Commission News Page
News Index
- Governor O'Malley's 2012 Legislative Agenda
- Maryland Named Number-One Public Schools for Four Straight Years
- Maryland Trade Mission to Qatar
- Ethnic Commissions Newsletter, February/ March 2012
- Ethnic Commissions Newsletter, January 2012
2012 Legislative Agenda
Governor Martin O’Malley on January 23, unveiled the Administration’s 2012 legislative agenda focused on job creation, innovation, sustainability, health care, and equal protection under the law, just days after releasing the Administration’s FY 2013 budget proposal focused on many of the same priorities.
“To move Maryland forward, we must be willing to make the modern investments our modern economy requires to create jobs,” said Governor O’Malley. “This session, our legislative agenda will help us create jobs for Maryland families, protect the quality of life for all Marylanders, and continue our push for a more sustainable future. Together, we can expand opportunity today, so that our children can compete and win the jobs and opportunity of tomorrow.”
For more information about Governor O'Malley 2012 Legislative Agenda, Click Here
To go directly to the Maryland General Assembly, visit: mlis.state.md.us
Maryland Named Number-One Public Schools for Four Straight Years
Governor Martin O’Malley on January 12, delivered a keynote address at the Education Week Quality Counts 2012 event, where Maryland’s public schools were once again named the number-one public school system in the nation, now for four years in a row. The Governor released the following statement:
“I’d like to thank the students, parents, teachers, principals, administrators, and all of our advocates for continuing to achieve at unprecedented levels. Thanks to their tremendous work and dedication, we are able to say that Maryland’s public schools have been ranked number-one in the nation for the fourth straight year.
“In Maryland, we believe in making the investments needed to build the nation’s best public school system to help us create jobs, expand opportunity and move forward in this changing new economy. Together, we’ve made record investments in K-12 public schools, even during tough times, when we have cut record amounts of spending from virtually every other priority. In 2010, we proposed investing $250 million in school construction every year for the next four. This year, we’re asking our General Assembly to do $100 million better – with a $373 million investment which would support 11,650 jobs.
“To win, we have to recommit ourselves as a country to public education.”
Maryland Trade Mission to Qatar
As a prelude to the Governor's recent trade mission through India, Governor and First Lady O'Malley, Secretary of Business & Economic Development Christian Johansson and Secretary of State John McDonough traveled to the capital city of Qatar (Doha) to discuss and promote Foreign Direct Investment opportunities in Maryland.
During the two day trade mission that took place November 25th and 26th,2011, the Governor promoted Qatari investment in Maryland, particularly to Qatar DIAR (a real estate firm) and BARWA Bank. The delegation also met with His Highness Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar, the US Ambassador to Qatar, the Vice Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority and the CEO of QTELL (a tele-communications company).
Governor O'Malley is the first sitting Maryland Governor to travel to the Middle Eastern Gulf region in order to establish potential investment and business opportunities. The Governor's trip also worked toward the creation of a Sister-State relationship with Qatar.
