DOUBLE WHAMMY TO BAY RECOVERY: FEDERAL CUTS AND STATE DEFICIT: Extensive cuts planned by the Trump administration to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget and staff will drastically threaten the health and recovery of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, according to leaders of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other environmental groups tasked with the bay’s restoration. Joe Heim/The Washington Post.
- Lawmakers in Annapolis are struggling to figure out how to fill a staggering $3 billion budget gap, and legislative analysts have recommended they drain funds reserved for preserving land, restoring wildlife habitat and reducing stormwater pollution. Advocates warn that could further cripple water quality, climate mitigation and environmental justice efforts in the state. Tim Wheeler/The Bay Journal.
BILL MOVES FORWARD TO REQUIRE SPECIAL ELECTIONS TO FILL SOME LEGISLATIVE VACANCIES: A Maryland General Assembly bill that could require special elections to fill legislative vacancies in certain circumstances has made it over the hump of crossover day, increasing the chances it will become law. Ginny Bixby/Bethesda Today.
WHERE DO FEDERAL WORKERS IN MARYLAND LIVE? Prince George’s, Montgomery and Charles counties were home to about 160,000 federal workers in 2023, the most recent year for which U.S. Census data is available. In those three counties, about 1 in every 8 workers was a federal employee. The Banner tracks where these federal workers, some who have already been laid off by the Trump administration and DOGE, live. Greg Morton/The Baltimore Banner.
McCLAIN DELANEY, RASKIN HEAR FROM FREDERICK RESIDENTS OVER FED CUTS: Frederick residents crowded into an auditorium at Hood College to hear from – and be heard by – U.S. Reps. April McClain Delaney and Jamie Raskin about the dismantling of federal agencies with the layoffs of federal employees. McClain Delaney said these actions are hurting the country’s economy and national security. Ryan Marshall/The Frederick News Post.
3 SHERIFFS AGREE TO AID ICE AGENTS ON ENFORCEMENT: Three Maryland sheriffs recently signed agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to assist federal agents with their duties, according to ICE’s online list of participating law enforcement agencies. They join three other Maryland sheriffs who have had longstanding agreements with ICE. State House and Senate lawmakers are working on legislation to address issues surrounding their cooperation. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
MD FREEDOM CAUCUS RALLIES AGAINST TAX INCREASES: Members of the Maryland Freedom Caucus and top Republican lawmakers are maintaining their firm opposition to any new taxes or increases as the General Assembly comes into its final stretch of budget negotiations. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
6,000 MARYLAND TEACHERS LACK PROPER LICENSING: Maryland has a teacher problem, and it’s not just the shortage of educators in schools. Over 6,000 teachers already inside a classroom do not have a full teaching license. Getting licensed teachers in the door has been a struggle for the state. Students aren’t flocking to education programs in college, and teachers have been leaving their jobs at higher rates since the pandemic. Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
OP-ED: MARYLAND LAWMAKERS PULL A FAST ONE ON PARENTS: Across Maryland, debate has simmered for years over the role of public schools in teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation. One case in which parents sued Montgomery County to allow them to opt-out is now headed to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, parents and school leaders statewide have wrestled with implementing the Maryland Department of Education’s 2020 Comprehensive Health Education Framework, including gender identity and sexual orientation. Prudent leadership would honor local control over curricula and respect families’ rights to guide their children’s exposure to complex topics. Instead, Annapolis has pulled a fast one. Justin Kuk/The Baltimore Sun.
ARUNDEL BILL TO SPEED DEVELOPMENT FACES CRITICISM: An Anne Arundel County Council bill aiming to speed commercial and housing redevelopment is facing criticism from the county’s NAACP chapter and others over concerns the plan will exempt certain affluent, predominantly white communities. Bill 2-25, introduced Jan. 14 on behalf of County Executive Steuart Pittman, is a reboot of a previous bill that failed last year after members disagreed over land use policy. James Matheson/The Capital Gazette.
MARYLAND’s BUMPY ROADS COSTLY TO DRIVERS: If you drive in Baltimore, you don’t need a report to tell you the roads are in rough shape. But a new report from TRIP sheds light on just how much those bumpy roads are costing you. According to the report, nearly a third of Maryland’s major roads are in poor condition, with Baltimore’s faring worse. The increased vehicle maintenance and fuel consumption, lead motorists in Charm City to lose $2,807 a year. Wambui Kamau/WYPR-FM.
