Your daily download of Maryland's top political news and analysis

Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009:

Dixon verdict today?
Speculation is mounting about whether the jury weighing a potentially career-ending conviction of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon on theft charges will feel pressured to make a decision today -- before the long, holiday weekend -- or if they would return and continue deliberating into next month. After nearly a week and some 30 notes to the judge, the direction the jury may be leaning is perhaps less clear than at any point, although some court observers say the amount of time the nine women and three men are taking bodes well for the defense. Either way, we should know by 4:30 p.m. today.

O'Malley, Kaine criticize D.C. Archdiocese
"The governors of Virginia and Maryland say it would be wrong for the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington to quit providing social services if the District of Columbia approves gay marriage," reports the AP's Larry O'Dell. "Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley are both Catholics. They criticized the church's position on the district's gay marriage proposal Tuesday during a joint appearance on WTOP radio in Washington. The D.C. council is expected to approve gay marriage next month. If that happens, the archdiocese says it may end contracts with the city to run homeless shelters and provide other social services."

Baltimore votes to crack down on non-abortion pregnancy centers
"Crisis pregnancy centers in Baltimore must display signs stating they do not provide abortions or birth-control referrals under a measure approved by the City Council Monday night and thought to be the first of its kind in the nation, wrote Julie Scharper in The Sun. "Similar measures have failed in the legislature in several states, including Oregon and Texas, Meister said. A similar bill is being considered by the Montgomery County Council."

O'Malley says state funds shouldn't be used buy out coach of lackluster Terps
"Gov. O'Malley acknowledged rumors Tuesday about but told reporters that neither he nor his staff have intervened," writes The Post's John Wagner. "University officials are reportedly wrestling with whether to retain Friedgen or buy out the remaining $4 million of hishis involvement in the future of Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen contract, possibly borrowing from the university endowment. The Terrapins are 2-9 this year. O'Malley said that he "would hope they would not use public funds to buy out the contract," but he declined to elaborate on what exactly would fall under the definition of 'public funds.'"

Maryland politicians make the cut for Obama's first state dinner
"Several prominent Marylanders made the guest list for the toughest ticket in Washington: [the] first state dinner of President Barack Obama's administration, honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," writes Paul West at The Sun. Among those on the list: Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings, an early Obama supporter, and his wife, Maya Rockeymoorem and Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, the House majority leader.

Delinquent mortgage rate nearly doubles in Maryland
The number of distressed homeowners trying to renegotiate their loans has nearly doubled in Maryland in the past year, according to a new report issued by Citi Tuesday," writes Daniel Sernovitz at the Baltimore Business Journal.

MoCo delegation debating priorities for session
"Bills on speed camera revenue, voting rights for the student member of the county school board and wine sales at farmer's markets are among legislation that Montgomery County's state lawmakers are considering as they prepare to return to Annapolis for the General Assembly that begins Jan. 13," writes Sean Sedam in The Gazette. "The county's delegation to the House of Delegates will hold a public hearing on the bills at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Stella Warner Council Office Building in Rockville."

Maryland Politics Watch also notes that a group of 13 Montgomery County state legislators has written to the Governor asking him to select light rail for the Corridor Cities Transitway (CCT).

Arundel slots action on Dec. 7
"Dec. 7 is shaping up as a pivotal day for a proposed slots casino at Arundel Mills Mall. A divided Anne Arundel County Council had already planned to take up two zoning bills that night -- one which would allow slots at the mall, the other which would not," writes Wagner. "Now comes word that the state commission awarding slots licenses will meet the same day, starting just two hours before the county council is scheduled to convene."

It's sugar, but don't lick it
"State Highway Administration officials plan to try out a fluid made from sugar beets to help fight snow and ice on Maryland roads this winter, according to The Capital. "A pilot project in Frederick and Howard counties will test the molasses-based substance, known as Ice Bite, for pretreating highways.

First Click will return on Monday. Have a safe and happy holiday.

Until then, you can always follow The Washington Post's Maryland political news:

Your daily download of Maryland's top political news and analysis

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009:

Dixon jury still out
Day Four of jury deliberations in Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's theft trial are underway.

Maryland's disappearing millionaires
Laura Smitherman at The Sun takes a look at the news from the spring that Maryland's list of millionaires has shrunk by 30 percent. The Post's story from May is here.

Jay Hancock at The Sun writes that it may be the estate tax in Maryland that's driving away millionaires.

Saving 2-1-1
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski wants $800,000 in federal funds to continue Maryland's 2-1-1 call center, writes Scott Dance at the Baltimore Business Journal.

Briefly:

Consumers are footing the bill for Allegheny Energy's cost-cutting program, writes the Cumberland Times-News

American Farm looks at continued cuts to the state's agricultural department.

The Washington Examiner's Bill Myers looks at the state's slow slots development one year out.

Missed: Yesterday, Liam Farrell at The Capital looked at the invocation of former Gov. Robert Ehrlich's name in the course of the state's continued budget battle.

Your daily download of Maryland's top political news and analysis

Monday, Nov. 23, 2009:

Spotlight on judge in Dixon trial
As jurors on Monday morning are set to resume deliberations over whether Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is guilty of stealing gift cards intended for the needy, many are watching Judge Dennis M. Sweeney, write Annie Linskey and Julie Bykowicz in The Baltimore Sun. "Sweeney, 64, is a retired Howard County judge who was selected in February to preside over the four cases stemming from State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh's City Hall corruption probe. Sweeney is widely known in Maryland as a jury expert, teaching new judges how to manage trials ... and at this phase, the judge is 'like a coach,' said Federal Magistrate Judge Paul W. Grimm." Sweeney has already fielded multiple notes from the jury saying deliberations were "overheating on Thursday and Friday, and it remains to be seen if he can coax them toward a verdict.
In the Daily Record, Danny Jacobs looks at Sweeney's options to nudge the jury toward a solution.
The Sun's Jean Marbella writes that the rumblings from the jury room may echo conflicted emotions in the city.

Mikulski amendment to target breast cancer screening
"When a government advisory panel put out new recommendations last week that said women under age 50 need not be screened for breast cancer, the calls began flowing to Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski's office," writes Meredith Cohn in The Sun. Mikulski "responded with an amendment to the Senate's pending health care reform bill that would guarantee access to mammograms at age 40 through public insurance exchanges."
The AP's Laurie Kellman quotes Mikulski saying that without the written guarantee, "insurance companies may use this new recommendation as yet another reason to deny women coverage for mammograms,"

Early fundraisers for Eastern Shore congressional contest
Republican state Sen. Andrew Harris isn't waiting until the election year to begin big fundraisers, writes Alan Brody in The Gazette. National Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele joined Harris at a fundraiser last week at the chic Imperial Hotel in Chestertown. "Two more events come after Turkey Day. The first, on Dec. 2 in Cambridge, features Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price of Georgia. The group of more than 100 House Republicans promotes a conservative social and economic agenda in the House, according to its Web site. Several days later on Dec. 7, former Gov. Robert Ehrlich will try to help Harris rustle up some cash in Baltimore County before the Ravens' Monday night tilt against Green Bay. ... For his part, Rep. Frank Kratovil (D) has a cocktail reception scheduled for Saturday in Chestertown featuring Steny Hoyer."

Lawmakers Pitch Frederick Site For Training Center
"Maryland lawmakers are promoting Frederick County as a possible site for a new federal training center," writes the Frederick News-Post. "State Delegate Paul Stull, a Republican from Frederick, recently asked Mikulski to support building the Bureau of Diplomatic Security training center where the former Alcoa Eastalco Works aluminum plant once stood ... Mikulski and Sen. Ben Cardin, sent letters [last week] to the State Department supporting both the Frederick and Queen Anne's County locations."

Fewer hospitalized for swine flu
"Swine flu is still the main strain that's making people sick in Maryland, but fewer people with flu-like symptoms are being hospitalized in the state," reports Michelle Basch at WTOP. "During the week of October 24th, about 260 people were hospitalized with the flu in Maryland. But that number has dropped for three straight weeks, to just 53 people last week."

Wright calls for unity
The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright on Friday urged several hundred people at the NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet that Americans must learn to work past their differences," reports Sean Norris. "After weeks of buildup as a firebrand, President Barack Obama's former pastor focused on the need to address voting inequalities, lingering segregation in schools and an unjust justice system." Wright's presence had prompted some state Republicans to boycott the event.

Military opposes offshore wind farm
"The O'Malley administration's desire to build offshore wind turbines as part of its renewable energy program is running into an unlikely source of resistance: the military," writes Brody. "The fear is that turbines placed in the Atlantic Ocean could disrupt flight and weapon test ranges, as well as erroneously appear on radar as unidentifiable aircraft, which could trigger false alarms in an era of high terrorism alerts, military officials said."

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