"Question 7," Dead Voters On The Rolls, Bonds, and Plans For A New Baltimore Youth Detention Center

With two recent opinion polls showing voter opposition to "Question 7" -- the ballot measure that would expand Maryland's casino gambling program -- Governor Martin O'Malley is saying he expects the issue will likely be dead for the next couple years if the measure doesn't pass this fall. Speaking on radio station WTOP yesterday, O'Malley said "perhaps some future governor will want to wrestle with this issue again." O'Malley's second and final term as Governor ends in January of 2015 (via the Washington Post).

The campaigns surrounding the gambling issue are becoming increasingly expensive -- with more than $32-million now earmarked to persuade voters (via the Baltimore Sun). 

The Washington Post reports that it appears someone is trying to fill an anti-gambling rally with paid ralliers; ads showed up yesterday on Craigslist and ClassifiedAds.com, promising to pay people between $25 and $40 dollars to show up at the rally, and to "stand in the crowd, clap, cheer, hold a sign, and be on time." The organizers of the Upper Marlboro rally claim that they've nothing to do with the ads, and inquiries to the ads' contact information by the Post recieved no responses.

Voter registration watchdog group "Election Integrity Maryland" is raising questions about more than 15-hundred registered Maryland voters -- who are no longer alive. The group examined the registrations of one percent of Maryland voter registratrions, from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Montgomery, Prince George's and Wicomico counties. It found that at least two dead voters have cast ballots in Maryland general elections between 2004 and 2008. The group is calling on the state to "clean up" voter rolls (via our wire service, marylandreporter.com, WJZ, and the Gazette). 

Maryland's Capital Debt Affordability Committee says that the state can afford to float more than a billion dollars worth of bonds in Fiscal Year 2014. That's $150-million more than it had previously recommended... but is some $600-million less than Governor O'Malley had asked for (via marylandreporter.com). 

Governor O'Malley says Maryland is going forward with plans for a new youth detention facility in Baltimore (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

A Baltimore high school student is in stable condition after he was stabbed during an altercation with another student at Heritage High School yesterday morning. The victim was treated by a school nurse and taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Baltimore City Police say a person of interest has been identified in the case, which remains under investigation (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

The Baltimore County Council has issued new rules governing pet cemetaries; legislation passed last night requires that the owners of animal graveyards notify customers if they're planning to sell or lease the land for development, and provide refunds of customers' costs if they request them (via the Baltimore Sun). 

Hundreds of Baltimoreans showed up at a community meeting last night on plans to add about a hundred parking spaces and a paved access road inside Baltimore's Patterson Park. Three more hearings will be held about the proposal, the next one is this Saturday at Hampstead Hill Academy (via the Baltimore Sun).

The Anne Arundel County Council has given itself the power to refuse legal settlements that are larger than $100-thousand dollars. The council is also considering a measure that would let it sue employees who've been found guilty, so as to recoup the financial losses of defending them. Both measures were introduced amid a pending disccrimination case against Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold; the county has hired a $450-an-hour lawyer to defend him (via the Baltimore Sun).

A new survey says that Baltimore City is among the best cites in the country for college students. The "College Destinations Index" puts the city fifth among the 227 major metro areas that have at least 15-thousand students (via our wire service and the Baltimore Business Journal).

And in sports: the Orioles fell 5 to 3 to the Tampa Bay Rays last night, pushing the O's a game behind the New York Yankees at the top of the American League East. The Orioles play the Rays again tonight.