SMALLER CLIMATE BILLS TACKLE ISSUE ON MANY FRONTS: Offshore wind energy is getting most of the attention. The sector is rapid growing nationally, and Gov. Wes Moore signed a bill that could expand the industry in Maryland. Beyond that, Maryland lawmakers passed several bills in the recent General Assembly session designed to help the state respond to climate change. They may not be of the scale of the ambitious Climate Solutions Now Act, but they tackle climate change from different angles. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
DRUG AFFORDABILITY BOARD READY TO ASSESS PRICING: Maryland will soon be the first state in the country with a functional Prescription Drug Affordability Board, aimed at bringing down the high prices of some prescription drugs. The state established the board in 2019 and it’s since been figuring out how exactly it will push back against pharmaceutical companies on cost. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
COMPTROLLER LIERMAN TARGETS MODERNIZATION OF OFFICE: Before her election, Brooke Lierman had not even been inside the treasury building in Annapolis. Now, Maryland’s first woman to hold the office of comptroller is focused on making tax season easier for citizens, updating her department’s aging infrastructure and her next 100 days in office. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
BLACK REAL ESTATE PROs SAY RACISM REMAINS IN INDUSTRY: Property- and home-ownership are central to building generational wealth. And as discussions about race have moved recently to the forefront of the national discussion, so have concerns about how Black people navigate the real estate ecosystem. And while the real estate industry is experiencing its own racial reckoning, Black professionals in real estate say they face racism at every turn, even though federal law prohibits housing discrimination. John-John Williams/The Baltimore Banner.
CARROLL SCHOOLS RAISE RED FLAGS OVER BLUEPRINT: As the budget season continues, another jurisdiction is raising red flags about how it will pay for the state-mandated Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. “I ask for your assistance with Blueprint,” said Carroll County Board of Education President, Marsha Herbert on Tuesday morning. “We find ourselves in an unprecedented time. And quite frankly in Carroll County, we’re struggling.” Amy Simpson/WBFF-TV.
OPINION: MOORE GETS ‘INCOMPLETE’ ON AID TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Almost all observers agree with Gov. Wes Moore’s self-appraisal: We had, he’s written, “one of the most productive legislative sessions for any Maryland governor at any time during their tenure.” Yet, he seems to have struggled on one core subject: funding for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and particularly our most disadvantaged students. $900 million in funding sounds great since the Blueprint is significantly underfunded. But on close inspection, these funds do not add a single penny to beleaguered school budgets. Kalman Hettleman/Maryland Matters.
RASKIN: DOCTORS ‘EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC’ AFTER CANCER TREATMENT: U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who was diagnosed with cancer last December, said Tuesday that he completed chemotherapy treatment and “the doctors are extremely optimistic.” Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
FAMILIES IN NEED GREW 8% DURING PANDEMIC: The number of Maryland families who couldn’t afford basic needs grew 8% in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the United Ways of Maryland. The report showed the increase in financially insecure families, but also how pandemic support helped blunt a potentially “deeper financial crisis.” Clara Niel/The Frederick News Post.
MO CO SCHOOLS TO ANNOUNCE PLANS TO ADDRESS HATE INCIDENTS: Amid a rise in incidents of hate bias, racism, antisemitism and LGBTQ+ prejudice across Montgomery County Public Schools in recent months, the district is hosting a virtual event at Rockville High on April 27 where Superintendent Monifa McKnight will announce new “districtwide actions in response.” Em Espey/MoCo 360.
