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Another Smoking Bill?

Rumor has it that Ulman and Robey have submitted new legislation to ban smoking with a one year phase in.

Larry Carson is to report on this in the Sun. Stay tuned.

General feeling is that by submitting brand new legislation Ulman is just trying to keep the issue going through May/June or longer if he can. With a new majority Ulman could keep this going as long as 90 days. With the August recess he could even keep it going into September.

Now Merdon was accused of playing politics with smoking legislation. What do those nay-sayers have to say about this? Will you take the same position if we see Ulman and his allies extending and amending the legislation to extend the debate on the issue up to the election?

UPDATE: How about that, Larry Carson is fast. David Wissing informs me that Carson's article is already on line.

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County Council Chairmanship

David Wissing and Hayduke have been speculating if it is possible to remove Chris Merdon from the County Council Chairmanship.

David Wissing thought something might actually happen at the Council meeting tonight. Since it was a public hearing on the Capital Budget and not a legislative session it would not be possible to bring up that matter then. The next legislative session is in May. If it comes up it will come up then.

However, despite the fact that the Charter doesn't permit it, I hope Ken Ulman tries to strip the Chairmanship from Chris Merdon. It would be, in my opinion, fatal to his campaign. Merdon won the position in a bipartisan manner. If the Democrats take it away it will be strictly for partisan political purposes. Merdon would take the high road, step down, and have the proper legal authorities review it (with little fanfare) because that would be the right thing to do.

Such a move would energize the Republican's to come out and vote enmass and irk the independents, which would help the Republican's to possibly win a majority of Council seats.

Go for it....

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County Exec race getting crowded

David Wissing brings to our attention an article from the Washington Post about a potential addition to the County Executive race.

C. Stephen Wallis, principal of Harper’s Choice Middle School, announced this week that he is forming an exploratory committee to run for county executive.

C. Stephen Wallis, of Ellicott City, said he has not yet decided
whether he will run as a Democrat, Republican or independent.

David Wissing GOOGLED Mr. Wallis and found this.

I did find this quasi-resume for some organization called the Calvert Institute of Policy Research that lists some of his back ground. Included is this:

Education Task Force director, Ellen Sauerbrey 1998 gubernatorial campaign.

I did a little research and found this:

C. Stephen Wallis of Old Fence Road, Ellicott City, MD. He is 56 years old and has been a registered Republican since 1978

1997 he was Washington, D.C. Area School Administrator

Speaks on School Violence and is affiliated with the Heritage Foundation and is apparantly an authority on the subject.

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