Editor’s note: State Roundup is taking a few days off for the Thanksgiving holiday. We hope each and every one of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving and you’ll see us again on Monday.
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT STRIKES DOWN MARYLAND GUN REQUIREMENTS: A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a state law requiring Marylanders to obtain a handgun qualification license before purchasing or receiving a firearm is unconstitutional. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
- The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit is among the first to strike down handgun permit requirements under a legal test established by the Supreme Court in 2022 that requires judges to consider whether modern-day regulations mirror what was in place around the time of the country’s founding. Erin Cox and Salvador Rizzo/The Washington Post.
- The underlying lawsuit was filed in 2016 as a challenge to a Maryland law requiring people to obtain a special license before purchasing a handgun. That law was passed in 2013 in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lea Skene/The Associated Press.
- “This law is not about stripping away rights from responsible gun owners — it’s about every Marylander having the right to live free from fear,” said Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. He said he would “continue to fight for this law” but said his team was examining the ruling and evaluating their options. Dylan Segelbaum and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
B’MORE RIDERS WANT RED LINE LIGHT RAIL, NOT BUS SYSTEM: MTA Administrator Holly Arnold didn’t mince words. With information panels proudly displayed around an expansive exhibition room, Arnold acknowledged that she’s gotten a clear answer to the question of what many Baltimoreans want the future Red Line to be. “There’s a strong preference for light rail” over Bus Rapid Transit, she said. David Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
HATE CRIMES COMMISSION MEMBER SUSPENDED AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL POSTS: Attorney General Anthony Brown has suspended a member of the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention, citing personal social media posts that he said “risk disrupting the work and mission of the Commission.” Brown’s office learned last week about posts of Zainab Chaudry, who is also the Maryland director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. The posts were related to the Israel-Hamas war. John John Williams/The Baltimore Banner.
- Speaking to WTOP about the decision, Chaudry called it “deeply troubling” and said her suspension for making the posts infringes on her First Amendment rights. “These comments were made in my own personal capacity. And they were in no shape, way or form designed to invite hate,” she said. Mike Murillo/WTOP-FM.
LONG EMERGENCY ROOM WAITS PLAGUE MARYLAND HOSPITALS: In Maryland, higher rates of emergency room visits may exacerbate an existing issue: It can take hours or close to a day between arriving at the emergency room and actually receiving care. State and local officials are trying to determine why emergency room wait times are so long in Maryland. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
PRINCE GEORGE’S TO TEST BASIC INCOME WITH 2-YEAR PROGRAM: Prince George’s County will guarantee basic income of $800 a month to up to 175 senior citizens and young people for a two-year pilot program, county leaders said in a Tuesday news conference launching the project — an achievement for a newer council member steering the Maryland county’s policies in a more liberal direction. Lateshia Beachum/The Washington Post.
ULMAN RETURNS TO STATEWIDE SPOTLIGHT WITH NEW ROLE: Now returning to party politics as head of the Maryland Democratic Party, Ken Ulman is stepping into a statewide role at a time when his party is gearing up to back the incumbent president and support candidates in multiple rarely open congressional races. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.
OPINION: MARYLAND FAMILIES THREATENED BY UNSOUND POLICIES: A 2-1 registration advantage of Democrats to the GOP, and veto-proof majorities in the House of Delegates and Senate confirm the perception that Maryland is a deep blue sate. But what that illustration fails to realize is that … many Marylanders are conservative people, whose roots have been solidly planted in family values since its inception as a state. So why have our state’s leaders turned away from that identity, and embraced the secular, humanist agendas of the West Coast and Europe? A new report called “The State of the Family in Maryland,” released by the Maryland Family Institute, offers some critical insights. Jeffrey S. Trimbath/The Baltimore Post Examiner.
ARUNDEL MOVES FORWARD ON NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Affordable housing in new developments would be available to anyone who meets the income requirements, regardless of where they live or work, under a housing bill amendment approved by the Anne Arundel County Council on Monday night. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.
NEARBY SHOOTING ENDS DIXON CAMPAIGN EVENTS: Baltimore mayoral candidate Sheila Dixon ended a campaign event at a bar early on Monday night, after a shooting one block away left two men injured. The former mayor was addressing a small crowd at a neighborhood bar near North Avenue about her 2024 mayoral platform. Emily Sullivan/The Baltimore Banner.
PG STATE’S ATTY HOSTS FANI WILLIS: Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) hosted a discussion and press conference Nov. 15 with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Willis is widely known for prosecuting former President Donald Trump and rapper Young Thug. Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation declared funding to support maternal healthcare, introduced legislation to extend Social Security benefits, and announced $42 million in federal spending. Richard Elliott/The Washington Informer.
