FRIENDSVILLE SAYS NO TO BIKE TRAIL ALONG WILD YOUGHIOGHENY: The town of Friendsville has declared its opposition to building a durable bike trail through one of the most pristine areas of the Youghiogheny River, dealing a potentially fatal blow to a controversial project that had already lined up millions in state funding. Fred Kunkle/The Washington Post.
ATTY GEN BROWN SEEKS POWER TO PURSUE CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT: New Attorney General Anthony Brown is pursuing legislation in Annapolis that would grant his office powers to conduct civil rights enforcement beyond the scope of the independent Maryland Commission on Civil Rights to handle individual complaints and grievances. The measure would allow the attorney general to investigate discrimination in mortgage lending, check-cashing and fraudulent business practices. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
VOTE ON MOORE JUVIE JUSTICE NOMINEE DELAYED: Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s pick to lead the juvenile justice system in Maryland was withheld from final approval Friday, preventing the new governor’s cabinet from being almost fully formed, as state senators agreed to every other pick unanimously. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
BILL WOULD PUT ALL CHARGED MINORS IN JUVENILE COURT: In Maryland, the overwhelming majority — more than 80% — of children automatically charged as adults are Black. According to Jenny Egan, chief attorney at the Office of the Public Defender’s juvenile division in Baltimore City, there are also stark racial disparities in which cases get transferred back to juvenile court from the adult system. A bill before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee would require that all cases involving juvenile defendants to begin in juvenile court. Rachel Baye/WYPR-FM.
DELEGATE A VICTIM OF SEX HARASSMENT: Del. Lesley Lopez became a victim Thursday night of exactly the kind of harassment that she’s trying to put a stop to – getting unwanted sexual images through online platforms. Lopez is the chief sponsor of HB 600, which would create a task force to determine the best way to prevent and respond to “nonconsensual sexual imagery” sent online. Dorothy Hood of Capital News Service/MarylandReporter.com.
CREATING SAFE, EQUITABLE CANNABIS INDUSTRY DISCUSSED: Lawmakers, lobbyists and industry stakeholders poured into the House Economic Matters Committee hearing room Friday to debate the creation of a safe and equitable recreational cannabis industry in Maryland. “I’m not here to create a cash cow,” said House Economic Matters Chair C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat. “I’m here to make sure we stop young folks from being arrested and dying because of this substance.” Hannah Gaskill and Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
SOME WITH PENDING CHARGES WOULD BE ALLOWED JURY DUTY UNDER PROPOSAL: A Maryland bill under consideration for a fourth time in Annapolis would provide an avenue for people formerly incarcerated for a year or more to serve on juries. Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE TAPS CAMPAIGN CHAIR TO HEAD STADIUM AUTHORITY BOARD: Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Friday tapped his campaign chair to serve as chair of the Maryland Stadium Authority board. Craig Thompson, a mentor to the new governor and a partner at the law firm Venable LLP, will replace Tom Kelso, who served as Stadium Authority chair under former Gov. Larry Hogan (R). Coincidentally, Kelso was the chair of Hogan’s two campaigns for governor, and remains connected to the former governor politically. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
- Along with the list of names, Appointments Secretary Tisha Edwards said she’s delivering a message: The Moore administration will run an open state government, and one where all Marylanders are represented. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- The most pressing task facing the Maryland Stadium Authority is the matter of the Orioles lease, which expires at the end of the year. Moore and Orioles CEO John Angelos issued a statement earlier this month pledging to work on a plan to redevelop Camden Yards and “deliver a live, work, play theme that will bring residents, businesses, and tourists to downtown Baltimore year-round.” Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- Craig Thompson was born in Baltimore on the same day that the city’s pro football team first played in the Super Bowl. Now, he could head the Maryland Stadium Authority which, among other responsibilities, serves as the landlord for the Orioles and Ravens. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE LAWMAKERS QUESTION CITY-BGE CONDUIT DEAL: The debate over Baltimore City’s conduit agreement with Baltimore Gas and Electric – the sprawling underground network that helps power city infrastructure built in the 1900s – is gaining more attention as state lawmakers have started asking questions. There is one lingering question that appears to be weighing heavily on the minds of Baltimore City’s local and state politicians: Is the conduit deal really in the best interest of its residents? Wambui Kamau/WYPR-FM.
MOORE NOMINATES TWO TO PSC: Gov. Wes Moore on Friday shook up the Maryland Public Service Commission and nominated two new members to the agency overseeing gas and electric utilities and shaping the state’s clean energy ambitions. The nominations now await confirmation by the state Senate. Aman Azhar of Inside Climate News/The Baltimore Banner.
COMMENTARY: STATE GOP CHAIR SCREWS UP AGAIN: Thanks to a boneheaded and idiotic decision by Maryland Republican Party Chair Nicole Beus Harris, Gov. Wes Moore has rejected Harris’s selection of Republican Central Committee member, frequent candidate, and election conspiracist William Newton for the Maryland State Board of Elections. his is the latest in a series of major mistakes made by Harris. Brian Griffiths/The Duckpin.
HOGAN: I WON’T RUN FOR PREZ IF IT HELPS TRUMP WIN: Still stepping shy of announcing a presidential run, former Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday morning on “Meet the Press” that if his own candidacy were to contribute to helping former President Donald Trump win back the White House, it’d be “a pretty good reason to consider not running.” Ngan Ho and Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.
VP HARRIS IN BOWIE WEDNESDAY TO ANNOUNCE HOUSING PROGRAM: Vice President Kamala Harris and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge will announce a new federal housing policy Wednesday in Bowie, Harris’ office said. The policy, aimed at lowering housing costs, will be announced at a Bowie location yet to be disclosed. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.
350 BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE STILL LACK BODY CAMS: Baltimore County started its body camera program in 2016, and supplied cameras to all uniformed, “public-facing” personnel in 2017. In August, the agency said that 350 sworn members of the department lacked cameras. Six months later, about 350 people still don’t have cameras, including members of the Criminal Apprehension Support Team . Cassidy Jensen/The Baltimore Sun.
COMMENTARY: TSU PRESIDENT SEARCH OFF TO A GOOD START: Towson University has picked its Presidential Search and Screening Committee to choose its new president to replace Kim Schatzel, who has gone on to become president at University of Louisville. I do not know all of the TUPSC, but when I see people whom I have respected and admired for years and decades, it gives me reason to be confident that a discerning choice will be made. Richard Vatz/MarylandReporter.com
NAVAL ACADEMY RENAMES BUILDING TO HONOR JIMMY CARTER: A building at the U.S. Naval Academy that had been named after a leader in the Confederate Navy was renamed Friday in honor of former President Jimmy Carter, who graduated from the academy in 1946. Staff/The Associated Press.
MARYLANDER PLEADS GUILTY TO THEFT OF $1M IN PANDEMIC FUNDS: A 25-year-old Maryland man pleaded guilty Friday to illegally obtaining more than $1 million in federal pandemic relief funds through wire fraud and identity theft, authorities said. Paul Duggan/The Washington Post.
