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Straw Polls, Tonight’s Baltimore City Council Meeting, and A Profile Of Ron George

P. Kenneth Burns
/
WYPR

  Western Maryland Democrats and the Maryland Republican Party held straw polls over the weekend on the governor’s race; we look at the results. Plus: a preview of tonight’s Baltimore City Council meeting, a profile of GOP gubernatorial hopeful Ron George, and more.

Straw Polls: In Western Maryland on Saturday, Democrats from Carroll, Frederick, Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties held a straw poll on the governor’s race. Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown won the straw poll, with 76 votes; state Attorney General Doug Gansler came in second, with 64 votes… followed by Montgomery County Delegate Heather Mizeur with 50 votes. Western Maryland Democrats also held a straw poll on the Attorney General’s race – which State Senator Brian Frosh won handily, with more than twice as many votes as the combined totals of his opponents: Delegates Aisha Braveboy and Jon Cardin. Maryland Republicans also met this weekend, with the state party holding its convention in Bethesda. The GOP held its own straw poll on the governor’s race, which was narrowly won by Charles County businessman Charles Lollar, with 68 votes. Former Ehrlich administration official Larry Hogan came in just behind, with 62 votes, followed narrowly by Harford County Executive David Craig with 60. Anne Arundel County delegate Ron George picked up 29 votes in the straw poll. The straw polls could have some indication to how the June 24th primary election will go, as many watchers are expecting low turnout – and more partisan voters often go to the polls in such elections. There’s more hereand here from the Washington Post, and more hereand here from the Baltimore Sun.

Ron George Faces Uphill Fight For The Governor's Mansion: Ron George was one of the first Republican candidates to enter the governor’s race. WYPR’s Christopher Connelly has this profile of the businessman and two-term GOP Delegate from Anne Arundel County.

“Ban The Box” And Other Matters Before The Baltimore City Council: The Baltimore City Council is set to meet tonight, at 5pm. Once again, the so-called “Ban The Box” bill will be on the agenda, as will a bill that would require retailers to charge customers for plastic bags, and another dealing with regulations for the use of e-cigarettes.  WYPR’s Kenneth Burns gives Nathan Sterner a preview of the meeting.

Legislation Could Change Towing Rules In Baltimore: Also on the agenda at today’s City Council meeting: legislation that would restrict the circumstances under which vehicles can be towed from private property. City Councilman Robert Curran is sponsoring the bill, which the Baltimore Sun reportswould also cut the permitted towing fee by nearly half. A spokesperson for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says that the Mayor’s behind the idea, but tow truck companies are opposed, saying the bills would hurt their ability to do business in Baltimore and infringe on the rights of private property owners.

Councilman Scott Promotes Fitness: City Councilman Brandon Scott wants living a healthy lifestyle to be a priority in Charm City. The vice-chair of the Parks and Rec Committee introduced his running group yesterday morning at Lake Montebello, "Running To Be Fit with Councilman Scott." The Councilman says being fit and healthy are important factors to longevity and wants to see more Baltimoreans join him in the coming weeks.

“House Of Cards” To Stay In MD: The Netflix series "House Of Cards" will indeed film its third season in Maryland. That had been in doubt when the General Assembly voted that the show's production company receive only $11.5-million in tax credits, instead of the 15-million they were seeking. However, late last week Governor Martin O'Malley announced that the state had reached an accord with the producers of the hit show. O’Malley said that means, "the 37-hundred jobs and more than 100-million dollars of economic activity and investment that House of Cards generates" will remain in Maryland for at least one more year. The Baltimore Sun has more.

Pedestrian Deaths: Baltimore ranks as one of America's safest cities for pedestrians, according to a new report on pedestrian deaths from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The report shows that, nationwide, nearly five-thousand pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2012. New York was listed as the most deadly city for pedestrians that year, with 127 pedestrian deaths. In Baltimore, six pedestrians lost their lives during the same period… giving the city one of the lowest per capita rates of pedestrian deaths in the nation. However, the only acceptable number of pedestrian deaths is ZERO – and officials urge drivers to be aware of pedestrians at all times, and urge pedestrians to be cautious when sharing the roads with drivers.

Pill Take Back Day: Anne Arundel County officials are happy with the results of Saturday's Pill Take Back Day. The county's four police precincts and other drop-off sites collected 217 pounds of medications. The initiative is supervised by the DEA, with the aim of removing expired, unwanted and unused substances from medicine cabinets and keep them out of landfills, the water supply or the wrong hands. There’s more here from the Washington Post.

Catholics Mark Canonizations: Hundreds of Catholics in Baltimore are celebrating the canonization of two popes. The historic moment was held during Mass yesterday at the Baltimore Basilica. Popes John the 22nd and John Paul the Second were proclaimed saints over the weekend. A special exhibit featuring John Paul the Second's visit to the city in 1995 is on display in the Basilica's museum. The Baltimore Sun has more.

Baltimore Baseball: The Orioles lost yesterday’s game against the Kansas City Royals; the score was 9 to 3. The O’s are off today; tomorrow they’ll host the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Washington Baseball: The Washington Nationals lost yesterday’s game against the San Diego Padres; the score there, 4 to 2.

WYPR's Morning Edition news anchor Ashley Sterner serves up the latest Maryland news and weather every weekday morning, delightfully interspersed with the occasional snarky comment.