The D.C. government has long had a contentious relationship with the unions representing police officers. The two parties have been unable to work out a contract since 2007, and the District's police officers have consequently not seen a raise in more than five years.
The Gray administration wants that to all change this year, and the mayor has pushed for bigger salaries, even including tens of millions of dollars in his recently proposed budget for raises for city workers.
But the public safety unions are skeptical and, according to the Washington Examiner, warn not to trust the rhetoric of what they see as a labor-unfriendly administration.
"I have absolutely no idea what they're doing," Kristopher Baumann, chairman of the city's police union, told the Examiner. "The mayor's public statements on this have not matched anything they've done at the bargaining table."
Read more here.
IN OTHER NEWS:
* Gov. Peter Shumlin, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said that Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli makes "Mitt Romney and his '47 percent' comment look moderate." (Buzzfeed)
* A judge ruled that the Virginia marriage law is unfair to Sikhs. The law exempts ordained ministers from posting a $500 bond to perform weddings, but Sikhism has no ordained ministers. (AP)
* The last hearing before lawmakers vote on whom should control Prince George’s County Public Schools was held Monday. (News4)
* Spotted: Gov. O’Malley having a sandwich and a pint at The Dubliner on Capitol Hill. (Reliable Source)
* Prince George’s County has become a magnet for investors scooping up foreclosed properties, ultimately fueling a housing rebound in the area. The sales in the county accounted for a third of all home sales in the region, more than in the District or any other Washington suburb, including the once foreclosure-ridden Prince William County. (Washington Post)
* The Maryland House of Delegates passed a measure to change the impact of a court ruling that designated pit bulls as an “inherently dangerous” breed. The House and Senate now need to reconcile their two versions of the bill. (News4)
* Arlington County school officials are urging the county to raise taxes even higher than planned to help pay for an expected surge in enrollment. (News4)
* Parents, childcare providers and advocates protested against an Arlington County proposal to eliminate childcare safety and quality standards and revert to lower state standards. (Washington Post)
* In Maryland, private schools only receive about $4.4 million in state funding. (Maryland Reporter)
* D.C. Council candidate Elissa Silverman argues that her fiscal and social policies are more nuanced than have been portrayed. (Washington Examiner)
* D.C. leaders are hoping that art installations draw tourists off the Mall and into local neighborhoods. (Washington Examiner)
* The Post Editorial Board writes that D.C. voters should say yes to budget autonomy. (Washington Post)
