Maryland Law School Politics

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Maryland State Senator Richard Colburn wants to help the University of Baltimore School of Law with a $500,000 grant. Okay. Deal.

Oh, wait. Nothing is really free, is it? Senator Colburn is upset because the University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic is doing what law clinics do: fight for causes. Their cause is a lawsuit against a local chicken farm. Colburn represents Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties, so he loves Purdue Chicken and chicken farmers.

Coburn wants to take the Maryland money and give it to the University of Baltimore Law School to assist “farmers in the state with estates and trusts issues, compliance with environmental laws and other matters necessary to preserve family farms.” The measure failed this year. I’m sure it will be back next year.

I’m not attacking Colburn, really. He’s fighting for his constituents, which is all well and good, I guess. But if the Maryland legislature ever goes along, it will prove our worst suspicions about our state politics.

Here is the Baltimore Sun article. I get the Sun so I refuse to pay to read the paper online. But, if you cut and paste real quick, you can get the article. More fun than breaking and entering.