040215 BLT Daily Layout.Indd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
No cuts in property taxes He wants action Rawlings-Blake optimistic that Senate president uses strong future budgets will see reductions. 7A language to demand bill on bail reform. 8A Thursday, April 2, 2015 Volume 126 | Number 124 TheDailyRecord.com Downtown growth slows Indiana’s After two years of sharp population surges, city’s core made moderate gains in 2014 religion act causes a Md. uproar Lawmaker wants travel ban; reference to Hogan’s wife prompts chilly response BY BRYAN P. SEARS [email protected] ANNAPOLIS—A national debate over an Indiana law some say is dis- criminatory has spilled over into Maryland. Two openly gay legislators have each written letters calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to ban state-funded travel to the Hosier state or at- tempting to lure businesses in that state to pack up and move east to Maryland. In response, the governor called one such letter “a political stunt” and caused the president of MAXIMILIAN FRANZ the state Senate to criticize the use Officials say attracting commodity retailers remains downtown Baltimore’s biggest challenge. of the First Lady to make a point. The furor is all part of growing BY ADAM BEDNAR Baltimore growth slows national reaction to Indiana’s Re- [email protected] ligious Freedom Restoration Act, Jobs added Office market vacancy rate which was signed into law by Re- Downtown Baltimore’s growth showed signs of publican Gov. Mike Pence. slowing down last year after strong population, em- 2012 10,000 17.8 percent On Wednesday, Del. Luke H. ployment and housing increases in recent years. Clippinger released an open letter The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc.’s 2013 9,000+ 16.1 percent to Indiana businesses. In that letter, annual State of Downtown report found that the area 2014 1,600 16.8 percent the openly gay Baltimore City Dem- SEE DOWNTOWN 5A SEE INDIANA 5A Source: Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc. Guatemalans infected with STDs file $1B lawsuit against Hopkins, others BY DANNY JACOBS done to prevent them from passing the [email protected] diseases to their spouses, children and other descendants.” More than 700 Guatemalans unknow- “As a result, many Guatemalans have ingly infected with sexually transmitted suffered and died, and will continue to diseases more than 60 years ago as part suffer and die, from the venereal dis- of U.S. government experiments filed eases with which they were intention- a $1 billion lawsuit against researchers ally infected,” states the complaint, filed Wednesday. in Baltimore City Circuit Court. The lawsuit alleges that not only were The United States formally apolo- the plaintiffs kept in the dark about the gized for the experiments in 2010, and nature of the experiments, which were a presidential commission the following FILE PHOTO designed to test the effectiveness of pen- ‘What we said, we can prove,’ says Paul D. Bekman of Salsbury, Clements, Bekman, Marder SEE HOPKINS 11A icillin in treating STDs, but “nothing was & Adkins LLC in Baltimore, the plaintiffs’ local counsel. Auction sales 15B News briefs 4A Lawyer to lawyer 10, 15A $269 per year For subscriptions Calendar 6A Law briefs 10A Online today 2A call 1-800-451-9998 or email Employment 14A Litigation support 10, 15A Public notice 1B INDEX $2 per copy [email protected] 2A THEDAILYRECORD.COM Thursday, April 2, 2015 ONLINE TODAY BLOGS UPCOMING SPECIAL Another hazing lawsuit, IN CASE YOU MISSED IT READ with a twist PUBLICATIONS AND DANNY JACOBS Md. legislature looks to reform Public Information Act FOCUS SECTIONS ANJALI SHASTRY, CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE Business Buzz Another lawsuit over in- Eye on Annapolis juries sustained during haz- ANNAPOLIS — Stricter enforcement of the Maryland April 17 ing has been filed, but this Public Information Act might be on the way with a bill es- Higher Generation J.D. one is a little different than tablishing a panel to oversee fees state agencies charge to Education Ground Up other recent cases. respond to requests for information. Harry Draughn Jr. is The panel would consist of five Marylanders, at least one On the Record seeking $2 million in dam- of whom is a lawyer, who apply for the position and are TWITTER ages for the alleged beating appointed by the governor. he took while pledging a The volunteer board would handle citizen or journalist FOLLOW local alumni chapter Kappa complaints about overcharging if an agency says the infor- May 8 Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. mation is available at what the requestor feels is an exorbi- Top 100 And Draughn claims the tant price. @MDDailyRecord Women man allegedly responsible The bill also provides for an ombudsman who would Magazine @Bmorejourno for the hazing is a Prince ensure that the Public Information Act is being followed — @bpsears George’s County police of- including timeliness of responses — by every agency that @jbwhong ficer. receives a request. @Lauren_Kirkwood Draughn claims he was @llynllygad assaulted with a cane and May 22 paddle by Jesse Stewart @Steve_Lash Guide to Jr., the membership in- Business Law @TDRDanny take chairman of the Hy- and Accounting @TomBaden attsville/Landover alumni 5 chapter, according to the FACEBOOK lawsuit. Stewart also made number of people who will be on a proposed LIKE Draughn rub lotion on panel to oversee fees state agencies charge to mddailyrecord Stewart’s legs and asked respond to request for informations June 12 “inappropriate sexual ques- MD State Bar tions,” according to the LINKEDIN Association complaint, filed Tuesday Guide in Prince George’s County RADIO CONNECT Circuit Court. ... the-daily-record Tune in to WBAL 1090 AM Tuesday at 6:50 a.m. for top stories from The Daily Record on the radio. SOUNDCLOUD VIMEO LISTEN WATCH ALERTS INSIDER the-daily-record mddailyrecord For breaking news alerts, Sign up on our homepage for daily emails text TDR to 313131 with the top headlines. Thursday, April 2, 2015 THEDAILYRECORD.COM 3A Investigation finds big rigs’ tires are vulnerable ‘A recipe for disaster,’ one official says BY TOM KRISHER Associated Press Many tractor-trailers on the nation’s roads are driven faster than the 75 mph their tires are designed to handle, a practice that has been linked to wrecks and blowouts but has largely escaped the attention of highway officials. Nearly all truck tires have been built for a maximum sustained speed of 75 mph since the middle of last decade, when drivers across the vast majority of the U.S. were allowed to go no faster than 65 or 70 mph. But 14 states, mainly west of the Mississippi River, now have speed limits of 75, 80, even 85 mph in part of Texas. Some of those states acted with- out consulting the tire industry. Safety advocates and tire experts AP PHOTO/ERIC GAY, FILE say that habitually driving faster than A truck driver walks to his truck at a truck stop in San Antonio, Texas. Many tractor-trailers on the nation’s roads are driven faster than a tire’s rated speed can generate exces- the 75 mph their tires are designed to handle, a practice that has been linked to wrecks and blowouts but has largely escaped the attention sive heat that damages the rubber, with of highway officials. potentially catastrophic results. “It’s a recipe for disaster,” said high speeds can also damage tires over limits. Even the most basic car tires driver David Ortiz said he didn’t know James Perham, president of Extreme time. can safely go up to 112 mph. about the 75 mph rating for most truck Transportation Corp., an automo- States set their own speed limits, The American Trucking Associa- tires, or how fast his tires were de- bile-hauling company near San Diego having been given sole authority to do tions, an industry group, says it op- signed to go. He said his company has that filed a complaint with regulators so by Congress in the mid- poses speed limits over 65 mph, and limited the top speed of his truck to 65 about Michelin tires after seven blow- 1990s, while the federal government, it has petitioned the government to re- mph, and he normally goes 63. outs caused an estimated $20,000 to through NHTSA, has authority to raise quire speed-limiting devices on trucks. But Ortiz conceded that a speed $30,000 in damage to its rigs. tire standards. ATA spokesman Sean McNally pro- limit higher than the tires can handle is The disconnect between highway For now, NHTSA contends the most vided a 2007 survey done by the group a safety problem for truckers who drive speed limits and safety standards was effective way to attack the problem is showing that 69 percent of trucking faster. “Somebody needs to think about discovered by The Associated Press in a regulation to require devices that companies already had such devices it,” he said. a government document that detailed would prevent trucks from going over on at least some of their rigs, with an Although many truck operators an investigation into truck tire failures. 75 mph. But the proposed measure has average limit of 69 mph. maintain their vehicles well, NHTSA Last month, the National Highway been stalled for years in a morass of Still, it took federal regulators five found a number with problems. Traffic Safety Administration closed cost analyses and government reviews. years to propose a regulation, and it As part of the Michelin investi- the investigation into blowouts involv- Another possible solution would be is still being reviewed by government gation, the agency tested trucks and ing certain Michelin tires after deter- for manufacturers to make tires that agencies. It could take months, if not surveyed over a dozen drivers in Penn- mining that truck operators, not the can handle higher speeds.