ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — No Maryland lieutenant governor has ever been elected governor of the state, but Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who will formally announce his gubernatorial bid Friday, is hoping to make history by becoming the first.

Brown, a Democrat, said he is running to build on the current administration’s successes in reducing crime, improving education and expanding health care to those in underserved communities.

“We do that by strengthening our economy and creating jobs,” the 51-Brown said this week in an interview. “We have to invest in infrastructure, improve health care and invest in education and training. It’s important to me that Maryland not only be better, but better for more Marylanders.”

If elected, Brown, who has served with Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley since 2007, would also become the state’s first African-American governor.

State Attorney General Doug Gansler, whose base of support is also in the Washington suburbs, may be Brown’s most formidable opponent in the 2014 Democratic primary. Other Democrats possibly looking to succeed O’Malley include Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Baltimore County and state Delegate Heather Mizeur of Montgomery County.

“It comes down to a numbers game,” said Todd Eberly, assistant professor of political science and public policy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “If you’ve got at least three people running in that Democratic primary, I say the numbers overwhelmingly support Brown. If it’s a two-person race, it could be a tough contest between Brown and Gansler.”

Brown could nab the bulk of the black vote in a three-way race, getting a boost as the candidates split the white vote.

“With Anthony Brown, you have an African-American candidate, with an incredibly impressive record, issue stances that align with African Americans, and a chance to make history. How in the world would you expect African-Americans voters not to rally around the chance to vote for him?” Eberly said.

In January, Gansler, a former Montgomery County state’s attorney, reported he had $5.2 million in his campaign account. Campaign finance reports show that Brown has at least $1.6 million in campaign coffers. Gansler’s deep pockets could make a difference.

“Gansler has run statewide. He has raised tremendous amounts of money, and that war chest makes him a formidable opponent in a two-person race,” Eberly said.

The son of a Jamaican doctor who immigrated to the U.S., Brown received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. He was born in New York and has lived in Maryland for more than 20 years.

Before becoming lieutenant governor, Brown represented Prince George’s County for two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates, rising to the position of majority whip.

Last year, Brown married Karmen Walker, an executive for Comcast, and they live in Prince George’s. Brown is the father of Rebecca, 18, and Jonathan, 12, from a previous marriage and the stepfather of Anthony Walker, 13.

Although Brown has largely worked in the shadow of O’Malley, who may run for president in 2016, and has mostly avoided controversy, the lieutenant governor has led the administration in implementing the state’s plan for complying with the federal Affordable Care Act.

Earlier this year, he pushed a bill to streamline the process for the private sector to take part in building public roads and buildings, and O’Malley signed the bill last month. Brown has been on the front lines for military families throughout his tenure, championing greater support of mental health services for veterans and steering the state’s involvement in the federal base realignment and closure process, which is estimated to generate as many as 60,000 jobs by 2014.

Brown flew helicopters while serving in the Army, and as a reservist served a 10-month tour of duty during the Iraq war, working to deliver humanitarian assistance. He was awarded a Bronze Star.

Brown has also been outspoken on domestic violence, pushing measures that seek to protect children and families. In August 2008, his cousin was murdered by her estranged boyfriend.

Running on the O’Malley administration’s record, and with its support, has its pluses and minuses.

“Republicans are going to zero in on the O’Malley record. They are going to argue that O’Malley took the state too far to the left and that he raised taxes too much,” Eberly said. “If there’s any sense among Democrats that a message like that would resonate, then nominating the lieutenant governor is just a bad choice.”

Donald F. Norris, chairman of the department of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said Brown’s connections with O’Malley make him the odds-on favorite. O’Malley is to appear with Brown at Friday’s event.

“He’s going to have the governor’s endorsement, and he will have access to the governor’s election organization,” Norris said.

Republicans considering a potential bid for governor include state Delegate Ron George of Anne Arundel County, Harford County Executive David Craig, and Dan Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who unsuccessfully ran against incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin in November.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The experience was amplified by having The H.O.P.E. Scholarship’s first scholarship recipient, Nikkia Echols, join me on the show. Her story of persisting through college despite financial hardship is remarkable.  To tune into the broadcast, which aired live, click here.

First lady Michelle Obama walks to her seat to have lunch with midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Wednesday, April 17, 2013. Pictured with Obama are Naval Academy commandant Robert Clark, center, and Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, back left. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — First lady Michelle Obama praised a Maryland bill that helps veterans and their spouses find jobs, describing it Wednesday as one of the best laws in the country aimed at helping military personnel and their families.

The Veterans Full Employment Act, signed Wednesday by Gov. Martin O’Malley at a ceremony attended by the first lady, makes it easier for veterans and military spouses to transfer their professional licenses for occupations like nursing or teaching when they move to Maryland.

The legislation requires Maryland’s public colleges and universities to develop policies to award academic credit for relevant military training and education. It also ensures that veterans who apply for occupational and professional licenses get credit for their military training.

“It’s about strengthening our hospitals and our schools and making our businesses more productive and dynamic,” Obama said.

Service members and veterans in some states face the burden of repeating their military education or training in order to receive industry certifications and state occupational licenses. Frequent moves also can be a significant problem for military spouses who have to get new licenses in each state for professions like education and health care.

The Maryland law aims to remedy that problem and ensure skilled workers aren’t without jobs or underemployed.

“It’s about strengthening our hospitals and our schools and making our businesses more productive and dynamic,” Obama said.

The first lady has made military families one of her top priorities. Her Joining Forces initiative, co-sponsored by Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, connects service members, veterans and military spouses with resources to find jobs.

In February, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden addressed the National Governors Association and urged the nation’s governors to find ways to make it easier for veterans to transition to civilian careers.

Since then, 13 states have passed legislation that streamlines the process for service members and veterans to earn civilian credentials and licenses, and eight states have passed legislation that expedites professional licenses or certifications for military spouses when they move to a new state.

“We’re here for a very important reason and that is to do right by our veterans and our military families who have done so very, very much for us,” O’Malley said.

Jennifer Pilcher, a speech therapist who is married to a lieutenant commander in the Navy, praised the legislation. After six moves, she has faced the hurdles of getting a professional license in a different state. She ended up starting a company called MilitaryOneClick to help military families.

“I love the fact that our state is taking the lead, like the first lady said, with all three issues,” said Pilcher, who lives in Davidsonville. “It’s like they’re finally getting it right. If the rest of the states can follow the lead, then this will be a great thing for our whole country.”

Before the bill signing, Obama met with service members at the U.S. Naval Academy. The first lady spoke with three sailors in the health care industry about the new measure and how it will help them in their transition.

Obama also addressed a large group of midshipmen in the academy’s dining hall before joining Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Commandant of Midshipmen Robert Clark and other midshipmen at a table.

“It’s important that you know that you have a president and a first lady that will keep working to ensure that the country serves you as you serve us,” Obama said.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BALTIMORE (AP) – Vice President Joe Biden praised Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly on Tuesday for passing gun control legislation and urged Congress to pass a bipartisan plan for expanding background checks to more gun buyers.

“We are in the middle of a gun debate right now in the U.S. Congress,” Biden said during an event to celebrate the opening of a new law school building at the University of Baltimore.

“Soon we will face an important test in the United States Senate, where Senators and I hope they have the courage of Maryland State Senators, will stand up to vote on an amendment that was offered in a bipartisan way to expand background checks.”

The U.S. Senate was expected to vote Wednesday on a plan to expand background checks to cover gun shows and online sales. The current background check system applies only to transactions with licensed gun dealers.

The Maryland General Assembly earlier this month passed a bill that would require people who buy a handgun to submit fingerprints to state police, ban 45 types of assault weapons, and limit gun magazines to 10 bullets.

O’Malley proposed the legislation in the aftermath of December’s massacre at a Newtown, Connecticut, elementary school. The measure now awaits his signature.

“It’s time for the U.S. Congress to stand up like your legislators did,” Biden said. “Your governor did the right thing.”

Biden began his remarks by acknowledging the fatal bombings Monday in Boston, offering his condolences and vowing that authorities would find those responsible.

“We will respond to these cowardly acts. We’ll find the perpetrators, and we will bring them to justice,” Biden said. “That I guarantee you.”

The vice president also recounted the Newtown tragedy that claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults to underscore the need for stronger gun control laws. He said the tragedy was a clarifying moment for the entire country on gun control issues.

The vice president was invited to the event by Baltimore Orioles owner and University of Baltimore graduate Peter Angelos, who contributed $15 million of the $22 million in private funding for the building. The new building is named for the owner’s late parents John and Frances Angelos.

Several Maryland lawmakers were on hand to celebrate the school’s opening, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, D-Prince George’s County, and Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne A. Jones. Both lauded Angelos and the public-private partnerships that brought the school into fruition.

The state contributed $92 million to the $114 million, 190,000-square-foot building. It was designed by architect Stefan Behnisch in partnership with a Baltimore-based firm, Ayers Saint Gross.

“It’s a modern testament to the hunger and thirst for justice that Marylanders, through the generations, have always had,” O’Malley said.

The 12-story law center includes 15 classrooms, 29 large- and small-group study spaces, a 32,000-square-foot library and a 300-seat moot courtroom and event space. The building also houses all the school’s clinical services and law-related centers.

“The UB School of Law is the sixth largest public law school in the country,” said Peter Toran, vice president of planning and external affairs for the school. “We had outgrown our existing facility. Now we have room for all of our classes and our entire faculty.”

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

This photo taken Thursday, April 11, 2013 shows a home in Pasadena, Md., where police say they seized more than 30 guns, including seven AK-47s, along with several sets of body armor, ammunition and drugs. Investigators also found what looked like a sniper’s position at the front door and other weapons set up at the windows. (AP Photo/Michelle Janaye Nealy)

PASADENA, Maryland — Police seized more than 30 guns — including seven AK-47s — along with several sets of body armor, ammunition and drugs from a Maryland house where investigators also found what looked like a sniper’s position at the front door and other weapons set up at the windows.

Investigators were determining whether a man arrested on drug charges in the raid also broke gun laws.

Neighbors said police flooded the front yard Tuesday at the home on a quiet suburban street with one- and two-story houses not far from the Chesapeake Bay.

An Anne Arundel County police intelligence report obtained by The Associated Press said the weapons stash also included a Bushmaster rifle and an AR-15 rifle with scope, bag and bipod. Handguns and shotguns also were seized, along with ammunition that included a box of various gun magazines.

“The door was barricaded with a 4X4 piece of lumber and a scoped high-power rifle was set up facing the street,” the report said. “On the stock of the weapon was sighting and distance information. Other weapons appeared to be pre-positioned at windows in the home.”

Police from Anne Arundel and Baltimore city executed a search warrant Tuesday at the Pasadena home after receiving information about narcotics and firearms in the residence, said Justin Mulcahy, an Anne Arundel police spokesman.

“Numerous weapons were seized along with narcotics, and the investigation is active and ongoing,” Mulcahy said. “Investigation into the legality of the weapons inside of the home is ongoing, but we’re not at liberty to elaborate any further right now due to the ongoing investigation.”
Police charged John M. Thompson, 45, with possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia. A judge released him Wednesday on $10,000 bond. He has not been charged with violating any gun laws.

A woman at the home declined to give her name or be interviewed.

Court records did not indicate Thompson had an attorney.

Ken Ryan, of the Baltimore field office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the ATF is investigating whether Thompson violated federal firearms laws. Ryan says authorities suspect he was manufacturing guns, but that wouldn’t be illegal unless he was selling them or was prohibited from possessing them because of a criminal background.

In 1987, Thompson pleaded guilty to two theft charges and paid a $100 fine. A search of Maryland online court records found no other criminal charges.

Matt Roskam, a neighbor, said Thompson often works in a metal shop on the property, where police said they found guns, gun parts and ammunition.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Photo courtesy of the Maryland Vehicle Administration

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Immigrants living in the U.S. illegally could continue to obtain Maryland driver’s licenses under legislation passed Friday by the Maryland House of Delegates.

The bill now awaits Gov. Martin O’Malley’s signature. The House of Delegates passed it on an 82-55 vote. The state Senate last month approved the measure 29 to 18.

The legislation would expand an existing system that allows some applicants to obtain a license without proof of lawful immigration status, and would repeal the state’s 2015 deadline for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to get rid of their Maryland driver’s licenses.

In 2009, state legislators revised the Motor Vehicle Administration’s rules to comply with the federal Real ID law. The federal law required that state-issued identification cards meet certain standards, including that they are issued to people lawfully in the country.

Those who lack a Social Security number and cannot demonstrate legal residence in the U.S. — but had a state driver’s license prior to June 2009 when the state began taking immigration status into consideration — can renew by getting a special license that clearly states that it isn’t a valid ID for federal purposes. The provision is set to expire July 1, 2015.

About 95,000 people without lawful immigration status were grandfathered into the existing licensing system. Under the bill, more than 100,000 people whose immigration status currently prevents them from applying would qualify for a second-tier Maryland driver’s license.

Under the legislation, the second-tier licenses to be held by immigrants living in the country illegally would have the same colors as a standard driver’s license, but would say across the top that they’re not legal for federal uses, such as entering federal buildings or boarding a plane.

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration supports the measure, insisting that unlicensed drivers are much more likely to cause a crash or fatality.

“We are pleased that the bill passed,” said Motor Vehicle Administrator John T. Kuo.

Lawmakers backing the measure argued that when immigrants living in the country without permission have access to driver’s licenses, it enables them to purchase car insurance and makes the state’s streets and highways safer.

Sen. Victor Ramirez, a Prince George’s Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, lauded the General Assembly’s approval as a victory for the state.

“We are moving Maryland forward. This is a game changer as to how we treat residents in Maryland. We bring them from out of the shadows, rather than treat them like criminals,” said Ramirez, a longtime advocate for Maryland’s immigrant community. “If you’re a Maryland resident and you’re paying taxes, this is a way for you to get a driver’s license. We want people to be trained and insured.”

Under the legislation, immigrants would have to show some form of identification, such as a birth certificate or passport, to apply for the second-tier license. Applicants would also have to a pass written and road exams and would be required to provide two years of state income tax filings to prove long-term residency.

Opponents argued that the licenses reward illegal behavior could draw more people living in the country illegally to Maryland.

“Maryland is going to be a haven state,” House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell, R-Calvert and St. Mary’s. “We will be the only state east of the continental divide that will do this.”

In January, Illinois became the fourth and most populous state to give immigrants who cannot demonstrate legal residence in the U.S. permission to drive. New Mexico and Washington state issue licenses. Utah issues a permit.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland praised the General Assembly for passing the legislation, saying that immigrants living in the country without permission will no longer have to fear arrest or harassment while trying to meet their basic daily needs, like driving their kids to school or going to work.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Pallbearers carry the casket of William Taylor Wild IV, a Marine killed in a mortar explosion in Nevada, at his funeral Friday at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Annapolis, Md. (JOSHUA MCKERROW / CAPITAL GAZETTE)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Family members described William Taylor Wild IV as a loving son, caring brother and consummate Marine during a funeral Friday for the 21-year-old who was killed along with six others last week when a mortar shell exploded during a training exercise at a base in Nevada.

Hundreds of friends, loved ones and neighbors poured in to Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis to talk about Wild’s life. Photos of Wild and his family were displayed and mourners wore small yellow ribbons on their lapels to celebrate the man everyone affectionately called Taylor.

“Taylor Wild knew that life was special,” said, David Sprinkel, Wild’s uncle, during the service. “Watching him spend time with his little sister Libby was incredible. Their play time usually erupted into a one-sided wrestling match. He would lift her off the ground spinning her over his head.”

“Tossing a baseball back and forth in the backyard with his younger brother Griffin was special,” Sprinkel added. “They would share stories and dreams before heading in for dinner.”

The explosion that took Wild’s life on March 18 involved the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Lejeune, N.C. Eight were injured.

The Wilds last saw their son during Super Bowl weekend when he was on leave. Taylor was an avid Orioles and Ravens fan, his parents said.

In the days since his death, Wild has been described by loved ones as a Harry Potter enthusiast and sports fanatic.

The lance corporal joined the Marines shortly after graduating from Severna Park High in 2010. His parents said that he always wanted be in the military.

His father, William Taylor Wild III, is a command chief in the Air Force Reserve at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Wild was in a weapons platoon and his specialty was mortars. The platoon was to deploy in November to Afghanistan, where he already done two tours, and one in Kuwait.

“Taylor was 100 percent Marine,” said a long-time family friend during his funeral. “An American flag is the first thing you saw when you entered his room. It is fitting that throughout Taylor’s journey from Nevada to Arlington, that his casket be draped in the flag of the country he so loved and proudly defended.”

Wild will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday.

Wild was remembered by friends and family members as a humorous and kind-hearted young man with an infectious smile who showered his family with affection.

Wild grew up in the Whitehurst Community in Severna Park. He was a talented athlete who played on his high school wrestling and baseball teams.

“He was always smiling, always positive, said Lee Kinsella, a former classmate of Wild.

Echoing a similar sentiment, an emotional Sprinkel said, “Taylor was an inspiration and a hero.”

SEIU members joined minimum-wage workers and supporters outside of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce to issue a challenge to Chamber President Kathleen T. Snyder.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s minimum wage earners say they need a raise and some state lawmakers agree.

A bill that would increase the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $10 by 2015 was taken up Thursday by the Senate Finance Committee.

“Someone making minimum wage, working full time, is earning a little more than $15,000 a year, which is probably barely enough to get a two-bedroom apartment, let alone food and clothing,” said state Sen. Robert Garagiola, a Montgomery County Democrat who is sponsoring the legislation.

Opponents of the measure argue that a wage increase would drive up employer costs, causing higher prices for consumers and possible layoffs.

“If someone receives an hourly wage increase but works fewer hours, or loses their job entirely, as a result then they could be worse off than before,” said Michael Saltsman, research director for the Employment Policies Institute. He said the group estimates Maryland could lose 2,700 to 8,000 jobs because of the measure.

Supporters of the legislation counter that a minimum wage increase would not only help Maryland workers but also jolt the state’s economy.

“When you increase wages for nearly 500,000 Marylanders, we are putting cash in their pockets,” Garagiola said. “They’re not likely to spend that out of state on a boat. They are more likely to buy basic needs to live, and those basic needs will be bought in Maryland. Some studies show that it can help inject nearly half a billion dollars into the Maryland economy.”

Nathaly Uribe, 17, a Glen Burnie resident who receives slightly more than the minimum wage at her job at Chik-fil-A, hopes the increase measure passes.

“I had to start working in order to help my parents,” Uribe said. “This affects various aspects of my life. It could determine whether or not I will be able to pay my first semester of college.”

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages higher than the federally mandated $7.25 per hour.

“This bill would be devastating to my business,” said Walt Clocker, owner of Angel’s Food Market in Pasadena. “A business like ours has a certain number of labor dollars that we can pay based on our sales. If the legislature arbitrarily raises the hourly rate, that’s that many fewer hours that I can put in my schedule. At the very least, people are getting fewer hours and may actually be losing jobs.”

Raise Maryland, a group advocating for an increase in Maryland’s minimum wage, announced support on Thursday from Costco CEO Craig Jelinek, the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce and more than 70 Maryland businesses, who signed onto a letter of support organized by Maryland Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.

Walmart employee Lana Stewart, 49, also hopes the measure passes and that her hourly wage of $8.80 is increased.

“An increase would help me to get my own place, instead of living with my daughter,” Stewart said.

The measure would raise the minimum wage for tipped workers from 50 percent to 70 percent of the full minimum wage. It also would adjust the minimum wage annually with the cost of living.

A similar minimum wage bill, introduced by Delegate Alisha Braveboy, a Prince George’s County Democrat, awaits a vote by the House Economic Matters Committee.

Last month, President Barack Obama called for the minimum wage to be increased to $9 an hour In his State of the Union address.

Prince George’s County lawmakers have been coping with gun violence in their districts in recent weeks while they and their colleagues weigh whether to pass what would be one of the strictest firearms control laws in the country.

The slayings of Suitland High School students Charles Walker Jr., 15, and Aaron Kidd, 18, came days before Maryland Senators on Thursday voted to approve a sweeping gun control bill that would ban assault weapons in the state and create a licensing provision for handguns, requiring gun buyers to submit fingerprints to state police.

The bill supported by Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley currently awaits approval by the House of Delegates. Supporters hope the legislation will reduce gun violence throughout the state. Opponents say the bill erodes Second Amendment rights.

Walker was gunned down last week by a group of robbers who saw him walking to his girlfriend’s house after school carrying a shopping bag with new pair of shoes. Kidd was slain the next day while hanging out in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Before these two incidents, a University of Maryland student shot two housemates, one fatally, in an off-campus residence and then killed himself.

Several Prince George’s County senators voted to approve the gun measure, including State Sen. Ulysses Currie, who believes the bill is a good start but insists that more needs to be done to deter gun violence.

“I would not want to go back and say, ‘based on what we’ve done here over the past two days, we’ve answered all of the challenges that we see,’” Currie said. “There are challenges in my community that are still there,” Currie added.

A total of six Prince George’s County high school students have died from gun violence in the 2012-2013 school year.

In August, a gunman kicked in the front door of 17-year-old’s Amber Stanley’s house and shot her several times in bed; in September, Marckel Ross, 18, was shot while walking to school; in December, 14-year-old Eliezer Reyes was killed in a drive by shooting, and in January, Marcus Jones, 16, was gunned down after leaving a party.

Lawmakers called the deaths shocking and tragic.

“There is no easy fix,” said Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk, a Prince George’s County Democrat. “But people are committed to finding a solution. We are talking amongst each other.”

Lawmakers are considering measures that could produce more teen-focused jobs, stronger schools and intercept illegal guns.

“The reality is the people who are doing these crimes are obtaining their weapons illegally most of the time,” said Delegate Aisha Braveboy, a Prince George’s County Democrat.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks sees the licensing provision proposed by the governor as an effective measure in reducing gun violence.

“I think the tougher licensing requirements discourage people from becoming straw purchasers and could have the effect of having fewer illegally purchased guns on the streets,” Alsobrooks said.

Lawmakers also agreed that Prince George’s parents and community members must be more involved in the prevention of crimes, insisting that community members are the first line of defense.

“We need to make sure that our families are strong,” Pena-Melnyk said, noting that kids need support and role models.

At the time of publication, Prince George’s County had recorded 19 homicides this year. Lawmakers say not every murder can be prevented.

“As it relates to the young man who was walking home from school with a shopping bag and was shot, I don’t know if we can prevent that — at least not from a legislative standpoint,” Braveboy said.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Christine McComas, the mother of a 15-year-old girl, Grace, who committed suicide last April after she was bullied online, speaks to the media Wednesday in Lawyer’s Mall in Annapolis about her support for an anti-cyber bullying bill introduced this session by Delegate Jon S. Cardin, D-Baltimore County. From left to right: Cardin, McComas, Delegate Kathy Afzali, R-Frederick, and Ray Leone, Maryland PTA president-elect. (Capital News Service/Julia Maldonado)

Delegate Jon S. Cardin at news conference Wednesday outlined the bill that would prohibit individuals from using a computer to publicly threaten a child, post sexually explicit or private information about a child, or intentionally inflict emotional harm on a minor. The Baltimore County Democrat’s measure also would prohibit electronic harassment of a minor based on sex, race or sexual orientation. Violators would face up to a year in jail or a $500 fine.