It's Time to Televise County Council Work Sessions

Some people who come to a County Council legislative meeting are surprised by the efficiency with which the Council conducts meetings.   That's because Councilmembers ask most of their questions at the work session, which is held the Tuesday afternoon before the Monday legislative session.

At a work session, Councilmembers have the opportunity to discuss pending contracts with agency heads.   Sponsors of a bill give their reasons for the legislation, and there is an opportunity for the public to speak for or against its approval.   

While legislative sessions are held at 6 p.m., work sessions start at 2 p.m.   From time to time, there has been discussion about moving work sessions to the evening, but I understand there are concerns with the cost of overttime for staff.   In the meantime, one important reform we should adopt is the televising of work sessions.

Televising work sessions would give the public the opportunity to watch the back-and-forth between the legislative and executive branches of government on bills and fiscal issues.   It would improve transparency and openness in government, and is a reform that hopefully could be done with minimal cost.   I have already talked with Council Chair Vicki Almond about this reform, and I hope our cable provider can implement it over the next few months. 

A"No" Vote on Question 5, Governor O'Malley's Redistricting Map

The proposed Third District.

This fall, I am teaching a course in political science at Loyola University. When I needed to illustrate some examples of Congressional gerrymandering, it was easy to find them right here at home.

The map proposed by Governor Martin O'Malley and passed by the General Assembly twists and turns the state's eight House districts in order to maximize the Democratic Party's chances of gaining as many seats as possible. A Philadelphia-based consulting firm recently concluded that three of Maryland's districts are among the most gerrymandered in the country. One of these is the Third District, which a judge said reminded him of "reminiscent of a broken-winged pterodactyl, lying prostrate across the center of the state." You can see that district to the right.

Some Democratic politicians have courageously challenged this map. Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews recently wrote that "whenever proponents of Maryland's new congressional districts make their pitch, there is something missing: the map itself. The gerrymandered map of Maryland's congressional districts produced by Gov. Martin O'Malley and a majority of the General Assembly is so outrageous that proponents of the new map are embarrassed to show it in public."  Here is a link to the map if you want to judge for yourself.

I will freely admit that Republicans have been guilty of the same type of gerrymandering in states like North Carolina and Texas. Here in Baltimore County, the new Council districts are more compact than the ones adopted in 2001, and certainly nowhere as egregious as the Congressional map.

Voters have been inundated with information about the other ballot questions, but not about Question 5. That is wanted to share my opinion on this particular question.  When you go into the voting booth, there won't be a picture of the map on the ballot, but you can look for yourself beforehand to determine if this is the type of redistricting that epitomizes the best in government.

Legislation Protects Those Who Buried at Pet Cemeteries

On Monday night, the Baltimore County Council passed legislation I sponsored that protects those who have purchased lots in pet cemeteies.

The new law requires a pet cemetery owner to notify newspapers, as well as those who purchased lots, if the cemetery will be sold or used for a purpose other than a cemetery.  Within 90 days, those who provide a receipt must be compensated.

Much attention has been focused on the Oakleigh Pet Cemetery.  This property does not meet the standards we would expect for a cemetery.  To the best of my knowledge, there are no plans to sell the property--but I wanted this legislation in place in case that ever occurs.