Maryland's Death Penalty, Wind Power, County Executive Candidates In Montgomery And Anne Arundel, and Community Job Hubs in Baltimore

The NAACP is planning to step up its efforts to abolish the death penalty in Maryland. NAACP President Ben Jealous says the push is part of a broader campaign to completely eliminate capital punishment in the US. Governor Martin O'Malley has said that he'll decide soon whether or not to push for a repeal of Maryland's death penalty in the coming General Assembly session... O'Malley led such a push in 2009, and while the bill that resulted did restrict the circumstances under which someone can be sentenced to death, it left capital punishment on the books (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

Governor Martin O'Malley says that a proposal to fund an offshore wind farm will be one of his legislative priorities in the coming General Assembly session (via the Gazette). Meanwhile, environmental activists are calling on Congress to extend a federal tax break for the construction of wind turbines. The credit's set to expire at the end of the year (via the Baltimore Sun). 

Former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan is looking to return to his old job. Earlier this week, the Democrat met with supporters in Gaithersburg and told the crowdt hat he will enter the 2014 race (via our wire service and the Washington Post).

Republican John Grasso is gearing up to run for Anne Arundel County Executive. Grasso is currently serving his first term on the Anne Arundel County Council; he's set to announce his candidacy for the County's top job next month, and will likely be the first candidate to officially get into the race. Several other Republicans are reportedly considering whether to get into the race -- including Dan Bongino, who recently lost his bid for a seat in the US Senate. Democrat Joanna Conti says she is also considering another run for the post; Conti lost her 2010 race to incumbent Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold. Term limits prevent Leopold from running again (via the Baltimore Sun).

Two important figures in Maryland higher education appear to be forging a strong relationship with each other and with an important political figure. WYPR Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith comments in his weekly essay.

Baltimore City is close to approving a "climate action plan." The plan is set for a final hearing this afternoon at 2:30 before the city Planning Commission adopts it. Today's hearing is at the Office of Sustainability at 417 East Fayette Street (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun). 

Baltimore job hunters will be getting help from four new Community Job Hubs. They're resource centers will be located at existing community centers. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says the partnership part of her ten-year effort to bring ten-thousand families to Baltimore (via our wire service, the Baltimore Sun, and the Baltimore Business Journal).

Morgan State University is announcing a $72-million expansion of its main Baltimore campus. Yesterday, officials broke ground on The Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management -- the 140-thousand square foot structure will house seven academic departments when complete, in 2014 (via our wire service; more here from WJZ and here from the Baltimore Sun).

The coming of winter weather is a challenge for Baltimore's homeless looking for shelter. Baltimore's Health Care for the Homeless agency says one statewide estimate found about 40-thousand times a year people a year show up at homeless shelters and are turned away for lack of space (via our wire service).

The Atlantic Coast Conference has chosen Louisville to replace the University of Maryland in their athletic conference (via our wire service and the Washington Post).