Democrats Celebrate ‘First 100 Hours,’ But Bills Face Battles Ahead

WASHINGTON – House Democrats celebrated passage of their “first 100 hours” agenda with Thursday’s final approval of the sixth bill, but the celebration may not last as the measures move into less favorable territory

Winter Warmup Is For Real, Forecasters Say

WASHINGTON – Forecasters are backing off earlier predictions that this year’s winter would be colder than 2006, and chances are now good that in Maryland, average winter temperatures will be warmer than last year

Advocates for the Poor Seek Increased Funding

ANNAPOLIS – Advocates for the state’s low-income families are asking Maryland legislators to give top priority this session to allocating funds for affordable housing, health care, adult education and child care for the poor

^Quirky Pet Museum Comes to Trendy Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS – At first glance, Claire McLean’s Presidential Pet Museum appears to be another antique store on Maryland Avenue – full of Richard Nixon bobbleheads and Scottish terrier knick knacks

State Legislators Focus on Health Insurance

ANNAPOLIS – Once again, the General Assembly is being asked to make sweeping changes in the way health care is delivered to tens of thousands of Marylanders without insurance

State Officials Defend Electronic Voting System

ANNAPOLIS – State elections officials said Thursday that Maryland’s much criticized electronic voting system worked flawlessly in November’s General Election and see no need for paper trails to verify election results

O’Malley Proposes $30 Billion State Budget

ANNAPOLIS – In his first budget as governor, newly inaugurated Martin O’Malley on Thursday proposed spending $400 million in school construction but no new taxes in a budget he described as cautious and fiscally responsible

^Annapolis Sculpture ‘Unsafe’ and Must be Torn Down, Officials Say

ANNAPOLIS- From the Wildwood Trail, artist Al Zaruba’s sculpture looks like a bewitching child’s playhouse resembling an illustration from a Brothers Grimm fairytale

Unlikely Partners Unite to Save the Environment

WASHINGTON – Traditionally at war over the teaching of Earth’s creation, the two opposing forces of scientists and evangelicals found common ground Wednesday in protection of the environment, no matter how it came to be