MOORE’s CHANGES TO ED BLUEPRINT DRAW LARGE, VOCAL OPPOSITION: Gov. Wes Moore’s proposal to cut parts of Maryland’s ambitious education plan was rebuked by the state’s school superintendents, teachers and education advocates, putting the passage of a key piece of his legislative agenda in jeopardy. The strong opposition leaves little chance that Moore’s legislation — which would reduce net spending by $1.6 billion over four years — will remain unchanged before it gets a legislative vote. Liz Bowie and Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- Scores of teachers, students and advocates turned out for the hearing and dozens testified against the bills, which would defer some elements of the multibillion-dollar, 10-year Blueprint plan in the face of a $3 billion budget shortfall next year — which is expected to grow worse as a result of budget cuts expected from the Trump White House. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
ANALYSTS URGE LAWMAKERS TO WITHHOLD $850,000 FROM HUMAN SERVICES: Maryland’s independent budget and policy analysts have recommended lawmakers withhold $850,000 from the state Department of Human Services until the agency responsible for child welfare can fix a slew of problems with its data. Jessica Calefati/The Baltimore Banner.
DEMS PUSH EXPANDED POWERS FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG BOARD: House Democrats beat back a series of Republican amendments on party-line votes Wednesday, setting up a final vote on a proposal to expand the authority of a state board created to lower prescription drug prices in Maryland. Del. Bonnie Cullison defended House Bill 424, which would expand the authority of the Prescription Drug Affordability Board from drugs purchased by state health plans to drugs purchased by any drug provider in the state. She rejected GOP arguments that the board would set a limit on prices. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
BILL WOULD BAN SANCTUARY CITIES & TOWNS: In response to the 2023 death of Rachel Morin, a Harford County mother of five, Del. Nino Mangione, a Republican from Baltimore County, is sponsoring legislation to prohibit Maryland towns and counties from adopting sanctuary policies for immigrants. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
SOCIAL SECURITY IN WOODLAWN SHAKING UNDER DOGE MOVES: Federal employees are losing their jobs and being whipsawed by the back-and-forth of Trump moves and court orders that pause or stop them. At Social Security in Woodlawn, Acting Commissioner Michelle King resigned over the weekend after refusing to give DOGE employees access to beneficiary information. She had worked there for 30 years. Bria Overs/The Baltimore Banner.
CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AT FIVE PRISONS TO GET BODY CAMS: Correctional officers at five Maryland prisons will be issued body cameras over the next several weeks as part of a state pilot program to reduce excessive force complaints and assaults on staff and inmates. Glynis Kazanjian/The Baltimore Sun.
BILLS WOULD ALTER HOW JUDGES ARE CHOSEN: Maryland lawmakers are weighing two bills this year that would shake up how the state chooses circuit court judges. The proposals are at odds with one another. One bill aims to simply improve the existing contested election process for circuit court judges by opening primaries to all Maryland voters. The other would eliminate contested circuit court elections altogether – a shift that would require a constitutional amendment. Paul Kiefer of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
‘GOOD CAUSE’ EVICTION PROTECTIONS GET HEARINGS: On Tuesday, the House Environment and Transportation Committee and the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee held separate hearings on a bill that would allow local jurisdictions to pass “good cause” eviction protections, laws which prevent landlords from deciding not to renew a lease unless they have a specific, approved reason. Rachel Baye/WYPR-FM.
AG SEEKS SHIP’s COMMUNICATION AS IT BUILDS DALI CASE: The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is beginning to build its case against Grace Ocean Private, the company that owns the Dali, which hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge last March, by looking into a Danish marine tech company. The AG is asking ZeroNorth for its communications information with Grace Ocean as part of the discovery phase of the case. ZeroNorth owns the software SMARTShip, which is used to remotely monitor vessels. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
TRUMP TAPS MOORE FOR BI-PARTISAN COUNCIL: President Donald Trump appointed Gov. Wes Moore to a bipartisan cohort of governors guiding state and federal cooperation. The president is responsible for appointing governors to the Council of Governors — five from each party — to two-year terms, according to the National Governors Association website. The delegation advises on state and federal partnerships for the country’s disaster response efforts, support for military families, cybersecurity and federal budgetary decisions. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- Moore will join fellow Democratic leaders Gov. Kathy Hochul, of New York; Gov. Josh Stein, of North Carolina, co-chair of the council; Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania; and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, of Michigan. The Republican representatives on the council include Gov. Glenn Youngkin, of Virginia, co-chair; Gov. Ron DeSantis, of Florida; Gov. Jeff Landry, of Louisiana; Gov. Brian Kemp, of Georgia; and Gov. Henry McMaster, of South Carolina. Michelle Deal-Zimmerman and Candy Woodall/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE, RAVENS WOULD SHARE COST OF NEW STADIUM UPGRADES: The Ravens’ home will get another round of upgrades before the 2025 season, but the three-year project will cost more than originally anticipated — which the club and the state would share the cost of, under a memorandum introduced Wednesday. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.
MAN DIES IN CUSTODY; HOWARD SETTLES WITH FAMILY FOR $1.5 MILLION: Last year, Howard County settled with a family for $1.25 million in a case advocates say reflects a broader societal issue — that there isn’t a better system in place to help people during a mental health crisis. The man’s death, the second in a 30-day span at the detention center, was preventable, said the attorneys for his family. Abby Zimmardi/The Baltimore Banner.
MARYLAND CONGRESSPEOPLE BLAST DOGE: Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation decried the “witch hunt” against federal workers by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, and vowed to keep fighting for civil servants. The comments came during an hourlong public meeting in Silver Spring. Jack Bowman/Maryland Matters.
