Aberdeen Proving Ground, and a newly-proposed state bill could help them. After a state project to add lanes to Route 22, “we suddenly found out in the city that we were going to be required to move some utility lines, and …
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By Len Lazarick House Speaker Michael Busch late Friday announced committee assignments for six standing committees in the House of Delegates, giving 58 new delegates the spots where they will spend most of their time as legislators. Most incumbent delegates kept their current assignments, but six Democrats moved over to the Economic Matters Committee, the most shifts for any committee. …
Continue readingBryna Zumer and David Anderson Republican Barry Glassman took a quick and commanding lead in his bid to become Harford County’s next county executive as early general election returns began to trickle in Tuesday. By 9:30 p.m., he declared victory. Harford also is getting a new sheriff, as Republican challenger Jeffrey Gahler knocked off two-term Democratic incumbent Sheriff Jesse Bane. …
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