Marijuana Decriminalization, Minimum Wage Set To Pass Monday – Monday is the last day of the state’s 2014 legislative session and is expected to bring final votes on two measures that got hammered out over the weekend. The State Senate passed a minimum wage law that will increase the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour by july 2018, a year-and-a-half later than the House version of the bill. The House is expected to sign off on it. Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to pass the House version of a marijuana decriminalization law that would impose a $100 fine on those caught for the first time with less than a third of an ounce of the drug. It’s still unknown if Gov. Martin O’Malley will sign it. [Washington Post]
Dunkin’ Donuts Holding Opening Events – The combination Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins (4907 Cordell Ave.) will have a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting Monday at 10 a.m. with free samples and a grand opening celebration on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. DC101.1 FM will visit and the event will include face painting, clowns, a balloonist and raffles for an iPad and store gift cards.
Trachtenberg Supporter: Berliner Proud Of Anti-Development Badge – Jim Soltesz, head of an engineering firm that was denied some development in the Ten Mile Creek decision, sent an email last week to potential Duchy Trachtenberg supporters claiming opponent Roger Berliner was “clearly extremely proud of the anti-economic growth badge that was given to him by the Sierra Club.” Soltesz, who is co-hosting a fundraiser for Trachtenberg this week at Congressional Country Club, wasn’t happy with the Sierra Club’s endorsement of Berliner last week. Trachtenberg distanced herself from the comments and predicted Berliner will have more fundraising support from the development community than she will. [Washington Post]
State To Take Arts Funding For ‘House of Cards’ Tax Break – The General Assembly has agreed to increase the tax break for the Netflix show “House of Cards,” after the show’s production company threatened to pull filming from the state. In doing so, the state will dip into a $2.5 million pot of money that was supposed to be reserved for cultural arts organizations. State lawmakers who backed the larger tax break said they did so because of the economic benefit the show brings. Lawmakers also stripped a budget amendment from D-16 Del. Bill Frick that would have allowed the state to take by eminent domain any “House of Cards” production property if the show left the state. The show will now get $18.5 million in tax credits, up from the $7.5 million proposed in O’Malley’s budget. [Baltimore Sun]
