City Inspector General To Offer Cash Rewards For Tips

Program urges residents, workers to report government misdeeds and waste

City employees or residents who tip off the inspector general's office to misdeeds will be eligible for cash rewards under a program approved by the city's spending board today.

Under the policy, tipsters could receive 10 percent of the money saved by the city in exchange for providing "substantial information not previously known" by the inspector general's office, comptroller or law department.

Inspector General David McClintock said the policy is modeled after a federal program and is intended to encourage residents and employees to speak out about government waste.
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Maryland Schools Lead Nation In AP Scores

Superintendent: Emphasis on college-level courses in high school should continue

State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick called for increased investment in Advanced Placement courses in high schools after the College Board announced yesterday that Maryland topped the nation in the percentage of its students demonstrating proficiency on the college-level course exams.

At least 26.4 percent of Maryland students who took the exam scored 3 or higher. The state ranked second, after Florida, in the number of students who took the AP exams at 43.4 percent. It was first in the nation in the number of students who took the math or science AP exams.

"Maybe we're going to reduce the honors courses and increase our emphasis on AP courses," Grasmick said.
Grasmick, joined by a delegation from the College Board, was visiting Arundel High School yesterday to learn about its AP programs. Grasmick and the delegation talked with the school's AP teachers and several students.

The AP program allows high school students to take college-level courses, and sometimes earn college credits.A score of 3 or higher indicates a student has reached college proficiency.

One of the Arundel High students who met with Grasmick said she had completed 14 AP courses. The high school senior had learned she had been accepted to Yale and would start as a sophomore because of the college credits she'd earned.

"Imagine the cost savings to her family. There's an economic element to this," Grasmick said.

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Area's Hispanic Population Doubles

Census data show county's overall population grew by nearly 10 percent

Anne Arundel County's Hispanic population is booming.

One of several revelations in yesterday's data released by the U.S. Census was that Hispanics and Latinos account for more than 40 percent of Anne Arundel's population growth over the last decade. The Hispanic population more than doubled since 2000, with an additional 20,000 people. With the increase, Hispanics make up 6.1 percent of the county's 537,656 residents.

The new census figures show Anne Arundel County grew by 48,000 people over the past decade, a rate slightly higher than the state average.

Anne Arundel now has 32,902 Hispanics. Yet the county remains overwhelmingly white, with whites accounting for 75 percent of the population. African Americans make up 15.5 percent and Asians 3.4 percent.

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Census Figures Show More Diverse State

By Yeganeh June Torbati, The Sun (Baltimore)Over the past decade, Maryland's population grew far more diverse, while growth slowed dramatically in once-booming counties in the Baltimore area, according to data released Wednesday by the Census Bureau.

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Md. Leads In Improvement For Black AP Test-Takers

By Liz Bowie, The Sun (Baltimore)
Maryland leads the nation in improvement for African-American high school graduates who passed Advanced Placement exams, but the achievement gaps between black achievers and their peers still remain vast.

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May 2011 Service Change Public Hearing Notice

Wilmington -- The Delaware Transit Corporation will conduct Public Hearing Workshops to obtain comments on proposed changes to DART First State Statewide Fixed Route Bus Service to become effective Sunday, May 22, 2011, and Resort Service effective Thursday, May 26, 2011.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011; from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Carvel State Office Building, 2nd Floor Auditorium
820 N. French Street, Wilmington

Wednesday, March 9, 2011; from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
DelDOT Admin. Bldg., Farmington/Felton Room
800 Bay Road (US 113), Dover

Thursday, March 10, 2011; from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Georgetown Train Station
140 Layton Ave., Georgetown

The proposal calls for (by County):
New Castle County:
* Shipley St. Proposal; There are currently too many buses serving Rodney Square, especially during rush hours on King St. In coordination with the City of Wilmington, DART proposes to increase passenger safety by shifting bus routes from the King St. side of Rodney Square to a new location on Shipley St. from 9th St. to 8th St. called Mid-Town at Shipley. The routes are 4, 5, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23, 25, 30, 33, 34, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 54, and 55.

Most of these bus routes (15, 17, 19, 30, 33, 34, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 54, 55) would turn from Orange St. onto 9th St. to the new bus boarding zone on Shipley St., south of 9th St. These routes would no longer serve the bus stop on Orange St. at 9th St. The remaining buses (4, 5, 22, 23, 25) would turn from Orange St. to 10th St. serving the other new bus zone on Shipley St., just north of 9th St. Time adjustments would be made accordingly on routes listed above.

* Route 16; route path into downtown Wilmington would change, traveling up Walnut St., 8th St., French St., 10th St. to Rodney Square continuing to West St., 12th St., ending on Delaware Ave. at Adams St. The out of town path would come from Delaware Ave. serving the stop on 11th St. side of Rodney Square instead of the King St. side. Stops on Orange St. would no longer be served by this route.

* Route 24; new trip would be added leaving Kynlyn Dr. at 6:28 a.m., arriving at Rodney Square at 6:52 a.m.

* Route 55; minor time adjustments would be made between Glasgow and Newark to improve on-time performance.

Kent County:* Route 104; All trips would leave Dover Transit Center on the hour instead of 15 minutes past the hour to improve on-time performance and provide better connections.

* Route 106; Service to Dover Air Force Base would be discontinued due to Base Homeland Security measures. Stops would be added outside of the main gate and at the base housing gate.

* Route 117; All trips would operate 15 minutes earlier to maintain connections with Route 104.

* Route 120; The 6:10 p.m. trip from Smyrna to Dover would now allow passengers to board at the Dover Mall and Delaware State University.

Sussex County:
* Minor time changes, where needed, to improve on-time performance or connections with other buses.

Resort Service:
* Routes 201-208 would operate seven days a week from Thursday, May 26 through September 18, 2011. Route 305 would operate Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays from Friday, May 27 to September 5, 2011.

* Route 204; Weekend service would begin 2 hours earlier at 7 a.m. from May 26 - June 30 and Sept. 6 - 18 to match the peak season schedule.

* Route 305; Beach Connection would add Saturday trips leaving Wilmington at 9:15 a.m. arriving in Rehoboth at 11:19 a.m., and leaving Rehoboth at 6 p.m. arriving in Wilmington at 8:04 p.m.

Intercounty Service:
* Route 301; The first northbound morning trip would leave DelDOT 10 minutes earlier to ensure better connections with Amtrak and SEPTA train service; most other northbound morning trips would leave 5 minutes earlier from Scarborough Rd.; the southbound trip leaving Wilmington at 3:10 p.m. would leave 5 minutes later, allowing for better train connections.

Laurel Accident Yesterday

A van over turned in Laurel just off 13 where roads are sheets of ice.

Somerset County Sheriff's Office Press Release

Joseph George Hoffman 3rd. of Princess Anne, arrested 2-8-11 on two warrants regarding failing to appear in court. Hoffman was later held on a $2,500 bond.

Henry Hilton Wilson of Princess Anne, arrested 2-8-11 on a violation of probation/parole warrant. Wilson allegedly violated his conditions as a registered sex offender.

Clarence Linell Ward jr. of Crisfield, arrested 2-8-11 regarding warrants for cds possession, cds possession other than marijuana, cds possession w/intent to distribute, cds distribute fake cds. Ward was later held on a $25,000 bond. The arrest was a result of a drug investigation conducted in Crisfield by the Sheriff's Office and the Crisfield Police department.

Michael Tyrone White of Crisfield, criminal summons served for second degree assault. White was later released pending trial.

Janet Marie Webster of Princess Anne, arrested 2-9-11 on three warrants regarding failing to appear in court for child support. Webster was later released after posting bond.

BOARD NOTES

BOARD NOTES: Wicomico County Board of Education Approves Voluntary Retirement Incentive Option (VRIO) and Alternative Governance Plan for Wicomico Mid

The Wicomico County Board of Education at its monthly Board meeting on Feb. 8 approved the Voluntary Retirement Incentive Option (VRIO), which will be offered to approximately 225 employees who are eligible for full-service retirement this year.

Human Resources will send details of the program to eligible staff members this week. Eligible employees who sign up for VRIO by March 15 will receive 20 percent of their 2010-11 base salary on separation June 30, 2011. Employees will have the chance to meet with financial planners to discuss tax and financial planning questions about the retirement offer. All four employee bargaining groups support VRIO.

While Board members and the Superintendent expressed mixed feelings about the possibility of losing experienced teachers and other staff members through VRIO – particularly after losing others through the Early Notification Program (ENP) in recent years -- the school system needs a program like VRIO to reduce salary costs in a very difficult budget year. Last fall, Wicomico schools began planning for a budget that would be $2 million to $3 million less than this year’s budget, but more recent estimates from the county and state show the school system could receive $5 million to $12 million less.

“I hope employees will understand that we appreciate their service, and were it not for the financial challenges we are facing, we would not be doing this,” Dr. Fredericksen said.

For the current budget year, the school system eliminated 31 positions that had been left vacant by ENP retirements. For next year, the school system again faces a need to reduce staffing due to a smaller budget. Voluntary retirements would reduce the number of involuntary layoffs that must occur, though some will still happen because not all retirements will align with staffing changes, Dr. Fredericksen said. Reducing the number of employees at the upper end of the pay scale would also allow the school system to preserve more positions by filling them with new staff members at the lower end of the pay scale.

This is only one cost-saving option the Board and school system will study and pursue this spring in the development of a balanced budget with much less funding. The Superintendent has directed staff to leave no stone unturned in looking for ways to cut costs or raise revenue as a budget is built that protects classroom instruction.

“For us to handle the future, we’ve got to make these kinds of decisions and look at these kinds of options,” Board President L. Michelle Wright said.

The Board of Education also approved the Wicomico Middle School Alternative Governance Plan, which the school was required to develop now that it is in Year 4 of School Improvement. The plan outlines the improvement actions the school will take in the areas of Reading/English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and School Culture over the next two years to meet Adequate Yearly Progress.

The plan was written by the Wi Middle Instructional Leadership Team in collaboration with Central Office staff members. It has been shared with the school’s staff, parents and community partners and revised to reflect their input. The school system’s Alternative Governance Board approved the plan. The plan will now go to Maryland State Department of Education staff for review, with a vote by the Maryland State Board of Education in April.

Comments on these and any other issues may be shared by sending an email to comments@wcboe.org; leaving a message on the unmanned Public Input Line at 410-677-5251; by mail to Wicomico County Board of Education, PO Box 1538, Salisbury, MD 21802; or by hand to the Board Office at Mt. Hermon Road and Long Avenue in Salisbury.

In other business on Feb. 8, the Board:

Moment of Silence

Held a moment of silence for former Supervisor of Elementary Education Dr. Marian B. Church, for Frances P. Jeffers, mother of Board Attorney Fulton Jeffers; and for W. Richard Holloway Sr., father-in-law of Board President Robin Holloway.

Public Comments

Heard a community member’s concern that while teachers and students are held accountable, parents are not, and too many students come to school without a foundation in discipline and caring.

Superintendent’s Report

Heard from the Superintendent that:

The Superintendent, Board President and Dave White, president of the Wicomico County Education Association, will be among 150 people selected for training in Denver next week in preparation for Race to the Top. Funding for the training is provided by the Ford Foundation.

The School Vehicles Contract is in the hands of contractors, with a series of meetings to come and a signed contract expected to be in hand by June 1.

Wicomico students are making testing progress each year, but with the AMO (Annual Measurable Objective) targets rising each year, more schools will have difficulty making AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) for the percent of students at proficient/advanced. This is a tough challenge schools and the school system continue to work on daily.

Seven groups (and a total of 11 people) came to the January Superintendent’s Open Door Session to discuss the theater program at James M. Bennett High, streetlights and parking lot lights at JMB and Pinehurst Elementary, bullying programs, protecting the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Program, concerns about the Exam Exemption Incentive Program, time taken from instruction for testing, website functionality, whether the school system should be on Facebook or not, and opportunities for more cooperation between schools and businesses. The next Superintendent’s Open Door will be on Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 4-6 p.m. the Board office.

The Connections program is now operating and the school system is continuing to look at ways to serve persistently violent and disruptive students.

Plans are in the works for conducting the staff development that would have taken place on Feb. 28 and May 2, which are now school days to make up for weather closing days.

Diploma Presenters

Agreed to a plan for which Board members will present diplomas at which commencement exercises this spring.

Bid Awards

Awarded the contract for the Wicomico Middle School Elevator Replacement to Delaware Elevator as the low responsive and responsible bidder at $158,000. The elevator replacement will be done as soon as school ends.

Voted to utilize the Baltimore County Public Schools Health Supplies contract to purchase supplies and equipment nurses use to provide health services in schools.

Voted to utilize the Anne Arundel County Public Schools contract for Football Lacrosse Equipment Reconditioning with Schutt Reconditioning Inc., for the reconditioning of football equipment at significant savings over the previous contract.

Reports

Approved the February 2011 Budget Transfers and the monthly personnel matters report for certificated employees, and received for information the monthly personnel matters report for classified employees and the monthly update on competitive grant proposals.

Board Member Reports

Heard praise from Board members Donald L. Fitzgerald and Ronald O. Willey for the outstanding level of skill shown by students at the Feb. 5 local SkillsUSA Competition/Parkside High School Department of Career & Technology Education open house. CTE program trains students well for careers and further education, and the program enjoys considerable family and community support, with many graduates returning to serve as judges. While CTE has been in existence for decades, it ties in well with the current educational focus on STEM. Bryan Ashby, supervisor for career and technology education, said that last year, approximately 82 percent of graduating seniors who completed a CTE program went on to post-secondary institutions or the military.

Heard from Board member Willey that James M. Bennett High is looking better all the time, and he’s eager to see traffic congestion at JMB and Bennett Middle eased. Brian Foret, Director of Facility Services, said that the city is continuing to discuss improvements to the Onley/Bateman/Division Street intersection. Foret also said the auditorium renovation is on schedule and that the auditorium should be turned over to the school for use by April 1. Students are enjoying the new school building, with one junior even saying it would be nice to stay longer at the school instead of graduating next year.

Here's The Big Details Referencing The SPD Press Release Today

During the week of January 23, 2011, Officers of the Salisbury Police Safe Streets Team received information on an individual who was alleged to be involved in the trafficking of controlled dangerous substances in the Salisbury area. As the officers began the investigation to identify this subject, they received additional information that this suspect was also involved in the trafficking of firearms. The investigation and surveillance of this suspect led to the identification of below listed suspect # 1.

As this investigation was unfolding, members of the Fruitland Police Department became involved in the investigation of two (2) suspects that had passed counterfeit U.S. currency at the Walmart Department Store in Fruitland. These individuals later passed additional counterfeit currency at two (2) restaurants in the City of Salisbury.

Detectives from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police received intelligence concerning the counterfeit currency. All four agencies began to pool their resources and review the shared data which resulted in the confirmation of suspect # 1 and the identification of below listed suspect # 2.

The firearms and narcotics investigation was combined with the counterfeiting investigation and resulted in the issuance and execution of arrest warrants and search and seizure warrants on February 9. The suspects were taken into custody in the area of the eleven hundred (1100) block of East Church Street at approximately 6:00 pm by members of the Safe Streets Team and the Fruitland Police. The search and seizure warrant was executed at approximately 9:00 pm at the suspect’s residence on the one thousand (1000) block of Caroline Street by members of the Maryland State Police, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, the Fruitland Police and the Salisbury Police Safe Streets Unit.

Seized during the execution of the warrant were seven (7) handguns, three (3) of which had been reported stolen, one (1) assault rifle, approximately 93 grams of suspected marijuana,
$ 48,963 in U.S. currency, $ 13,370 in counterfeit currency and the equipment used to produce the counterfeit currency. The U.S. Secret Service is going to assist in the processing of the evidence and review of the investigation for possible federal charging.

The following individuals have been charged:

ARRESTED #1: Matthew Alan Schirling, 26 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

ARRESTED #2: William Kurtis Cogdill, 24 years of age Salisbury, Maryland

DISPOSITION: Both released to Central Booking CC # 201100003064

On February 10, 2011, a press conference was held by Chief Duncan at the Salisbury Police Department and included Fruitland Police Chief Mike Phillips, Wicomico Co. Sheriff Mike Lewis, Maryland State Police Lt. Ernie Leatherbury, Wicomico County States’s Attorney Matt Maciarello, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Funk, Salisbury Mayor James Ireton, Salisbury Councilwoman Terry Cohen, members of the Salisbury Police Safe Streets Team and a number of detectives and officers from each participating agency.

Salisbury Police Department Press Release

During the month of January, 2011, Investigators from the Salisbury Police Department, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police and Fruitland Police Department became involved in the investigation of counterfeit currency passed in local businesses and restaurants. During the investigation several suspects were identified. Additional information was received that these suspects were involved in the trafficking of firearms and controlled dangerous substances. As a result, warrants were obtained for their arrest.

On Wednesday, February 9, 2011, officers from the above agencies executed a search and seizure warrant at a residence on Caroline Street in Salisbury related to this investigation. Located and seized during the execution of the warrant were firearms, controlled dangerous substances, U.S. currency, counterfeit currency, and vehicles. The U.S. Secret Service will assist with the processing of the evidence.

Today, February 10, at 2:30 pm, a press conference will be held at the Salisbury Police Department to discuss the investigation and to exhibit the property that was seized from the residence pursuant to the execution of the search warrant.

Post Office Had $329 Million Loss In First Quarter

The reason? A requirement to make advance health care cost payments

WASHINGTON — The post office continues to lose money at a rapid pace thanks to a requirement that it make advance payments to cover expected health care costs for future retirees.

The agency said Wednesday it had a loss of $329 million for the first quarter of the fiscal year — Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2010.

That was up from a $297 million loss in the same period the year before, which ended with a total loss of $8.5 billion.

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Child Thrown From Minivan During Carjacking

A child was pushed out of a stolen minivan Wednesday night outside of Children's Hospital in northwest Washington, D.C. Police said.

However, a Comcast cable installer saw the girl huddled under the bumper of a car and crying and took action. He made sure the girl, believed to be about 4 years old, was safe while authorities continued after the stolen vehicle by holding the child inside his work van until police arrived.

The little girl's mother was carjacked at about 7 p.m. Wednesday outside Children's National Medical Center.

Then the thieves pushed the girl out of the van several blocks away on Franklin Street in Northeast.

Police eventually found the stolen minivan in the Mount Ranier area of Prince George's County, Md.

One person was taken into custody.

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Flexibility Urged For Maintenance Of Effort For School Funding

A bill providing more reasons to excuse a county from maintaining its public education budget when financial times are difficult received wide support in the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday.

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Higher Tuition Coming To Community Colleges

By David Harrison, Stateline Staff Writer
EDUCATION BEAT: Tuition increases could be in the works for community colleges ... Universities are getting new autonomy from legislatures ... More states look to tie teacher pay to performance, and other education news.  

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Same-Sex Marriage Has Good Chance Of Approval, Maryland Senate Leader Says

By John Wagner, The Washington Post

Supporters of same-sex marriage came to Annapolis on Tuesday armed with personal stories, emotional pleas for equal treatment and arguments about how allowing gay couples to marry could help Maryland's economy.

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Hispanics Drive Population Growth In Maryland

Maryland's Hispanic population has doubled in the last decade, driven by growth in the Washington suburbs as Montgomery County's white population falls into the minority, new Census Bureau data show.

The 2010 U.S. census data mark the first time Maryland has gained more Hispanics than blacks during a 10-year period.

"Maryland is kind of a Johnny-come-lately with this Hispanic growth," said William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution. "Lots of East Coast cities like Boston and New York have already been relying heavily on that growth engine [beyond] the last decade."

The state's population as a whole grew 9 percent to 5.8 million.

More than 100,000 Hispanics moved to Montgomery and Prince George's counties in the last 10 years, accounting for more than one-third of the state's population increase in that demographic.

Non-Hispanic whites now account for only 49.3 percent of Montgomery County residents as the jurisdiction's Hispanic population increased by more than half to total more than 165,000 people. Hispanics, who now account for 17 percent of Montgomery's 971,777 residents, outrank blacks as the county's largest minority population.

Prince George's Hispanic population more than doubled to roughly 130,000 residents, who now account for 15 percent of the

county's population of 863,420. On a smaller scale, Frederick County's Hispanic population nearly quadrupled in the last decade to total more than 17,000 residents. In other heavily

populated jurisdictions like Howard County and Baltimore, the Hispanic population more than doubled.

While Hispanics led the growth, other minority populations also increased while the number of white residents dropped, making Maryland a melting pot of diversity.

In the last 20 years Maryland's white population has decreased to 3.3 million, or 58 percent. In 1990, the state had 3.9 million white residents, or 71 percent of the population.

At the pace of losing 6 percentage points every decade, whites in Maryland could account for less than 50 percent of the state's population by 2025, although Frey noted population changes are not always that linear.

But with Maryland's loss in white population being focused in its youth, "we're certainly headed in that direction," he said. According to Frey, less than half of Maryland's 18-and-under population is white.

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Billions Spent On Programs Without Knowing If They Work

One of Washington's biggest lies about federal spending will be endlessly repeated in coming weeks by President Obama, congressional Democrats, special interest advocates and the liberal mainstream media.

The myth is that the federal budget really cannot be cut except on the margins because government programs are managed efficiently, with minimal waste, fraud and abuse, and they deliver essential services that cannot be provided any other way.

Two reports focusing on federal job training programs -- one from the Government Accountability Office and the other from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. -- that were made public Wednesday put the lie to such claims. Nine federal agencies simultaneously operated at least 47 work force training programs at a cost of $18 billion in 2009. That total represented a $5 billion increase since 2003, thanks to added funding from Obama's economic stimulus program.

Here are some examples from among many Coburn cited on how those tax dollars were spent:

-- Grants to an admitted thief: In West Virginia, Martin Bowling -- an admitted thief with a long rap sheet -- was the main beneficiary of a $100,000 federal worker training grant, and was put up for another federal job training grant worth $1 million by his mother, a state official at the time.

-- Tampa Bay binge: The Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance in Florida used federal job training funds for lunches at Hooters, valet parking for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (topped with $9 dollar slices of cheesecake), $20 delivery fees for cupcakes, $443.99 on flowers, 300 koozie drink holders and more.

-- $4 for bureaucrats, $1 for workers: A Montana trade union that was supposed to manage a half-million-dollar federal job retraining grant spent four times as much on salaries as it did training displaced workers.

-- Ghost employees: A U.S. Department of Labor official approved fraudulent invoices for ghost employees in exchange for cash bribes and a vehicle paid for by a Jobs Corps contractor.

--Job training executives frequent casinos during work hours: Iowa work force executives conspired to enrich themselves with $1.8 million in bonuses -- paid for with federal funds -- while engaging in sexual relationships and frequenting casinos during work.

Read more at the Washington Examiner

House GOP Fails On Suspension Vote For UN Funding

Republicans on Wednesday failed for the second time in 24 hours to pass a bill under suspended House rules.

In a 259-169 vote, the House fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to move legislation under the suspension of House rules.

The House failed to meet this requirement on H.R. 519, which would instruct the administration to insist the U.S. be repaid $179 million in money it has overpaid to the United Nations.

This follows a Tuesday vote in which Republicans also could not get a two-thirds majority to approve the extension of three Patriot Act surveillance authorities.
Wednesday's vote was probably less stinging to Republicans because only two members of their party voted against leadership.

In Tuesday night's vote on the Patriot Act provisions, 26 Republicans voted against their leadership.

The GOP needed scores of Democrats to vote with Republicans to move the U.N. bill, but only 23 Democrats supported it.

Republicans who supported the bill said the United States should be repaid the money. In a brief statement toward the end of the debate, Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) said it is a "disgrace" to fund the U.N. at all, given how its efforts "hinder progress instead of help it."
One of the two Republicans to vote no on Tuesday, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), called for the overpayments to be used for security improvements.

"This is a matter of life and death," he said. "This is a serious matter."

The other Republican to vote against the measure was also from New York: Rep. Michael Grimm.

More here

New Effort To Defund Planned Parenthood In Spending Plan

In a new Republican effort to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, a new spending proposal announced Wednesday would strip away all Title X family planning funds for low-income individuals.

The seven-month continuing resolution offered by House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) would remove all $327 million from the Title X program as the GOP pushes a bill that would block such funding to Planned Parenthood and other groups that offer abortion services.

Planned Parenthood called it an "extreme proposal."

More here