MOORE TAX HIKE COULD BE AMONG HIGHEST IN REGION: Gov. Wes Moore’s budget proposal could elevate the personal income tax rate for Maryland’s highest earners to one of the highest in the region, a recent policy study finds. An analysis by the Tax Foundation, conducted after Moore released his 2026 budget proposal last week, showed that the revised income tax rates could elevate the combined tax rate for the wealthiest Marylanders to 10.7%. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
UM SYSTEM SCHOOLS COULD FACE DEFICIT CRISIS: Frostburg State University’s $7.7 million deficit was announced in August and, by December, the school had eliminated some teaching positions among cost-cutting measures. It has also closed buildings deemed underutilized, cut athletics funding and merged administrative departments. Soon, other colleges in the University System of Maryland could be in a similar predicament, thanks in part to the state’s $3 billion deficit. Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
TRUMP GRANT-FREEZE COULD HARM RESEARCH IN MARYLAND: When President Donald Trump signed an executive order Jan. 21 that essentially freezes the grantmaking process in the short term, and curbs other scientific communications and publications, it sent shivers down the collective spine of the research and biotech communities, many of the within Maryland. Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
EDUCATORS PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL ICE RAIDS AT SCHOOLS: Maryland education leaders are preparing for potential immigration raids in previously protected spaces, including schools, under the new Trump administration. The Maryland State Department of Education sent guidance to local school districts Thursday clarifying that student data is largely confidential under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and state code. Bri Hatch/WYPR-FM.
ADVOCATES FOR DISABLED WARN OF STATE PROGRAM CUTS: Advocates for disabled people in Maryland are concerned about proposed cuts to their state programs, warning that the reductions could hit quality of care for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. During a hearing this week, advocates described the far-reaching consequences these cuts could have on the state’s Developmental Disabilities Administration. Emma Tufo of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
4th CASE OF BIRD FLU FOUND AT MD CHICKEN FARM: A fourth case of bird flu was confirmed last week on a Maryland chicken farm, but state health and agriculture officials told lawmakers Friday that the situation, while concerning, is still manageable — at the moment. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
MOORE NOMINATES FORMER FEDERAL OFFICIAL AS COMMERCE SECTY: Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced late Friday that he’ll nominate Harry Coker Jr., a former high-ranking federal official, intelligence officer and retired Navy commander, to be the state’s next secretary of Commerce. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
- Coker will be the new secretary of commerce starting Feb. 5. Coker, a Naval Academy graduate, worked most recently as the federal government’s national cyber director under former President Joe Biden. He previously held top positions with the CIA and the National Security Agency, and retired from the U.S. Navy after two decades of service with the rank of commander. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
TRUMP ORDER COULD UPEND MARYLAND’s EV PROGRAMS: With a Day 1 executive order involving electric vehicles, President Donald Trump is seeking to upend Maryland programs to grow EV sales and install car chargers. But experts say the path ahead is legally cloudy. In the Jan. 20 order, Trump directs billions in federal funding for charging infrastructure and $7,500 tax rebates for buyers to be rescinded, including in Maryland. Christine Condon/The Baltimore Sun.
COMMENTARY: HB 156 FOR FAIRNESS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS: The fight to protect the integrity of girls’ sports has never been more critical. Sports should be about fairness, opportunity and respect for the hard work that athletes dedicate to their craft. This is why I have once again introduced House Bill 156, Fairness in Girls’ Sports, which ensures only biological females compete in high school varsity and junior varsity girls’ sports. Del. Kathy Szeliga/The Baltimore Sun.
END OF REMOTE WORK MEANS LONG COMMUTES FOR MARYLANDERS: Federal agencies are supposed to submit plans to the Trump administration for how they will return federal workers to their offices full time by 5 p.m. on Friday and employees will likely have to return to the office within 30 days. That’s bringing up a lot of questions for federal employees who live outside of Washington – including in Maryland, particularly about how long their commute will be and if going into the office five days a week is worth the job. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
IS THAT A MARYLANDER ON POSSIBLE DEM CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT? What Maryland politician made the list of 12 possible Democrats who could/should run for president in 2028? Aaron Blake/The Washington Post.
INAUGURATION & MLK DAY COINCIDE WITH MIXED FEELINGS: Last Monday marked both Inauguration Day and MLK Day, conjuring a range of emotions in Maryland’s State House. For Republicans, it kicked off a week of exultation, and for Democrats, a call to vigilance. For Democratic leaders, there are “mixed feelings,” as they weigh the legacy of King against the values of Trump. Jack Bowman of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
SOME JAN. 6 PARDONS ARE PROUD BOYS MEMBERS FROM MARYLAND: Among the dozens of Marylanders who received pardons were members of the far-right group the Proud Boys, military veterans and a former member of the state board of elections. Charges and sentences were wide-ranging, from probation for offenses like civil disorder to years-long sentences in federal prison for assaulting police officers. Clara Longo de Freitas and Abby Zimmardi/The Baltimore Banner.
JUDGE DISMISSES ARUNDEL, ANNAPOLIS SUITS OVER CLIMATE CHANGE: Anne Arundel County and the city of Annapolis cannot sue oil companies for their role in driving the climate change that has had “devastating adverse impacts” on the jurisdictions and their residents, a judge ruled this week. Staff/Maryland Matters.
HARFORD RESIDENTS PROTEST COUNCIL BILL ON BLASTING OPERATIONS: Harford County residents are concerned for their health and homes because of a bill introduced to the County Council that aims to expand mining operations by allowing blasting operations to take place 1,000 feet closer to residential properties. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
EX-GUN TRACE COP WITH TERMINAL CANCER GETS EARLY RELEASE: A former Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force member, jailed for using his authority as a police officer to steal thousands of dollars from city residents, was granted an early release from prison because of his “terminal medical condition,” according to documents filed Friday in the U.S. District Court of Maryland. Todd Karpovich/The Baltimore Sun.
DAN RODRICKS LANDS AT BALTIMORE FISHBOWL: Columnist Dan Rodricks, who recently announced his departure from The Baltimore Sun after years as one of the most respected and revered storytellers working in what he would call the Greater Patapsco Drainage Basin, will be bringing his column to Baltimore Fishbowl. David Nitkin/Baltimore Fishbowl.
