This Week on Conduit Street

March 27, 2015

		PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT BILL - COMPROMISE SETTLES THORNY ISSUES A major reform of Maryland's Public Information Act is on the way toward passage, as MACo worked with sponsors and numerous stakeholders to reach a wide compromise. HB 755/SB 695 will create a statewide compliance board to resolve grievances over the cost of government custodians providing information requested by the media, organizations, or the public. The bill has passed the Senate, and will likely receive technical consensus amendments in the House - but final passage is now expected by the stakeholders. (Read more)

Senate Committee Hears Testimony on School Board Private Financing Presentation Explains Pension Funding Plan Passed by the House MACo Asks Maryland's Congressional Delegation to Protect Municipal Bonds Senate and House Committee Vote Down Safety Plan Legislation	Maryland Senate Unanimously Approves Budget Plan President: Senate Considering Tax Relief Proposals House Committee Votes Down Bill Undermining Local Tax Collections FY 2016 Senate Budget Documents Available on MACo Website St. Mary's Proposed Budget Includes Pay Raises, No Tax Increases	Phosphorus Management Tool Regulations Agreement Finalized, No Legislation Moving NACo Testifies Against "Waters of the US" Rule Before United States Senate Committee Baltimore City Cancels Electricity Deal with Proposed Waste to Energy Plant Register Now - Maryland Land Conservation Conference - April 30 & May 1, 2015
House Pretrial Bill Removes "Quick Action" After Hours Check Out the Newly Released County Health Rankings for Maryland! Federal Regulators Speed Approvals of Commercial Drone Use MACo Supports Continuing Ambulance Service Providers Program	Congressman Delaney Requests Concerns on Inadequate Infrastructure Rural Council Asks "What Do You Aspire for Rural Maryland?" Alex McCoy Named Garrett's New Economic Development Director Former MD Transportation Secretary Jim Smith Returns to Law Firm	State Budget Public Information Phosphorus Tool Education Tax Policy Federal Issues MACo Testimony SDAT Advisory Council Rural Counties
MACo Action Alert: Add a Sunset to SB 370's Local Preemption of Drone Regulations Senate Passes False Claims Act House Committee Votes Down Bill Requiring Professional Engineering Sign-Offs Senate Passes Legislation to "Level the Playing Field" on Hotel Taxes	Carroll County Projecting Shortfall for FY 2016 Howard County Maintains its AAA Bond Rating Charles County Bond Refinancing Yields Savings Baltimore City Reports Slight Budget Surplus for Current Fiscal Year Cecil Bond Refunding Yields $2.3 Million in Savings	MACo Mourns Loss of St. Mary's CFO Elaine Kramer NACo Webinar: Managing Integrity & Civility in Public Life - April 16 Register for NACo's Annual Conference - July 10-13, 2015 - Charlotte, North Carolina Allegany County Health Department Receives National Accreditation

Dates to Remember:

MACo Summer Conference - August 12-15, 2015

Corporate Partner Profile:
Aetna

TECHNOLOGY & HEALTH: WHY THEY NEED EACH OTHER

In Aetna's Health Section News, Nancy Brown from the American Heart Association discusses how "Technology can truly empower people to improve their health."

"At the American Heart Association, we applaud the "disruption" that mobile technology has caused in health care, because ultimately it is helping to improve patient outcomes and save lives". (Read the article.)

Aetna is a MACo Bronze Corporate Partner.

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)

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