The Sixth District Congressional Race, MD's Unemployment Rate, Ballot Questions, and Remembering State Sen. Clarence M. Mitchell III

Maryland Congresswoman Donna Edwards was on CNN's "State of the Union" yesterday to talk about the presidential race -- and the role of the women's vote in it (via our wire service).

Hundreds of people turned out last night to honor former state Senator Clarence Mitchell the Third during a funeral service in Baltimore (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun). 

Maryland's unemployment rate fell to from 7.1 percent in August to 6.9 percent for the month of September, according to the Labor Department's preliminary numbers, released on Friday (via the Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Business Journal).

A Baltimore tourism group is backing Question 7, which would allow expanded gambling here in Maryland. Tom Noonan with Visit Baltimore is in favor of the measure which he says means big tourism dollars for Charm City and jobs as well. If voters approve Question 7, table games like poker and blackjack would be in the mix for a new casino planned to go up next to M&T Stadium and Oriole Park in Baltimore. Approval of the Ballot measure would permit table games at all other casinos in Maryland... and allow a new casino in Prince George's County (via our wire service and the Daily Record). 

Last week, Governor Martin O'Malley named the people who will oversee most Maryland gambling programs in the years to come. The new 7-member "State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission" replaces the old 5-member Commission; the five from the old body will serve on the new one, along with two prominent Baltimore-area business leaders (via the Baltimore Sun). 

Republican Roscoe Bartlett was ready to retire after 20 years representing Maryland's sixth district in Congress. But that was before the state's Democratic political leadership reshaped the sixth to force him out. Now, Bartlett is battling on new turf with a formidable Democrat, in the state's only close congressional contest. WYPR's Karen Hosler brings us a look at the race. 

On today's edition of Inside Maryland Politics, WYPR Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith chats with WYPR Reporter Karen Hosler about some of the ballot questions facing Maryland voters... including "Question 6," which will decide the fate of the new state law legalizing same-sex marriage.

Plans to move the headquarters of Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development from Anne Arundel County to Prince George's County have been put on hold (via the Washington Post).

Around 30-thousand people participated in the 20th annual Komen Maryland Race for the Cure yesterday in Hunt Valley. That represents a 29-percent decrease over last year's registration for the 5-K race to benefit breast cancer research (via our wire service and the Baltimore Sun).

A proposal to make Carroll County the third jurisdiction in Maryland to designate English as its official language will get a public hearing next week (via the Baltimore Sun).

Officials with the Maryland State Highway Administration are saying their attempt to replace a portion of a bridge on I-295 has failed. New pieces of the bridge near West Nursery Road were set to roll into position this weekend after the old pieces were removed. But an unexpected weight shift made the bridge unstable, so the old pieces were left in place. Interstate-295 remains open (via our wire service and WJZ).

Finally, in sports: the Ravens lost to the Houston Texans yesterday; the score was 43 to 13.