HOGAN FINDS NO PROGRESS ON CITY CRIME: Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) penned a letter to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) on Thursday, alleging that no progress has been made toward addressing the rising murder rate in the city. “In February, you assured us that there was a comprehensive plan in place, but at this point, I do not believe anyone — including you — believes it is working,” Hogan scathingly wrote. Scott responded that he was confused by the letter — he had just seen the governor on Saturday and instead of asking him in person he “played publicity games.” Hannah Gaskill and Danielle Gaines/Maryland Matters
MOSBY RELEASES POLICE CREDIBILITY LIST: Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has released the names of 305 Baltimore Police officers who are on what some call the “Do Not Call List.” Officers on the list at one time or another had internal affairs complaints lodged against them, questioning their credibility to testify in court. She was ordered to do so by an order of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. WMAR Staff/WMAR
- Commissioner Michael Harrison is demanding clarification on why those people are on the list, which is larger than an actual “do not call” list posted on Mosby’s office website. “The list we released to BALT pursuant to the court order, contains the names of a myriad of officers, some with unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct,” Mosby added. Jessica Albert/WJZ
- Defense Attorney Jeremy Eldridge He thinks this list could affect thousands of prosecutions, ones in the past and in the future, and said it was irresponsible to release just a list of names without further information. Shelley Orman/WBFF
- The list includes several high-ranking officers within the department, including a former head of internal affairs and a former deputy chief of patrol. Lee Sanderlin and Jessica Anderson/Baltimore Sun
GAS HIKE COULD BECOME CENTRAL ELECTION ISSUE: Candidates for governor wielded divergent views on Maryland’s looming gas tax hike like a cudgel this week, seeking to score points with voters ahead of a July primary while those in a position to bring relief stood by. Erin Cox/Washington Post
PRIMARY DEBATES: Josh Kurtz of Maryland Matters moderates the debate of Democratic comptroller candidates Tim Adams and Brooke Lierman Tuesday, May 31, 7 p.m.. Register here. And here’s the flyer. The League of Women Voters is the lead sponsor along with MarylandReporter.com, MarylandMatters.org, Maryland Nonprofits, Maryland Latinos Unidos and the University of Baltimore’s Schaefer Center for Public Policy, the online host.
NEW LAW WILL OFFER PRENATAL CARE TO IMMIGRANTS: A bill passed with a veto-proof majority will go into law next month, expanding Medicaid to cover prenatal and postpartum care to pregnant people regardless of immigration status. The Healthy Babies Equity Act, which passed the General Assembly in March along mostly party lines with Republicans opposed, will become law without the signature of Gov. Larry Hogan. Rosanne Skirble/Maryland Matters
LEGISLATION TO LURE FOOTBALL TEAM TO VA IN DOUBT: Two key Virginia state senators on Wednesday separately raised doubts about legislation meant to lure the Washington Commanders football team to Virginia with a new, taxpayer-supported stadium, signaling that the effort could be in trouble when the General Assembly returns to the Capitol next week. Laura Vozzella/The Washington Post
- In a stunning reversal, Sen. Chap Petersen withdrew his support for the stadium project, saying he had lost confidence in the team as a “viable NFL franchise.” Matthew Paras/The Washington Times
PLANNING EXPERT: GROWTH SHOULD GO AROUND TRANSIT: With the Washington, D.C., region expected to add 600,000 people in the next decade, towns and cities should center new development around transit and improve access to that transit, the head of a regional planning organization Chuck Bean said. Ryan Marshall/Frederick News-Post
MARYLAND REACTION TO SCHOOL SHOOTING TRAGEDY: The school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas has Washington County Public Schools with grief counselors ready, school leaders planning safety measures, and a parent demanding law changes to better protect Maryland children. Sherry Greenfield/The Herald-Mail
MAJOR COUNTIES PASS BUDGETS: The Baltimore County Council took aim at both the school system and the police department for staffing issues Thursday as it passed the $4.8 billion county budget for the coming fiscal year. The council also approved a controversial police accountability board made up of citizens that will look into police misconduct. John Lee/WYPR
- Montgomery’s council passed its own $6.3 billion county budget with few comments, putting nearly half of the county’s operating budget into education, with increases in mental health services. and school safety. Kate Ryan/WTOP
BALTIMORE COUNTY REFERENDUM WOULD CHANGE QUALIFICATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP OF DPW/TRANSPORTATION: Baltimore County voters will have a referendum question to consider that would change the county charter to allow a non-engineer to head the Department of Public Works and Transportation — something that would allow Acting Director D’Andrea Walker to be appointed permanently. But this question looms as an exodus of senior staff is happening within the department and concerns are being raised about a “brain drain.” Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew
FREELANCERS WANTED: MarylandReporter.com is looking for freelance writers to cover stories in state and local government, particularly Howard County. If interested contact editor Tim Maier at [email protected]. A resume and clips would be helpful if Tim is unfamiliar with your work.
