Common Cause

Brunswick House Party

Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 PST

Brunswick House Party

Our house party in Brunswick drew over fifty people over the course of a sunny afternoon in western Maryland, as Common Cause sought to beef up membership all across the state. Special guests included Frederick County Commission President Jan Gardner and Delegate Rick Weldon.

Dealing with Budget Realities

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 PST

With the 90-day legislative session almost half over, bill hearings are well underway in Annapolis.

While some bills will go forward, many will die in committee, and one of the major factors will be cost. That's why almost everything on the Common Cause Maryland agenda this session has a zero fiscal impact. It took some creative thinking, but we can still make progress toward reform without creating new spending.

See our 2009 Agenda for more.

Common Cause Maryland Calls for Warranty for New Voting Equipment

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PST

Common Cause Maryland proposed a warranty today for the new voting equipment the state is planning to buy for the 2010 elections. The proposal comes in light of an $8.5 million lawsuit by the state against Premier Election Solutions to recover money used to repair problems with the voting machines sold to Maryland in 2001.

"We had to pay to remedy the faults and vulnerabilities that came with our last voting system. We shouldn't rush to buy new equipment from any vendor without the same kind of guarantee you would expect when buying a house or a car. In rough fiscal times, the taxpayers don't deserve to pick up the bill for defects or omissions," said executive director Ryan O'Donnell in a statement.

Senator Jamie Raskin is planning to introduce legislation to require a warranty.