Laurel's County Council member Mary Lehman and state Del. Barbara Frush are pushing for a law that would requirePrince George's Countyshoppers to pay a fee for disposable bags.

Both lawmakers, who are Democrats, say the bag fee is an environmental initiative aimed to reduce the use of disposable bags, which are not often properly recycled and end up as litter.

"To me, if we get to enact this fee, we will be successful if we collect no revenue at all," Lehman said.

The fee would have to be approved by thePrince George's CountyCouncil, but before the council can take up the issue, the state has to pass enabling legislation.

AsPrince George's Countylawmakers move to impose a tax on plastic bags, environmental organizations said a similar fee in Washington has sharply reduced the amount of trash in the Anacostia River.

Because almost half of the Anacostia River's watershed lies inPrince George's County, the new bag fee under consideration will help further reduce the number of disposable plastic bags that pollute the river, said Mike Bolinder, the Anacostia Waterkeeper.

"The total volume of trash in the river has gone down dramatically," said Bolinder, a member of Waterkeeper Alliance, a group that works to protect bodies of water from pollution.

Supporters and even opponents of same-sex marriage, including Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller (D-Calvert, Prince George's counties), have said publicly they believe the bill will pass the upper chamber with 25 votes once again. The senator whose vote was not counted last year, Sen. Joanne Benson (D-Prince George's), has said she opposes marriage equality.

Gov. Martin O’Malley maintains a relatively high approval rating, but nearly half of those polled disapprove of his work on the budget and taxes. Public views in some areas may be tipping in his direction, but there’s limited support for other initiatives. Public priorities differ sharply between Republicans and Democrats.

The owners of the Cafritz property in Riverdale Park want a zoning change to build a major mixed-use development on a wooded, 37-acre single-family-zoned property with, at best, mediocre access to transit. If Prince George's County is serious about its commitment to smart growth and development around its 15 Metro stations, it will deny the rezoning.

In recent years, Prince George's has repeatedly rezoned low-density sites with poor transit access all around the county, such as the Westphalia and Konterra mega-projects.

The county is desperate to attract high-quality mixed-use development, but all too often, this desperation leads it to act against its own best interests. Each time the county allows a huge project in any arbitrary location, it becomes less likely that the right kind of development will come to the Metro sites.

 

Prince George's County estimates it will be about $126 million in the red in the coming fiscal year. The county will hold a series of public hearings over the next three weeks to find out which programs should be kept and which should be cut.

The deficit has "a lot of that has to do with the fact that there's a decrease in our residential property values," says County Executive Rushern Baker.

At the same time, he says the county's costs have gone up.

"We're going to have to make some tough choices."

Two state lawmakers from Prince George’s want to make sure that the Johnson scenario is not repeated. A bill introduced this week by Del. Jolene Ivey and Sen. Victor Ramirez, both Democrats, proposes amending the Maryland Constitution to immediately force public officials to resign when they plead guilty or are convicted of a felony, rather than wait for sentencing. The measure also would apply to officials convicted of misdemeanors if the crime is related to their official duties.

Amending the Maryland Constitution requires voter approval, and the bill would place a statewide referendum on the November ballot. The proposed change would affect all elected officials in Maryland, from the governor to part-time council members in the state’s tiniest jurisdictions.

Officials working on plans for a regional hospital to replace ailing Prince George’s Hospital Center say they expect by late March to know how many beds are needed and what type of outpatient health care is needed for the county’s nearly 1 million residents.

And they fervently hope that once the needs are established, the money will flow for the proposed $600 million regional medical system that is envisioned by the state, the University of Maryland Medical System and Prince George’s County.

That may prove to be the trickiest part.

Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert) has said some of the cost of the hospital could be offset by revenues from slot machine gambling in Prince George’s, which he has been pushing as an antidote to revenue shortfalls. The state is experiencing a budget gap of about $1 billion; Prince George’s County’s gap is about $126 million.

There has to be a Footloose-like spinoff in the making in Prince George's County.

WJLA reports today that the two operators of a nightclub located in Capitol Heights will plead guilty today to operating a dance hall without a license. The guilty pleas are being announced today at 3 p.m. According to The Washington Times, they're also facing a civil lawsuit for a drive-by shooting that occurred at the club last August.

Wait, an unlicensed dance hall? Indeed.

Last July, the Prince George County Council passed and County Executive Rushern Baker signed a measure that tightens up licensing requirements for running a dance hall, which is broadly defined as any place where people dance.

Under the new law, separate categories of dance halls were created -- one for adults (21 and above) and the other for teens (18-21). Before a license for either can even be granted, a hopeful club owner has to submit a detailed security plan to the county for approval, undergo a background check and show proof of bodily injury liability insurance and property damage liability insurance.

There's a number of additional rules, including no dancing between 2 a.m. and 11 a.m., allowing county officials to shut down dance halls.

The NAACP is urging the Maryland legislature to abolish the death penalty.

The organization’s action comes on the heels of efforts to stop the execution of Troy Davis last year. But, the tone of that move represents a marked shift in which death penalty critics are increasingly framing the issue within the context of cost rather than as a moral imperative or as a way to highlight racial disparities. The hope is that states like Maryland, pressed for money during hard economic times, will take a second look at the practice and do away with it.

This year, council members said, they plan to seek ways to shore up education, environmental programs, economic development and public safety, and complete an overhaul of ethics rules that began in last year’s state legislature.

It won’t be easy.

Many council members want to expand the county’s tax base to help close an estimated $126 million budget shortfall without further burdening county residents, who pay among the highest taxes in Maryland. At the same time, Prince George’s officials have to cope with challenges emanating from the state capital: potentially less overall state aid, possibly higher teacher pension costs for localities and an ongoing battle over an income tax formula that leaves Prince George’s at a disadvantage.

Obtaining funding for school construction, infrastructure improvements and a new hospital will be top priorities this year and during the upcoming General Assembly session, said Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III.

Improving schools goes hand-in-hand with fostering economic development, Baker (D) said.

C. Anthony Muse, a well-known minister who leads the Ark of Safety Christian Church in Upper Marlboro, MD, and a state senator representing southern Prince George’s County, will take on U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin in the April 3rd Maryland Democratic Party primary and thus seek to become the first African American in history to represent the state of Maryland.

Muse, 53, announced his intentions at The Camelot by Martin’s Banquet Hall in Upper Marlboro recently before an estimated crowd of 2,000.

“I have traveled this state and people have told me that this country is going in the wrong direction,” he said. “I love this country and I love this state and people need to know that it is all right to have change.”

Muse noted that his opponent, Cardin, has been in public office “since I was 10 years old.”

Prince George's County is expanding its speed camera program -- just a few months after it started.

The county began ticketing with speed cameras in September, and in the first 40 days speeding in school zones where cameras were located was reduced almost 50 percent.

"Believe it or not, after you've gotten a couple of those tickets, you tend to be aware that you're speeding," says Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker.

Baker says the county is regularly adding more speed cameras, and the goal is to have 72 mobile cameras by later this year.

The cameras operate between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and they go off when a car is going at least 12 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

Prince George’s County expects a deficit of $126 million in the coming fiscal year, which officials hope to address without layoffs or furloughs, according to a county budget official.

The county is projecting $2.71 billion in expenditures for fiscal 2013 but only $2.58 billion in revenues, according a report provided by County Executive Rushern L. Baker’s staff.

The report shows a 2.7 percent decrease in revenue from the current fiscal year and a 1.7 percent increase in expenditures. The fiscal 2012 budget was $2.65 billion.

Obtaining funding for school construction, infrastructure improvements and a new hospital will be top priorities this year and during the approaching General Assembly session, said Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III.

Improving schools goes hand-in-hand with fostering economic development, Baker (D) added.

“I think there’s a tremendous opportunity ... to help not only Prince George’s County, but also help the state, because the growth in the state is going to happen in the Washington region,” Baker said.

A push to expand gambling from slot-machine-only casinos to include table games like blackjack and craps will stir debate. There's also talk of trying to allow a casino in Prince George's County, either at Rosecroft Raceway or National Harbor, near the nation's capital. Both proposals would have to be approved not just by the General Assembly, but also by voters on the 2012 ballot.

Busch said he believes expanding gambling opportunities to table games would find support, but he said a proposed new site will complicate the debate. That's because people who have already invested in three casinos — with plans for two more — made their decisions based on the market share of five casinos in the state.

But Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said Prince George's County is prime casino territory, due to its proximity to the nation's capital and Virginia.

"I'm not interested in table games unless Prince George's has a site," Miller said Tuesday.

Klout measures how much influence you have on others via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

It also lets you know about which topics you're influencing others, and who you are making an impact on. Scores range from 1 to 100, with higher ratings signifying greater reach.

Patch did a run down of some local officials and Prince George's County officials and agencies to find out what their Twitter Klout score is. Here are the results:

Since his election, President Barack Obama (D) has had a strong presence in Prince George's County. He has used local sites as the backdrop for national issues: rallies for health care reform at the University of Maryland, College Park; voter turnout at Bowie State University; and economic initiatives at businesses in Bladensburg and Landover. Not to mention, he travels to the county when he uses Air Force One, which flies in and out of Joint Base Andrews in Camp Springs, where he's also been known to hit the links.

Prince George’s officials say the visits — numbering about 10 since 2009 — raise the county’s visibility nationally and provide a boost to the businesses he visits, though others dispute the financial benefits, and costs incurred by the county are closely guarded.

“The president needs to be out there,” said David Abshire, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO and president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. “The worst thing is a president that is out of touch when you have an economy that's worse than the year before.”

The county’s popularity among presidents is not new. Former Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening (D), who served as Prince George’s County executive from 1982 to 1994, said the county’s diversity and proximity to the White House make it an ideal backdrop for presidential announcements. The president can make a speech in the county and get back to Washington, D.C., without any major travel time, Glendening said.

A man who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Prince George’s County Council in 2010 pleaded guilty Wednesday to using campaign money on personal expenses such as gas, groceries and auto repairs, authorities said.

Darrell Miller, 47, the former mayor of Capitol Heights, was fined $2,000 and sentenced to 300 hours of community service as part of the plea agreement, in which he admitted violating election law during his 2010 council run, according to a news release from the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised probation, according to the release.

According to the state prosecutor’s office, Miller violated two facets of election law during his campaign between July 1, 2010, and November 15, 2010. First, Miller served as chairman of his own election committee and paid out money from the committee’s account, “Friends of Darrell A. Miller.” An election committee chairman who is also running for office is expressly prohibited from disbursing money, as that function is usually reserved for the committee’s treasurer, said Deputy State Prosecutor Mike McDonough.

With the Maryland legislature set to reconvene next week, a plan to bring slots to Prince George’s County faces several obstacles, including division among local lawmakers and resistance from Maryland jurisdictions that already have casinos.

Representatives of Penn National Gaming, which began a concerted push over the summer to put slots at Rosecroft Raceway, say they remain optimistic that a bill will pass once legislators realize the economic benefits for the county and state.

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker is pushing for approval of a feasibility study into bringing slot machines into the county to help mend a budget shortfall.

In an interview with The Washington Post ahead of next month's opening of the Maryland General Assembly, Baker said "it would be irresponsible" to not take gambling proposals into consideration.

"We have to look at almost everything," Baker told the paper.

Prince George's County is facing a $100 million budget gap next year, while the state of Maryland is facing a $1 billion shortfall. In addition to slot machines, a raise in the state's gas tax and the shifting of teacher pension costs to individual counties.

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker says he'll be looking at "almost everything" as an option to raise new revenue and deal with a possible budget shortfall.

The county has a projected budget gap of more than $100 million dollars, and new data expected next month could widen that figure. Prince George's has a $2.7 billion dollar budget and has limited ability to raise property taxes because of a voter-approved tax cap.

A board weighing the fate of 200 acres of property near Bowie State University is expected to make a recommendation next year about what to do with the land.

Among the options for the county-owned land are a mixed-use development and a training facility for the Washington Redskins.

Racial politics and concerns about community cohesion dominated a three-hour hearing Thursday as scores of people from across Maryland came to Annapolis to condemn, offer suggestions and even praise the new legislative district map drawn by Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Redistricting Advisory Committee.

The map, which was the product of census data and comments from a dozen hearings across the state this summer, was first unveiled online last Friday. O’Malley said he had the hearing to give the people a chance to see and comment on it before he sends it to the General Assembly next month.

O’Malley listened to all of the testimony and said no one would likely say that the new map was better than the old one, but it was made necessary by shifting populations found in last year’s census. He said he would try to address as many concerns as possible before finalizing the map and presenting it to the legislature.

A committee appointed by Gov. Martin O’Malley released its recommendations for a new state legislative map Friday evening that reduces the number of districts that cross county lines and increases the amount of so-called “majority-minority” districts.

Though lawmakers were still busy early this week examining details of the proposal, initial reactions indicated the map is unlikely to draw as much criticism as the new congressional districts that were signed into law Oct. 20.

The proposed map includes 12 districts where a majority of the residents are black, up from 10 on the current map and another four “majority-minority” districts, including District 28 in Charles County.

Also notably, the recommendations include for the first time in state history a majority Hispanic district. As proposed, District 47B in Prince George’s County is more than 63 percent Hispanic.

The proposal also cuts the number of districts that cross county boundaries from 14 to 13.

There have been 15 police-involved shootings in Prince George's County this year.

Eight people were killed, which equals the number of deadly police shootings in the District, Montgomery and Fairfax counties combined.

Prince George's County officials said they are encountering more violent suspects in the line of duty. In all but two of the 15 police-involved shootings, the suspect was armed.

"That's unusual," said Asst. Chief Kevin Davis. "That should be something [...] that concerns this community."

 

Despite being sentenced to more than seven years in jail, former Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson will still receive a good-sized annual pension, an ABC7 I-Team investigation has uncovered.

Due to a loophole in Maryland law, Johnson will collect nearly $50,000 from a pension fund, even after his conviction on federal corruption charges earlier this year.

Johnson admitted to extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from developers and business owners while in office.

 

Three federal judges expressed skepticism Tuesday that Maryland's political mapmakers intentionally diluted black voting power when they drew new congressional districts, as the map's opponents have argued.

The three-judge panel held a hearing in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt to determine whether the state's new congressional map passes constitutional muster.

Judge Paul V. Neimeyer, one of the three deciding the matter, said that the General Assembly-approved plan appeared to be drawn with an eye toward ensuring that some incumbent members of Congress would be re-elected. "If that is the motivation, it is hard to get racial discrimination out of that evidence," Neimeyer said. The other two judges made similar comments.

As a three-judge panel heard arguments about whether Maryland's redistricting map dilutes the African-American vote, one of those judges said Tuesday he doesn't believe a case has been made to require a third black-majority congressional district.

Still, the judges noted that some changes in the map might be necessary after further review, and they asked an assistant attorney general representing the state elections board how that might affect the timeline for Maryland's scheduled April 3 primary.

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker said an inspector general's office may not be necessary to help the county clean up its ethics lapses, and instead favors cheaper approaches to government oversight through better employee training and established bodies such as the defunct Board of Ethics.

While some progress has been made to achieve more accountability and openness a year into Baker's first term, more sweeping changes outlined by his transition team and ethics task force, from strengthening the Board of Ethics to exploring the benefits of an inspector general's office, await action.

Republicans and a voters-rights advocacy group are rallying against an initial proposal to redraw the state’s legislative districts.

The plan, released Friday by the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory, calls for increasing from 10 to 12 the number of majority-black Senate districts and creating a majority-Hispanic district in Prince George’s County. But a spokesman for the Fannie Lou Hamer Political Action Committee said the plan does not do enough to provide adequate representation to blacks and other minorities.

Radamese Cabrera, a consultant who works for the PAC, called the plan “pure racism,” arguing the map should have as many as 14 majority-black districts to more accurately represent black Marylanders.

The freshmen state lawmaker known most for her flip-flop last year on same-sex marriage has been indicted again for theft. State prosecutors say they have uncovered evidence that she used taxpayer money to pay the salary of an aide working at her private law firm.

The indictment comes three months after Alston was charged with stealing campaign funds to pay for her wedding, and also using campaign funds to pay for the salary of a law firm employee. Alston denied wrongdoing on those charges.

“The new charges allege that Delegate Alston sought to pay an employee of her private law firm for her work for the firm by arranging for her to be added to the state payroll and paid by the Maryland General Assembly at a rate of $100.00 per day,” according to a release Thursday by the Office of the Maryland State Prosecutor.

 

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III said Monday that he plans to ask lawmakers in Annapolis for a great deal of funding in the upcoming legislative session and that he remains open to the possibility of a slot-machine gambling site in his county to help cover the cost.

...

Penn National Gaming, owner of Rosecroft Raceway, is pushing a plan to make the facility the sixth slots site authorized in Maryland. Other options have also been talked about in recent months. Baker said that he is not limiting consideration of slots solely to Rosecroft.

The vast majority of Prince George’s lawmakers opposed hosting a slots venue in 2007, when the state launched its program. Since then, some legislators have begun to reconsider their positions based on the potential revenue a facility could generate for both the state and county.

The Prince George’s County Council had a change in leadership for the 2012 legislative year as Andrea Harrison, D.-Dist. 5, was named council chair while Eric Olson, D.-Dist. 3, reprises his role as vice-chair.

“Together as ‘One Prince George’s County,’ I believe that Prince George’s County Government can do even better by working smarter, more efficiently, streamlining how we do business, and helping to foster an environment that encourages growth,” Harrison said in a statement. “As Prince Georgians we face our challenges together.

And it will take all of us; elected officials, citizens and residents of Prince George’s County, business, non-profit, and faith communities, working together as a team to accomplish our goals and move our beloved County forward.”

Harrison, who replaces outgoing Chairwoman Ingrid Turner, D.-Dist. 4, was elected to the council in 2008 after David C. Harrington left the council when he was appointed state senator. She was reelected easily in last year’s primary election with over 69 percent of the vote.

Former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson was sentenced Tuesday to more than seven years in prison for extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from developers and accepting assorted gifts during a tenure that prosecutors say was rife with greed, corruption and an unchecked pay-to-play culture.

The investigation into Johnson, who led Prince George’s County from 2002 until 2010, came to light more than a year ago when federal authorities tapping his phone heard him directing his wife to flush down the toilet an illicit $100,000 check from a developer and to stuff nearly $80,000 in cash in her undergarments. The orders came as FBI agents tried to get into the couple’s home after witnessing Johnson accepting $15,000 in cash from a developer.

A new law is forcing restaurants and bars across Prince George's County to beef up security.

County officials hope the new restrictions - which take effect Jan. 1 - will help prevent fights outside bars and nightclubs like the ones that led to the closings of the Thirsty Turtle in College Park and Music, Sports & Games in Capitol Heights.

Marvin E. Holmes is sitting on the fence when it comes to gay marriage in Maryland.

Activists who met at the Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi Tuesday want him to say yes to gay marriage bill when it comes before the Maryland General Assembly in January 2012. Holmes is a house delegate representing district 23rd in Prince George's County.

Unitarian Universalists are an affirming and welcoming “church” where people from different religious backgrounds or no religion get together on the basis of shared values. They firmly advocate civil liberties and equal rights for all humans

The Prince George’s County Council and county executive, already among the highest paid county government officials in Maryland, are due for a 3.4 percent raise next month. The increase comes at a time when public employees are enduring pay freezes and unpaid furloughs to plug local government budget gaps. In nearby Howard and Montgomery counties, pay raises are also in the offing.

In Prince George’s, three council members said they will return their raises or donate them to charity. County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D), whose salary is slated to increase from $174,539 to $180,473, said Tuesday that he will either turn back the raise to the government or donate it to a nonprofit group.

AT A STROKE, the Prince George’s County Council has decided to allow the 85 percent of Maryland voters who are not county residents to determine whether slot-machine gambling should be allowed inside the county. That’s the sad, politically cowardly but probable outcome of the council’s vote Tuesday, urging the state legislature to authorize a referendum next fall on putting thousands of slots at Rosecroft Raceway.

The council was sharply divided. Four of its nine members wanted to ban gambling in Prince George’s outright. They argued, correctly, that slots would further smear the county’s scandal-tarred reputation; cultivate gambling addiction, crime and other social ills; and exercise a pernicious influence on the economically stressed neighborhoods around the racetrack, which already suffer from some of the highest foreclosure rates in the state.

The extension will stretch the ICC from I-270/I-370 in Montgomery County to I-95 in Prince George's County.

...Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker called the new highway the “economic engine of the state.” He said it makes it possible to attract and create jobs in Prince George’s County.

FBI surveillance video showing former Prince George's County Executive Jack B.Johnson accepting a bribe from a local real estate developer

Prince George’s voters in Bowie and Greenbelt, voters reelected most incumbents in municipal contests Tuesday. In College Park, one council contest was too close to call and would be decided after absentee ballots are tallied Wednesday.

Bowie, with more than 54,000 residents, is one of Maryland’s largest cities. Incumbent Mayor G. Frederick Robinson ran unopposed as did District 1 council member James Marcos.

Two council members, Dennis Brady and Todd Turner, gave up their their district seats on the council and won election to the two citywide at-large seats.

Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Military Family Caucus, today praised the Department of Transportation's announcement that Maryland will receive $2 million in federal funds to greatly enhance local, affordable transportation services for veterans and military families.

"We have a sacred trust with those who have risked their lives so that we may live in freedom," Senator Mikulski said. "Part of that sacred trust is making sure we provide our troops, veterans and military families with the services and support they have earned and deserve. But if they don't have transportation to VA health clinics or job interviews, all the opportunities in the world don't mean anything. Opening up transportation means service members and their families can get back on the job and receive the health care and services they need."

Two Maryland Delegates -- Melony Griffith and Derek Davis -- this week revealed plans for their own investigation.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission has indicated previously it would investigate.

...Carl Weimer, the director of the Pipeline Safety Trust, a national advocacy group, added: "Interestingly, we have been increasingly contacted by ex-employees in other areas of the country (New England, Texas, California) with similar claims of downgrading of leaks and reprisals against employees who try to question the downgrading. Really makes me wonder if the story you have written is the tip of a much larger iceberg."

Amid the still-skittish economic climate, several Prince George’s businesses touted their successes during a tour by county officials Wednesday.

Companies in Laurel, Temple Hills and Upper Marlboro were featured during the tour, part of Maryland Economic Development Week.

As the state has emphasized its efforts to strengthen the economy through programs and policies, developer Jackson-Shaw, with regional headquarters in Lanham, boasted of its ability to fill 400,000 square feet at the Brick Yard in Laurel and Beltsville in four years. Jackson-Shaw has leased seven of the nine buildings, and has plans for four more.

Tenants include Limbach Co., a mechanical contractor in Pittsburgh, which leased 40,000 square feet, half of which is being used for production and manufacturing. Although the company started with 80 percent of the property, it leased the rest a year later in preparation for near-term needs, said Kyle Knoernschild, branch controller for the location. About 180 people work at the location, with two-thirds doing off-site work, he said.

“We want to point out that Class A space is available in Prince George’s. ... There’s clearly a demand for it,” said Thomas J. Aylward III, vice president of development for Jackson-Shaw, whose headquarters are in Dallas.

A group of southern Prince George's County residents allege county officials used a "secret process" to approve a number of amendments in a plan that allows for more economic and residential development in the southern part of the county, without public input, The Gazette reports.

Residents say the District Council, which the Prince George's County Council sits as when considering land-use matters, approved in 2009 more than 30 amendments to the Subregion 5 Master Plan that make about 7,000 acres in the rural tier open for developmenbt, after public hearings on the matter had concluded.

Glenn F. Ivey, until recently the top prosecutor for Prince George’s County, is preparing to announce his candidacy for the congressional seat held by Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.).

Ivey, 50, now a lawyer in private practice, has been calling prospective supporters and financial backers, and has already hired his former spokesman, Ramon Korionoff. Ivey declined to discuss his plans, but Korionoff confirmed them Tuesday.

“He is moving full speed ahead and laying the foundation to run for the House of Representatives,” Korionoff said in an e-mail.

Ivey’s decision to enter the race comes as Anne Arundel County Council member G. James Benoit (D) said Tuesday that he would explore his own candidacy. The redrawn district includes part of Anne Arundel and eliminates a part of Montgomery County, where Edwards, who is African American, has substantial political support among its growing minority population and among white liberals.

Ivey, who is African American, has twice run successfully countywide for state’s attorney in Prince George’s, which forms the core of the new district.

Benoit, 40, an Army veteran who is white, has served on the Anne Arundel council since 2006. He said in a statement that he is considering a run because Congress is busy “posturing” instead of focusing on “putting Americans back to work.”

The new congressional district was part of a package approved last week by the General Assembly. It was designed by Maryland Democrats in part to squeeze out Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R) and extend the Baltimore district of Rep. John Sarbanes (D) toward the voter-rich Washington suburbs as he mulls a race for the U.S. Senate. The plan has come under fire from Republicans and from some African Americans and Hispanics.

Edwards, 53, declined to comment. She is not closely aligned with party leaders such as state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), who played a key role in redistricting.

 

The Prince George's County Council and County Executive Rushern Baker have found little to agree on lately as friction between them intensifies.

Council members and Baker's staff have fought over bills affecting county developments, such as the Cafritz Property in Riverdale, where a Whole Foods is expected to open, and Baker's proposal to overhaul the fire commission, which drew the ire of council members when he was unwilling to back down from the effort.

Baker's staff has stepped away from those plans, but a larger fight looms -- the council has shown no confidence in Baker's choice to head the County's Attorney's Office, Andree Green, who represents both the executive and legislative branches of government.

A controversial plan to restructure the Prince George’s County Fire Commission was put on hold Tuesday to allow for more time to reach a compromise.

The plan, outlined in an executive order and a bill submitted to the council by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) last month, would change the role and composition of the commission, which currently has nine members elected by the county’s volunteer stations and controls about $12 million of the county’s fire/EMS budget.

This map’s three majority-minority districts contain African-American populations of 52 percent, 56 percent and 57 percent. The total minority population of District 4 represents 74 percent, of District 5 it is 68 percent and in District 7 it is 64 percent.

Ÿ The 4th District is a Beltway district that hugs the Montgomery and Prince George’s county lines. It also has the state’s largest concentration of Hispanics, totaling 21.8 percent of the district’s population.

Ÿ The 5th District is a suburban Washington, D.C., and Interstate 95 district. It contains all of Charles County, the majority of area within Prince George’s County, the I-95 portion of Howard County and the precincts bordering I-95 within Baltimore County.

A plan to redraw the political districts in Prince George's County cleared a major hurdle earlier this week when the Prince George's County Council set a Nov. 1 public hearing for the plan, to be followed by a final vote.

According to federal law, redrawing district lines occurs every 10 years in accordance with U.S. Census data. The nine districts in Prince George’s County must be equal in population and not change more or less than 5 percent in population, according to law.

The once-every-decade overhaul of Maryland’s Congressional districts is drawing fire from a group of Montgomery and Prince George’s lawmakers who say the plan scatters black, Hispanic and Asian communities across too many districts, weakening the strength of the minority vote at a time when Census data show it should be growing.

...“There’s a growth amongst minorities and then a reduction of representation. That really flies in the face of the Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which seeks to preserve and not dilute minority voting strength,” said Braveboy, an attorney.

Some Marylanders who submitted comments about the committee's proposed map offered another common complaint about the new 4th District: It would combine a liberal part of Prince George's County with more conservative areas of Anne Arundel County.

Sharon Wood of Severna Park wrote that she was "appalled" that the map would put her Anne Arundel neighborhood in a congressional district with Prince George's communities.

"What rationale are you using to say that these areas have anything in common? The Anne Arundel area's concerns are vastly different," she said.

Looks like Rushern Baker’s political honeymoon in Prince George’s County may be coming to an end.

Baker’s nominee to head the county attorney’s office, a key job that involves giving legal advice to the county, encountered hostile questions from several County Council members at a Wednesday committee session. So far, no council member has said they will back Andree Green’s nomination, and one has said she will oppose it. Baker (D) has been in office nearly one year.

A Prince George's County Council committee on Tuesday passed legislation banning slot machines from the county, clearing the way for the entire council to vote on the measure.
The bill, introduced by Councilman Eric Olson, D-College Park, would ban slots and other video lottery machines, a measure County Executive Rushern Baker called premature before officials could bring the gambling issue to the Maryland General Assembly.

Penn National Gaming, which bought the bankrupt Rosecroft Raceway for $12 million earlier this year, hopes to bring slots and card games to the racetrack in addition to harness racing.

Gambling at the track could generate more than $2.3 billion in tax revenue for the county and state in the first five years, according to a study commission by Penn National.

"We have to keep our options open on revenue. I've got to be able to give the General Assembly a chance to look at every revenue scheme," Baker said. "That doesn't mean we want slots to come here, but we shouldn't close it off until we see what the cost analyses are. We simply don't know that yet."

A bill that would ban slots in Prince George’s survived a key vote Tuesday when a County Council committee approved the measure — a gaming proposal that has renewed a long-standing dispute over what types of businesses the county should attract.

Jonathan Weaver, a minister who is leading efforts in the faith community to oppose slots, said the gambling machines would be harmful to the county’s quality of life.

As part of ongoing efforts to bolster Prince George’s County’s economic presence in Africa, officials hosted a roundtable discussion Monday on emerging business opportunities in the newly-formed South Sudan.

More than 100 businesspeople attended the gathering, which was hosted at the Prince George's Economic Development Corp.'s headquarters in Upper Marlboro and sponsored by U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) of Mitchellville, along with the county’s Africa Trade Office and the Association of Maryland Africa Societies.

"This is an opportunity to play a major role in building a nation," said Patricia Hayes-Parker, executive director of the Africa Trade Office.

South Sudan — which had a gross domestic product of $30 billion in 2010, according to federal data, and derives 98 percent of its revenues from oil exports — seceded from Sudan in July following a voter referendum. Because of its new independence and the region's history of continuous civil war, economic development in South Sudan represents an array of challenges and opportunities, roundtable leaders said.

Some development projects in Prince George’s County would have to be reviewed by the police and health departments under two separate bills proposed by lawmakers.

County Council member Mel Franklin (D-Upper Marlboro) wants to implement a program, known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), that would require the county Planning Board to refer specific design plans to the police department. The department would be allowed to make suggestions about public safety before the board approves an application for multifamily dwellings, townhouses or mixed-used developments.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley held a press conference Tuesday to announce that he would move the state’s housing agency from Crownsville to New Carrollton, a seemingly boring proclamation – state agency moving!! – but one that held incredible importance to developers in Prince George’s.

Imagine having bought some land near one of Prince George’s many underdeveloped Metro stations five years ago, when O’Malley promised to move the Department of Housing and Community Development from Anne Arundel County to Prince George’s. The economy was riding high, the federal government was aggressively leasing and the housing department’s lease had been promised to someone just like you. Lots of options to make a mixed-use development work.

Early support from Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and several other county leaders helped Derrick Leon Davis win the Democratic nomination for the vacant District 6 seat on the County Council.

With all 26 of the district’s precincts reporting, Davis received 3,570 votes, or 55 percent of ballots cast. Arthur A. Turner Jr., with 1,254 votes, or 19 percent, was a distant second among the primary’s 14 candidates.

Facing off against Gardner will be the Democratic winner of Tuesday’s primary. The candidates are Venus Bethea, Van Caldwell, Thirl Crudup, Derrick Leon Davis, Esther S. Hankerson, Wayne Leach, Cassandra Lewis, Wanda McKnight, Margareta Okoroji-Schaeffer, Christine Osei, Mark Polk, Brad Donnie Ray, Sherine Taylor and Arthur A. Turner Jr.

Polls in the county will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As part of an ongoing effort to attract new businesses to Prince George’s, the County Council is hosting a town hall meeting Thursday to discuss proposals to streamline the county’s permitting process.

Obtaining development-related permits in the county has long been criticized by business leaders and officials for being slow and redundant, making the county less attractive to new businesses than other jurisdictions.

Two sitting Prince George’s County Council members threw their support Monday behind Democrat Arthur Turner in his bid to fill the council’s vacant District 6 seat.

In what Turner called a “tremendous display of support,” Council Chairwoman Ingrid M. Turner (D-Dist. 4) of Bowie, who is not related to the candidate, and Councilwoman Karen R. Toles (D-Dist. 7) of Suitland, along with several other state and county leaders joined Arthur Turner in waving campaign signs Monday morning at 11 locations around District 6, said Terry Speigner, Turner’s campaign manager.

Prince George’s County has retained its AAA bond rating from three ratings houses that examine local government finances.

County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) on Thursday called the ratings “great news. It shows they have confidence with where we are going in county government.”

Prince George’s County Council members are calling for an end to an informal policy that prevents some substantial council discussions from being broadcast on television and online.

Three of the eight council members said they are considering changing an unwritten rule they follow that only allows “official” council meetings to be recorded and broadcast. The council generally limits broadcasts to formal votes on bills, proclamations issued to residents and public hearings where the group takes public comment on bills — a policy critics say keeps important discussions hidden from people who can’t attend the daytime meetings in Upper Marlboro.

A recently announced healthcare partnership could bring a much-needed new regional medical center to central Prince George's County. However, at least one commentator is floating suggestions for a massive sprawling complex instead of a compact campus located near one of the county's many barren Metro Stations.

Davis, an educational administrator for the Prince George’s County Public School system, is Chairman of the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund. He was appointed to the board by Governor Martin O’Malley in 2007 and was elected chairman in December.

Davis, a Mitchellville resident, was born in Suitland and grew up in Capitol Heights.

In a statement, County Executive Rushern Baker III said, "One of the most critical components to our democracy is fair and equal representation of citizens in all levels of government. I encourage all Prince George's County citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to have your voice heard by the Redistricting Commission."

To testify at the hearing, or for accommodations for those who have hearing, vision or physical disabilities, call the commission at 301-952-3600, TDD 301-952-5167, or go to http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/Redistricting2011

Prosecutors in Prince George’s County on Tuesday received a boost in their efforts to track and crack down on criminals who violate the terms of their parole and probation with the announcement by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) of a $306,605 grant for that purpose.

Authorities said the state’s attorney’s office in Prince George’s will use the funds to create a new collateral offender unit. The team will consist of two prosecutors and two paralegals who will identify and prosecute parole violators, officials said. The members of the unit will handle parole violation cases exclusively, O’Malley said.

The Laurel City Council last night unanimously approved an ordinance to repeal a highly contested election law.

The vote ended weeks of public outcry from civil rights groups, including the NAACP and ACLU, after a complaint regarding the law was filed with the state’s attorney general’s office.

Opponents contended that the law unfairly banned residents with criminal backgrounds from running for elected office and would give the city’s Board of Election the power to determine who can and cannot run for elected office in the city.

When campaign aides to former Maryland Republican governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. were indicted last month on charges that they sought to suppress black voter turnout last year, the allegations against Ehrlich’s right-hand man drew the biggest headlines.

But as the case moves to court Monday, the lesser-known defendant and his often controversial, behind-the-scenes work for Maryland political campaigns are poised to take center stage.

The Prince George's County Council unanimously passed a bill Tuesday to tighten restrictions on teen and adult dance halls throughout the county.

The measure, which was introduced by Councilwoman Karen Toles (D-Dist. 7) of Suitland, increases dance hall license fees from $200 to $1,000, requires dance halls to submit evacuation and safety plans prior to receiving a permit and explicitly prohibits establishments from allowing dancing between 2 and 11 a.m.

If you were thinking of building a new home in Prince George’s county, you may have just run out of time. The Prince George’s County council has approved a resolution that essentially bans new home projects in a large swath of the southern part of the county.

According to the Washington Post, the measure, which passed Tuesday with a vote of 8-to-1, was proposed over concerns that residential growth in the county is outpacing road improvements.

“It’s designed to prevent further overburdening of the roads in the Brandywine area, particularly the 301 corridor,” sponsoring council member Mel Franklin (D-Upper Marlboro) told the Post.

Prince George’s council members are calling for county-based companies to receive preferential treatment when they seek government contracts.

County Bill 17, known as the Jobs First Act, would require the county government to weigh in favor of county-based and minority-owned businesses when taking bids for new equipment, supplies, construction or services. The bill calls for the county to award 50 percent of all contracts to county-based businesses, which last fiscal year would have equated to $149 million. Since the 2008 fiscal year, about 12 percent of Prince George’s $1.3 billion in procurement spending has gone to county businesses.

Any company that gets county funding for a new shopping center, office park or community must agree to a 51 percent hiring goal for residents as workers under the bill, which also sets hiring and contracting goals for minority-owned and small business firms.

Companies that fail to comply with the new rules would face financial penalties and could lose their contracts if they do not improve, said Councilman Mel Franklin, who sponsored the bill with Councilwoman Andrea Harrison (D-Dist. 5) of Springdale.

“We have to make sure we are providing opportunities,” Franklin said.

The bill is currently in the council’s Public Safety and Fiscal Management Committee. At a hearing last week, no one spoke against the bill.

EVEN HAD HE NOT succeeded a corrupt (and now convicted) official who left the government in disarray, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III would have faced colossal challenges.

Upon entering office in December, Mr. Baker took control of a sprawling jurisdiction of 865,000 people — Maryland’s second largest — following three years of economic and budgetary pain. It faced foreclosures, underperforming schools, anemic commercial development, and a reputation for shady dealings and inefficient services. When people wished Mr. Baker good luck, the addendum, sotto voce, was often: You’ll need it.

Because the congressional districts need to be drawn in time for the April 3 primary election in 2012, the General Assembly will meet in a special session to approve them, likely to be the week of Oct. 17.

The other committee members are Senate President Mike Miller, who has served on the previous two commissions in 2001 and 1991; House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch; Prince George’s County businessman Richard Stewart; and former Del. James King, the only Republican....

Federal law also requires that Congressional districts be drawn so that racial and ethnic minorities will be able to elect representatives from their communities, Friedman said.

Leslie Johnson walked into the Prince George’s County Council chambers Tuesday morning and began her usual routine — joining her colleagues in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Although most of the council didn’t know it, she had just handed in a resignation letter. Minutes later, she left through a back door.

It was Johnson’s first appearance in public since she pleaded guilty last week to destroying evidence in a federal investigation of county government corruption. At the time, Johnson (D-Mitchellville) said she would stay on the council until her sentencing in October, prompting vociferous objections from fellow politicians and the public. Tuesday’s letter moved the resignation date to July 31.

The 2011 Redistricting Commission was appointed pursuant to the prescriptions of Section 305 of the County Charter, which states, in pertinent part, that "[T]he boundaries of Council districts shall be reestablished in 1982 and every tenth year thereafter. Whenever district boundaries are to be reestablished the Council shall appoint, not later than February 1 of the year prior to the year in which redistricting is to be effective, a commission on redistricting".

Thusly, the Council adopted CR-2-2011, appointing the 2011 members of the Redistricting Commission and charging this public body with the mission to "prepare, publish, and make available a plan of Council districts and shall present that plan, together with a report explaining it, to the Council on or before September 1, 2011 ..." and further prescribed in accordance with law that "the plan shall provide for Council districts that are compact, contiguous, and equal in population".

Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Dist. 26) is calling for state and Prince George’s County officials to help funnel infrastructure improvements to a major Oxon Hill roadway, in light of recently announced plans to bring an 80-tenant outlet mall and a Walmart to the area surrounding National Harbor.

But county officials and some community groups argued that the additions near Indian Head Highway/Route 210 and several other highways would not cause as much additional traffic as Muse suggests, lessening the immediate need for planned road-widening and the addition of exits and overpasses.

Muse, of Fort Washington, argues the highway is already over capacity.

A Prince George’s County study group this week called for its government to appoint an independent investigator to look into complaints of bribery, mismanagement and cronyism, as neighboring Montgomery County’s latest inspector general started up his duties.

“It won’t stop someone from acting wrongly, but it may uncover the truth sooner than later,” said William Missouri, a retired judge who served on the Accountability, Compliance and Integrity Advisory Board that recently presented its final report to County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D).

Baker created the six-member panel when he took office in December to find ways to offset rampant corruption in the county government that has persisted for more than a decade. When Baker took office, former County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) had just been arrested by federal agents for allegedly soliciting bribes from developers, and a continuing probe by the Department of Justice is expected to produce more arrests in association with the alleged conspiracy.

The Prince George’s County Council is considering whether to post a public list online of every group, consultant, company or organization that receives at least $25,000 from the county.

Members said at a committee meeting Wednesday they want to pass County Bill 19, which calls for the county to create a database where users can see who receives grants, contract pay and other disbursements from the county’s $2.6 billion budget.

Trevor Otts doesn’t want a repeat of the last time political boundaries were redrawn in Maryland.

The 2002 legislative redistricting plan submitted by the General Assembly faced multiple lawsuits and was ruled unconstitutional by the state’s highest court, which redrew the lines.

As the state and other governmental entities prepare to begin the once-a-decade process, Otts, who owns a business consulting firm and lives in Fort Washington, is chairing a political action committee that aims to ensure proposed districts reflect Prince George’s County’s majority minority population.

Prince George's County Council members are considering legislation that would require collective bargaining agreements be written for all county contracts that exceed $1 million in an effort to drum up more work for residents but which critics say wouldn't help.

A project labor agreement, essentially a collective bargaining agreement made before a contractor is hired for a job, would allow the county to stipulate that a percentage of employees hired for the job are Prince George's County residents.

Councilwoman Karen Toles, D-Capitol Heights, said her bill would let workers at any one of the Prince George's 12 training facilities, such as Sheet Metal Workers Local 100, directly benefit

from future development in the county.

In the first stage of county plans for redrawing district lines, the Prince George’s County Redistricting Commission met with residents on Tuesday night to gain public input to make improvements to their drafted maps.

“Our interest is making certain that citizens of [Prince George's] County have some input in this process. Nothing else would make it better,” Sharon Taylor, the commission chair, said. “In what we decide with for this input, we are all going to have to live with for the next 10 years.”

Tuesday night’s public hearing in Riverdale, however, failed to garner the interest of the community as only 13 sat in attendance, offering no comments after the presentation. This follows their April 9 hearing, where the commission faced a crowd of 49 residents representing areas of Camp Spring, who were vocal about their desire to keep their community unified.

Prince George’s County has received a AAA bond rating from all three of the major Wall Street ratings agencies for the first time.

Analysts with Fitch Ratings announced May 27 that they had upgraded their rating on the county from AA+ to AAA, the highest rating possible. Ratings are the government equivalent of a personal credit score and indicate to investors the economic strength of a company, fund or municipality.

Federal officials Thursday revealed the guilty plea of a third developer in the sweeping Prince George’s County corruption scandal.

Daniel I. Colton, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion and to make false statements to the Federal Election Commission, officials said. Colton entered his plea, which was sealed until late Thursday afternoon, on Sept. 13, 2010, according to Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

Except for Sunday worship services and week day Bible studies, many people envision the Church’s role in community outreach as largely non-existent.

But while the Church regularly serves the community through a variety of programs and support groups, it has the potential to be more far-reaching – like establishing partnerships with local government.

County Executive Rusher Baker is keenly aware of the vital role the Church can play in strengthening the Prince George’s community and emphasized that during his second quarterly Faith Leaders Meeting held May 17 in Brandywine, Md.

“Our faith institutions work tirelessly everyday to serve their congregants, their communities, and our children,” said Baker. “One of the top priorities for the Baker Administration is to find ways of breaking down our silos and working together with our partners to better connect government to the people we serve.”

As former Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) faces years in prison, officials expect he would trade his Mitchellville mansion for a dining hall, serving food in a federal facility alongside the general population.

"There's no difference whether the individual is a former public official [or not]," said Edmond Ross, spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmates are given a job, such as working in food service or maintenance, and are expected to assimilate into the general population, Ross said.

Johnson pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to felony counts of extortion and evidence-tampering, stemming from alleged deals with developers during his eight years as county executive from 2002 to 2010. He faces up to 20 years in federal jail, although U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein said the government is seeking 11 to 13 years.

A former Maryland county executive pleaded guilty Tuesday to shaking down developers for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and other favors in exchange for doing business with the county, part of a wide-ranging public corruption probe that prosecutors said is far from over.

The plea came six months after former Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson accepted $15,000 in cash from a developer and was immediately confronted by FBI agents. Shortly thereafter, agents tapping Johnson's cell phone listened as he called his wife while agents were at the door of their home and asked her to flush a $100,000 check down the toilet and to stuff nearly $80,000 in cash in her underwear. He and his wife were then arrested and the cash was recovered.

What we do for the environment affects us all. As I’ve said before, our borders don’t stop pollution. They don’t stop the
economy. And they don’t stop our residents from traveling across regional lines. This is an integrated region, and Prince George’s County will become the economic engine driving prosperity for all of us.

But in order to achieve that goal, we must commit the necessary resources. I have submitted legislation to the County Council that would create a $50 million Economic Development Incentive Fund.

This Fund, if approved by the County Council, will serve as one of many economic development tools we can use to
attract businesses and create jobs. The Economic Development Incentive Fund will be created from a one-time undesignated fund balance. We cannot use this money for recurring costs. If it is used to raise salaries, this fund balance will dry up in the next year or two, creating reductions in services, layoffs and furloughs.

The last installment of Patch's video series with Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker.

Former Prince George's County executive Jack Johnson, who is facing, extortion and bribery charges in federal court, is scheduled to appear Tuesday in federal court for a re-arraignment and to possibly enter a plea.

The Council must hold public hearings on the nominations, and must approve or reject the names within 45 days of their submission.

The list includes Police Chief Mark Magaw and Marc Bashoor, chief of the fire and EMS department. Baker also submitted names of leaders for the county department of housing and urban development, the office of finance, the office of management and budget, the office of central services and the department of environmental resources.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III on Friday nominated Acting Police Chief Mark Magaw and six others to head key departments in his fledgling administration, turning to several county government veterans to fill top positions.

Besides Magaw, who grew up in the county and has spent 27 years in the police department, Baker (D) announced that fire department veteran Marc Bashoor is his pick to head the 600-member fire and emergency medical services.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker has authorized a $1 emergency fuel surcharge for taxi fares in the county.

Baker has signed an executive order that authorizes the county’s Department of Environmental Resources to establish a $1 per trip surcharge. Anyone 60 years of age and older and any fares related to county contracts are exempt.

Nearly six months after her arrest in a corruption investigation that also ensnared her husband, then-County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), Leslie Johnson was to enter a plea in the case that day. But two days before she was due in federal court, prosecutors announced that the hearing had been canceled.

The news plunged Johnson’s 110,000 constituents, from struggling inner Capital Beltway communities to gated luxury developments, deeper into political limbo.

A controversial pay raise proposal could force Prince George's County to stop hiring firefighters and police and corrections officers in the next fiscal year, according to a budget memo issued Monday by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D).

In a list of potential cuts given to council members, Baker's staff warned the county would not be able to hire new recruits for the public safety agencies if the council approves a 2 percent pay raise for employees negotiated by former County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) last year.