Coverage in the Baltimore Sun details the actions of the Senate’s environmental committee Friday, when it took action on the Governor’s proposed septics and land use legislation. The Committee voted 7-4 to pas the bill, and send the debate to the floor of the Senate this week.

From the Sun coverage (limited free views):

One important piece of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s legislative agenda took a small step forward Friday as a Senate panel appproved legislation that seeks to control the spread of housing developments on septic systems.

The Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee voted 7-4 for the environmental legislation over the resistance of rural lawmakers. The bill goes to the Senate floor next week.

O’Malley contends the legislation is necessary to rein in an important source of pollution of the Chesapeake Bay. Republicans, and some Democrats, contend the bill will depress the value of land in rural areas.

Click here to read MACo’s testimony on the SB 236 as introduced, including the bottom line:

MACo believes that the bill as introduced is deeply flawed in many ways, and should not be considered without dramatic revisions to a number of its components. Any MACo potential to accede to a more practical bill is absolutely conditioned on such substantial rewritings via bill amendments.