michael e busch
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The Maryland Senate gave final approval to a measure long sought by Republicans to slash the taxes that are levied on estates. The legislation would do that by gradually raising the portion of an estate that is exempt from taxation. Already passed by the House, the bill now goes to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his expected signature. - An Anne Arundel County man was arrested Friday after police said he threatened violence against a county councilman and the presiding officers of the General Assembly — an incident allegedly touched off by his outrage over the construction of a drainage pond.
- The electorate's changing views about marijuana laws were on display in Annapolis Thursday as a candidate for governor, a leading official of the NAACP and a former Maryland State Police major were among dozens of Marylanders calling for legalization or decriminalization of the
- Parents who have fought for years to get an elected school board in Baltimore County have won key support for a compromise measure that is given a good chance of passage in the General Assembly.
- With a little over three weeks left in the General Assembly session this year, legislative leaders are scrambling to come up with a response to a potentially costly Court of Appeals ruling requiring legal representation for all criminal defendants during bail hearings.
- The fields are set for Republican and Democratic primary elections for local offices, including the competitive race to become Anne Arundel County executive. At the top of the ballot, the Republican primary for county executive features a matchup between current County Executive Laura Neuman and state Del. Steve Schuh.
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- A legislative inquiry into the circumstances of the Maryland Health Exchange's failed launch is welcome, but the effort is too limited.
- Drama over stormwater fees continues in Anne Arundel County, where Del. Steve Schuh's proposal to exempt the county from the fees was met with resistance from fellow delegates on Friday.
- Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislative leaders are pushing for a new system to quickly determine whether criminal suspects are eligible for release without bail — a move they say will resolve constitutional concerns over the rights of defendants before trial.
- Postponing further hearings into Maryland's woeful Obamacare web site has the appearance of a political 'fix'
- University of Maryland President Wallace Loh says proposals to connect innovation with commerce play to the state's strengths.
- We know that we can no longer do business as usual if Maryland is to be competitive in our global economy. The world is an open market, and those regions that can attract talented people and foster a successful business climate will be sustainable for the long haul. It does not matter what we did or had in the past, as legacy is not a part of the current economic formula for success. The 2014 Joint Legislative Business and Economic Development Agenda is the first step toward a vision for a
- At a time when income inequality is one of the nation's most-discussed issues, the tax that appears to have the best chance of being cut in heavily Democratic Maryland this year is one that is paid by millionaires only
