5-16-12: So Long Special Session

As the General Assembly special session wraps up, we talk with two reporters about what happened.

5-2-12: An End to Direct Payments for Farmers?

It’s time for Congress to reauthorize the five-year farm bill, and a version that just came out of the Senate Agriculture Committee would replace the direct payments that farmers receive from the government with an insurance plan for their crops. We’ll find out what the bill could mean for Maryland farmers, and for the environment.

4-25-12: Changing How Maryland Collects DNA

Maryland’s high court ruled yesterday that parts of a Maryland law allowing police officers to collect DNA samples at the time of arrest is unconstitutional. We’ll talk about the possible ramifications with an expert of forensic DNA policy.

4-18-12: When Is It Okay to Conceive…Posthumously?

The General Assembly passed a bill that would prohibit the posthumous use of a person’s sperm or eggs –without that person’s written consent.

4-17-12: Health Enterprise Zones

Will new proposed solutions to health disparities work in Maryland?

4-13-12: Banning the Request for Passwords

Maryland’s legislature is the first in the country to ban employers from asking applicants and workers for their social media passwords. We’ll talk about how prevalent the practice is, and how the measure could resonate across the country.

4-10-12: Goodbye, Sine Die

We take a look at the what the General Assembly did and what they didn’t do.

4-10-12: Money Well Spent?

ProPublica reporter Michael Grabell on his new book, “Money Well Spent?: The Truth Behind the Trillion-Dollar Stimulus, the Biggest Economic Recovery Plan in History.”

4-9-12: Governor Martin O’Malley

If the General Assembly can’t pass a budget on this “last” day of the session, the session will be extended. That really puts the pressure on the legislature to pass other major bills awaiting final votes, including a gaming bill and Governor Martin O’Malley’s signature wind farm and septic legislation. We’ll talk to the Governor about the latest budget negotiations and the fate of his legislative agenda.

4-6-12: A Watered-Down Septic Bill

The House is considering a measure that would change how and where septic systems are developed in Maryland. In its original form, the bill would have given the state the final word in where septic systems could be placed, but it was amended to leave that power to the counties.