Snyder, City Paper feud continues

Redskins owner Dan Snyder is at the center of another controversy – this time it centers around a report by Washington City Paper claiming that Snyder didn’t follow through with some environmental guidelines near his home. Snyder sued Washington City Paper in February, claiming that he was libeled by the publication. Now, it appears that the battle between the two is escalating. A story in Washington City Paper’s online edition claims that Snyder has failed to satisfy complaints from the U.S. Park Service over trees he cut down on his property six years ago. Snyder was ordered to pay fines and replace the trees because they overlooked park property. But the publication claims he hasn’t replanted any. A spokesman for Snyder said the Washington City Paper story is untrue. And so does the U.S. Park Service.

Travel the Underground Railroad in Md.

Visitors to a park in Maryland will be able to experience what it was like to travel the underground railroad. Saturday marks the start of this year's free guided hikes of the Underground Railroad Experience Trail at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park in Sandy Spring. The free, two-mile hikes simulate the underground railroad experience. The 90 minute hikes will be offered every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon ending Nov. 5. Guided hikes of the trail have been taking place for at least five years.

Taxpayers Have Three Extra Days to File Their Taxes This Year

Annapolis, Md. (April 1, 2011) – Comptroller Peter Franchot today reminded Marylanders that this year’s tax filing deadline has been extended to Monday, April 18, allowing taxpayers three additional days to prepare and file their 2010 tax returns. As an added bonus, taxpayers who owe money can receive an extra two weeks to pay their liability if they file their tax return electronically by the April 18 deadline and choose to have their payment direct debited. Payments must be scheduled for April 30, 2011 or earlier.

“This is no April Fool’s Day joke,” said Comptroller Franchot. “Taxpayers have an additional three days to prepare and file their taxes this year. I recognize that Marylanders who owe taxes may be feeling the pinch more than ever this year so these filers have the opportunity to extend their payment until the end of the month,” added the Comptroller. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has extended the filing deadline because of Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia, falls on Friday, April 15 this year. According to the IRS, by law, District of Columbia holidays impact tax deadlines in the same way that federal holidays do. Therefore, the tax deadline will be on the following Monday, allowing all taxpayers an extra three days to file this year.

Taxpayers requesting an extension must do so by the April 18 deadline and will have until Monday, October 17 to file their 2010 tax returns. An extension only delays filing, not the obligation to pay the tax owed. Penalties and interest are applicable to underpayment and begin to accrue on the tax deadline.

“If you are filing for an extension on your federal return and you do not expect to owe any additional taxes to the state of Maryland, then you do not need to file for an extension with my office because it happens automatically,” said Comptroller Franchot. “However, if you expect to owe additional tax to the state, you must file for an extension with the state as well as the IRS and pay the amount you estimate to owe.”

Free, state tax assistance is available at all of the agency’s 12 taxpayer service offices, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional hours of assistance will be offered on Saturday, April 16 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., and on Monday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all agency locations.

Taxpayers can also download state tax forms, find helpful information and check the status of their refund by visiting the Comptroller's Website, www.marylandtaxes.com or by calling 410-260-7980 or 1-800-MD-TAXES for free state tax help. The call center is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. through April 18, as well as on Saturday, April 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To check the status of a refund by phone, please call, 410-260-7701 or 1-800-218-8160.

State school superintendent to retire at the end of the school year

Maryland school superintendent Nancy Grasmick announced her retirement this afternoon at the State Department of Education headquarters. She will step down June 30, a year before her contract expires. State superintendent Nancy Grasmick will retire at the end of this year. Photo courtesy msa.md.gov.

Grasmick, the longest-serving school chief in the country, has served as state superintendent for two decades. Since her arrival, the Maryland school system won numerous national awards, including the nation’s best school system award from Education Week three years in a row.

“Our students and our schools have made tremendous progress over the past two decades, and stand on the edge of even greater progress,” Grasmick said in a press release. “It has been my great honor and privilege to work with our state’s outstanding educators to provide our children with the educational system they richly deserve.”

Governor O’Malley thanked Grasmick for her work as state superintendent of schools, setting aside their past disputes about education policy.

Police Seek Suspects in M&T Bank Armed Robbery

Second District officers reported to the M&T Bank located at 3720 Farragut Ave. after a report that an armed robbery took place, the release said. During the initial investigation, police were informed that two men—both armed with handguns—entered the bank and verbally demanded cash. The men received an undisclosed amount of cash before they fled the scene on foot and headed toward Dupont Avenue. No one was injured during the course of the crime.

Police are looking for two black male suspects who were described as being six feet tall. One suspect was last seen wearing a green and brown camouflage-patterned hat and jacket with blue pants, while the second suspect was last seen wearing a black hat, jacket and pants.

Detectives from the Robbery Section of the Montgomery County Police Major Crimes Division will continue to investigate the bank robbery. Anyone with information about the crime or the suspects are asked to contact the Robbery Section at 240-773-5100, 1-866-411-8477 or 240-773-8477. A reward of $1,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and/or indictment of the people involved in the crime.

D.C. flight makes emergency landing in Ohio

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio airport official says an American Airlines flight was diverted to Dayton's airport after about a half dozen people on board complained of illness. The director of Dayton International Airport says the pilot alerted the airport Friday morning that some passengers were complaining about air quality. Director Terrence Slaybaugh says Flight 547 was traveling from Reagan National in Washington, D.C., to Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

Slaybaugh says one passenger had an asthma attack. That passenger and two others were taken to a hospital for treatment. He did not know their conditions. He says the plane had about 140 people on board, including the crew. Arrangements will be made to get the other passengers to their destinations. American Airlines did not immediately return messages. SOURCE: TBD

Knut the polar bear drowned after suffering brain disorder

Investigators have determined that Knut the polar bear died of drowning after suffering a brain disorder. Fans are set to protest on Saturday against plans to display his remains in a climate change exhibit. Two weeks after the death of Knut the polar bear, investigators have determined the cause of the four-year-old's untimely demise.

According to the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Knut suffered from a brain inflammation and muscle spasms that caused him to fall from his perch and drown in the enclosure's pool. Claudia Szentik, pathologist with the IZW, said that the inflammation in Knut's brain was so massive that "he would have died sooner or later." Although Knut showed no signs of stress, IZW President Heribert Hofer explained that wild animals can bear a large amount of pain without outwardly showing it.

Protest plannned

The current director of Berlin's Natural History Museum, Ferdinand Damaschun, said it was conceivable that Knut's remains could be preserved and put on display in an exhibit about climate change. These plans have sparked a backlash among Knut fans, who plan to hold a demonstration outside Berlin Zoo on Saturday. Meanwhile, the zoo plans to build a bronze statue to commemorate the world-renowned polar bear who was visited by 11 million people during his lifetime. Knut shot to fame after being abandoned by his mother and hand-reared by keeper Thomas Dörflein.

Maryland man charged with attempted murder for Thanksgiving Eve shooting in Pottstown

POTTSTOWN - A man who allegedly attempted to kill another man at a party in the borough in November 2010, embracing the victim in a hug before pulling out a handgun and shooting him, is now in police custody. Oscar Armando Gonzalez, 38, of Baltimore, Md., was apprehended by Pottstown police outside of Bethlehem Thursday and arraigned Thursday night. Gonzalez is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and related offenses. He is incarcerated in Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $150,000 cash bail.

According to court papers, Gonzalez was at a party in the 500 block of Walnut Street Nov. 24, 2010, when he allegedly shot the victim, Mauricio Escobar, one time in the side. When police arrived at the residence around 11:30 p.m., they discovered Escobar "covered in blood," and Gonzalez had fled the scene. Police said they received information indicating Gonzalez was working for a tree cutting business outside of Bethlehem Thursday afternoon, and they took him into custody from his job without incident. See Saturday's edition of The Mercury for the full story.

East County Intercom newsletter

Dear East County Residents:

The new edition of the "East County Intercom" community e-newsletter for April 2011 is now available for you to read. Please click here to access the information. Join us on April 6, 2011 at our monthly East County Citizens Advisory Board meeting at 7:15 p.m. at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 (Conference Room.) Click here for the Agenda. If you have questions, need further information or need to request special accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Anjoo Chohda at 240-777-8411or email her at: anjoo.chohda@montgomerycountymd.gov
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240-777-8400

2 Teen Girls Missing From Montgomery County

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding two missing teenaged girls. Montgomery County Police say 17-year-old Destiny Magana and 15-year-old Stevonya Reid were last seen Wednesday afternoon outside Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Md. They are believed to still be together. Stevonya Reid's family says she may be in need of medical attention.

2 Teen Girls Missing From Montgomery County: MyFoxDC.com

Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Upcoming Events

Events are posted on our Calendar of Events on a biweekly basis. Please visit our Calendar frequently to view new entries.

April 7, 2011 - Greater Silver Spring Business Leaders Luncheon, El Nopalito Grill, Silver Spring, MD. Time: 11:30AM - 1:15PM. The Greater Silver Spring Chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce invites you to its monthly Busimess leaders luncheon... | Read more and register online

April 13, 2011 - I-270 Business Leaders Luncheon, Hilton Hotel, Gaithersburg, MD. Time: 11:45AM - 1:15PM. The Rockville, Gaithersburg and Germantown Chapters of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce cordially...| Read more and register online.

April 13, 2011 - Grand Opening, Wireless Outlet, Inc. Store, Arlington, VA. Time: 4PM - 6PM. The Arlington County Chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MAHCC.org) Cordially invites you to attend a Private...| Read more and register online.

April 20, 2011 - I-270 Corridor After-Hours Business Mixer, La Tasca-Spanish Tapas Bar, Rockville, MD. Time: 5PM - 7PM. The Rockville, Gaithersburg & Germantown Chapters of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce cordially invite you to its...| Read more and register online.

April 21, 2011 - Greet & Meet Business Mixer and Speed Networking, El Nopalito Grill Tapas & Tequila Bar, Silver Spring, MD. Time: 5PM - 7PM. The Greater Silver Spring Chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce cordially invites you to its Speed Networking... | Read more and register online.

April 26, 2011- Frederick Chapter "Know Your Chamber" Breakfast, Frederick, MD. Time: 8AM - 9:30AM. The Frederick, Maryland Chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce cordially Invites you to an exciting. . . | Read more and register online.

May 5, 2011 - "Cinco de Mayo" Celebration, Mariachi Restaurant, Frederick, MD. Time: 5PM - 7PM. The Frederick Chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MAHCC.org) cordially invites you to its Annual "Cinco de Mayo"... | Read more and register online.

May 5, 2011 - "Cinco de Mayo" Celebration, La Tasca-Spanish Tapas Bar, Rockville, MD. Time: 5PM - 7PM. The Rockville, Gaithersburg & Germantown Chapters of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce cordially invite you to their Annual "Cinco de Mayo" celebration ... | Read more and register online.

May 5, 2011 - "Cinco de Mayo" Celebration, El Nopalito Grill Tapas & Tequila Bar, Silver Spring, MD. Time: 5PM - 7PM. The Greater Silver Spring Chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce cordially invites you to its Annual "Cinco de Mayo" celebration ... | Read more and register online.

For more information call 301-404-1946.

First Cancer Treatment Facility Opens in Germantown

Cancer patients in Germantown have a new ally in their fight against the disease. A new outpatient care facility by Adventist HealthCare opened at 20330 Seneca Meadows Parkway on Friday. The new radiation oncology center is the first in Germantown to offer radiation therapy. Spokesperson Jennifer Plaia said the center expanded healthcare access for upper Montgomery County and the decision to open the facility was not influenced by the reported cancer cluster near Fort Detrick or any other study.

“With 4,000 new cases of cancer reported in Montgomery County each year, and with a growing upcountry population, we had long planned to expand radiation oncology service,” Plaia said. The estimated $5 million facility offers outpatient radiation therapy using cone beam technology, which generates images of a patient’s tumor in various angles before radiation is administered. The images can then be reconstructed to produce a 3-D image of the tumor. SOURCE: Germantown Patch

Israel/Irish Night with Ambassador Oren & Governor O'Malley

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) took his musical talents to the residence of the Israeli ambassador in Washington on Tuesday night, where he was among the guests who “jammed” with an Israeli-Celtic band. A video from the reception, held to celebrate what Israel and Ireland have in common, has been posted on YouTube and the Web site of the Embassy of Israel. SOURCE: Washington Post

Wheaton town square will stay public, emulate Bethesda

A parking lot in downtown Wheaton will soon be transformed into a town square. Not only will it make the area more walkable and vibrant, but Montgomery County officials say it will belong to the public and emulate many elements of the successful Bethesda Row. A few weeks ago, I wrote about concerns that the new square on what's now Parking Lot 13 would not be owned by Montgomery County, which raises some serious issues about the public's right to public space.

In contrast, Montgomery County leased downtown Silver Spring's Ellsworth Drive to a private developer. After private guards hassled photographers taking pictures on Ellsworth, County Executive Ike Leggett clarified that it is a "public forum" allowing free expression and photography. SOURCE: Greater Greater Washington

Blair Robot Project places seventh at regional competition

The Blair Robotics team placed seventh out of 63 teams at the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition in Washington, D.C. on March 25. Blair won eight of the 10 matches they participated in.

LogoMotion, the theme for this year's competition, consisted of alliances of three robots, each from three different teams. The teams must have placed shape tubes on scoring racks located on alliance walls. The tubes could have been placed anywhere, although placing tubes to form a logo earned additional points.

According to team leader senior Aaron Tucker, the team experienced relatively few mechanical failures. However, they made several notes for improvement for the next regional competition, such as improving construction. "Our main problems were that the towers that we deployed the mini-bot on were raised slightly, unlike our testing tower. So we had to fix that for deployment, and the mini-bot, to work," Tucker said. "On top of that, our gripper kept on knocking off tubes on the way down, and the drivers had viewing angles that we didn't practice driving with."

Tucker also noted that Blair worked under the fifth seeded alliance captains going into the quarterfinals because higher seeded teams chose some of the lower seeded teams, including Blair, to be captains for higher ranked alliances going into the final rounds. Of the 63 teams that competed in the event, only one alliance of three robots went to the finals. That alliance was composed of Teams 233, 768 and 2377, teams from Cocoa and Viera Beach, FL, Baltimore, MD and Pasadena, MD respectively.

Overall, both Tucker and junior member Marcus Clarke were pleased with the turnout of the D.C. regional. Clarke found the competition thrilling and was interested even when the robots performed poorly. "[The] competition was great and really fun," he said, "It was full of exciting times such as setting the high-score at least once and having our mini-bot work for the first time and down times like when the arm of our robot broke." SOURCE: Silver Chips

Major issues still unresolved as General Assembly session enters final days

ANNAPOLIS— Maryland lawmakers are rushing to approve bills on everything from hot-button social issues to the budget before they leave town in less than two weeks. The General Assembly is close to adopting its most important measure — a $34 billion spending plan to pay for education, health care and roads.

But most of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s top priorities — including measures to establish a $100 million venture fund and to mandate that utilities buy offshore wind energy — have yet to clear their respective committees. Get the information you need fast. Sign up for our Breaking News alerts today. Those and measures to place a new tax on alcohol sales and to extend in-state college tuition rates to the children of illegal immigrants are still locked in the House Ways and Means committee.

“There’s a lot of big stuff that’s still in our committee,” said Delegate Frank Turner, D-Howard.

A group of African-American clergy waded in the lobby between the House and Senate chambers Tuesday morning, with hopes of dislodging the immigrant tuition bill from Turner’s committee. A watered-down version of the measure — which would have students attend community college before being considered for in-state status at Maryland’s four-year universities — helped the measure clear the Senate, but supporters were uncertain if the compromise would be enough to guarantee success in the House.

“We’re going to keep pushing,” said Bishop Douglas Miles, of Baltimore’s Koinonia Baptist Church.

A proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in Maryland appeared on its way to quick passage earlier this month, but was derailed in the House when supporters could not secure the 71 votes needed for passage. A related measure to grant better protections to transgendered Marylanders passed the House during a rare weekend meeting, but died in the Senate when Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, D-Calvert, blocked it from coming to a vote. Lawmakers passed the nominal deadline Monday for bills to be approved by one chamber and considered by the other without facing procedural roadblocks. But high-profile measures, such as the governor’s, can still be fast-tracked in the waning days of the session with approval from the Assembly’s leaders.

O’Malley’s lobbying team has been working to address concerns about the governor’s agenda before lawmakers leave town April 11, trying to align House and Senate proposals, said Joseph Bryce, the governor’s chief lobbyist.

“We’ve been trying to get everybody on the same page, because with less than two weeks left you need to have them be as close as possible to one another, so we’ve spent a lot of time behind the scenes on that, answering questions,” Bryce said Tuesday.

Concerns about the costs to Maryland ratepayers of the governor’s wind bill have stalled action by lawmakers, although an initial vote by a key House panel could come as soon as Monday, said House Economic Matters Committee Chairman Dereck Davis, D-Prince George’s. Davis said he’s not surprised by the pace, given that members just emerged from elections last fall.

“The first year of a term, it’s been my experience things tend to move a little slower because you have a lot of freshmen and people are sort of recovering from the election. They haven’t spent say the whole interim working on bills and issues, they’ve been campaigning,” Davis said. “So the first year is always a little slower.”

Broad, sweeping measures affecting hundreds of thousands of Marylanders — including the state plan to implement federal healthcare reform and proposed cuts to state workers’ pensions and other retirement benefits — appear likely to make the cut. Bills that miss the 90-day cutoff either die or can be sent to legislative purgatory: the summer study. House Environmental Matters Committee Chairwoman Maggie McIntosh told O’Malley weeks ago that his plan to crack down on septic-system pollution would have to wait for a study. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Thomas “Mac” Middleton, D-Charles, meanwhile floated the possibility of studying the governor’s wind bill over the summer.

Senators looking to ease up on medical marijuana users passed a measure to allow them to present a doctor’s note as a defense in court. The House would rather study the issue. Miller preempted the process by seeking a study on the possible merging of the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore now before suggesting any changes. Lawmakers wrangling with a series of hot-button bills on illegal immigration in 2008 chose to study the issue rather than vote on any definitive measure. This session they asked for an additional year to study the issue. Proposals which have moved include narrower, more targeted bills.

A measure to legalize direct shipment of wine to connoisseurs — which fell under the weight of Maryland’s alcohol lobby three years in a row — now appears headed for the governor’s desk, albeit trimmed back to only allow for shipping from wineries. And a proposal to let dogs hang outdoors while their owners dine at restaurants easily cleared the House and is scheduled for a Senate hearing April 5. House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell, R-Calvert, commented: “A week and a half before the session ends, it’s hard to characterize the session because a lot of things are still in the balance.” SOURCE: Herald-Mail

Whitman hosts first national debate tournament, local officials judge final rounds

The speech and debate team hosted its first national tournament this weekend, the Beltway Invitational. The tournament featured two types of debate: student Congress, modeled after the U.S. Congress, and Lincoln-Douglas, a one-on-one philosophical debate. Students from over 25 high schools nationwide participated in the tournament.

On Saturday, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, former Representative Jim Moody and World Bank economic advisor Shahid Yusuf judged the final round of student Congress debate. While no Whitman students participated in the final round, team members who typically participated in Congress, including seniors Ross Slaughter and Amar Mukunda, organized this section of the tournament.

Senior Taz Sella, who attends Carroll High School in Texas, won the Congress tournament. In Lincoln-Douglas, senior twins Jeff and Larry Liu, who attend Indian Springs High School in Alabama, won first and second place.

In addition to the tournament, Whitman hosted a Lincoln Douglas round robin. Unlike the tournament, competitors had to be invited to debate in the round robin tournament. Each of these debaters competed in four rounds. Seniors Alex Zimmermann and Daniel Imas placed fourth and seventh.

By the end of the day, the two debaters with the best records became co-champions and participated in a final round adjudicated by judge Leonie Brinkema, Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, Maryland District Attorney Rod Rosenstein, judge Jane Roth and Maryland Representative Chris Van Hollen.

Senior Marshall Thompson and senior Ben Sprung-Keyser, who attends Harvard-Westlake High School in California, debated in the final round where they discussed whether juveniles charged with felonies should be tried and prosecuted as adults in the American criminal justice system.

The final round was formatted differently than most Lincoln-Douglas debates. The debaters’ statement times were reduced, the debaters spoke slower and the judges were given the chance to ask the debaters questions. PICTURE: Members of the Whitman speech and debate team posed with Representative Chris Van Hollen after the final round Sunday. Photo by Stephanie Haven.

SOURE: Black & White

From Councilwoman Nancy Floreen . . . Bag Tax Op-ed in the Washington Post

The County Executive transmitted his Recommended FY12 Operating Budget to the County Council on March 15. The proposed budget contains cost-cutting measures that will be difficult for residents and employees in the short term, but I am pleased that it includes a balanced long-term fiscal plan. I commend the County Executive and his team for their hard work in developing the proposal. Last year, I spearheaded a new approach to budgeting that requires a balanced six-year fiscal plan, and I'm gratified to see a continued long-term perspective in our budget work. I have asked our Office of Legislative Oversight to look at the plan, particularly in terms of its progress toward resolving our structural deficit.

I encourage you to engage in the conversation about the hard decisions we will make in the coming months. As I have said many times before, I remain committed to fairness and equity among stakeholders and will work to make sure no one group shoulders a disproportionate burden.

You can let us know your thoughts on the County budget at one of five public hearings spread over April 5-7. The public hearings will be held at 7 p.m. on April 5; at 1:30 and 7 p.m. on April 6; and at 1:30 and 7 p.m. on April 7. All hearings will be held in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building. To register to speak, call 240-777-7803.

If you can't make the public hearings, you can still let us know your views by e-mailing county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov. Our six committees and the full Council will analyze the recommendations over the next two months and will adopt the FY12 budget in late May. The budget will take effect on July 1.

Tune in to Montgomery Municipal Cable (channel 16) at 7:30 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday during the weeks of April 18 and May 2. I will discuss my thoughts on the budget in further detail on Inside Out with Pat Smith.

Maryland alcohol tax bill passes Senate

The Maryland Senate on Wednesday passed a proposal that would tack a 3 percent tax on the sale of alcohol, moving it one step closer to the governor’s desk. Senate Bill 994 now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration to be included in the General Assembly’s final spending plan.

If the bill is included in that plan, Gov. Martin O’Malley’s signature would be all it needs to become a law. O'Malley spokesman Shaun Adamec said the governor will keep an open mind to any revenue measures that reach his desk. Fast-tracked SB 994 would put an extra 1 percent sales tax on alcohol over each of the next three years. When fully phased in, the bill would generate up to $88 million a year for the state. In 2012, the bulk of revenues from the first 1 percent increase would go to restoring cuts in education aid in Baltimore, Prince George’s, Allegany and Garrett counties.

An additional $5 million of the tax’s revenue would be used in 2012 to reduce the waiting list for developmental disabilities services — and in its ensuing years, those numbers would increase to at least $10 million in 2013 and at least $15 million in 2014. Additionally, the bill could mean an infusion of cash to the state’s general fund that would offset some cuts lawmakers are seeking to reverse. SOURCE: Biz Journal

Vermont inches closer to single payer

POLITICO's Sarah Kliff reports today that a handful of states are scrambling to nullify the federal health care legislation -- but Vermont is trending in the opposite direction. Under the stewardship of the state's Democratic governor, a bill that moves the state towards single payer passed the state's lower chamber:

After a full day and evening of debate, the Vermont House gave preliminary approval to health care reform legislation that's designed to put the state on the path toward a single payer system. The vote on the measure was 89 to 47. Backers of the bill say it's needed because the state's current health care approach is broken. But opponents say it could dismantle the high quality system that's already in place.