Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, who has earned a reputation as an agitator during his time in office, plans to launch a petition drive to persuade lawmakers to embrace a pet cause of his: delaying the opening of public schools until after Labor Day.

Franchot (D) is planning an event Thursday on the boardwalk of Ocean City, one of the state’s top tourism destinations, to kick off a “Let Summer Be Summer” campaign. His aim: collecting 10,000 signatures from Maryland citizens before the General Assembly reconvenes in January.

The event coincides with an annual week-long conference of county leaders from across Maryland, and Franchot plans to hand out flying discs and sand buckets adorned with the campaign logo at the conference site.

The cause is hardly new for Franchot, who says that the post-Labor Day mandate would be good for the state’s economy as well as for families seeking to spend more time together. What’s different now is that he actually has some real momentum on his side.

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