growth. here is what he has to say about improving the rest of the economy. >> economic freedom, the freedom of individuals to pursue their dreams. the dream that they might start a business or get a degree and take that and lead their career in a direction to help their family. this kind of freedom, this conviction that the future is bright, and that if they take certain efforts in their life and follow the course of great values and hard work and education, they can achieve their dreams. these freedoms are what drive america's economy. >> tonight on 11 news at 11:00, we will hear from a former obama supporter is said she has traded early dance to mitt romney. there has been a lot of excitement building around the candid its visiting maryland. lowell melser is outside. what is the reaction of people

while waiting in line? >> lot of people are just excited to see governor romney. we counted at least several hundred supporters that came out here to see governor mitt romney, proving that this particular area and maryland may have been a great idea. on the streets of arbutus, you would never know what presidential hopeful was coming to town, but for mitt romney supporters, they are pretty excited. >> i think is the wonderful. >> political history shows that gop presidential candidates rarely campaign in maryland because of a strong, democratic roots. romney is making an appearance in arbutus, hoping to show that he deserves the state's 37 delegates. >> my husband is on the fence about it. he thinks i should just dick

with obama. i just need to see another side. >> the line wrapped around the building. most to came out to sea the town hall style meeting already had strong beliefs about politics and more press that he decided to stop in maryland. >> he actually took the time to stop and say hello to people. i am taking evanish to try to make sure to say hello bacteria >> we need a turnaround expert for the country. >> looking into the reasons why romney would make a visit to maryland in the first place, political analyst bill maryland gives him a platform to make an argument about the way he feels president obama is handling the economy and foreign policy. >> that appeals to conservatives republicans and independents. i think maryland is a perfectly

appropriate locale for him to make that argument. >> just remember there are 37 delegates up for grabs. lowell melser, wbal-tv 11 news. >> mitt romney is also making an appearance in maryland on t b, -- on tv. jayne miller continues our commitment 2012 coverage live in the newsroom. >> marilyn thomas never gets this kind of attention and a presidential primary. an eight letter word you have heard a lot about. >> with your values, how would you have voted? >> the tv ad is decidedly negative, slamming rick santorum is record in washington. this is the ad intended to benefit? that is not so apparent.

restore our future is a super pac set up to promote it mitt romney as a republican presidential candidate, without having a direct link to his campaign. super pac have been all the buzz this campaign season. super pac leads in contributions. big donors roby super pac, chipping in huge amounts in six digits and seven digits. >> $50 million has been raised for the super pac in the last three or four months. >> the owner of a communications firm says that super pac are the reason the republican primary has extended to maryland. the campaigns of rick santorum

and newt gingrich have been sustained by members of their super pac. >> that almost never do political -- generally has been over by the time they got here. >> mitt romney super pac has got a sizable support in maryland from executives of the marriott corporation. they donated $2 million to the super pac. there are indications crow weeks santorum as will get on the air in maryland. jayne miller, wbal-tv 11 news. >> compare the cabinets and prepare your decision. republicans voting now within a couple of weeks. you can sign up for free breaking news e-mail alerts on our website, wbaltv.com. you can also check out our new iphone application. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake released her new city budget

proposal. it would in furloughs for city employees, and does not contain pay raises. it requires city workers to pay more on their medical bills and present -- and prescription juror costs. 311 and 911 would merge and three fire look at -- creek fire stations would close. >> that is causing some concern tonight. >> kim dacey is live in southwest baltimore with more on that part of the story. >> the firefighters' union says closing down these are companies would delay their time he to emergencies, making it an issue of public safety. three baltimore city fire companies could be shutting down july 1 at the start of fiscal year 2013 to help balance the budget. the firefighters' union is not happy about it. texted you take them out of the mix completely, someone is going

to get hurt badly. it is going to get ugly. >> the diprivan has had rotating company closures for the past few years. the mayor's plan would stop those and take three fire apparatus and personnel out of service permanently. there would be no layoffs as a result. >> it allows the department to plan every day, whatever de of the week is, so they can respond more efficiently to calls. >> the mayor says 8% of the polls that come into the fire station are for emergency medical services, and that will remain fully funded. >> there is a lot of times when a fire truck or engine is paulding on somebody's chest waiting on a medic because they are so busy. >> the fire chief will be the

one deciding which fire companies will be shut down. other union reps are hoping to sit down with the mayor before then to avoid what they think will be a threat to safety. >> your gambling with citizens' lives and fireman's lives. i think is absolutely disgusting. >> the chip would have to make his decision as to which fire company to shut down by the end of april. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> authorities say the new mobile law is not being followed, but apparently, many are not aware of it. >> find out why it is so important to follow that loss. >> record punishments in the nfl. >> mild temperatures and a few showers on hd doppler. insta-weather plus, coming up next. ♪

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escalon portman agencies gathered to promote awareness of maryland's move over law. it requires drivers approaching a police or emergency response vehicle on the side of the road to immediately reduce speed and move over. apparently many drivers are not aware of this law and that is why the campaign was launched today. >> for the driver to move over and create elaine, creating a safety barrier for police or fire fighters who are on the

road. if the traffic does not allow them to move and clear the lane, then it requires them to slow down. >> the pace is picking up in annapolis on the high-profile measures designed to reduce our lectured bills and curbs straw. david collins is keeping an eye on these issues and joins us live from annapolis. >> some of these bills are on the governor's legislative priority list. >> if anyone has any amendments or any questions. >> high-profile environmental bills on their getting the full attention of the general assembly. dublin the plush tax from $30 to $60 a year is on the house floor. a companion bill coming to the floor requires local jurisdictions to have a storm water utility feet.

both chambers are tackling legislation that limits septic tank use. opponents are trying to gut the bill with amendments. >> it is just a bad idea. it is an anti-jobs bill because it kills jobs in certain areas. it also takes away local control. it is a land use bill group >> supporters argue the measure will keep down the need for higher taxes. >> you will eventually have to build schools and roads to connect them to other state roads. it will force the state to come up with more revenue. >> a vote on the governor's wind energy bills on the horizon. a bill related to frakking is now in the hands of the senate. it assesses a $15 per acre fee.

>> the money will go to the department of natural resources and the maryland department of the environment. those agencies have oversight on shale gas drilling from an internal perspective and on a permanent issuing perspective. >> maryland legislators of prosit, saying it could deter interest to >> a lot of companies could decide they will just let their leases expire and move out of the state. >> report of recommendations is due in 2014. tomorrow the senate takes up the governor sadeq bill and his measure to advance when power in the state of maryland. david collins, wbal-tv 11 news. >> now, your insta-weather forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> here in baltimore we have had a lot of cloudiness today, but not much in the way of

precipitation in the immediate area. pretty dry run the region right now, but to the southeast of us they are dealing with some showers throughout the afternoon and the potential for some lightning with some of these storms. they are weakening though, right now. coming in off the lower eastern shore, moving into southern delaware and parts of the eastern shore, the showers that may into dorchester county are really falling apart right now. not much chance of that action making its way up to baltimore tonight. lots of lightning strikes down there and a tornadic reported in washington county in eastern north carolina earlier today. warmer than normal temperatures again today, still 13 degrees above normal at bwi marshall. 71 degrees at the inner harbor,

and 89 degrees, a record in downtown baltimore in 1948. 8 ties the record for the warmest low temperature on this date. the cloudy this is what has held the temperature down by a few degrees today. you can see that low clouds and fog hanging on in parts of pennsylvania, maryland, and northern virginia. 81 in detroit and buffalo, new york. 76 degrees in boston but only 67 in baltimore, but because of the cloud cover that is hanging on. 70 in downtown baltimore at this hour. 57 on the beach at ocean city. mild temperatures and more fog forming tonight. the normal high is only 55.

85 in chicago right now, unseasonably warm conditions. it is like to live in chicago in the month of march. the warm air all the way up into northern new england. a slow-moving, violent storm system is inching slowly to the east. the high-pressure system is so strong, the system cannot move very quickly. it is generating very heavy rain in some areas. a report from some parts of southwestern louisiana, over a foot of rain in the last 24 hours. all of that is slowly inching to the east. 73-78 tomorrow, southeast winds at 5 with the fall burning off in the morning. 60's in the mountains with part of cloudy skies. it should get into the seven's on the eastern shore. almost 80 degrees on friday.

the same pattern hold center friday and then that western storm arrives. shares and thunderstorms become likely saturday and sunday. >> from the susquehanna bank sports center, this is 11 reports. >> most nfl coaches like the word first. today, not so much for the first nfl head coach ever suspended by the leak. the suspension conclude the investigation into the new orleans saints bounty system which paid players for big hits that intentionally injured opposing players. roger goodell slammed the saints for a series of penalties because first of all for their disregard of safety, and then the length of the suspension comes in part from peyton manning and others lying to the

commissioner when first asked about the down the system. they want to send a message that the leak wilma tolerate the presence of this. >> we need to change the culture. this is another step in changing net culture. this type of behavior and accepting this type of program is not going to be tolerated. >> the penalty runs through the 2012 season. greg williams currently works for st. louis and received an indefinite suspension with a legal review after the 2012 season. new orleans will for brit second

round draft pick this year and next year. the saints try to figure out who will serve as their interim head coach. tim tebow does not know which uniform he will wear next season. the jets agreed to give denver a fourth and sixth round draft pick in exchange for tebow today, but a clause in his contract has been haggling over who should pay tebow $5 million guaranteed in his contract. if the deal falls through, it looks like st. louis and jacksonville are back in the bargaining 48 tim tebow trade. doctors have said he could be forced to stop throwing for several weeks. the new orioles pitcher, tommy hunter, at his debut today. adam jones is starting to see

the ball well. it cleared the wall today, a solo home run against the blue jays. 11 days and counting and we will not be so cavalier. >> stay with us for another look at the seven-day forecast, right after this. greetings from the windy city of chicago.

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x a baltimore county volunteer firefighter died in the line of duty last year and now the department has released its findings after an extensive investigation. plus, mitt romney was in town. a wrapup of the republican presidential candidates

>> we have some showers, but that is what spring is about.

>> it has been dried the last few weeks. not a lot of rain in the meet forecasts. we will see some of developing tonight and then again thursday night into friday morning. showers and thunderstorms clearing out early next week, and maybe some temperatures in the upper 30's by tuesday and wednesday. what is that all about? >> that is a look at our news. thank you for joining us. [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

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