"When Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) hits his last few days in office next month, he plans to enact dramatic new regulations for farmers who use chicken droppings to fertilize their fields.

The move could further bolster O’Malley’s environmental résumé ahead of a possible run for president, demonstrating to Democratic activists that he is not afraid to take on the state’s powerful poultry industry in a quest to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

But it is also likely to collide with the incoming governor, Republican Larry Hogan, who has promised to fight what he described as “politically motivated, midnight-hour” regulations."

Jenna Johnson reports for the Washington Post December 14, 2014. [2]