So O'Malley shows up from nowhere. Why?

[elleng]

26. Wrong, and 'the little I've seen so far'

IS little.

O'Malley placed regulations in place before leaving office to limit the amount of phosphorous from chicken manure that could be used. No credit from that?

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/opinion/editorial/hogan-shelves-chicken-manure-rules/article_e1158828-cc00-5eb6-9b95-ff9ab74fd924.html

O’Malley’s time in Annapolis is also the story of an unbowed liberal champion, who muscled through a string of policy changes that will endure long after he departs Wednesday. Gay couples in Maryland can now marry; the state no longer executes prisoners; minimum-wage workers are getting pay increases; and undocumented immigrants can qualify for in-state college tuition rates. It is harder to buy a gun.

The state spent record amounts on education and more on roads, despite a recession, and there were steep drops in crime and a dramatic increase in people covered by subsidized health care — improvements made possible, O’Malley boosters say, by the very tax increases that became so reviled. . .

a former mayor of Baltimore who built his political reputation on fighting crime and pioneering a system of statistics-driven government that drew national and international attention. . .

The new governor immediately set out to strengthen the middle class, boost public safety and education, and improve health care and the environment. He froze public university tuition and dramatically increased funding for school construction.

Some of the high-profile changes that would become defining parts of his tenure were not on his radar screen in the beginning. O’Malley did not embrace same-sex marriage as a top priority, for example, until 2012, after it had failed in 2011 and supporters were looking for a champion.

A big test came late in O’Malley’s first year, when he called lawmakers back to Annapolis to resolve a long-standing “structural deficit” in the budget, namely the state’s practice of planning to spend more money than forecasters expected it to collect in revenue.

O’Malley offered a package of tax increases and budget cuts, as well as a plan to raise additional revenue by legalizing slot machines — a poisonous issue for much of Ehrlich’s term.

Legislative leaders cautioned against holding such an ambitious special session — particularly with no guarantee of success. But O’Malley pushed through his entire package, with some bills squeaking by after debates that stretched into the wee hours. He had established himself as a force to be reckoned with, even though some efforts — such as repealing the death penalty — didn’t succeed right away.

In the end, there was no major O’Malley initiative that didn’t make it across the finish line. In some cases, he showed a willingness to compromise that frustrated his allies — like slowing the pace of pay increases in a minimum wage bill.

O’Malley’s reliance on tax increases to balance the budget ignited a debate that continued through the 2014 election, in which Hogan proclaimed that O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) “never met a tax that didn’t like or at least one they didn’t hike.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/in-defining-omalleys-legacy-liberal-successes-compete-with-tax-hikes/2015/01/19/5b951d4c-9d81-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html

Amid cheers and camera flashes from a crush of onlookers, Gov. Martin O'Malley signed into law Thursday his bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Maryland — legislation that raises his national profile and, advocates say, gives momentum to those pushing similar measures in three states.

"The way forward is always found through greater respect for the equal rights of all," said O'Malley, giving brief remarks before signing the legislation. "If there is a thread that unites all of our work here together, it is the thread of human dignity. … Let's sign the bill."

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-03-01/news/bs-md-marriage-signing-20120224_1_marriage-bill-marriage-equality-maryland-marriage-alliance

Maryland immigrant tuition bill signed into law by Gov. O’Malley (2011)

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, bucking a trend in other states, signed off on legislation Tuesday that extends in-state tuition breaks to illegal immigrants at the state’s colleges and universities.

O’Malley’s signature sets up a showdown with opponents who have already started gathering signatures for a petition to try to repeal the law, which is slated to take effect this summer.

Supporters of the new law, including dozens of religious leaders, immigrant advocates, Democratic lawmakers and students, jammed the governor’s reception room at the State House in Annapolis to pose for photos and celebrate during the signing ceremony.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/politics/gov-martin-omalley-signs-immigrant-tuition-bill-into-law-in-maryland/2011/05/10/AFNNz8jG_story.html

O'Malley had phosphorus regulations set to be enacted. ...the new governor pulled the plug.

Dealing with the poultry industry in the state is made more difficult by the legislature. O'Malley eventually came down on the right side of the issue, but he was too late; maybe by design, I don't know.

Still, this isn't something that should damn him for consideration to office. he's been a champion in our state for environmental issues related to the bay...


The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science presented Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) with the Reginald V. Truitt Environmental Award for his environmental leadership in Maryland. He received the award Sept. 30 at a special ceremony with invited guests at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

“From record farmland acres planted with cover crops to thousands of citizens growing oysters off their piers, to preserving hundreds of thousands of acres of open space, farm and forest lands, we’ve created common, publicly-available platforms and leveraged state resources to restore the streams and rivers we’ve inherited,” said O’Malley in a press release. “I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of all Marylanders — it is through their tireless dedication and commitment that will continue to establish a healthier Chesapeake Bay, and create a more sustainable future for the next generation.”

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Reginald V. Truitt Environmental Award honors a Marylander whose dedication, efforts and achievements in the fields of public service, communication and management have resulted in the better understanding and stewardship of Maryland’s environment, the release states. Past recipients of the award include former Maryland Sen. C. Bernard Fowler, U.S. Sen. Charles M. Mathias, Gov. Harry R. Hughes, Gov. Parris N. Glendening and U.S. Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes. Three of the five past recipients were in attendance. O’Malley is the sixth person to be honored with the Reginald V. Truitt Environmental Award.

“Governor O’Malley has listened to science in striving for Chesapeake Bay restoration and sustainable growth in Maryland. His leadership in responding to climate change through energy conservation and transformation has set a national standard,” said Donald Boesch, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, in the release. “We as citizens of Maryland have been fortunate to have a governor with such vision, intelligence and commitment to our environmental future.”

O’Malley has served the people of Maryland as governor since 2007 and led the region in protecting the Chesapeake Bay, according to the release. During his administration, O’Malley has been the nation’s leading governor on the environment, the release states. He has pushed for stronger environmental regulations and has led the restoration of the bay. Maryland is the only state that has consistently met its two-year milestones, ensuring that short-term progress leads to long-term restoration.

Under his leadership, Maryland has worked with its partners to adopt management strategies to rebuild the blue crab population, and has made significant progress in restoring the oyster population and expanding the aquaculture industry, the release continues. He led the creation of BayStat, a data-driven performance management tool, to steadily reduce nitrogen and phosphorus polluting the bay. He has also led the state’s efforts to adopt, and become an active member in, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the nation’s first market-based regulatory program in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

During his administration, Maryland has added more renewable energy to its grid than any time since the Conowingo Dam was built 80 years ago, according to the release. In 2009, he led the state’s efforts to pass the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act that will reduce greenhouse gases 25 percent by the year 2020.


read more: http://www.somdnews.com/article/20150123/NEWS/150129622/1059/o-x2019-malley-receives-truitt-award-for-environmental-leadership&template=southernMaryland