CLOSED MEETING CHOSE KLAUSMEIER FOR BaCo EXEC: The Baltimore County Council held an unpublicized, closed meeting last Friday to discuss who should be the next county executive. With that meeting, the council appears to run afoul of Maryland’s Open Meetings Act. On Tuesday, the Council announced it had picked Sen. Kathy Klausmeier as the next county executive hours before it was scheduled to take the official vote. Councilman Izzy Patoka told WYPR that three days before Tuesday’s vote, the council held a closed session. “Where we deliberated and we were looking for a candidate that could secure all seven council members and we landed on Senator Klausmeier,” Patoka said. John Lee/WYPR
SENATE CAPS NUMBER OF BILLS INTRODUCED: Maryland senators are being asked to prioritize legislation they sponsor after passing a new rule Thursday that puts a cap of as few as 20 bills per senator. The Senate voted unanimously for the rule — perhaps more of a guideline this session — that lets senators introduce up to 20 bills, and allows them five more if those five are prefiled bills. Senate Majority Leader Nancy King (D-Montgomery) said the goal is to ease the workload of committees that have been crushed by the number of bills introduced in recent years. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters
NEW LEGISLATIVE SERVICES BUILDING OPENS: Legislative officials cut the ribbon Thursday on a 144,000 square-foot building opposite the State House that will be the new (and much improved) home of the Department of Legislative ServiceS the agency that provides research, bill drafting and analysis to the General Assembly. The building arrived on time and under budget. Staff/Maryland Matters
BANK SUES EX-MAYOR RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Baltimore’s former mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, owes $2.1 million to Old National Bank.The Indiana-based bank filed the lawsuit in federal court in Baltimore Wednesday, first reported by Courthouse News Service. Rawlings-Blake, who became mayor in 2010 when Sheila Dixon resigned and served through 2016, is listed on loan documents as president of Gulf Coast Technology Corporation and manager of Buy MBE LLC, the two companies that purportedly received the loan proceeds. Rawlings-Blake has not responded to two demand letters, the bank says in its complaint, and late fees are piling up. Edward Ericson Jr./Baltimore Brew
HEALTH DEPARTMENT SUED OVER JAILING OF MENTALLY ILL: A disability rights group is suing Maryland’s health secretary and health department in federal court for leaving mentally ill people accused of crimes to languish in jail rather than admitting them to psychiatric hospitals as required by state law. Filed Thursday, the lawsuit by Disability Rights Maryland claims Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrara Scott and the Maryland Department of Health are violating the U.S. and Maryland constitutions and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Alex Mann/Baltimore Sun
PRISON INMATES CHARGED FOR PHONE CALLS: Three cents a minute may not sound like much, but it adds up to millions of dollars every year for those incarcerated in Maryland prisons, and Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery) doesn’t think that’s right. Waldstreicher is the sponsor of a bill that would force the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to pick up the cost of phone calls for people in state prisons, who are now charged for their calls. The $8 million price tag might hurt its chances in this deficit year.William Ford/Maryland Matters
MORE BUSES FOR LOCAL TRANSIT SYSTEMS: The Board of Public Works has approved $1.23 billion for projects across Maryland during the board’s first meeting of 2025. Funds will be allocated among 70 initiatives and projects in the state. The Maryland Stadium Authority had its request approved for $135 million in Taxable Revenue Bonds to pay for capital improvements to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The BPW also approved a $387 million award for the Maryland Transit Administration to purchase more than 300 heavy-duty buses for the Locally Operated Transit Systems. These buses would provide services for Marylanders across the state. Aliza Worthington/Baltimore Fishbowl
HOW STATE TAXES MIGHT AFFECT COUNTIES: With a big state deficit to cure, there’s lots of talk at the State House about raising taxes. The Maryland Association of Counties looks at how changes in state tax policy could directly or indirectly affect county revenues. Kevin Kinnally/Conduit Street (MACo blog)
MORE SECURITY FOR STEELERS-RAVENS PLAYOFF: More than 70,000 people are expected to pack M&T Bank Stadium Saturday for the Ravens’ playoff game against the Steelers. The Maryland Stadium Authority said there will be extra eyes on the crowd, searching for any potential threat, after the deadly ISIS-inspired attack in New Orleans last week. Mike Hellgren/WJZ
SENATE LEADERS PREVIEW SESSION: Fox 25 interviews Senate leaders in 24-minute video about the legislative session that began Wednesday. Mikenzie Frost/WBFF Fox 45
OVERHAUL OF STATE MILITARY LAW PROPOSED: A bipartisan group of Maryland state lawmakers introduced eight bills to overhaul military law. Critics describe the state’s current military law as a “rat’s nest of inconsistencies.” This includes incorrect terminology, definitions and limitations based on rank. It’s a 21st-century military that’s battling a 20th-century structure of benefits and services as part of state law that’s hopelessly outdated, according to the primary bill’s sponsor, Anne Arundel County Sen. Bryan Simonaire. David Collins/WBAL TV
MoCo360 RENAMED BETHESDA TODAY: “The daily news service was originally called Bethesda Beat before being changed to MoCo360 in 2023. When Today Media bought the company in February 2024, CEO Rob Martinelli suggested that we rethink the branding. After speaking with readers and advertisers, and having many internal discussions, we decided on a new name: Bethesda Today.” It will continue to cover all of Montgomery County. Jennifer Farkas/Bethesda Today
NEW SPOKESMAN FOR MAYOR SCOTT: Mayor Brandon Scott has hired a new head of communications, a Washington-based publicist who served as a senior advisor to the 2024 Harris-Walz presidential campaign. Kamau M. Marshall started Monday at the $185,000-a-year post, replacing Bryan Doherty, Scott’s former spokesman, who will stay on as deputy chief of staff. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew
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