Maryland Senate

The Maryland Senate has approved a fiscal 2013 funding for Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park improvements in Williamsport and a Korean War veterans memorial in Hagerstown. The two items were among the projects in a $1.12 billion capital budget tentatively approved Wednesday and passed Thursday by a 39-7 vote. The House of Delegates is getting closer to having its own version of the capital budget ready for a preliminary vote. The General Assembly has until April 9 to pass the legislation and reconcile any differences in bills supported by the House and Senate.

Date of Birth : Dec. 21, 1937 Address : 117 W. Magnolia Ave. Education : Graduate of Hagerstown High School, 1956; bachelor of science degree in education from Johns Hopkins University, 1968. Occupation : Retired Party affiliation : Republican Political experience : Served 36 years in Maryland House of Delegates, from 1975 to 1991; Served in Maryland Senate from 1991 to 2011.

HALFWAY - The Lions Club of Halfway added another chapter to its history when it held its 50th Charter Night Anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 15. The dinner event was attended by more than 70 Lions, Lionesses and their guests. The celebration, which was organized by Clare Newcomer's five-member committee, was called to order by President Archie VanNorden. Joseph F. Gaffigan of Silver Spring, Md., international director of the Lions Club International, was the speaker. Resolutions from the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate were presented by Delegate Robert McKee.

Sen. Donald F. Munson, R-Washington, left, presents a proclamation from the Maryland Senate to Harold Semler of the Antietam Fire Co. in Hagerstown. Munson was in town Friday to present the proclamation and a Maryland state flag to recognize the Antietam Fire Co.'s 200th anniversary. Earlier in the day, Julianna Albowicz, a representative from the office of U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., presented to the firefighters an American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol.

ANNAPOLIS (AP) -- A proposal to ban using handheld cell phones while driving has stumped the Maryland Senate. The Senate decided by a single vote to approve a preliminary version of the ban -- but only after it was changed to ban only text messaging. Then, about an hour later, a senator whose vote secured the amendment said he wants to change his mind. The Senate voted, again by a vote of 23-22, to put off more debate until next week. Cell phone driving bans have proved divisive in the Maryland legislature.

The first night of the second annual Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown was capped off Wednesday at The Maryland Theatre when Tony Mendez was awarded the festival's first Mendez Award. Thomas B. Riford, president of the film festival's board of directors, said the Mendez Award will be presented at the festival every year as the event's top film award. Mendez thrust the award in the air after it was handed to him by Riford. Mendez had been invited on stage after the screening of the movie “Argo,” which depicts Mendez's actions in 1979, when he helped six Americans escape from Iran.

The Maryland Senate voted by the narrowest of margins this week to send a bill that aimed to address rental housing discrimination back to committee, effectively ending its chances of passing this year. Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, who opposed the bill, said that downtown Hagerstown would have been negatively affected if the bill were to pass. According to the Associated Press, a primary focus of the measure was to prevent landlords from declining to rent to people who get government assistance for housing.

laurae@herald-mail.com ANNAPOLIS - Ever since Maryland passed a motorcycle helmet law in 1992, Gary "Pappy" Boward of Cavetown has been fighting to have it repealed. On Thursday, he saw the Maryland Senate vote 26-21 to give adult riders a choice about whether to wear a helmet. The measure now goes to the House of Delegates, where State House observers said it has a slim chance of passing before the session ends Monday. "I think maybe the legislature is starting to listen a little bit," said Boward after he emerged from the Senate gallery where he watched the vote.

One of the last things the Maryland Senate did before it adjourned last Monday was pass a resolution urging support for coalition forces fighting in Iraq. But the measure did not get approved without some vigorous debate by anti-war Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Montgomery. "I think it's patriotic to want those people home in order to save their lives," Pinsky said. Pinsky also noted that Maryland's share of the war costs easily would pay for recommended increases in state education spending.

Election board members approved On Friday, the Maryland Senate approved a list of appointments that included three Washington County Board of Elections members. Tammy E. Downin, Carroll H. Earp and Bruce F. Field's four-year terms on the board are retroactive to June 6, 2011. Downin is a Democrat. Earp and Field are Republicans. They join current board member John R. Benchoff, a Democrat. A fifth board seat is vacant because Democrat Eileen W. Wiggins resigned effective Jan. 31, Washington County Election Director Kaye E. Robucci said.

Washington County lawmaker Christopher Shank moved to the Maryland Senate from the House of Delegates, where he had a well-earned reputation as a partisan bomb thrower. Shank maintained that he was just doing his job in his role with the minority leadership. But whatever the reason, this act didn't play well among the Annapolis majority leaders who, like them or not, decide who wins and who loses in the state capital. The results were self-evident. Shank struggled to pass bills and his grandstanding against state budgets - and his loud votes against them - gave the state leadership no reason to grant many Washington County funding requests.

The first night of the second annual Maryland International Film Festival-Hagerstown was capped off Wednesday at The Maryland Theatre when Tony Mendez was awarded the festival's first Mendez Award. Thomas B. Riford, president of the film festival's board of directors, said the Mendez Award will be presented at the festival every year as the event's top film award. Mendez thrust the award in the air after it was handed to him by Riford. Mendez had been invited on stage after the screening of the movie “Argo,” which depicts Mendez's actions in 1979, when he helped six Americans escape from Iran.

The Maryland Senate voted by the narrowest of margins this week to send a bill that aimed to address rental housing discrimination back to committee, effectively ending its chances of passing this year. Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, who opposed the bill, said that downtown Hagerstown would have been negatively affected if the bill were to pass. According to the Associated Press, a primary focus of the measure was to prevent landlords from declining to rent to people who get government assistance for housing.

Don't look now, but the state of Maryland is on the brink of legalizing weed. Way to go, grass. I can't think of anything that's had a faster turnaround in the history of Earth than you. You only have to go back to the 1990s to relive the days when the feds would seize your home if they found a couple wacky tobaccy plants under a grow light. How mad would you be today if you lost your yacht 15 years ago because the Coast Guard discovered a marijuana seed under the pillow? So what's the government saying now?

“Our local elected state officials are upset over the new gun control measures, including things like fingerprinting and mental health checks. Well, with regards to fingerprinting, there are many, many jobs - locally, even - that require the employee to be fingerprinted before they can have a job. And with regards to mental health, when you go to get your driver's license, there is a sheet there that asks if you have any mental health issues. And if you do, you need a letter saying that you need a driver's license.

Several weeks ago, a local columnist excused the poor performance of some members of our delegation to the Maryland General Assembly by presenting the idea that the implementation of “one man, one vote” legal opinions (and follow on legislation) in both houses of legislatures across America had co-opted the individual authority and power of some legislators.  Specifically, that columnist's premise, as I understood it, intimated that changing the reach of Maryland state senators from county-specific to district-specific (size and geography based upon population)

The Maryland Senate has approved a fiscal 2013 funding for Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park improvements in Williamsport and a Korean War veterans memorial in Hagerstown. The two items were among the projects in a $1.12 billion capital budget tentatively approved Wednesday and passed Thursday by a 39-7 vote. The House of Delegates is getting closer to having its own version of the capital budget ready for a preliminary vote. The General Assembly has until April 9 to pass the legislation and reconcile any differences in bills supported by the House and Senate.

Date of Birth : Dec. 21, 1937 Address : 117 W. Magnolia Ave. Education : Graduate of Hagerstown High School, 1956; bachelor of science degree in education from Johns Hopkins University, 1968. Occupation : Retired Party affiliation : Republican Political experience : Served 36 years in Maryland House of Delegates, from 1975 to 1991; Served in Maryland Senate from 1991 to 2011.

Election board members approved On Friday, the Maryland Senate approved a list of appointments that included three Washington County Board of Elections members. Tammy E. Downin, Carroll H. Earp and Bruce F. Field's four-year terms on the board are retroactive to June 6, 2011. Downin is a Democrat. Earp and Field are Republicans. They join current board member John R. Benchoff, a Democrat. A fifth board seat is vacant because Democrat Eileen W. Wiggins resigned effective Jan. 31, Washington County Election Director Kaye E. Robucci said.

All but one state lawmaker who represents Washington County said he will run for office again in 2010, including a state delegate who is considering a bid to unseat a five-term state senator. Del. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, said he is "leaning toward" running for the Maryland Senate and attempting to unseat fellow Republican Donald F. Munson. Shank said Munson, a state senator since January 1991, increasingly has aligned himself with Democrats locally and in Annapolis.