A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the Baltimore Sun: Baltimore City Council Overrides Mayoral Veto for First Time in a Generation
"For the first time in a generation, the Baltimore City Council overturned a mayoral veto Monday, asking voters to decide in November if the city should create a special account to fund enrichment programs for children and teenagers.
"The last time the council rejected a mayoral veto was 1982 — when Cal Ripken Jr. was a rookie and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was atop the pop music world — after Mayor William Donald Schaefer tried to block more generous pension benefits for police officers and firefighters.
"City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young said investing more money in young people 'is the right thing to do.'
"'We could always find the money for police overtime,' said Young, who introduced the measure. 'This would help have kids in some positive programs to keep them from having to hire police for overtime in the first place. I wanted the citizens to decide, not me or the mayor.'
"Young's legislation authorizes an amendment to the city charter requiring 3 percent of the city's discretionary spending to be earmarked for youth programs. If the charter amendment is approved by voters, Young projects it would generate about $30 million a year for programs for children and teens.
"Young expects to draft legislation to create a panel to recommend how to spend the money. The administration has estimated the amount would be closer to $11 million, depending on how discretionary spending is defined.
"The council voted 15-0 to override the veto Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued this month. Political observers attributed the vote to Rawlings-Blake's decision not to seek re-election."
From the Baltimore Sun: Kweisi Mfume Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
"Former Congressman and NAACP President and CEO Kweisi Mfume endorsed Hillary Clinton for president on Monday, the Clinton campaign said.
"Clinton is trying to shore up support among African American voters and others in the face of Bernie Sanders’ insurgent campaign. Mfume’s endorsement comes two days after Clinton held off Sanders to win the Nevada Democratic Caucuses.
"'For decades, Hillary Clinton has demonstrated her commitment to fighting for Black and Latino communities in both deed and action,' Mfume said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign.
"'The basic American principle of equal treatment under law is in many ways still under attack. We need a leader who has stood up and spent time working on our behalf when it wasn't popular. She has used her life to fight for others and not just to make promises.'
"Mfume, 67, represented Maryland’s 7th Congressional District from 1987 to 1996, and led the NAACP from 1996 to 2004. He began his career in politics on the Baltimore City Council.
"Benjamin Jealous, a more recent president and CEO of the NAACP, has endorsed Sanders in the Democratic primary. The independent senator from Vermont has been trying to make inroads into Clinton’s wide lead among voters of color."