WILL STATE BUDGET CUTS HARM ATTEMPTS TO REINVIGORATE STATE WORKFORCE? While Gov. Wes Moore has a self-mandated commitment to reinvigorate the state government workforce, it’s unclear whether the $2 billion he has proposed in budget cuts will impact the effort. This week, Maryland lawmakers will begin contending with the state’s nearly $3 billion budget deficit, and state workers are wondering what the fiscal crisis means for them — especially as they say current staffing levels are subpar. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
- Gov. Wes Moore rolling out his budget is the headline for the second week of the General Assembly session. Moore has been doling out pieces of his plan ahead of Wednesday’s deadline. He’s promised $2 billion in cuts to help the state close a $3 billion shortfall and the big question is whose ox will be gored by those cuts? And some people’s taxes will rise. Staff/The Baltimore Banner.
COLUMN: MOST MARYLANDERS TO SEE A TAX CUT: On Wednesday, I will release my proposal to balance the state budget. For the third year in a row, we will not raise the sales tax or the property tax. Through reforms in the tax code, nearly two-thirds of Marylanders will get a tax cut, and we will lower the corporate tax rate and focus on making Maryland more competitive and business-friendly. Additionally, our plan cuts spending by $2 billion. These bold actions are needed to prompt the kind of economic growth this moment requires and demands. Gov. Wes Moore/The Baltimore Sun.
BILLS WOULD MODERNIZE STATE MILITARY LAWS: A bipartisan eight-bill package is aiming to modernize Maryland’s military laws and create consistent and equal benefits among the uniformed services and reserve units. The package, submitted by Republican Sen. Bryan Simonaire and supported by five House delegates, would restructure Maryland’s military laws to provide more than 100 benefits that were being denied to current and former service members due to existing outdated terminology. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
SUPREME COURT REJECTS PETITION TO REVIEW MARYLAND HANDGUN LAW: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge to a 2013 Maryland law that requires a state license for anyone seeking to buy a handgun, in effect letting an earlier Circuit Court of Appeals ruling stand upholding the law. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
- The denial was a triumph for state officials who’ve touted the importance of the law, which requires Maryland residents interested in owning a gun to provide fingerprints, complete a four-hour firearm safety training course, complete a background check and submit an application, among other requirements. Such restrictions came into play in 2013, after a shooter killed 20 children and six adults in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Connecticut. Darreonna Davis/The Baltimore Banner.
RESOLUTION WOULD EXONERATE THOSE ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT: Del. Heather Bagnall, the Anne Arundel County Democrat who introduced the resolution to exonerate people who were accused of being witches in Maryland. “We can’t make them whole, but Maryland did repeal that law, and we never exonerated the people that were harmed by it.” The resolution includes a formal apology to those who suffered because they were labeled witches — an accusation that was often based in personal resentment, religious intolerance or misogyny. Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Banner.
BA CO DEMS SCRAMBLE TO REPLACE KLAUSMEIER IN SENATE: It’s been 22 years since anyone besides Kathy Klausmeier has held Maryland’s 8th District State Senate seat. The race is on to replace Klausmeier following her resignation last week after she was selected by the Baltimore County Council to be county executive. The County’s Democratic Central Committee is taking applications for the seat through Jan. 22. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
- Dels. Harry Bhandari (D) and Carl Jackson (D) of Baltimore County’s legislative District 8 plan to compete for the state Senate seat left vacant by Klausmeier’s appointment last week as Baltimore County executive. In Baltimore City’s District 41, the deadline to apply to replace former Sen. Jill P. Carter (D) is Wednesday afternoon. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
FAMILIES ASK FOR MORE PROTECTIONS FOR STATE WORKERS: The family and loved ones of slain Parole Agent Davis Martinez called on Maryland lawmakers Monday to boost protections for state employees against violence on the job, saying Martinez should not have died in vain. “Law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, teachers, state highway workers, social workers, parole agents and more. These are public service jobs that expose our loved ones to unknown threats every day,” said Gypsy Barrientos, Martinez’s girlfriend. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
MARTIN LUTHER KING AWARDS SET FOR WEDNESDAY: Maryland civil and human rights leaders will be honored Wednesday at the 37th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards at the Casino Live Hotel Ballroom in Hanover. Elected officials expected to attend are Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, all Democrats. Megan Loock/The Baltimore Sun.
BA CO SCHOOLS BUDGET PLAN CALLED ‘NO FRILLS’ AS COSTS RISE: Baltimore County Superintendent Myriam Rogers is proposing a $125 million increase for next year’s budget to keep high-quality staff in schools and strengthen special education. In a presentation to principals and elected officials Monday, Rogers called her proposal a “no-frills budget” in light of state fiscal concerns and rising utility costs. Bri Hatch/WYPR-FM.
MO CO SET TO BAN PLASTIC BAGS AT STORES: Montgomery County is preparing to vote on a proposed change to its grocery-bag policy that would ban the use of plastic bags at most stores and double the tax on paper bags to 10 cents. Dana Munro/The Washington Post.
A PROMISING NEWSPAPER WAR IN BALTIMORE FIZZLES: What appeared to be a burgeoning “newspaper war” between the fledgling nonprofit The Baltimore Banner and the well-established Baltimore Sun — offering Baltimoreans a new era of in-depth, daily coverage — now faces an uncertain future. New ownership at the Sun has driven staff and some readers away. Since its former managing editor retired in June, at least 18 journalists have quit. Angela Fu/Poynter.
