By Graham Moomaw — Christine Grewell thought she had her health care needs taken care of, paying monthly premiums for her Silver Spring family of five that add up to more than her mortgage payments.

But when Grewell's daughter was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006, the family's insurance didn't cover her $20,000-a-year medication — fortunately her college insurance did. And because Grewell has had a spinal surgery called a laminectomy, her insurance company won't cover future costs related to her back, deeming it a pre-existing condition.

Grewell, 55, felt that she wasn't getting enough out for what she was putting in, and she decided she was going to do something about it.

The Maryland woman was one of 24 people who travelled to Capitol Hill Wednesday to share their health insurance horror stories with members of Congress as part of a forum organized by the advocacy group Health Care for America Now.

Read more: Personal stories give health care reform a final push

By  Diana Nguyen — Meei Shi Child has been out of a job for almost a year. Without her unemployment checks, she wouldn't be able to care for her 3-year-old daughter and 91-year-old mother-in-law.

She is not alone: The Chevy Chase resident is one of more than 78,000 residents receiving benefits from the Maryland Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

"Meei Shi puts a face on the over 1 million Americans who stand to lose their unemployment benefits if we do not extend the unemployment benefits beyond the end of this month," said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., at a news conference Wednesday.

Read more: Chevy Chase woman appeals to congress for unemployment extension

By Brady Holt — Maryland needs to strengthen its "rainy day" reserve fund to prepare for future budget crises, a state senator testified Wednesday at the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Prince George's, was speaking in support of his bill that would divert unexpected budget surpluses — extra money that the state's analysts had not projected — into the rainy day fund until it swells from 5 to 22.5 percent of general fund revenues.

"The whole point of it is to save money in good times to cushion impacts in bad times," Rosapepe said in an interview before the bill hearing.

"Instead of allowing the governor to take those unexpected surpluses and spend them, and submit a budget that spends that money without legislative policy action ... all unbudgeted surpluses would go to the rainy day fund," he said at the hearing.

Under the bill, the state would not need to contribute extra money to its reserve fund until the economy recovers, he said, and even then the General Assembly could vote to redirect the money to cover operating expenses.

Read more: Bill would improve Maryland's "cushion" against future recessions

By Nick DiMarco, MarylandReporter.com — Delegates representing six counties have moved to exempt these jurisdictions from a bill that would make it easier for local librarians to unionize, citing concerns about the costs.

Representatives from Harford, Baltimore, Garret, Allegheny and Carroll Counties offered amendments to strike their counties from the bill.

Del. Mary-Dulany James, D-Cecil and Harford, was first to voice her opposition on collective bargaining rights for librarians.

“I’m a big proponent of local rights," James said. "We don’t like it when the federal government tells the states what to do. I don’t think it’s an appropriate role for the state to be telling the local governments how to conduct themselves.”

Read more: Counties resist union for librarians

By Rachel Leven — Supporters of a dime-a-drink tax told a Senate committee Wednesday they need the fee in order to provide essential funds for mental health, disabilities and substance abuse programs to Marylanders. But opponents claimed the alcohol tax would deprive retailers of their livelihood in the midst of an economic recession.

The Lorraine Sheehan Health and Community Services Act of 2010, which was presented to the Senate Budget and Taxation committee, would tax each drink of alcohol an extra 10 cents. The proceeds of the tax would go towards health care, substance abuse treatment and prevention, and developmental disabilities support, or into the state's general fund.

Read more: Alcohol tax pits supporters against liquor industry