COMMERCIAL CANNABIS BOOM FAILS TO STOP ILLEGAL MARKET: It’s been more than a year since Maryland flipped a switch, turning the state’s string of medical cannabis stores into retailers open to anyone 21 and older. One goal was to make room for new businesses by attempting to suppress illegal sales. But that commercial boom didn’t make Maryland’s illegal cannabis market disappear. It created a government-regulated competitor. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
AID IN DYING ADVOCATES WERE CLOSE TO PASSING A BILL. WHAT HAPPENED? It seemed like the stars were aligning for Maryland medical aid in dying advocates. Many felt like the legislature had enough votes in the 2024 session to finally legalize the practice after years of failed attempts and near misses. And yet, months later, because of one vote, the End-of-Life Options Act didn’t make it to the Senate floor. What happened? Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
BGE FIGHTING CONSTELLATION ENERGY’s DATA CENTER PLANS: Constellation Energy, the Baltimore-based owner of the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant in Southern Maryland, says it’s in talks with large technology companies that want to build data centers next to the facility and bypass the electric transmission grid. Advocates for building data centers in the state believe they will be a boon for the state economy, but Constellation’s plans put it at odds with its former corporate sibling Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., whose parent Exelon Corp. spun off the energy producing company in 2022. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.
MARYLAND’s DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL HOPEFULS SUPPORT CAPS ON HEALTH-CARE COSTS: Each Democratic nominee vying for a congressional seat in Maryland has pledged their support to upholding the measures that would benefit millions of patients struggling with the cost of lifesaving care by capping out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions at $2,000 each year. The sweeping Inflation Reduction Act passed without support from any Republicans in 2022. Advocates are concerned about the future of health care cost-saving measures in the IRA should Republicans take control of Congress or the White House. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
MOORE TAKES TO STAGE TO TALK BUSINESS, EDUCATION: Friends, admirers and staffers will sometimes say, half-jokingly, that Gov. Wes Moore is most comfortable on a stage, earnestly discussing the top issues of the day. Moore had two opportunities to do just that in downtown Baltimore Monday, talking first about small business development and later about expanding educational opportunities for Maryland’s poorest residents. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
SIX MARYLANDERS HOSPITALIZED IN DELI-MEAT LINKED LISTERIA OUTBREAK: Six of the 33 people who have been hospitalized for a listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head meats were Maryland residents, second only to the 12 hospitalized in New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The July 26 CDC report said two people have died – in Illinois and New Jersey – in the outbreak, which appears to be tied to certain products from the deli meat brand. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
HOWARD COUNCIL OKs IG BALLOT QUESTION: The Howard County Council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution to put the question of whether to establish an inspector general’s office on the November ballot. The council could have established an inspector general on its own, but members of the public expressed concern about whether the office would be truly independent if the IG were selected by an advisory board appointed by the county executive. Abby Zimmardi/The Baltimore Banner.
B’MORE PARKS ADVOCATES FAIL TO MEET BALLOT DEADLINE: Despite last minute efforts, a group seeking to block development in Baltimore City’s parks, including a $1 billion overhaul of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, has failed to meet a key filing deadline to get their question before voters in November. Emily Hofstaedter/WYPR-FM.
- Led by attorney and four-time candidate for citywide office Thiru Vignarajah, the petition drive got a late start in June and fell short of the 10,000 signatures it needed to qualify for the November ballot, according to Abigail Goldman, deputy director for the Baltimore City Board of Elections. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.
MO CO IG FINDS SCHOOLS WASTES MILLIONS OVER ELECTRIC BUS CONTRACT: Montgomery County Public Schools’ management of an electric bus contract led to “millions of dollars in wasteful spending,” according to an investigation by the county’s Office of the Inspector General. In a report released Monday, the office found that after the school district entered a contract with a Massachusetts company to obtain 326 electric buses, the company failed to meet the terms of the deal and MCPS failed to force the contractor to comply or to end the agreement. Ashlyn Campbell/MoCo 360.
MAIL-IN, EARLY VOTING STARTS IN PG COUNCIL SPECIAL ELECTION: Mail-in voting for the special election to fill an at-large Prince George’s County Council seat has begun. Early voting centers open Wednesday and the primary election is next Tuesday, Aug. 6. Nine voting centers will be available for people to cast their ballot. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
BA CO PEOPLE’S COUNSEL PETER MAX ZIMMERMAN, 77, DIES: Peter Max Zimmerman, people’s counsel for Baltimore County who specialized in zoning issues, died of pancreatic cancer July 15 at a friend’s home in Midland, Mich. The Towson resident was 77. Jacques Kelly/The Baltimore Sun.
