Bad press can be good – if it’s early. 

            A critical article can make the arguments against your bill, giving you time to prepare a response to the issues opponents will raise at the public hearing. 

             An opinion piece masquerading as a news story in the Annapolis Capital presents that opportunity for my legislation exempting university professors from the Public Information Act. 

             However, criticism doesn’t always arrive early.

             I’m interested in House Bill 8, which would make it a crime to harass someone over the Internet by social media.  (Several technologies ago, I sponsored the law making it a crime to harass with email.)

            The American Civil Liberties Union submitted a letter at yesterday’s hearing asserting that the existing law and the proposed change were both unconstitutional.

            I advised the sponsor to ask the Attorney General’s Office to respond to the ACLU position and then circulate that analysis to Judiciary Committee members.

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             News is not often made at the weekly meeting of the Baltimore City delegation.  Our agenda is more often “show and tell” about a worthy project back home than debating or voting on legislation. 

             This morning, the head of the Baltimore Convention Bureau told us that Camden Yards was in the running for the All-Star Game in 2016. 

             I emailed the two friends who sat with me at the 2003 mid-summer classic.  The subject heading: Hope your calendar is clear.