JUDGE BLOCKS MARYLAND REDISTRICTING AMENDMENT FROM BALLOT

A Maryland judge says a redistricting amendment approved by the state’s Democratic-controlled General Assembly cannot appear on the November ballot.  In his ruling, Anne Arundel Circuit Judge Robert Thompson said lawmakers failed to follow state election procedures when they rushed the measure through a special session earlier this month.  Thompson also found the ballot language was misleading and said the proposal improperly combined multiple issues into a single constitutional amendment.  The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Republican lawmakers and activists, but the decision is on hold while the state appeals to the Maryland Supreme Court.