Accomack County Supervisors Meeting

A wide array of topics were discussed at the Accomack County Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday night.

The application for the extension of the implementation of the new Storm Water program until July 2014 was approved.

Chris Isdell of Virginia Department of Transportation tried to explain how the state could take over road maintenance of a private road. The bottom line came down to the state would only pay five percent of the actual construction cost. No funds being available for easement change or development.

Jack Gray led the longest discussion of the night about why after so many years of efforts the HVAC system in the administration building just didn't work correctly. The contractor explained that there were twenty thermostats in the building with ten different zones and with different people in different offices in the same zone being the biggest problem. He said he had quoted a complete overhaul of the system and it had been rejected due to cost. It was then agreed to have a separate meeting on this subject and not hold up tonight agenda.

Seven people spoke supporting the new library stating their reasons, from history of the shore to child development. The majority of the speakers were from Onancock but they ranged from Parksley to Melfa. No mention of the $8 million dollar price tag or location was made.

County audit report was made by David Foley CPA from the firm of Robinson, Farner, Cox Associates giving the county the highest possible rating. He did go on to say he had reached out to both of the Constitutional officers in the Treasurer's office and the Commissioner's office offering professional guidance on how they might rectify the deficiencies noted in their respective areas.

Stuart Hall Public Works Director spoke to the Board about the $376,000 that the county had received for Sandy clean up that requires $33,583 of local matching funds. A motion was made to take these matching dollars from the contingency fund and move forward.

County Sheriff Mr. Todd Godwin was briefly at the meeting to request a burning ban to prevent over working of the already stressed fire departments up and down the county. Wanda Thornton explained that she always supported request from the Sheriff's Department but in this case she could not because of all the trees down on Chincoteague and some being infested with the Pine bark beetle and the only way to kill them was to burn the tree. A motion was made and passed exempting the Island from the burn ban.

A $142,000 grant has been given to the County from the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) to do a joint land use study with the Navy. The Board approved the rewarding of this grant to Clark Nexsen & Ecology and Environment Incorporation to provide the consulting services for this study.

County manager Steve Miner suggested a work session with the Citizens for a new library and a separate work session with EDA and the EMS group.

Mark Taylor county attorney presented his letter to the supervisors on different ways to appoint or elect school boards.
Source:

Fire Being Investigated In Accomack County

After what seems to be only a few hours of a peaceful lull Accomack County could possibly working on arson #71.

Thursday, March 21,2013/ 10:30 PM
Stations were called to the vicinity of 30120 Society Drive in Mppsville, Va. The fire was reported as a woods fire but within minutes it was discovered  to be an abandoned structure fire and located on Metompkin Drive just a short distance from the address given.
It is not known if the fire is a result of a control burn (control burns are now banned) or arson.  The fire is under investigation.


Reminder:

An award of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to the capture and conviction of the person or persons involved in the fires.

Call the Accomack County Sheriff's Department tip line at 757 655-1437 if you have any information that might help police.

HARLEY IS HOME !

After days and days of waiting for him to tire of running and return home, and countless hours of looking and waiting

HARLEY   IS  HOME!

 

It no longer matters where he has been or what took him so long to miss home.....

 

Harley is home now playing with his toys, eating from his same food bowl and awaiting ANXIOUSLY for a long ride in the pick up truck!! 

 

Oh, and then a bath!

 

WELCOME HOME HARLEY !

 

 

Sheriff'sOffice Seeking Suspect Wanted In Shooting

From Accomack County Sheriff Todd Godwin


On Sunday, March 17 at approximately 4:54 pm, the Accomack County Sheriff's Office received a report from the Eastern Shore 911 Center of a subject shot at the Pine Ridge Trailer Park in Melfa. Upon the arrival of Deputies, it was determined that an altercation had occurred between several individuals resulting in multiple gunshots being fired.

 One subject received a gunshot wound and was transported by Melfa Rescue to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital and later transferred to a Hampton Roads area hospital where he is listed in stable condition.

Through the investigation into this incident, a suspect was identified and warrants were issued against 20 year old Christopher Monfiston of Belle Haven for one count of Malicious Wounding, with additional charges pending.

Assisting with this incident were officers from the Parksley and Onancock Police Departments.

Anyone with information into this incident or the whereabouts of Christopher Monfiston is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriff's Office at 757-787-1131 or 757-824-5666.

Harlem Shake Done Tasley Fire Company Style

In spite of the off  beat long hours these brave men and women are aroused from sleep or drawn from their loving families or arrive  late to work  it is wonderful to see that  there is still room for humor.

We care about them because they care about us.



Tasley Volunteer Fire Company
STATION 8
Tasley, Virginia

TASLEY VOL. FIRE COMPANY on Facebook

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

It's 1913 and a young Salisbury office worker is found dead sitting in a chair at her office desk. Mystery heightened as an investigation proceeded and it grew into a case drawing widespread attention. Read the first in a series of articles on the case this Sunday.

1977.. Pocomoke City church dedicates new sanctuary; 1947.. A late March snow; 1930- Market Street site approved for new Pocomoke High School; 1934.. Part 4 (concluding portion) of first-hand remembrances of life on lower shore in mid-1800's.
　
Although you may not find these items in a history book, they are a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye!


　 Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about. It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

Prayer Vigil Tonight

 

 

 Heading North on Rt. 13, Turn right at Saxis Rd and then left on Jerusalem Rd. Church is on Jerusalem Rd.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Sheri!

Burglary Suspect Arrested On Boardwalk

On March 16, 2013, at approximately 11:15 p.m. Ocean City Police responded to the Comfort Inn hotel located at 507 Atlantic Avenue, in reference to a burglary and theft of an off duty police officers handgun.
 
Officer arrived at the scene and met with the victim who was identified as an off-duty federal law enforcement officer who was staying in the hotel over the weekend.  The victim related that he had left the hotel room and returned to discover his off-duty .40 caliber handgun and several items of personal property were missing and believed stolen.

During the on-scene investigation, police were able to view the hotel video surveillance system which further helped identified a suspect.  The description of the suspect was broadcast to other police officers in the area. 

Within 30 minutes of the initial report of the theft, officers located a suspect at 8^th Street and the boardwalk.  Officers detained the suspect who was identified as Jeffery Lynn King, 19, of Bridgeville Delaware.  Police recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun from King’s waist band, which they subsequently confirmed was the stolen handgun.

Additionally officers recovered several items of property belonging to the victim, which were stolen during the burglary of the hotel room. It was determined that King fired the handgun in the hotel room during the burglary.

King was arrested and charged as follows:

• 1^st Degree Burglary
• 3^rd Degree Burglary
• 4^th Degree Burglary
• Possession of a Handgun
• Reckless Endangerment $1000.00
• Discharging a Firearm within Ocean City

King, who also had an outstanding juvenile warrant from Wicomico County, was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and was held on $100,000.00 bond.  King was transferred to the Worcester County Jail.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

Upcoming Events ~ Delmarva Discovery Center

Sharpen your pencil and save the dates for the great events the Delmarva Discovery Center is offering...

 

In the next few weeks we have the following;
 3/24 Easter Egg Hunt
 4/4 Ruby Tuesday's Fundraiser
 4/6 and 4/7 Locals Appreciation Weekend
 4/13 Reptile Fesatival

 

See flyer below for more events....

 

Project S.O.L.O. Results in 12 DUI Arrests for OCPD

The Ocean City Police Department took part in Project “Saving Our Loved Ones” (S.O.L.O.) over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.  Project S.O.L.O. is a statewide initiative to combat impaired driving and underage drinking to ultimately save lives and reduce roadway deaths.

  Numerous officers were deployed during the initiative which resulted in 12 individuals being charged with driving under the influence, 2 criminal arrests, 3 alcohol citations, 13 equipment repair orders, 35 citations, and 77 warnings.

Citizens are reminded that officers are always patrolling the area for impaired drivers and are encouraged to utilize the many sober driving options available to them including the municipal bus service and private taxis.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

Upcoming Community Events/ March 29- 31

The Pocomoke Ministerial Association will be having a Community Good Friday Service at the Abundant Life Apostolic Church on Front Street on Friday, March 29 at noon.

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches and Salem and Bethany Methodist Churches will have a joint Easter Morning Sunrise Service on the dock behind Salem church at 6:30 am on March 31. All are invited.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY IN ACCOMACK COUNTY!

Photo BW

This photos was taken on Sunday March 16, 2013 in a small community in Accomack County.  It is a photo of a control burn which is completely legal in the county after 4 PM.  Residents must call the nonemergency number to inform Accomack 911 Center that you will be burning.  It's a law that comes into effect in Virginia every February.  This year it should have been thought about sooner.

Saxis Volunteer Fire Company was alerted which resulted in the response of a brush truck followed by their tanker.

Normally this would have been no big deal but with Accomack County working on 71 unsolved arsons since November 12, 2012 IT IS!

Tuesday evening fire units were called to an abandoned structure fire.  The alerted fire departments responded to such fire in the same manner they have always responded only to find that this was a control burn.  Someone had seen flames and called the fire into 911 which in turn alerted the needed stations and sent them scrambling to a fire that did not need their response at all.  Control burn.

What a waste of resources in every capacity!  Our emergency personnel investigator, police officers, and anyone working deeply with this investigation is worn out! 

And this disturbed me greatly. It wasn't the residents fault for calling in a fire.  We have been told repeatedly to report anything suspicious.  And how can anyone consider even striking a match knowing the possibility  that a control burn can become uncontrollable in a matter of seconds.

These are two I am aware of.

However, things changed Wednesday afternoon.  I'm just sorry the change didn't happen sooner.  And shame on ALL the supervisors of Accomack County if you had to wait for your regular meeting to discuss this dire situation.

But it is what it is and I just hope everyone adheres to it because if I see a flame I'll be upset again.

Thank you Sheriff Todd Godwin !

 

EFFECTIVE  IMMEDIATELY   IN  ACCOMACK  COUNTY

 

Controlled Burn Ban.

The Accomack County Sheriff's Dept. says this was necessary after a few controlled fires caused already exhausted firefighters to rush out to the fires.

Wednesday - March  20, 2013
ACCOMAC--The Accomack County Board of Supervisors approved a request made by Accomack County Sheriff Todd Godwin to authorize a temporary ban on controlled burns because of the arson spree plaguing the county.
 T
here have been over 70 arsons in Accomack County since November

 Godwin said firefighters already weary from responding to near-nightly arsons were called out needlessly to two controlled burns Tuesday night, one in Painter and another in Poplar Cove.
 
Passersby reported the fires.

“We are taxing our firefighters now…God bless them, they are worn out,” said Godwin.
 
The board unanimously approved authorizing a standing committee to implement the ban, similar to what happens during a drought.
 
The board will reconsider the ban on a month-to-month basis.
 Supervisors agreed to exempt the town of Chincoteague from the ban after Supervisor Wanda Thornton, who represents the island community, said it has a serious issue with pine bark beetles that would make a burn ban a hardship.

“We have to burn them, there’s no other way,” she said of hundreds of affected trees on the island.

 None of the arsons have occurred on Chincoteague.
 
Godwin said he knows the burn ban will place a burden on area farmers and others, but said the safety of firefighters outweighs those concerns at present.

“I think we’ve got to protect our firefighters and our law enforcement,” he said.
 
The ban includes all towns in the county with the exception of Chincoteague.
 
Godwin assured the board, “We are doing everything possible to catch this person or persons” and thanked supervisors for their support.

Residents Pray For End To Arsons

Jason Marks/WAVY
ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - Tuesday night, local churches on the Eastern Shore teamed up to pray for an arrest of an arsonist who has so far burned more than 70 structures.
At Nandua High School in Onley, approximately 100 residents gathered for a prayer service.

Interactive Timeline: Eastern Shore arsons

"We should have been doing this after there were 10 arsons or 20 arsons," Reverend Steve Jones said.  "If it goes on long enough, someone will be serious injured or killed."

 

Accomac resident Ada Jo said there is fear throughout the county.

"I think everybody is afraid somebody will be hurt or someone's home will be burned," Jo said.

Brooks Pruitt, also from Accomac, said the prayer service was held in an effort to halt the terrorizing acts.

"The Bible says if you ask in his name you will receive it," Pruitt said. "So, we are asking."

"We're doing this because we think we need God's help, God's intervention," Jones said.

The group also prayed for the safety of volunteer firefighters, who are also receiving help in the form of donations from a Harrisburg, Pa. fire department. 

Locals throughout the Eastern Shore are setting up collection boxes for bottled water, hot chocolate, coffee, snack foods and cups for the firefighters.

There will be a similar prayer event Thursday at the Jerusalem Baptist Church in Temperanceville at 7 p.m.

Source:

Pocomoke City Police Chief Will Speak To Youths

Melanie Bolling from the Save the Youth organization has announced that
Pocomoke City Police Chief Kelvin D. Sewell will be speaking to the youth of the Pocomoke City community....

TOPIC:  Bullying

LOCATION: New Macedonia Baptist Church

DATE/TIME:   Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 6:00 pm

The Save the Youth organization is in the process of making some changes in order to make its group of youths more attractive to the community.  Your support will be appreciated.

Persons in the community of Pocomoke interested are also invited to attend.

For more info contact Ms. Bolling at 410-957-1750

Exmore Moose Lodge Accepting Donations For Accomack Co. Fire Departments

FOR MORE INFO

A Minute with Mike: Maryland's Outrageous Gas Tax & Budget

A Minute With Mike....


From March 15,2013

www.delegatemcdermott.com

 www.twitter.com/Del_McDermott

www.facebook.com/ElectMikeMcDermott

Driving While Impaired/Under Influence Gets One Arrested

On March 17, 2013 a Worcester County Sheriff's Office Deputy stopped a vehicle for weaving from lane to lane on Rt 50 near Bell Road. The driver, Ryan Taylor 21 of Salisbury Md. Appeared to have been drinking. Mr. Taylor performed poorly on field sobriety tests.

Taylor was arrested and charged with Driving While Impaired and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Taylor was released pending trial.

Submitted:
Lieutenant Edward C. Schreier
Worcester County Sheriff's Office  

Worcester County Sheriff's Dept. Looking To Arm Schools With Armed Officers

WMDT
By Alyana Gomez
WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. - Law enforcement in Worcester County crunched the numbers and put a price tag on the cost to increase safety in area schools.

The Sandy Hook tragedy prompted a call for action, to heighten security in our schools nationwide, and now the Worcester County Sheriff's Department is responding.

"It's paramount that we have an armed police officer there who can make an arrest, who has been trained properly, who can make that split second decision whether to use deadly force," said Lt. Andy McGee, of the Worcester County Sheriff's Department.

The goal is to have 13 new deputies for each public school. The projected price is $1.7 million.

Police broke things down for WMDT. They say the base salary for a deputy is around $42,000. The cost of their patrol car is about $27,000, and the Tough Book system inside their car costs about $5,000. To hire one deputy, officials say it will cost the department about $121,000.

"The reason that cost is so high is because Ford doesn't make a sedan anymore, so we have to go to an SUV style vehicle," said Lt. McGee. He explained that the department is now shelling out more than $10,000 in those SUV vehicles, rather than the Crown Victoria they used to buy.

Worcester County School officials say they're backing this proposal and hope to add new safety features, like a buzzer entry system and magnetic key card for administrators coming back into the building from those portable classrooms.

"The governor has set aside $25 million for school safety, and school systems across our state are waiting to see how much is going to be allocated and we're in the same mode," said Barbara Witherow, Safety Committee Member and Coordinator for Public Relations for Worcester County Schools.

Police say if they're awarded grants it will most likely cover three years. After that, the county will have to absorb the costs. This proposal will be pitched at the Worcester County Commissioner's meeting around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Right now the proposal is only to have officers in public schools, not private schools. However, police say they're in the beginning stages and will look into that later on.

SOURCE and VIDEO

Le Tour De Shore Event

Le Tour De Shore

Come bike on the beautiful country roads of the Eastern Shore.  Our charming little towns are sprinkled with historic homes, museums, art galleries and shops that we are sure you’ll want to come back and visit after your ride.  All routes start at and end at the Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock, Virginia.  Saturday, May 18 is also “Super Saturday” in the town of Onancock. For more information on “Super Saturday” visit the town website.

Event Information

• Saturday, May 18, 2013
• All routes start and end at the Onancock School, 6 College Ave., Onancock, VA . Rides start at 8 a.m. with registration starting at 7:15 a.m.
• Choose from:
  • 17 Mile (9 a.m. Start)
  • 30 Mile (9 a.m. Start)
  • 55 Mile (8 a.m. Start)
  • 70 Mile (8 a.m. Start)
  Completion of the ride is optional.
• Designated rest stops with restrooms, beverages and light snacks.
• Sag (Support and Gear) Wagon support available from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• All participants must complete an event waiver prior to participating in the ride.
• Participants 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times on the route and must wear a helmet.
• Finish line festivities from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• The ride will take place rain or shine. No refunds.
• BBQ Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. back at the Onancock School.    

 Registration Information

Fees

• Adults:
  • Early registration fee is $45
  • After April 15, 2013 - $55
  • Day of Tour - $60
• Children:
  • Ages 7 to 15 - $25
  • Under 7 is FREE

Registering

Online: Individuals can register online with a credit card.
Paper Form: Download a registration form, and     

• Complete and mail-in with check made payable to the ESVA Chamber of Commerce, or...
• Drop off at the Eastern Shore of VA Chamber of Commerce Office in Melfa, VA, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A portion of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce proceeds will benefit the Eastern Shore Coalition against Domestic Violence.

ESVA Chamber of Commerce

Worcester County Community Meetings

Community Meetings

Germantown Community Meeting,  April 5 at New Bethel United Methodist Church on Germantown Rd at 6 pm.

Bishopville Community Meeting, Bishopville Fire Dept, April 10th at 6 pm., community room.

Oyster Harbor Community Watch Meeting, April 11th at 6 pm at the West Ocean City Fire Department, Keyser Point Road, upstairs community room.

Stockton Community Meeting on April 19 that 6 pm at the Stockton Fire Department.

Arson Cases Drain On Manpower, Funds

WAVY Photo

WAVY
Mila Mimica

ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - According to documents obtained exclusively by WAVY.com, State Police have spent thousands in overtime hours and expenses investigating the Eastern Shore arsons.

More than 70 fires have been declared arson on the Shore since mid-November. The majority of the fires have been set to abandoned structures, but some commercial structure fires and brush fires have been classified as arson as well.

 Interactive Timeline: Eastern Shore Arsons

According to the Virginia State Police, the department has spent more than $124,000 in expenses for the investigation. The spending, which took place between Dec. 1, 2012 and March 9, 2013 breaks down as follows:

• $47,992 on lodging for additional personnel assigned to the county, supplementing extra patrols and investigative needs
• $29,342.75 on meals for those individuals
• $46,914.17 in fuel costs for all personnel assigned to patrol and investigate the area

Additionally, the documents state thousands of overtime and compensation hours have racked up for State Police personnel involved in the investigation (Dec. 1, 2012 through March 9, 2013) that break down as follows:

• 13,089 regular work hours to the arson investigation
• 2,301 hours of comp time earned
• 6,808.5 hours of paid overtime

State Police have confirmed 72 fires are being investigated as arson which break down by days as follows:

• Mondays: 14
• Tuesdays: 9
• Wednesdays :6
• Thursdays: 8
• Fridays: 7
• Saturdays: 14
• Sundays: 14

State Police told 10 On Your Side analysts, plain-clothed agents, uniformed troopers, the ATF and the FBI are assisting in the investigation. Uniformed troopers patrol the county and identify suspicious activity and analysts process tips, intel and evidence from the scenes.

WAVY.com also learned State Police has 30 investigators who specialize in arson and explosives statewide. They won't say how many are on the Eastern Shore, but would only say a "multitude" of agents are dedicated to the investigation.

"It has been several months of a living hell,"  Tasley Fire Chief Jeff Beall told WAVY.com last week.  "It is taking a toll on family life. It is taking a toll on our financial situation with the station, and our personal financial lives."

The Accomack County volunteer firefighters get support from the county and from donations. The county has not been able to tabulate all of the hours worked by the volunteer firefighters.

Source:

Change Maryland on Legislature's Passage of Offshore Wind

Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan on

 Legislature's Passage of Offshore Wind

 

Annapolis - "With a proposed motor fuel tax increase this year and several years of raising taxes on everything else,  now is not the time to experiment on unproven energy sources with other people's money.   Once again, the priorities of our top elected officials are not aligned with regular, working people who overwhelmingly reject any further tax increases.

"This offshore wind scheme requires a tax to make it possible.  The private sector does not get to tax people to experiment with projects and with very few exceptions neither should government.  This will be a huge waste - assuming anything gets built at all. Governor O’Malley has been focused on increasing the cost of electricity and gasoline for struggling Maryland families and small businesses. He has now  accomplished half his goal, and is working hard to increase the cost of  gas in Maryland  to the highest in the region."

Delmarva Discovery Center ~ Easter Egg Hunt

Keep you eyes open on Sunday!  The Easter Bunny may be making an appearance !!


DELMARVA DISCOVERY on Facebook

Wine Through Time At Furnace Town

For reservations please call 410-632-2032. If  no one is in the office please leave  a message and someone  will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you!

FURNACE TOWN on Facebook

Field Notes From Delegate Mike McDermott

Field Notes

Observations
and Reflections on Legislative Activities

By
Delegate Mike McDermott


Field Notes of Last Week's Work as a Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly

Week
10 March 11-March 15, 2013

Tuesday Judiciary Hearings:

HB-930 seeks to deal with an aspect of identity theft where a person gives out private information on an individual without their permission. This is seen as a way of trying to protect the elderly from various types of fraud.

 

HB-1057 would limit the accumulation of Good Conduct Credits if a firearm was used in the commission of a crime for which an inmate is being held. Sadly, it would only affect a repeat offender of a firearm related crime.

 

HB-575 would remove the statute of limitations for the use of a handgun in a crime of violence. Currently, that crime has a one year limitation as the charge is a 5-year misdemeanor.

 

HB-952 would require greater scrutiny of contracts negotiated by the state to supply telephone services to inmates in our correctional institutions. It appeared from testimony that a new contract was recently negotiated that would significantly reduce the cost of inmate phone calls.

 

HB-1125 would create an “Identity Theft Passport” administered by the Dept. Human Services to assist with the problems of identity theft for children who are in Foster Care.

 

HB-1178 would continue the reporting requirements by law enforcement agencies on all of their SWAT Team activities. These reporting requirements were due to sunset this year and this bill seeks to continue it indefinitely. It also adds more reporting requirements to the list of data to be collected.

 

HB-941 would make it a crime to file false liens against an individual. This bill is designed to address, in particular, certain individuals who are part of an organization identified as “Sovereign Citizens” and who seek to punish government officials by filing false liens and tax documents.

 

HB-940 would establish a crime of armed home invasion.

 

HB-1225 would add as a penalty to a crime classified as a “drive by shooting” could result in the forfeiture of the motor vehicle involved in the event if the owner knowingly allowed the vehicle to be used for this purpose.

 

HB-424 would eliminate certain diminuition credits (basically good time credits, etc.) for inmates convicted of crimes of violence involving firearms.

 

HB-1263 would eliminate the statute of limitations on the crime of practicing medicine without a license. It was pointed out that many times there is extended times that pass without knowledge that a violation has occurred and this would allow for prosecution even after time had passed.

 

HB-1075 creates a Third Degree Sex Offense in cases involving persons in authority having sexually inappropriate relationships with juveniles who may be under their direction. It is meant to try and protect juveniles 16 and under from be preyed upon by someone who is in a person in authority who is at least 4 years older than the victim.

 

HB-985 would create a Third Degree Sex Offense during commission of a Burglary.

 

HB-1095  would mandate certain training standards on law enforcement agencies throughout the state. It would require some training aspects that are already being taught on a regular and semi-regular basis for an officer to remain certified.would

 

HB-1192 would eliminate any good time credits for any inmate who is incarcerated for using a firearm in committing a crime.

 

Wednesday Morning Session:

Third Reader Bill Link

This morning we conducted a 2nd Reader on HB-100 (Budget) and HB-102 (Budget Finance) where several amendments were offered to the budget. The vast number of amendments that would have reduced the spending, secured the Transportation Trust Fund, or require local government receive their share of road money were all rejected by the Democrats. There was one amendment offered by Del. Conway which would allow the Public Service Commission (if they saw fit) to provide a payment of up to $300.000 for the Hudson family toward attorney fees associated with the lawsuit they have been forced to litigate that was brought by a local waterkeeper. I attempted the same type of funding last year but the case had not been fully adjudicated and it was not approved. I was glad to support the amendment offered.

 

Wednesday Judiciary Hearing:

HB-1382 is a bill I submitted that would require a court to hear from victims (those who desire to file a Victim Impact Statement) of motor vehicle accidents for cases that are within the jurisdiction of the District Court.

HB-911 would extend the deadline by which Maryland would be required to stop issuing various drivers licenses to illegal

immigrants to July of 2023.

 

HB-947 would allow for specific damages to be attributable to manufacturers of lead paint based upon the “market share” the company held at the time the paint was being sold. This bill would be a first for any state in applying this standard for liability purposes.

 

Wednesday Evening Session:

We returned for a second session to take up the 2nd Reader of SB-276 which calls for a repeal of the Death Penalty. We offered 18 amendments on the bill in an attempt to keep the penalty for certain cases where the actions are so heinous, the Death Penalty option should be retained for future usage (considering that we have only had 10-Death Penalty convictions since 1978 with 5 of those inmates still on Death Row). We tried to keep it for murders of police and correctional officers as well as mass killings (one specific to schools) and acts of terrorism. We tried to retain the option for the aggravated First Degree Murder of a child where a Sexual Assault occurred (such as the case of Sarah Foxwell on the shore). The Democrats were simply unwilling to accept any amendments to the bill and clearly do not want to retain any options for the terrible crimes that will, no doubt, continue to happen in Maryland.

Thursday Morning Session:

 

Third Reader Bills One of the more controversial bills of the morning was HB-1053 which would allow casinos to hire persons convicted of crimes of “moral turpitude” if they had not committed another offense for at least 7-years. Currently, folks who fall into this category are prohibited from working for the casinos. It appears this bill was designed to help with the hiring of personnel for the Baltimore City and Prince Georges County sites which have yet to be built. In a state that exercises loose legislative morals, this probably comes as no surprise.

 

Thursday Judiciary Committee Hearings:

 

HB-542 would create a specific penalty for using a dog as a form of bait in the training of another dog. This is a common abuse when criminals train dogs for fighting purposes. It also would make it a crime to allow this activity to occur on one’s property.

 

HB-865 would allow a court to order a person convicted of animal cruelty to pay for the cost of housing the animal as well as providing medical treatment for the animal.

 

Friday Morning Session:

Third Reader Bills We took up three bills today: HB-100/Budget; HB-102/Budget Finance; and SB-276 Death Penalty Repeal.

The budget can be summed up by stating the fact that it is increasing the cost and size of government by over $1.2 Billion over last year. In fact, every year the governor and the democrats increase our state spending by well over a billion dollars totaling a 29% increase since he took office. The total increase in state spending this year is over 6%. My guess is that your family incomes have not increased every year by that amount and this year is no exception. The budget and the finance act did not have to dabble as much in tax increases since we already did that in a previous Special Session last year. We continue to maintain huge gaps in our pension liability funding and our “structural deficit” has not been eliminated. Of course, with over $8 Billion in tax increases in the past few years, one should expect that we would not have the problems we continue to face. Our issues are always the increased spending. The governor and the democrats have spent every dollar of every tax increase while they continue to refuse to cut spending. We are told every year by Del. Conway, the Appropriations Chairman, that “we have cut spending”…but what he means is they did not spend as much as they originally had intended. Truth be told, if they propose to increase spending by $2 billion over last years budget and we only increase spending by $1 billion, in their language, “that’s a billion dollars in cuts”. While it is ridiculous, this is what we hear on the floor every year. This does not count the increases in the Capital Budget that we will take up very soon. Both bills now move to the senate.

The Death Penalty Repeal consisted of a lot of emotional rhetoric from the left. Although you need DNA evidence or a video tape of the act in order to utilize the Death Penalty in Maryland, that is not enough for those who feel more compassion for a murderer than they do for a child in the womb. We have some very bad people who commit some very heinous crimes where the only reasonable sentence is the Death Penalty. The failure of many to recognize the importance of retaining this option for unknown events and defendants in the future is shortsighted and wrong-headed. Their rejection of common sense amendments that would have at least reserved the ultimate penalty for those rare crimes only served as an exclamation point on this bad bill. Sadly, the repeal passed.