Sequestration, MD's Minimum Wage, Offshore Wind, and A Proposed Statewide Bag Fee

House Minority Whip -- and 5th District Congressman -- Steny Hoyer says the full impact of mandatory federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, is still to come. Hoyer adds that a comprehensive plan including spending cuts and raising revenue is the only way out of the country's fiscal crisis (via our wire service).

A State Senate committee yesterday heard testimony on legislation that would raise Maryland's minimum wage. The state's current minimum is seven-dollars-25-cents an hour; the bill being considered would gradually up it to to ten dollars an hour by July 2015 and then key it to inflation for future increases (via our wire service and marylandreporter.com).

Governor Martin O'Malley's bill that would pave the way for the development of an offshore wind power industry has won preliminary approval from the State Senate. A final vote on the legislation will likely come next week (via our wire service and the Washington Post).

Today in Annapolis, Maryland lawmakers will consider imposing a five-cent fee on shoppers for every disposable plastic and paper bag they get to carry their purchases. The measure will be debated today in the House of Delegates; if approved, it woudl be the first of its kind in the nation (via our wire service and the Washington Post).

On today's edition of Inside Maryland Politics: WYPR's Fraser Smith and Karen Hosler talk about how Governor O'Malley, Senate President Miller, and House Speaker Busch came together on a deal to fund transportation projects.

Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson was in Washington yesterday, where he joined President Obama at the signing of the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act. Johnson was chosen by Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as the law enforcement representative for the signing ceremony because of his work as the current chair of the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence (via our wire service).

Baltimore County is boasting a new recycling record. Officials say residents set out more curbside tonnage in 2012 than ever before (via our wire service).

Baltimore County has been operating its recycling program for more than 2 decades. Cell phones that are wireless emergency alert compliant are now receiving AMBER Alerts. State Police say previously, AMBER Alerts were only sent to cell phones where people had visited their web site and signed up for the messages. Newer phones which are equipped with wireless emergency alert technology will receive a tone similar to the television EAS alerts, followed by a 90 character text message (via our wire service; more online here).

The Coast Guard is suspending its search for two fishermen reported missing off the coast of Assateague Island (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

And in sports: another grapefruit league win for the Orioles - they beat the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday 11 to 10. The O's face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight.