The Week Ahead (Midweek Edition)

Welcome to the midweek edition of The Week Ahead, courtesy Hurricane Sandy. Hopefully our readers were as fortunate as we were in this storm, but our thoughts go out to those who still lack power, sustained damage to their homes or business, or lost loved ones. At times like these we think particularly of the homeless and others in our community who lack adequate shelter everyday, let alone during a major storm or hurricane. We also can't help but notice, as the NY Times did in a pre-storm editorial, the value of government coordination in disaster relief and preparedness. 

Last week Neil Bergsman was quoted in a widely reprinted Capital News Service story about the potential effect of sequestration on Maryland, a MontgomeryVillagePatch.com story about gambling ad claims, and Dan Rodricks' column refuting defenders of the 1 percent.

Yesterday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released metropolitan area employment figures. All four metro areas in Maryland, plus the DC metro, had declining unemployment rates compared to one year ago.

Wednesday, October 31st

• Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight meets for an update on the state Equal Opportunity Program and personnel matters. 10am in room 3 East, Senate Office Building, Annapolis.
• Joint Committee on Pensions meets to discuss requested legislation and the optional retirement program. 2pm in room 120, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Board of Public Works meets. 10am in the Governor's Reception Room on the second floor, State House, Annapolis.

Friday, November 2nd

• Joint Committee on Health Benefit Exchange Financing meets. Noon to 2pm at the Maryland Health Care Commission, main conference room, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore. 
• BLS releases national employment figures for October. The U.S. unemployment rate declined the last two months, to 7.8 percent in September.

The Week Ahead (Orioles Make the Playoffs Edition)

Today is an important date for two reasons. First, it is the day when more than 250 new state laws go into effect including employee and job applicant protections for personal online accounts, and requiring apartment buildings with more than 10 units to recycle. Second, today is the first day of the federal fiscal year. While Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through next March, the threat of federal cuts still looms over Maryland's economy.

Monday, October 1st

• Exchange Financing and Sustainability Advisory Committee of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board meets. 9:30-11:30am in the Maryland Health Care Commission large conference room, 4160 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore.
• Capital Debt Affordability Committee meets to decide on their recommendation for the total amount of new state debt that may prudently be authorized for the next fiscal year. 3pm in the Treasury Building Assembly Room, 80 Calvert Street, Annapolis.

Tuesday, October 2nd

• Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review meets to discuss proposed Department of Health and Mental Hygiene regulations.  2:30pm in room 130, House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis,
• Task Force on the Establishment of a Statewide Spay/Neuter Fund meets. 1pm in room 250, House Office Building, Annapolis.

Wednesday, October 3rd

• Joint Committee on Federal Relations conducts a site visit to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the nexus between state and federal regulatory efforts. 10am at the FDA Headquarters, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring.
• Board of Public Works meets (the pre-meeting will be held at 9:45am in room 217). 10am in the Governor's Reception Room, Second Floor, State House, Annapolis.
• Work Group on Access to Habilitative Services Benefits meets. Meeting information and meeting notes are available on the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) web site. 9-11am, 24th Floor, St. Paul Plaza, 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore.
• Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) reviews the Health Enterprise Zone call for proposals, CHRC's budget for FY 2014, and grantee modification requests. Keep an eye on the Commission's web site for changes to the time of this meeting. Noon in room 240, House Office Building, Annapolis.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases metropolitan-level employment statistics for August 2012.

Thursday, October 4th

• Southern Maryland Higher Education Council meets for a work session.  10am to noon in the conference room, Courthouse Square Office Building, 205 Main Street, Prince Frederick.
• Maryland Nonprofits offers Taking Your Board to the Next Level of Success. This training builds on a popular breakout session at our parent organization's annual conference. For more information and to register visit Maryland Nonprofits' events page. 

Friday, October 5th

• BLS releases national employment data for September 2012. The national unemployment rate fell two tenths of a percentage point in August, to 8.1 percent.