AMY AUBERT HAS THE DETAILS...
>KELLY... THE ROOM WAS PACKED
WITH PEOPLE PASSIONATE ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE BILLS.
TWO OF THE HOT TOPICS....
PROPOSED LEGISLATION DEALING
WITH THE HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC
SCHOOL SYSTEM... AND THE BOARD
OF EDUCATION...
>"I'M AWARE THAT THERE IS A
TV STATION HERE, THEY HAVE
SEVERAL OUTSTANDING PUBLIC
INFORMATION REQUESTS, THEY HAVE
REPEATEDLY ASKED FOR INTERVIEW
TIME WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF
WHICH YOU HAVE DENIED, I'M JUST
CURIOUS-- ARE YOU GOING TO
ANSWER THEIR PUBLIC INFORMATION
REQUESTS ANYTIME IN THE NEAR
FUTURE?"
"THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, TOO,
MR. MILLER. AND SO FAR, TO
DATE, WE'VE HAD 70 REQUESTS,
PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS, 49
OR THOSE-- 34 OF THOSE 49 WERE
RELATED TO ONE SINGLE TOPIC,
MOLD."
>HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM'S SUPERINTENDENT, DR.
RENEE FOOSE... SAYS DELEGATE
MILLER'S BILL--- WHICH DEALS
WITH ACCESS TO PUBLIC
INFORMATION--- "UNJUSTLY TARGETS
THE HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL
SYSTEM."
>"IF PASSED, THIS BILL WOULD
ADD HEAVY BURDENS TO BOTH OUR
SYSTEM AND FOR THE STATE
GOVERNMENT, BUT DELIVER NO VALUE
TO THE INSRUCTIONAL PROGRAM NOR
THE TRANSPARENCY OF OUR
PROCESSES."
DELEGATE MILLER SAYS THE BILL,
WHICH WAS DRAFTED AFTER HEARING
PARENTS' CONCERNS-- AIMS FOR
MORE TRANSPARENCY WHEN IT COMES
TO MARYLAND PUBLIC INFORMATION
ACT REQUESTS.
>"RESPONSES TO OUR REQUESTS
HAVE SLOWED TO THE LEGAL LIMIT.
TAKING 30 DAYS IN ALMOST EVERY
INSTANCE. THE BOARD ROUTINELY
RESPONDS IN FORMATS THAT RENDER
THE INFORMATION UNUSABLE."
>TESTIMONIES THAT WENT INTO
THE EARLY HOURS OF THE
MORNING... ALSO FOCUSED AROUND
THE WAY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
IS ELECTED...
AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND
PRINCIPALS LINED UP SHOWING
STRONG AND, PERHAPS, FAMILIAR,
OPPOSITION.
>THE BILL WOULD MAKE IT SO
THAT 5 MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF
EDUCATION ARE ELECTED BY
DISTRICT... TWO AT LARGE.
>"THESE CHANGES COULD
COMPROMISE THE A POLITICAL
NATURE OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
INTENTIONS AND ALSO ACTIONS."
>"IF PASSED, THIS BILL WOULD
CREATE A PARTISAN BOARD WHERE
EACH BOARD MEMBER IS ELECTED TO
REPRESENT ONLY A FRACTION OF
THE STUDENTS IN OUR SYSTEM."
>THOSE OPPOSING... INCLUDING
HOWARD COUNTY STUDENTS... AND
RESIDENTS... CITED THE NEW
ELECTION PROCESS COULD CREATE A
PARTISAN BOARD... HINDER
DIVERSITY... AND MAKE IT SO
RESIDENTS CAN ONLY VOTE ON THE
CANDIDATE FOR THEIR SINGLE
DISTRICT.
>"A COUPLE TIMES THE DIVERSITY
OF BOARD BEING LIMITED BY THE
NEW ELECTION PROCESS HAS BEEN
BROUGHT UP. WHAT IS THE CURRENT
RACIAL BREAKDOWN OF THE BOARD
RIGHT NOW?"
ááLAUGHINGáá
COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOWING
SUPPORT IN SWITCHING UP THE WAY
THE BOARD IS ELECTED... SAY
THEY DON'T FEEL FULLY
REPRESENTED... THAT THE BOARD
NEEDS MORE GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY
AND SOME SCHOOLS IN HOWARD
COUNTY DON'T GET THE SAME
RESOURCES AS OTHERS.
>"IN MOST ORGANIZATIONS IT'S
SOMEWHAT UNETHICAL TO HAVE
STAFF REPORTING THE INTERESTS OF
WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN ON
AN ISSUE IN FRONT OF THEIR
BOSS. OBVIOUSLY THEIR IS A
DISINCENTIVE TO SAY WHAT YOU
ACTUALLY FEEL WHEN YOUR BOSS IS
STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU."
>DELEGATE ATTERBEARY... WHO
DRAFTED THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
BILL... SAID MANY OF THOSE
OPPOSING... HADN'T REACHED OUT
TO HER... AND SHE'S OPEN TO
DISCUSSION.
>TESTIMONY CONTINUED INTO THE
EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING...
AGAIN, A GROUP OF HOWARD COUNTY
STUDENTS ALL VOICED THEIR
CONCERNS-- OPPOSING THE BILL
THAT WOULD CHANGE THE WAY THE
BOARD OF EDUCATION IS ELECTED.
THE FOCUS WASN'T SOLELY ON
SCHOOLS LAST NIGHT...
ANOTHER BIG TOPIC WAS ALLOWING
REGULATIONS ON MASSAGE PARLORS
IN THE COUNTY... ALLOWING THE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND POLICE
DEPARTMENT THE AUTHROITY TO
TAKE ACTION ON ILLIGITIMATE