The Week Ahead

Last week we blogged about the new revenue estimates for Maryland, the annual briefing of the Joint Committee on Welfare Reform, new data from the Census Bureau, and the August state-level employment figures. Also last week, Governing Magazine highlighted our brief on expanded gambling.

Monday, September 24th

• Exchange Financing and Sustainability Advisory Committees of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board meet. 2-4pm at the Maryland Health Care Commission, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• Board of Directors of the Maryland Health Insurance Plan meet about messaging and a memorandum of understanding between MHIP and the Exchange. 3pm in suite 630, 1 Calvert Plaza, 201 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore.

Tuesday, September 25th

• Transportation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee does a site visit to Thurgood Marshall International Airport, from 11am to 2pm.
• Public Health and Long Term Care Subcommittee of the House Health and Government Operations Committee meets to discuss HB 1090. 1pm in room 241, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board meets. 9am to 1pm, University of Maryland BioPark, 801 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore.

Wednesday, September 26th

• Maryland Nonprofits offers Forming a Nonprofit: The Paperwork. This is a training program; for more information check out Maryland Nonprofits' events page. 

Thursday, September 27th

• Video Lottery Facility Location Commission meets to receive an update on legal proceedings and to consider an extension request from CBAC Gaming and the City of Baltimore. This meeting will be held via teleconference. Interested parties may attend the meeting from Room 111 of the Legislative Services Building. A portion of the meeting may be held in closed session. 11am in room 111, Legislative Services Building, 90 State Circle, Annapolis.
• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law meets. 1pm in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council meets. 3-5pm in the Joint Hearing Room, Department of Legislative Services, 90 State Circle, Annapolis.
• Governor's Commission on Small Business holds a town hall meeting. 10am to 1pm in the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Road, California, MD. 
• Bureau of Labor Statistics releases county-level employment data.
• Maryland Nonprofits offers Build Capacity with Dynamic Volunteer Engagement. This is a training program; for more information check out Maryland Nonprofits' events page. 

Friday, September 28th

• Maryland Advisory Committee on Manufacturing Competitiveness holds a board meeting. 10am to noon in the 17th floor conference room, World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore.

The Week Ahead

Last week we blogged about the release of national data about poverty, and previewed this week's release of the American Community Survey. And in case you missed it, Neil Bergsman appeared in the Examiner last Saturday discussing our new brief on Question 7, expanded gambling.

Tuesday, September 18th

• Joint Committee on Access to Mental Health Services receives briefings on mental health parity, federal healthcare reform, the Mental Health Collaborative between the Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene and of Public Safety and Correctional Services, and integrated care. 1pm in the Joint Hearing Room, Department of Legislative Services, 90 State Circle, Annapolis.
• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law meets. 3pm in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Community Services Reimbursement Rate meets to approve the 2012 Annual report and other business. 6-8pm in the conference room of the Maryland Association of Community Services, 8835 Columbia 100 Parkway, Unit P, Columbia.
• Maryland Health Quality and Cost Council meets to discuss reducing hospital readmissions. 1-3pm in conference room L-1 of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 301 W. Preston Street, Baltimore.

Wednesday, September 19th

• Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families meets to welcome the new Superintendent of Schools and receive an update on charter schools. 10am in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing meets to discuss Medicaid long-term care issues. 1pm in room 240, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Joint Committee on Welfare Reform receives an update on the state's Family Investment Program and other welfare-related topics. 10am in room 120, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Board of Public Works meets. 10am in the Governor's Reception Room on the second floor of the State House.
• Workgroup on Access to Habilitative Services Benefits meets. 9-11am in the Maryland Insurance Administration hearing room, 24th Floor, St. Paul Plaza, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore.

Thursday, September 20th

• Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee visits farms in Frederick County. 8:15am to 5:30 pm starting at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis.
• Maryland Health Care Commission meets. 1pm in conference room 100, Maryland Health Care Commission, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• Maryland Medicaid Advisory Committee meets. 1-3pm in the Department of Health to and Mental Hygiene Lobby Level Conference Room (L-3), 201 W. Preston Street, Baltimore. 
• Census Bureau releases 2011 single-year estimates from the American Community Survey. This is the main source of detailed demographic data for Maryland.The Census Bureau will release 3 and 5 year estimates later in the year, which will allow us to study smaller geographies and populations.

Friday, September 21st 

• Bureau of Labor Statistics releases state-level employment figures for August. Maryland's unemployment rate rose slightly in July, to 7 percent. 

The Week Ahead

Last week we signed onto a letter from 23 organizations calling for greater funding for the Maryland Meals for Achievement (MMFA) program. Schools participating in MMFA provide breakfast in the classroom each morning to every student, regardless of family income. The MMFA program improves academic performance, reduces behavior problems, and increases students attention spans.

Sometime this week we expect the Comptroller to announce the results of the FY 2012 closeout. Fiscal year 2012 ended June 30th. The Comptroller also maintains an archive of previous closeout reports.

Monday, August 27th

• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law meets. 9:30am in room 130 of the House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission meets. 6-8pm in the Conference Room at the Maryland Association of Community Services, Unit P, 8835 Columbia 100 Parkway, Columbia.

Tuesday, August 28th

• Public Health and Long Term Care Subcommittee of the House Health and Government Operations Committee meets to discuss HB 1090. HB 1090 would have regulated palliative care services, but failed to pass in the 2012 session. 1pm in room 241 of the House Office Building, Annapolis.

Wednesday, August 29th

• Capital Budget Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee meets for a briefing on the new youth detention center report. Public testimony is not usually accepted for briefings. However, written public testimony will be accepted for this briefing. Submit 40 copies no later than August 28, 2012 by 3pm. The briefing starts at 10am in room 120 of the House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics releases July employment figures for metropolitan areas.

Friday, August 31st

• Friday is the first of the rolling deadlines for executive agencies to submit their FY 2014 budget requests to the Department of Budget and Management.

The Week Ahead

Quite a few meetings related to health care and health care reform this week.

Monday, July 16th

• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law meets. 10am in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board, Exchange Financing and Sustainability Advisory Committee meets. 2-3:30pm in the Tech Center UMBC Main Seminar Room, 1450 Rolling Road, Baltimore.

Tuesday, July 17th

• Work-group on Lead Liability Protection for Rental Property meets. 10am on the 24th Floor Hearing Room, Maryland Insurance Administration, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore.
• Maryland Advisory Committee on Manufacturing Competitiveness holds a board meeting. 10am to noon at Marquip-Ward United, 10615 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville.
• Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council meets. 1-3pm in the Joint Hearing Room at the Department of Legislative Services, Annapolis.
• Joint Committee on Health Benefit Exchange Financing of the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council holds its first meeting. 3-4pm in the Joint Hearing Room at the Department of Legislative Services, Annapolis.
• Maryland Nonprofits is holding a training on financial leadership.

Wednesday, July 18th

• Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families meets for an update on the Race to the Top Early LEarning Challenge Grant and a presentation on after school programs. 10am in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Joint Committee on Transparency and Open Government meets for a design update on the General Assembly website. Public testimony will be accepted. 1pm in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Essential Health Care Benefits Advisory Committee of the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council meets. 9am to noon in the Tech Center UMBC Main Seminar Room, 1450 Rolling Road, Baltimore.
• Maryland Nonprofits is holding a webinar on developing a conflict of interest policy.

Thursday, July 19th

• Maryland Health Care Commission meets. 1pm in room 100, Maryland Health Care Commission, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• Inter-agency Committee on School Construction meets to discuss fiscal year 2013 energy efficiency improvement procedures. 10-10:30 in the 2nd floor conference room, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore.

Friday, July 20th

• Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council meets. 2-4pm in the Main Conference Room, Maryland Health Care Commission, 4160 Patterson Avenue Baltimore.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics releases state employment figures for June 2012.  In May Maryland's unemployment rate rose for the third straight month, to 6.8 percent.

The Week Ahead

Last week we blogged about the Department of Legislative Services' report on gambling expansion and the rising state unemployment rate.

Monday, June 18th

• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law holds a commission meeting. 4pm in room 130 of the House Office Building, Annapolis.

Tuesday, June 19th

• Task Force to Study the Court Decision Regarding Pit Bulls holds a briefing with invited speakers. Other interested parties may submit written testimony. 10am in room 2 East of the Senate Office Building, Annapolis.
• Workgroup on Lead Liability Protection for Rental Property holds its first meeting.  10am in room 230 of the House Office Building, Annapolis.
• The Essential Health Care Benefits Advisory Committee of the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council holds its first meeting. 10am to 11:30am at the Maryland Health Care Commission, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Room 100 Baltimore.
• Maryland Nonprofits is holding a training on Cultural Competency for nonprofit leaders, centered around an assessment tool for organizations. 9:30-11:30am in Silver Spring.  For more information and to register, go the Maryland Nonprofits' events page.

Wednesday, June 20th

• Board of Public Works meets. 10am in the Governor's Reception Room on the second floor of the State House. The pre-meeting will be held at 9:45am in room 217.  Some of you may have read about Comptroller Franchot's displeasure with the pre-meeting routine.
• Workgroup to Consider Gaming Expansion will hear a presentation from the Department of Legislative Services on gaming commissions in other states, followed by a work session. 1pm in room 101 of the House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Our friends a the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition are cosponsoring - with the Montgomery County’s Advisory Committee on Consumer Protection - a public forum on home improvement issues, with topics covering everything from avoiding scams to state licensing requirements. The forum will be held on Wednesday, June 20 from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., First Floor Auditorium, Rockville. 

Thursday, June 21th

• Maryland Health Care Commission meets. 1pm in room 100 at their offices at 4160 Patterson Avenue Baltimore.

The Week Ahead

We've added a new section to our website, called Maryland 101. Here we'll provide answers to common questions about the state's budget, legislative process, and state services. Last week we added a budget glossary and a guide to the budget process.

Tuesday, June 12th

• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law holds hearings to receive testimony from experts and advocates. 10am to 4pm in room 130 of the House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Community Services Reimbursement Rate Commission holds their regular bimonthly meeting. The commission is concerned with issues regarding community services for individuals with developmental or psychiatric disabilities. 6pm to 8pm in the Conference Room of the Maryland Association Community Services, 8835 Columbia 100 Parkway, Unit P Columbia.
• The Workgroup to Consider Gaming Expansion meets for a presentation by the Department of Legislative Services and PricewaterhouseCoopers on the findings of the study of video lottery terminals and table games in Maryland and additional invited testimony. 10am in room 101, House Office Building, Annapolis. 
• Maryland Nonprofits offers "Budgeting Basics" a training session for nonprofit staff who need to understand and use budgets.  The session will cover basic accounting principles and how to use these to develop an accurate annual budget for a nonprofit organization. This is not a training class in Quickbooks or Maryland's state budget. 1pm to 4pm at our Baltimore office, 1500 Union Ave. 

Wednesday, June 13th

• Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law holds hearings to receive testimony of experts and advocates. 10am to 4pm in room 130, House Office Building, Annapolis.

Thursday, June 14th

• InvestMaryland holds a public forum. InvestMaryland is a relatively new program that sells tax credits to raise funds to support startup companies in high tech fields. 10am to noon at the Johns Hopkins University to Montgomery County campus, room 121 of the 9605 Building, 9601 Medical Center Drive, Rockville. Contact Michelle Jackson if you wish to attend.
• The Board of Directors of the Maryland Health Insurance Plan hold their regular meeting. 9am in the 6th floor conference room, 201 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore.
• Interagency Committee on School Construction holds their regular meeting. 9am to noon in the 8th Floor conference room # 1, 200 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore.

Friday, June 15th

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases May employment figures for states. Maryland's unemployment rate was 6.7% in April, up two tenths of a percentage point since February due mostly to growth in the labor force. The May number will be somewhat affected by the shuttering of Big Huge Games in Timonium, after former Orioles pitcher Curt Schilling's 38 Studios-which owns Big Huge Games-imploded. 
• Friday is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Our friends at the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition will be taking part in a rally and seminar in Baltimore County on protecting seniors and other vulnerable adults from financial exploitation.  The rally starts at noon, followed by the seminar at 1:15; both at Towson Library, 320 York Road, Towson.