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The Sheila Lyons for State Senate campaign website utilizes the WordPress MU platform to create an easy to update website that can adapt and grow with the needs of a State Senate campaign. The site includes an integrated online donation system and email marketing system. The site also utlizes MU’s multi site feature to create a sub domain site specifically for events (to take advantage of search listings).

Maryland State House

This past weekend was the annual session of the Maryland Student Legislature (MSL). MSL is a nonprofit organization that brings “students from universities and colleges across Maryland together to write, research and debate issues of local, state, and national importance.” More importantly, MSL teaches college students about the legislative and political process.

Annual session takes place in the House and Senate chambers of the actual Maryland Legislature in Annapolis. It was a great weekend of debating, politicking, censuring and voting! Here are some of the highlights:

Doug Gansler

Doug Gansler, Maryland's Attorney General

Doug Gansler, Maryland’s Attorney General, gave this year’s keynote address. He recently made the news over his somewhat controversial decision that the State of Maryland will recognize same-sex marriages preformed in states like Massachusetts, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia. In fact, Republican lawmakers were so upset by the decision that they brought impeachment proceedings against him.

Gansler spoke about his decision as well as his duties as Attorney General. He also spoke about his role within the National Association of Attorneys General, the evolution role of the Attorney General and his passion, coaching a Baltimore kids Lacrosse team. Perhaps most interesting was Ganslers comments about the number of Attorneys General moving up to Governor. This year 12 Attorneys General are looking to move up.

Gansler, who is currently seeking re-election, said that he has higher political ambitions but would not say what position. Perhaps we could see a Gansler for Governor campaign in 2014?

I also had a chance to chat with Gansler afterwards, one Attorney General to another, and I have to admit, I have met many politician in my day but Gansler seems to have that x-factor. I sincerely hope he does seek higher office, perhaps even higher than Governor.

Legislation

We had an exciting annual session. With more than 100 bills on the docket, we managed to get through just about everything. We passed same sex-marriage (PDF), tried to change the national anthem (PDF) and require state high schools to start after 8:45 (PDF).

The bill requiring high schools to start after 8:45 was quite a process. The bill originally called for an 8:30 start time and passed the House. However, upon entering the Senate, the bill was amended to call for a 9:00 start time. This triggered a conference committee who recommended a compromise 8:45 start time. After some heated debate, the House finally accepted the conference committee’s report.

Finally, my MaryCare bill sadly died. After passing unanimously in the Senate, the House failed to pass the bill by just two votes. Needless to say, MaryCare will make a reappearance in a few years.

Elections

Annual session also brings about the election of our Council of State. I am happy to report that St. Mary’s College won three of the five seats on the council, including myself as Attorney General.

2010-2011 Council of State:

• Governor: Andrew Horn, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
• Lt. Governor: Andrea Thompson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Attorney General: David Chase, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
• Secretary of State: Kevin Baier, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
• Speaker of the Assembly: Rachele Fortier, McDaniel College
• Comptroller: Stefanie Quintero, McDaniel College

Needless to say, I am stoked to impose the will of SMCM on the rest of the body and to abuse my judicial power for my own political gain!

To do so the bill create two main boards. First, is the MaryCare Board of Directors that is responsible for setting the benefit packages, creating a pay structure based on outcomes not services, set a global budget for Maryland’s health care system and ensure that all doctors and hospitals are appropriately licensed. The second board is the Patients Rights Board. This board is responsible for educating the Maryland public about MaryCare and health related information as well as acting as a mediation board for medical malpractice suits before they go to court.

The bill is currently scheduled for a committee hearing at the MSL annual session at the end of this month.

AN ACT CONCERNING

Health Care – MaryCare

FOR the purpose of establishing MaryCare;

BY adding to
Article – Health – General
Title 9 – Maryland Public Charter School Program
Section §9–102, §9–104, §9–106, §9–110
Annotated Code of Maryland

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE MARYLAND STUDENT LEGISLATURE, That the laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article – Health – General

TITLE 25. MaryCare.

SUBTITLE 1. DEFINITIONS.

§25–101.

(A) IN THIS TITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS INDICATED.
(I) “MARYCARE” MEANS THE NEWLY CREATED MARYLAND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM; AND
(II) “BOARD” MEANS THE MARYCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS; AND
(III) “FUND” MEANS THE MARYCARE TRUST FUND; AND
(IV) “HEALTH CARE PROVIDER” MEANS ANY HOSPITAL, MEDICAL CLINIC, LICENSED DOCTOR, LICENSED NURSE OR ANY OTHER LICENSED MEDICAL PROVIDER; AND
(V) “GLOBAL BUDGET” MEANS THE CUMULATIVE BUDGET FOR ALL HEALTH CARE SPENDING; AND
(VI) “SERVICE” MEANS HEALTH CARE SERVICES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PREVENTATIVE CARE SERVICES, DOCTORS VISITS, SURGERIES AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

SUBTITLE 2. MARYCARE ESTABLISHED.

§25–201.

(A) MARYCARE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED.

(B) THE PURPOSES OF MARYCARE ARE TO:
(1) PROVIDE:
(I) A PUBLICLY FINANCED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM;
(II) QUALITY HEALTH CARE TO ALL RESIDENCES OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND; AND
(III) CHOICE OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO ALL RESIDENCES OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND;
(2) REMOVE THE BURDEN OF PROVIDING HEALTH CARE FROM CORPORATIONS OF MARYLAND; AND
(3) ENSURE MARYLANDS LONG-TERM FISCAL SOLVENCY BY LOWERING HEALTH CARE COSTS.

(C) SHOULD A NATIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM BE CREATED, MARYCARE WILL BECOME A PART OF THAT SYSTEM.

§25–202.

(A) ALL RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND ARE:
(I) ENTITLED TO ALL HEALTH CARE BENEFITS UNDER MARYCARE; AND
(II) MAY NOT BE DENIED QUALIFYING HEALTH CARE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, SUCH AS BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS, CRIMINAL ACCUSATIONS, BANKRUPTCY, OR FAILURE TO PAY STATE TAXES.

(B) HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND:
(I) ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ACCEPT MARYCARE; AND
(II) MAY NOT REFUSE HEALTH CARE SERVICES ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, INCOME LEVEL, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION, GENDER, HEALTH CONDITION, AGE, LANGUAGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, FAMILY STATUS, OR GEOGRAPHY.

SUBTTITLE 3. THE MARYCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

§25–301.

(A) THE MARYCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED.

(B) THE BOARD SHALL CONSIST OF 15 MEMBERS:
(I) 10 MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND CONFIRMED BY 3/5S OF THE SENATE USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
(1) EACH APPOINTED MEMBER MUST HAVE AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY; AND
(2) HAVE REACHED THE AGE OF 35; AND
(3) HAVE NOT COMMITTED A CRIME IN ANY STATE; AND
(4) THE APPOINTEES MUST REPRESENT AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING GROUPS:
(I) DOCTORS AND NURSES; AND
(II) HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS; AND
(III) THE MARYLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; AND
(IV) A STATE-WIDE LABOR ORGANIZATION OR UNION;
(5) NO APPOINTEE MAY BE EMPLOYED OR HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED IN THE 3 YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR TERM(S) BY:
(I) A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY; OR
(II) AN INSURANCE COMPANY; OR
(III) A MEDICAL SUPPLY COMPANY;
(II) THE COMPTROLLER SHALL BE A MEMBER; AND
(III) THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE SHALL BE A MEMBER; AND
(IV) THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OR MEMBER OF THE SENATE APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SHALL BE A MEMBER; AND
(V) THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OR MEMBER OF THE HOUSE APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE SHALL BE A MEMBER; AND
(VI) THE GOVERNOR SHALL BE A NON-VOTING MEMBER.

(C) EACH MEMBER SHALL SERVE ON THE BOARD FOR NO MORE THAN 8 YEARS:
(I) APPOINTED MEMBERS SHALL SERVE NO MORE THAN TWO FOUR YEAR TERMS; AND
(II) THE COMPTROLLER, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE, PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AND THE GOVERNOR SHALL SERVE ON THE BOARD SO LONG AS THEY REMAIN IN SAID OFFICES.

(D) THE BOARD SHALL SUBMIT A CHARTER TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 1ST, 2010:
(I) THE CHARTER WILL BE BINDING AND GIVEN THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY; AND
(II) AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER MUST BE SUBMITTED TO AND CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE BY A 3/5S VOTE AFTER BEING APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD; AND
(III) THE CHARTER MUST REQUIRE THE BOARD TO COMPLY WITH ALL OPEN MEETING LAWS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND; AND
(IV) THE CHARTER SHALL INCLUDE:
(1) OFFICIAL MEETING RULES; AND
(2) THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS:
(I) CHAIRMAN; AND
(II) VICE CHAIRMAN; AND
(III) TREASURER; AND
(IV) SECRETARY;
(3) THE SELECTION PROCESS OF OFFICERS, WHICH MUST INCLUDE THE CONSENT OF A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD.

(E) DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD:
(I) CREATE AND OVERSEE A STATE-WIDE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN THAT COVERS:
(1) EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES; AND
(2) CATASTROPHIC HEALTH SERVICES; AND
(3) PREVENTATIVE HEALTH SERVICES; AND
(4) DENTAL SERVICES; AND
(5) PRESCRIPTION DRUGS; AND
(6) SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES; AND
(7) ANY OTHER HEALTH SERVICE THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD APPROVES.
(II) CREATE POLICIES IN REGARD TO THE COORDINATION OF CARE FOR PARTICIPATING HEALTH PROVIDERS TO ABIDE BY; AND
(III) CREATE AND OVERSEE A TREATMENT RESEARCH BOARD THAT WILL:
(1) REPORT THE MOST EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS TO THE BOARD; AND
(2) BE COMPRISED OF 10 INDIVIDUALS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE THAT MUST HAVE A MEDICAL DEGREE FROM A ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY AND BE IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION; AND
(3) PUBLISH ALL FINDINGS; AND
(4) NOT ASSUME ANY BINDING OR LEGAL AUTHORITY IN THE MARYCARE SYSTEM;
(IV) BASED ON THE RESEARCH OF THE ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN TITLE §25, SECTION 202, SUBSECTION E, SUB SECTION III, ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO USE WHEN CHOOSING TREATMENTS; AND
(V) DEVELOP A REIMBURSEMENT SYSTEM FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS THAT:
(1) REWARDS COOPERATION AND COORDINATION OF CARE; AND
(2) REIMBURSES HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS BASED ON A PATIENT’S HEALTH OUTCOME, NOT BASED ON SERVICES RENDERED; AND
(3) DOES NOT ENCOURAGE PROVIDERS TO MARKET TO PARTICULAR POPULATIONS OR ILLNESSES; AND
(4) DOES NOT REQUIRE COINSURANCE, DEDUCTIBLES OR CO-PAYMENTS; AND
(5) REIMBURSES OUT OF STATE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AT THE AVERAGE RATE OF HEALTH CARE INSURANCE COMPANIES IN THAT STATE IF THE SERVICE IS COVERED BY MARYCARE.
(VI) DEVELOP A GLOBAL MARYCARE BUDGET THAT INCLUDES:
(1) ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH MARYCARE; AND
(2) INDIVIDUAL OPERATING BUDGETS FOR EACH PARTICIPATING HEALTH CARE FACILITY; AND
(3) A CAPITAL BUDGET FOR HEALTH CARE FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION; AND
(4) A REIMBURSEMENT FUND FOR CLAIMS MADE BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS; AND
(5) AN UNCOMPENSATED CARE FUND FOR ALL CARE PROVIDED THAT IS UNPAID FOR BY PRIVATE INSURANCE OR MARYCARE; AND
(6) AN ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET, NOT TO EXCEED 5% OF THE TOTAL GLOBAL MARYCARE BUDGET; AND
(7) A BUDGET TO TRANSITION TO THE MARYCARE SYSTEM THAT SHALL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUDGET UNTIL 2015;
(VII) DEVELOP AN ELECTRONIC CLAIM AND PAYMENT SYSTEM; AND
(VIII) OVERSEE THE LICENSING OF ALL DOCTORS, NURSES, NURSE PRACTITIONERS, OR OTHER HEALTH STAFF IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND; AND
(IX) ADAPT POLICIES TO ADHERE TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PATIENT’S RIGHTS BOARD ESTABLISHED IN §25–401; AND
(X) ESTABLISH ANY COMMISSION, AGENCY OR BOARD NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE GOALS OF MARYCARE WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.

SUBTITLE 4. THE PATIENT’S RIGHTS BOARD.

§25–401.

(A) THE PATIENT’S RIGHTS BOARD IS HERE BY ESTABLISHED.

(B) THE BOARD SHALL CONSIST OF 10 MEMBERS:
(I) ALL 10 MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND CONFIRMED BY 3/5S OF THE SENATE USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
(1) EACH APPOINTED MEMBER MUST HAVE AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY; AND
(2) HAVE REACHED THE AGE OF 35; AND
(3) HAVE NOT COMMITTED A CRIME IN ANY STATE; AND
(4) THE APPOINTEES MUST REPRESENT AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING GROUPS:
(I) DOCTORS AND NURSES; AND
(II) HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS; AND
(III) THE MARYLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; AND
(IV) A STATE-WIDE LABOR ORGANIZATION OR UNION;
(5) NO APPOINTEE MAY BE EMPLOYED OR HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED IN THE 3 YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR TERM(S) BY:
(I) A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY; OR
(II) AN INSURANCE COMPANY; OR
(III) A MEDICAL SUPPLY COMPANY;
(6) NO APPOINTEE MAY SERVE OR HAVE SERVED ON THE MARYCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

(C) THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PATIENTS BOARD SHALL BE:
(I) TO ESTABLISH AN OUTREACH PROGRAM TO EDUCATE MARYLAND RESIDENTS ABOUT BENEFITS AND RIGHTS UNDER MARYCARE, INCLUDING:
(1) A WEBSITE; AND
(2) TOLL-FREE HOTLINE, OPERATED 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK; AND
(3) ESTABLISH OFFICES IN EACH COUNTY; AND
(4) DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO REACH LOW-INCOME AND AT RISK POPULATIONS;
(II) IN CONJUNCTION WITH PARAGRAPH (C) (I) OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE PATIENT’S BOARD SHALL ALSO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT GENERAL HEALTH RISKS AND THE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT OF COMMON ILLNESSES;
(III) THE PATIENT’S BOARD SHALL ESTABLISH AND OVERSEE A MEDIATION COUNCIL TO HEAR CASES OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE:
(1) THE MEDIATION COUNCIL SHALL HEAR ALL MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND; AND
(2) DETERMINE IF THE CASE SHOULD GO TO COURT; AND
(3) MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE FOR A SINGLE 10 YEAR TERM; AND
(4) SHALL HAVE NO LEGAL AUTHORITY BEYOND THAT OF NEGOTIATION A SETTLEMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN TWO PARTIES IF THE COUNCIL DETERMINES THE CASE SHOULD NOT GO TO COURT.

(D) THE PATIENTS BOARD SHALL RECEIVE NO LESS THAN 1% OF THE GLOBAL HEALTH BUDGET.

SUBTITLE 5. THE MARYCARE TRUST FUND.

§25–501.

(A) THE MARYCARE TRUST FUND IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED.

(B) THE MARYCARE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL HAVE COMPLETE AUTHORITY OVER THE TRUST FUND;
(I) THE COMPTROLLER SHALL OVERSEE THE TRUST FUND’S DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD.

(C) THE MARYLAND LEGISLATURE SHALL ADD INCOME TAX EQUAL TO 10% OF THE COMBINE INCOME OF ALL MARYLAND RESIDENTS UNDER §10–105 THAT SHALL:
(I) PROGRESSIVELY DISTRIBUTED OVER ALL TAX BRACKETS; AND
(II) NOT CREATE ANY NEW TAX BRACKETS; AND
(III) NOT REDUCE EXISTING TAX RATES; AND
(IV) SHALL BE USED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE MARYCARE TRUST FUND.

(D) THE GOVERNOR, BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND COMPTROLLER DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO USE THE DEDICATED REVENUES PUT IN THE TRUST FUND FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN HEALTH RELATED ACTIVITIES APPROVED BY THE MARYCARE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

SUBTITLE 5. MISCELLANEOUS.

§25–601.

(A) THIS TITLE DOES NOT PROHIBIT PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES FROM OPERATING IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.

(B) PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANIES OPERATING IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND MAY NOT:
(I) OFFER INSURANCE PLANS TO RESIDENCE OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND THAT COVER ANY BENEFITS COVERED BY THE MARYCARE SYSTEM; AND
(II) DENY ANY PERSON INSURANCE COVERAGE OF ANY KIND ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, INCOME LEVEL, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION, GENDER, HEALTH CONDITION, AGE, LANGUAGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, FAMILY STATUS, OR GEOGRAPHY.

(C) HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS MAY NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR ANY SERVICE COVERED BY THE MARYCARE SYSTEM FROM ANY PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANY.

(D) HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS MAY NOT OFFER SERVICES COVERED BY THE MARYCARE SYSTEM FOR CASH, PROPERTY OR ANY OTHER KIND OF PAYMENT.

MANDATES: Martin O’Malley, Governor
Michael Busch, Speaker of the House
Thomas V. Mike Miller, President of the Senate
Kumar Barve, House Majority Leader
Anthony O’Donnell, House Minority Leader
Edward Kasemeyer, Senate Majority Leader
David Brinkley, Senate Minority Leader

SPONSOR:
David Chase, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

CO-SPONSORS:

Scott Moore, University of Maryland, College Park
Kevin Baier, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Chris Ingraham, Delegation Chair Person, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Charles Onwuche, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Andrew Horn, Vice Delegation Chair Person, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

The purpose of the bill is to allow the State Board of Education to become the sole authorizer of Charter Schools in Maryland Counties that are under performing. Although it is clear that Charter Schools work, local education boards across the country are hesitant to authorize them because Charter School funding comes out of the district school that each student would have come from (Charter schools get the money that student would have cost, had they attended their district school). State boards are far more likely to approve charter schools.

Here is the actual text. Acts introduced to both MSL and the Maryland Legislature are generally copies of the Maryland Annotated Code with strikes through text being removed and additions are in all caps.

AN ACT CONCERNING

Give Children Help Or Independence Concerning Education Act

FOR the purpose of providing quality educational choices for the children of Maryland particularly in underperforming counties through the expansion of the Public Charter School Program; altering the Public Charter School Act of 2003.

BY repealing, and reenacting, with amendments

Article – Education

Title 9 – Maryland Public Charter School Program

Section §9–102, §9–104, §9–106, §9–110

Annotated Code of Maryland

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE MARYLAND STUDENT LEGISLATURE, That the laws of Maryland read as follows:

§9–102.

In this title, “public charter school” means a public school that:

(1)   Is nonsectarian in all its programs, policies, and operations;

(2)   Is a school to which parents choose to send their children;

(3)   Is open to all students on a space-available basis and admits students on a lottery basis if more students apply than can be accommodated;

(4)   Is a new public school or a conversion of an existing public school OR A CONVERSION OF AN EXISTING PRIVATE SCHOOL;

(5)   Provides a program of elementary or secondary education or both;

(6)   Operates in pursuit of a specific set of educational objectives;

(7)   Is tuition-free;

(8)   Is subject to federal and State laws prohibiting discrimination;

(9)   Is in compliance with all applicable health and safety laws;

(10)  Is in compliance with § 9-107 of this title;

(11)  Operates under the supervision of the public chartering authority from which its charter is granted and in accordance with its charter and, except as provided in § 9-106 of this title, the provisions of law and regulation governing other public schools;

(12)   Requires students to be physically present on school premises for a period of time substantially similar to that which other public school students spend on school premises; and

(13)  Is created in accordance with this title and the appropriate county board policy.

§9–104.

(a)   (1)   An application to establish a public charter school shall be submitted to the county board of the county in which the charter school will be located.

(2)   An application to establish a public charter school may be submitted to a county board by:

(i)   The staff of a public school;

(ii)   A parent or guardian of a student who attends a public school in the county;

(iii)   A nonsectarian nonprofit entity;

(iv)   A nonsectarian institution of higher education in the State; or

(v)   Any combination of persons specified in items (i) through (iv) of this paragraph.

(3)   A public chartering authority may not grant a charter under this title to:

(i)   A private school;

(ii) (I) A parochial school; or

(iii) (II) A home school.

(4)   (i)   Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the county board shall review the application and render a decision within 120 days of receipt of the application.

(ii)   For a restructured PUBLIC OR PRIVATE school:

1.   The county board shall review the application and render a decision within 30 days of receipt of the application;

2.   The county board may apply to the State Board for an extension of up to 15 days from the time limit imposed under item 1 of this subparagraph;

3.   If an extension is not granted, and 30 days have elapsed, the State Board may SHALL become a chartering authority; and

4.   If an extension has been granted, and 45 days have elapsed, the State Board may SHALL become a chartering authority.

(b)    (1)   If the county board denies an application to establish a public charter school, the applicant may appeal the decision to the State Board, in accordance with § 4-205(c) of this article.

(2)   The State Board shall render a decision within 120 days of the filing of an appeal under this subsection.

(3)   If the county board denies an application to establish a public charter school and the State Board reverses the decision, the State Board may direct the county board to grant a charter and shall mediate with the county board and the applicant to implement the charter.

(C)  THE STATE BOARD SHALL BECOME THE SOLE CHARTERING AUTHORITY FOR A COUNTY UNDER THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES:

(1)  THE COMBINED ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS REPORT SHOWS 50% OF A COUNTY’S SCHOOLS TO BE IN A STATE OF NOT IN IMPROVEMENT FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS OR THREE OF ANY FIVE YEARS; OR

(2) THE COMBINED APPLICANTS TO A COUNTY’S EXISTING CHARTER SCHOOLS EXCEEDS 150% OF THE COMBINED CAPACITY OF THAT COUNTY’S CHARTER SCHOOLS; OR

(3)  THE STATE BOARD REVERSES THE DECISION OF 50% OF A COUNTY BOARDS DENIAL OF CHARTERS.

§9–106.

(a)   Subject to subsection (b) of this section, a public charter school shall comply with the provisions of law and regulation governing other public schools.

(b)   Subject to subsection (c) of this section, a waiver of the requirements under subsection (a) of this section may be sought through an appeal to the State Board.

(1)  ALL CHARTERS GRANTED BY THE STATE BOARD UNDER SECTION §9–104 OF THIS TITLE SHALL AUTOMATICALLY BE GRANTED A WAVIER TO SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION IN ACCORDANCE TO SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION.

(c)   A waiver may not be granted from provisions of law or regulation relating to:

(1)   Audit requirements;

(2)   The measurement of student academic achievement, including all assessments required for other public schools and other assessments mutually agreed upon by the public chartering authority and the school; or

(3)   The health, safety, or civil rights of a student or an employee of the charter school.

§9–110.

(a)   (1)   Each county board shall develop a public charter school policy and submit it to the State Board.

(2)   The policy required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include guidelines and procedures regarding:

(i)   Evaluation of public charter schools;

(ii)   Revocation of a charter;

(iii)   Reporting requirements; and

(iv)   Financial, programmatic, or compliance audits of public charter schools.

(3)  THE POLICY REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL NOT INCLUDE POLICIES, GUIDELINES OR PROCEDURES THAT:

(I) PREVENT THE STATE BOARD, ANY COUNTY BOARD OR ANY INDIVIDUAL CHARTER SCHOOL FROM OBTAINING FEDERAL GRANTS; OR

(II)  RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN A COUNTY THAT HAS NOT MET ALL OF IT’S ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS.

(b)   The Department shall designate a staff person to function as a contact person for the Maryland Public Charter School Program.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect January 1, 2010

MANDATES:

Martin O. Malley, Governor of Maryland

Douglas F. Gansler, Attorney General of Maryland

Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools

The International Caterers Association Website

Visit The International Caterers Association Website

The International Caterers Association is a trade association for the catering world, it helps bring together and education caterers from across the globe. As such, they needed a website that gave their members not only the ability to find one another but also to connect and share with each other.

Internationalcaterers.org is built on a WordPress platform and provides the following member services:

• Searchable member directory, listings automatically created
• Member profiles
• Member photo galleries
• Searchable caterers and vendors directory, listings added by members
• Discussion forum
• ‘Resource Room’ – private page for member resources
• Awards submittal process for the CATIE Awards (see catie.internationalcaterers.org)
• Online member registration and renewal, payment via PayPal

In addition to the member services, the website allows the board of the ICA to easily edit, add and remove content without needing a webmaster or full time staff member.

The Casual Gourmet Express Website

Visit The Casual Gourmet Express Website

The Casual Gourmet Express is the retail brand of The Casual Gourmet. The Casual Gourmet is an upscale catering company and needed a separate and unique brand for their retail locations. The brand had to be different yet still convey the class and elegance of The Casual Gourmet.

To tie the two brands together, ‘the Express’ uses nearly the same logo and is hosted on a sub domain of thecasualgourmet.com.

In addition to the design and branding, I developed the slogan ‘Fast. Fresh. Local’ as well as the tag line for the first marketing campaign ‘Cape Cod’s Choice for Express Dining.’

Leaving all names aside, I recently ran into an organization that paid a web company a very large sum of money to build them a website. The main part of the site is in a content management system but the organization always wanted a blog. So, the web company that was hired I am sure did a Google search for the best blogging software and came up with WordPress and designed a WordPress theme that would match the rest of the site.

Here is the funny part.

The blog has 4 main authors and the homepage has a quick bio of the authors and their latest post next to the bio with a link to an author page. Now instead of doing the logical thing and setting up those author pages using the built in… well author pages… they set up actual WordPress pages for each author and put a giant if/else statement in the page template to match the author name with the correct information.

Whats more is the biographical information on the homepage is hard coded in, even though it’s identical to the information dynamically generated by WordPress…

Perhaps the best part of the website (warning, I am about to get technical) was the CSS. Now the method seemed to work but rather then using float left and float right to create a relatively simple two column layout, they decided to use position:relative for each div to put it in the right place. Of course, too much content in any place or an over sized image, completely breaks the layout.

The only reason I can come up with for all this is that the company wanted to make it so hard for this organization to change anything on the blog that they would be forced to hire the company to add or remove or change whatever they put on the site. I mean the organization had to go into the page.php file in the theme to change anything in the author’s bio and adding another author (or removing a current one) would have been impossible without some knowledge of php.

There seriously needs to be a comprehensive test for web designers and if you fail the test, you simply should not be allowed to build websites.

Design

This summer I have been working on a web and marketing strategy for my mom’s catering company, The Casual Gourmet. So I spent a great deal of time researching what other small businesses and and caterers have for a web presence. I looked at what worked and what didn’t worked and well… mostly I looked a really bad websites.

The very first focus for any small business should be a professional looking website. I know that seems like a no brainer. Believe me, I thought it was. But unfortunately, there is no regulatory agency or licensing authority to make sure that web designers know what they are doing so it is left up to the business to find a good web designer. Trust me, Uncle Johnny might have been the bees nees in web design back in 01 and he says he has stayed up to date but I promise you he has not.

If you are on a budget, here are a few sites to go to (mine should of course me first ): Freelance Designers and Get a Freelancer. Post your project and your budget and within an hour you will have 5-10 bids. Pick the person who responds the quickest and is the most professional. And make sure they give you a content management system. Trust me, your site will look so much better then if you hire the local web company or have a friend or family member do it.

Content

Once you have a good looking site, figure out what you want it to do. So, for my mom’s company the goal is to get potential clients to call or submit a detailed contact form about their wedding or event. Everything revolves around that. There is a giant “Book Your Wedding Now” button on every single page that links to the contact form.

All of the content is geared towards getting people on the phone. And there is a ton of content on the site. There is a page for every venue the company works at, sample menus and lots and lots of pictures. However, the one thing you will not find anywhere on the site is a single price… for anything.

The reason for that is that weddings do not get sold on a website. They get sold on the phone. The point is make sure that as you write your content, you know what it needs to accomplish.

Forget the rest… for now

A lot of small businesses try to reach for the stars with their web site. They want blogs and rating systems and photo galleries and email sign ups and twitter pages and  forums and … well you get my point. They want a lot.

Some of that is good. Some of that is helpful. But if you have a well designed site with good content then you can get the rest of that later. Focus on the basics.

Remember that with every new feature you add, that is staff time and money to develop and maintain it. The perfect example is the current blogging craze. Everyone thinks that if they add a blog to their website, sales will shoot through the roof.

Unfortunately, once the blog is up, they only post once or twice to it and the posts are all about the company. Wait till you have the staff time and an experienced blogger before you get the blog going.

Finally, remember the old cliche: KISS. Keep it simple stupid! That is never more true then with websites.

The Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation Website

Visit www.hyannisyouth.org

The Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation is the organization that raised more then $26 Million dollars to build a new community center in downtown Hyannis. The new facility will have two ice rinks, a basketball court, conference rooms, a computer lab and a lounge complete with ping pong tables and a Wii! It was a really pleasure to build this website since I use to play hockey in Kennedy Rink, which this new facility is replacing.

The site needed a clean cut professional feel but still had to have a warm community feel to it. It runs on a WordPress content management system and implements the latest search engine optimization standards.

The Point News is St. Mary's College of Maryland student run Newspaper

Visit www.thepointnews.com

“Dave’s talent and vision has finally brought The Point News into the 21st century.” -Justin Perry, Editor-in-Chief of The Point News

The Point News is St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s student run newspaper. Until 2008, the paper ran only a print edition and had no online presence whatsoever. Not only did the paper need a website, they need a website that displays content written for print on the web and in a way that appeals to college students.

The answer is a WordPress platform with a number of plugins and tweaks to make it a news portal. Using a series of custom queries on the homepage, the site utilizes WordPress categories as sections of the paper.

Facebook Connect

The Point News has a few unique features that make it perfect for a college newspaper site such as Facebook Connect. By allowing students to connect their Facebook profiles to the site, students become more likely to participate by commenting and to syndicate the articles to their social networks.

Roles to Match Jobs

Student newspapers often struggle to stay organized. However, The Point News website now has membership roles to match the positions within the organization. From editor to writer to subscriber, peoples involvement with the paper matches up with their permissions on the website.