Senate passes bill on voter registration

The Maryland Senate has passed a bill that would create automatic voter registration for people who are eligible and agree to be registered. The Senate passed the measure 32-12 Friday. It now goes to the House of Delegates. The bill designates three state agencies to register a resident to vote or update a resident's voter registration record, unless the applicant declines to register or is determined not to be eligible. For example, if an eligible Maryland voter renews a driver's license, the person would be informed they are being registered, unless they say no. The agencies are the Motor Vehicle Administration, the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, local departments of social services and the Mobility Certification Office in the Maryland Transit Administration. The measure would take effect July 1, 2019. Robinson of Gwynn Oak, has been reported as a missing person. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Maryland State Police were notified around 10 a.m. on March 1 that a plane en route to Ocean City from Martin State Airport had not arrived as anticipated. By around 5 p.m., rescue personnel found a debris field and located a severely damaged plane and Ngwa’s body. Officials called off the search effort shortly after, due to an impending storm. Dive teams picked up the search a week later, once the rough waters passed. The rescue operation included the Maryland State Police, U.S Coast Guard, Natural Resources Police and The Ocean City Fire Department. The team searched and cleared the wreckage, and located all parts of the plane. But no other bodies were recovered, officials said, and the search mission concluded March 10.