STATE DEM LAWMAKERS PREP FOR END OF ROE: Long before Monday night’s revelation that five U.S. Supreme Court justices are likely to overturn 50 years of legal precedent in Roe v. Wade, Democratic legislators had begun preparations for Maryland to accept more abortion-seekers from out of state. Christine Condon and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Sun.
- A Democratic majority in the General Assembly approved the most sweeping changes to the state’s abortion access laws this year — including to expand access to providers and insurance coverage — though those efforts didn’t go as far as many lawmakers wanted. Danielle Gaines and Elizabeth Shwe/Maryland Matters.
- More than 50 people gathered outside the federal courthouse in Baltimore on Tuesday evening to rally against a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would throw out the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling. McKenna Oxenden/The Baltimore Sun.
- Some Montgomery County leaders said they fear a possible Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe nationwide could start a “slippery slope” of reversing other rights. And two County Council members suggested that abortion providers in the state could become the option for women who can’t get abortions legally in the states where they live. Caitlynn Peetz/Bethesda Beat.
GOV’s RACE ENERGIZED BY ROE DOCUMENT: The leaked draft of a Supreme Court majority opinion overturning federal abortion rights energized a competitive field of gubernatorial candidates in Maryland, where there is expansive abortion access and a wide-open race for governor. Erin Cox and Ovetta Wiggins/The Washington Post.
- A number of Democratic candidates for Maryland governor are renewing the call for an amendment to the state constitution to protect the right to an abortion. “We have to lead on this issue,” said John King, one of 10 Democratic candidates for governor, adding that it’s “an important moment for Maryland to step up for the country’s sake.” Bryan Sears/The Daily Record.
- From tweets to statements, the crowded field of candidates outlined their frustration and plans to improve access, they said. Mikenzie Frost/WBFF-TV
LEAKED ROE DOCUMENT SETS OFF UPROAR: Associate Justice Samuel Alito’s leaked draft of a potential ruling overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision has rocked the nation’s capital and touched off a political uproar. This is the first known incident where a draft Supreme Court decision has been leaked to the public. Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the documents were authentic in a statement and said he has directed the court’s marshal to investigate the leak. Capital News Service staff/Maryland Reporter.
YOUTH CRISIS CALLS IN ARUNDEL JUMP DURING COVID: Calls made by children to the Anne Arundel County crisis line have increased sharply since the pandemic began more than two years ago, one of a few troubling trends in youth mental health presented by the county health officer to the Anne Arundel County Council on Monday night. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.
OPIOID DEATHS IN MARYLAND IN 2021 NEARS 2,000: Maryland saw an increase in opioid and fentanyl-related deaths in 2021. When looking at data spanning from January through September, opioid-related deaths increased by 2.09% from 1,865 in 2020 to 1,904 in 2021, and fentanyl-related deaths increased by 3% from 1,731 to 1,783. Riley Brennan for Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
HOGAN URGES GOP VOTERS TO ‘STAND AGAINST EXTREMES:’ Gov. Larry Hogan is urging Republican voters to “stand against the extremes,” saying the GOP is “desperately in need of a course correction,” as the term-limited governor weighs a presidential run. In prepared remarks for a speech Tuesday evening at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, Hogan cast himself as a politician with broad appeal like his political hero, Reagan. Brian Witte/The Associated Press.
- Hogan stopped short of declaring plans to shape the GOP by running for president. He did say: “This is a fight for America’s future, and that is a fight worth fighting for. There is a better path forward if we only we have the courage to seize it.” Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
- Since Trump was elected in 2016, Hogan regularly points out, Republicans have lost the White House, lost control of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, and slipped in the number of governorships and legislative chambers they possess. Citing his own improbable wins in Maryland in 2014 and 2018, Hogan said Republicans must build a bigger coalition. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
- While Hogan was critical of President Biden and Democrats, he also pointed to flaws within his own party, laying out a vision for the GOP. Hogan is presenting himself to Republican voters as a potential alternative to Trump and his brand of politics. Margaret Chadbourn/WBFF-TV.
MOORE’s SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION BIZ IN QUESTION: In 2014, Wes Moore, now a candidate for governor, took aim at one of higher education’s most persistent problems by starting a company to help ill-prepared high school graduates stay, and succeed, in college. But five years after he started the company, with at least $3.1 million in seed money from foundations and $350,000 in state money, BridgeEdU was sold for its data and shut down. It had served at least 672 students, and changed its approach several times to find new clients as colleges and universities deemed it ineffective, too costly or duplicative of existing services. Liz Bowie and Pamela Wood/Baltimore Banner.
BAKER AD GOES AFTER DEADLY CRIME IN B’MORE: Maryland gubernatorial candidate Rushern L. Baker III has hit the airwaves with his first television commercial, in which he promises to “stop the slaughter of young Black men and turn Baltimore around.” Ovetta Wiggins/The Washington Post.
PRIMARY TO DECIDE CARROLL STATE’S ATTY RACE: The Carroll County state’s attorney’s race will be decided in the primary election in July, with two Republicans and no Democrats vying for the position. Republicans Haven Shoemaker, a state delegate, and David Ellin, a private practice attorney, will face off in the primary, scheduled for July 19. Madison Bateman/The Carroll County Times.
DISTRICT HEIGHTS MAYOR TO FILL PG COUNCIL SEAT: The Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint District Heights Mayor Johnathan M. Medlock to fill a vacant seat on the 11-member body. William Ford/The Washington Informer.
- Council members said on Tuesday that they chose Medlock because he has first-hand knowledge of the community and works well with others. There was another factor weighing in Medlock’s favor: He does not want the job full-time. Bruce DePuyt/Maryland Matters.
PUGH READIES RETURN TO PUBLIC EYE: Released from community confinement, Baltimore’s ex-mayor, Catherine Elizabeth Pugh, is back in her house in Ashburton, hatching plans for future public appearances. Mark Reutter and Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew.
NORMAN MINETA, FORMER TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY, DIES: Norman Mineta, who broke racial barriers for Asian Americans serving in high-profile government posts and ordered commercial flights grounded after the 9/11 terror attacks as the nation’s federal transportation secretary, died Tuesday surrounded by family at his Anne Arundel County home. He was 90. Brian Witte and Terence Chea/The Associated Press.
