State Roundup: Former education staff cite Blueprint, workplace as Choudhury’s job on line; Ravens stadium to get upgrades; Speaker Jones shuffles House leadership

State Roundup: Former education staff cite Blueprint, workplace as Choudhury’s job on line; Ravens stadium to get upgrades; Speaker Jones shuffles House leadership

The home of the Baltimore Ravens -- M&T Bank Stadium -- is now slated to get a $450 million upgrade with the Board of Public Works approving a bond issue.

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SCHOOL SUPER’s JOB ON LINE OVER BLUEPRINT CONCERNS, PERSONNEL ISSUES: The Maryland State Board of Education has two months to decide whether to sign a new contract with Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury, who has shepherded the state education department through the early years of an ambitious reform plan and generated complaints about creating a toxic work environment. The board is scheduled to come together this morning for a special meeting to discuss personnel matters. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Sun.

BPW OKs $450M IN BONDS FOR RAVENS STADIUM UPGRADES: Planned improvements to M&T Bank Stadium cleared a formal hurdle Wednesday as the state Board of Public Works approved the Maryland Stadium Authority’s request to issue $450 million in bonds to fund the project. The upgrades should be complete by 2025 or 2026. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Sun.

SOME PREGNANT NONCITIZENS TO QUALIFY FOR FREE HEALTH COVERAGE: Pregnant, noncitizen residents of Maryland will soon be able to get free comprehensive health coverage for up to four months if they meet certain financial criteria. Starting July 1, the Healthy Babies Equity Act goes into effect, giving medical coverage to pregnant people who would be eligible for Medicaid or the Maryland Children’s Health Program, were it not for their immigration status. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.

SPEAKER JONES SHUFFLES HOUSE LEADERSHIP: Speaker of the House Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) announced a series of changes to leadership in the House of Delegates on Wednesday, after a standing committee’s leader resigned. And the domino effect of reassignments includes the speaker’s intention to nominate a new speaker pro tem in January, when the General Assembly reconvenes for its regular session. Danielle Gaines/Maryland Matters.

  • Two members of Montgomery County’s legislative delegation—Dels. Marc Korman and David Moon—are moving up the leadership ranks. Jones appointed Moon (D-Dist. 20) as majority leader and named Korman (D-Dist. 16) as the chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee. Korman was previously the House majority leader. Ginny Bixby/MoCo 360.

BPW OKs NEW MANAGEMENT FOR VETERANS HOME: The Board of Public Works on Wednesday unanimously approved a nearly $200 million emergency contract with a Georgia company that will take over management of Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in St. Mary’s County. Moore announced in March that he was canceling the contract with HRM following reports of abuse and neglect at the facility. And a Wicomico County man wrongfully convicted of a 1996 sexual assault received compensation and a formal apology from the governor of Maryland. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.

BA CO CORRECTIONS TO SEND YOUNG INMATES TO YOUTH DETENTION: The Baltimore County Department of Corrections is working on an agreement with the state to send children under 18 who are charged with committing crimes as adults to a youth detention center in Baltimore City. Lia Russell/The Baltimore Sun.

LACK OF EV CHARGING STATIONS STRAINS STATE GOAL FOR CAR SALES: Maryland has a goal that only electric vehicles will be sold in the state by 2035. So now the race is on to put electric charging stations in enough places to make people believe they can buy one without the danger of running out of juice. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

OLSZEWSKI RULES OUT OVERSIGHT BOARD FOR IG: Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski has ruled out creating an oversight board for the county inspector general. That puts to rest a controversy that has dogged Olszewski for the past two years. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

STUDENT MEMBER OF BA CO SCHOOL BOARD GETS RIGHT TO VOTE ON BUDGET: Gov. Wes Moore signed House Bill 175 into law Tuesday, giving student board members in Baltimore County Public Schools the right to vote on budgetary items. Sabrina LeBeouf/The Baltimore Sun.

About The Author

Cynthia Prairie

cynthiaprairie@gmail.com
https://www.chestertelegraph.org/

Contributing Editor Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor since 1979, when she began working at The Raleigh Times. Since then, she has worked for The Baltimore News American, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Prince George’s Journal and Baltimore County newspapers in the Patuxent Publishing chain, including overseeing The Jeffersonian when it was a two-day a week business publication. Cynthia has won numerous state awards, including the Maryland State Bar Association’s Gavel Award. Besides compiling and editing the daily State Roundup, she runs her own online newspaper, The Chester Telegraph. If you have additional questions or comments contact Cynthia at: cynthiaprairie@gmail.com

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