Public comment was taken over the weekend on the Frederick County Commissioners 2013 wish list. 

The Frederick County Delegation heard from Jeanette Bartell about a bill that would allow Frederick County non profit fraternal, religious and veterans organizations to own and operate up to five slot machines.  "We don't need anymore gambling in Maryland.  Definitely not in Frederick County.  Gambling is an issue that causes people, mainly poor people, to spend money that they can't spend," said Bartell. 

Annette Breiling spoke about immigration.  "My neighbor was pulled over on 270.  She was abusively questioned by an officer.  He made her cry.  Her child was seated in the back.  She kept trying to tell the officer that she was legal, and he wouldn't listen.  I called Chief Dine and he told me that this wasn't right and he knew his officers wouldn't do this.  We checked and come to find out, it wasn't.  It was a Sheriff's Deputy.  I didn't even call them because I know how they are.  I feel a shame that Frederick County, unlike the rest of Maryland, does practice racial profiling against some of our citizens, some of our residents," said Breiling.

The Frederick County Commissioners are forwarding 13 bill proposals and 17 positions statements to Annapolis for the 2013 session, which will begin in January.  They include:

- Allow Frederick County nonprofit fraternal, religious and veterans organizations to own and operate up to five slot machines.

- Allow Frederick County commissioners to increase the number of raffles held by charitable organizations.

- Ease post-employment restrictions in the state’s ethics law.

- Exempt Frederick County from a state requirement to set up a stormwater management fee.

- Permit the county to offer rebates to all property taxpayers.

- Ease certain grading-erosion and sediment-control standards.

- Lift a ban on deer hunting with a rifle in certain southern portions of Frederick County.

- Allow the county to build an elementary school without following Minority Business Enterprise regulations and prevailing wage requirements that apply to those working on certain construction projects supported by federal or state funds.

- Allow Frederick County government or public safety agencies to use all-terrain and utility-terrain vehicles on state roadways in certain circumstances.

- Require Frederick County voters to show identification at the polls during the 2014 elections.

- Exempt Frederick County Public Schools from the state’s forest resource ordinance requirements.

- Authorize noncorporate stores to sell beer and wine in Frederick County.

- Allow commissioners to ban sales of synthetic drugs in Frederick County.