FOX 45: MD. LEADERS EYE SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES: Lawmakers are busy ahead of the upcoming legislative session in Annapolis working on bills to keep your children safe in school. And much of the work is in response to a FOX45 News investigation that found a suspected murderer was allowed to enroll in two local schools, and the schools didn’t know. Chris Papst/The Baltimore Sun.
CLIMATE ADVOCACY GROUP AGAIN SPOTLIGHTS FOSSIL FUEL LOBBYISTS IN STATE HOUSE: The national climate advocacy group F Minus is at it again, with a new report spotlighting what it sees as the lack of oversight of fossil fuel lobbyists in the Maryland State House. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
BALTIMORE CATHOLICS PREPARE TO MERGE THIS WEEKEND: With a landmark moment in the history of the Catholic church in Baltimore about to take place, the members of five parishes set to be merged under the realignment plan known as Seek the City to Come were asked to think of a single word that best captures their emotions. Jonathan M. Pitts/The Baltimore Sun.
MD FARMERS ENDURE A ‘TOUGH YEAR’ AMID DROUGHT CONDITIONS: During a year when lengthy dry spells climbed into the record books, coupled in the summertime with stretches of extreme heat, Maryland farmers endured crop loss, impacts to livestock and equipment fires, and they’ve turned to federal aid programs to make up for the damage. And amid climate change, many are bracing for more years like 2024. Christine Condon/The Baltimore Sun.
SMALL BUSINESSES WANT YOUR BIZ DURING HOLIDAYS: Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season, and with Black Friday directly after, it’s the start of a final push for businesses to end the year on a high note. Small Business Saturday shines a light on the more than 33 million small businesses in the U.S. — with over 668,000 in Maryland alone. Bria Overs/The Baltimore Banner.
JUSTICE REFORM ADVOCATES OPTIMISTIC FOR SECOND LOOK ACT: Haneef-Perry, 41, who serves on various statewide organizations to help reform the state’s criminal justice system, is just one of the criminal justice reform advocates hoping for a better outcome next year for the bill informally called the Second Look Act, which stalled in the House in the last legislative session. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
MCPS ELECTRIC BUS SUIT CRITICIZES COUNTY INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT: In a Nov. 21 lawsuit filed against another bus company, the business that provides electric buses to Montgomery County Public Schools criticized a July report from the county Office of the Inspector General that said the district’s management of its contract with the business led to “millions of dollars in wasteful spending.” Ashlyn Campbell/MoCo360.
OFFICIALS SEEK TO STREAMLINE FUTURE ELECTIONS: Election officials in two Maryland jurisdictions are still counting ballots weeks after Election Day but state officials say they expect the canvass to wrap on Friday. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
HISPANIC TOWNS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE: Terminio-Lopez is one of three Latina mayors leading neighboring, largely Hispanic, Prince George’s County towns where at least one-third of the residents are foreign born. They live in a county, and a state, with generally immigrant-friendly laws. But the mayors still hear concerns about what will happen under a second term for President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised mass deportation of undocumented migrants. Rosanne Skirble/Maryland Matters.
NEXT CENSUS WILL GATHER MORE RACIAL, ETHNIC INFORMATION: The U.S. Census Bureau and a growing number of states are starting to gather more detailed information about Americans’ race and ethnicity, a change some advocates of the process say will let people choose identities that more closely reflect how they see themselves. Tim Henderson/Maryland Matters.
OPINION: RECKLESS SPENDING ON SCHOOLS WITH NO FUNDING PLAN: “As Maryland legislators prepare to convene in Annapolis for another legislative session, the push to massively increase education spending under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is both reckless and deeply concerning. With our state facing projected multibillion-dollar deficits and a recent “negative” credit rating outlook from Moody’s, it is astounding that lawmakers continue to advocate for an unfunded mandate of this magnitude without offering a clear, sustainable funding plan.” Aaron Poynton/Maryland Reporter
COMMENTARY: A TALE OF TWO COUNTIES, A TALE OF TWO CULTURES: Role models and good examples can be hard to find in state and local government. That is why it is worthwhile to highlight the constructive manner in which elected officials in Howard County worked with county residents to craft a charter amendment establishing a new, independent Office of Inspector General (OIG). Howard County voters overwhelmingly approved the amendment on Nov. 5. David Plymer/Maryland Matters.
HOW DID YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD VOTE FOR PRESIDENT? State officials say they don’t have a statewide map of Maryland precincts. The Banner compiled as many maps from counties as we could and approximated the others. Want to know how your precinct voted? Katrina Ventura, Greg Morton and Ryan Little/the Baltimore Banner.
KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE: STATE GRANTS OFFERED ALTERNATIVE TO KEEP BUSINESSES OUT OF DEBT: When Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March, Jeff Fraley asked a question on the minds of many Baltimore-area business owners: How can he keep the lights on and pay his staff? Sasha Allen and Emily Condon/The Baltimore Sun.
LAWMAKERS ENCOURAGED BY GOV. MOORE IN TRANSMISSION LINE FIGHT: Since Gov. Wes Moore voiced his “grave concerns” about the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, several state lawmakers, who opposed the project, said they are encouraged his influence could help stop it. Jessica Babb/FOX45 News.
LEGIONELLA BACTERIA STILL PRESENT AT STATE CENTER: Test results on water at the State Center office complex in Baltimore show the continuing presence of Legionella even after the system was flushed and sanitized, employees were told in an email this week from the Maryland Department of Health. Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew.
