It takes 15 officers to defend Maryland’s LEOBR…

No surprise that lawmaker advocates would feel it advisable to bring in a parade of 15 officers to talk up the merits of the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights. It’s a hard law to defend! But if each of the 15 can succeed in generating maybe a little doubt about whether it’s as bad as it looks, maybe it can be kept going to entrench misbehaving cops for another few decades. [Ed Krayewski, Reason; Kevin Rector, Baltimore Sun on ACLU of Maryland criticism; earlier on law here, at Overlawyered, and at Cato]

More coverage: Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post; Michael Dresser, Baltimore Sun; WBAL; Scott Greenfield.

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“Montgomery County is the last bastion of a medieval state system”

“We’re probably the worst, most regulated county in the entire country” on alcohol sales: Comptroller Peter Franchot has a thing or two to say about the need for Montgomery County to ditch its county-run liquor system (via). The Seventh State has run an illuminating exchange on the subject lately, and Bethesda Magazine has details of a partial privatization plan.

In miniature, August 9

• Action needed on business climate: only four Fortune 500 headquarters are left in Maryland, all in Montgomery County, none in Baltimore area, while Virginia has nineteen [latest compilation]
• Why doesn’t College Park have more of a college-town feel? Can that be changed? [David Alpert/Greater Greater Washington, more]
• A plaintiff’s-side view: “Why Do Baltimore Drivers Pay More for Insurance?” [Ronald V. Miller, Jr.]
• State pension fund earns 2.68%, annual target had been 7.65%, yikes [Len Lazarick, Maryland Reporter]
• If Montgomery County’s announced goal is to make transportation more accessible to its residents, ordering 20 taxi companies to close may not be the obvious strategy [Washington Post]
• Baltimore ouch: “Anti-violence program suspended after guns, drugs found in office raid” [Washington Times]