LAWMAKERS HOPE TO BRING IN $1.3B IN NEW OR HIGHER TAXES: In their attempt to manage Maryland’s $3.3 billion-and-growing budget deficit, General Assembly lawmakers are seeking to rake in over $1.3 billion from new or increased taxes. Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
- The Maryland House of Delegates could give its final approval Wednesday to a fiscal 2026 spending plan that includes more than $1 billion in new taxes. House Democrats and Republicans engaged in a sometimes testy, nearly seven-hour debate of a two-bill package, with each pointing fingers at the other over values and the state’s vulnerable populations. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
DELEGATE MOVES IT BUSINESS OUT OF MARYLAND, BLAMES TAX PLAN: Del. Brian M. Crosby (D-St Mary’s) is the owner of a small business that is a subcontractor on Defense IT contracts. Until last week, that business was based in Maryland. Crosby was already in the process of moving his business to Virginia last week when the governor and legislative leaders announced a budget deal that includes a 3% tax on IT, among other services, a tax that critics say poses an existential threat to businesses such as Crosby’s that contract with federal agencies. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
ENERGY BILL GRAB BAG: CONSUMER REFUND ADDED TO THE MIX: Senators on Tuesday rolled a laundry list of energy bills together into one package aimed at reshaping Maryland’s energy picture well into the future, and lowering costs in the process. And they added one amendment designed to provide consumers more immediate relief. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
SIMONAIRE WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION: A five-time elected Republican state senator is calling it a career at the end of his current term. Sen. Bryan W. Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel) announced in an email Tuesday morning that he would not run for reelection in 2026. “It’s time for the next chapter in my life and I cherish the opportunity to spend more time with my growing family,” Simonaire said in a statement. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
- Del. Nic Kipke, one of three Republican delegates who represents District 31, filed for the District 31 Senate seat Monday. Kipke, 46, was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2006. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE ONE YEAR LATER: LOSSES AND REBUILDING: When the 100,000-ton Dali container ship collided with a bridge support, it plunged the Key Bridge into the Patapsco River, killing six construction workers. The maritime disaster cut off a regional transportation artery and abruptly halted vessel traffic in and out of Baltimore’s port. The collapse put hundreds out of work, including most of the 2,500 longshoremen who are part of a bigger daily workforce of 8,000 terminal, rail and tugboat operators, pilots and truckers. Losses would ripple through the region for months as those who worked the docks and relied on port commerce struggled to adjust. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.
- But for the sound of lapping waves and the hum of a diesel engine, the boat fell silent. The last remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, puncturing the bright blue sky, loomed just ahead, and the weight of the moment swept across those on board. A wail escaped a woman whose loved one was killed when the hulking span collapsed into the Patapsco River 364 days earlier. Gov. Wes Moore wrapped her in a tight embrace, resting his chin atop her petite frame. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott quietly circulated a box of tissues. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Banner.
- Gov. Moore shared part of a conversation he had with a child of one of the victims “who was just saying still to this day, she still cannot get a good night’s sleep. These families are still going through it. And the pain is still very real.” Elizabeth Worthington/WMAR-TV News.
- As you read these words, the new Francis Scott Key Bridge is being built. Not out on the Patapsco River, where vestiges of the old structure linger as a quiet reminder of its demise one year ago, but in conference rooms and with computer models, by task forces assigned to niche parts of its construction. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.
HARRIS DEFENDS HEGSETH AND MUSK: Rep. Andy Harris, in a fiery telephone town hall attracting about 10,000 participants, sharply defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and billionaire Elon Musk after one caller questioned Hegseth’s commitment to national security and another called Musk’s government cost-cutters “idiots.” Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
- “If people were satisfied with the federal government they wouldn’t have elected Donald Trump who promised to come in and increase the efficiency of the federal government,” the congressman said. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
SHELLENBERGER FACES STRONG CHALLENGER: The incumbent Baltimore County State’s Attorney joined the office as a prosecutor after passing the bar in 1985. The woman who would unseat him was born that year. Sarah David, 39, a well-connected attorney who launches her campaign on Wednesday, is posing a strong challenge to Scott Shellenberger, 66, who is seeking a sixth term. Jean Marbella/The Baltimore Sun.
NAVAL ACADEMY WON’T BE FORCED TO DITCH ‘GENDER IDEOLOGY’ MATERIALS: The U.S. Naval Academy will not be forced to remove instructional materials and library books featuring “gender ideology” as it is not affected by orders to do so at schools overseen by the Department of Defense, the academy said in a statement. James Matheson/The Baltimore Sun.
