State Roundup: Maryland ups reliance on isolating prisoners; feds sue to gain access to voter rolls; Bay agreement revised as Moore passes gavel to Shapiro

MARYLAND INCREASES RELIANCE ON ISOLATING PRISONERS AMID STAFF SHORTAGE: Thousands of Maryland prisoners have done stints in solitary confinement — a controversial management tool that corrections officials are using far more frequently in the face of a staffing crunch and rising violence. Criminal justice reform advocates say the long stretches of forced solitude are known to cause mental health issues and equate the conditions to torture. Ben Conarck/The Baltimore Banner.

FEDS SUE STATE TO GAIN ACCESS TO VOTER ROLLS: The U.S. Department of Justice wants Maryland’s voter rolls and is suing the state elections administrator for not offering them up. Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis has cited state and federal law in months of correspondence with Trump administration officials in his refusal to release the confidential records of millions of voters. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.

BAY AGREEMENT REVISED; PENNSYLVANIA TAKES A PROMINENT ROLE: The Chesapeake Executive Council approved a revised Watershed Agreement Tuesday, building upon 40 years of Chesapeake Bay — the largest estuary in the country — restoration efforts. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.

• When Maryland Gov. Wes Moore passed a wooden gavel to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday, it marked the start of a new, more prominent role for the Keystone State in the campaign to restore the Chesapeake Bay. For many in the room, this succession signified Pennsylvania’s increasing importance to the effort, as attention has shifted from Maryland’s big waters to stubborn pollution sources farther upstream. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.
• Chesapeake Bay area leaders have officially committed to a new deadline for improving the health of the nation’s largest estuary: 2040. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.

MARYLAND MAY FACE $300M IN NEW SNAP COSTS DUE TO HIGH ERROR RATE: Maryland could have to pay upwards of $300 million in 2027 to meet new federal costs to deliver food assistance to residents, with states that have high rates of administrative errors — like Maryland — having to kick in more. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

MOORE ADMIN TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO SPUR MEN TO BECOME TEACHERS: Gov. Wes Moore said Tuesday that his administration will provide $19 million in grants as part of his broader efforts to erase the state’s documented teacher shortage. Moore added that Maryland’s Young Men and Boys Initiative will partner with the American Institute of Research to “build more onramps to the teaching profession for young men.” This partnership will be “supported” by $6 million from AIR’s Opportunity Fund, Moore said. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.

MARYLAND SLIPS AS FILMING DESTINATION; CAN IT REGAIN ITS APPEAL? Some professionals think Maryland is unlikely to regain its prominence as a filming destination for large-budget movie releases anytime soon. Partly that’s because the industry is struggling to chart a new business model following the coronavirus pandemic, higher production costs and the 2023 actors’ and writers’ strikes. But mostly, said Catherine Batavick, the state’s one-woman film office, Maryland is selected for fewer film larges because its financial incentives haven’t kept pace with those offered by national and global competitors. Mary Carole McCauley/The Baltimore Sun.

PG TASK FORCE MAPS ROUTE FOR DATA CENTER GROWTH: A Prince George’s County task force laid out a road map for data center development in Maryland’s second-largest county after months of fierce public backlash over a proposed site that critics argue has been rushed. Lateshia Beachum/The Washington Post.

FREDERICK CO EXEC BEMOANS STATE, FEDERAL MOVE AS BUDGETING CONTINUES: Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater raised concerns over state and federal decisions at a budget meeting Monday night as the county prepares for fiscal 2027. Fitzwater outlined income and property tax that make up the primary sources of revenue for the county’s FY26 $1 billion budget. While she announced the county has no plans to increase the property tax, she said Frederick has felt disruptions in employment due to federal actions. Nathanael Miller/WYPR-FM.

BATES CUTS TIES WITH B’MORE ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAM, CITES ‘VEIL OF SECRECY:’ Amid an unprecedented reduction in homicides, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said he would “terminate” his coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, which oversees the city’s flagship anti-violence initiative. Bates outlined numerous complaints about the office and programs it funds, which he said operate behind a “veil of secrecy.” Emily Opilo and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.

AS IG MADIGAN DEPARTS, BA CO OFFICIALS HOPE FOR REFORM, TRANSPARENCY: As Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan prepares to depart from her post next month to take on a new role in Howard County, elected officials and residents are commending what she’s done and taking a closer look at what the job should look like in the future. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.

BUSY PG COUNCIL MEMBER ELECTED TO BE ITS CHAIR: Prince George’s County Council member Krystal Oriadha has been one of the council’s most active members, especially when it comes to introducing legislation, with Oriadha typically introducing more bills than anyone else. She admits she might be introducing fewer bills in 2026, now that she’s been elected chair of the county council. John Domen/WTOP-FM.

OPINION: A PROUD UNCLE ON A ‘LOCAL KID WHO MAKES GOOD:’ On Thanksgiving Day, Potomac native Chris Williams shot into space. Now he travels around Earth in low orbit about every 90 minutes, or 16 times a day. It is easy to see him. His spaceship is often one of the brightest objects in the sky other than the sun and the moon. His proud uncle tells the story. Juan Williams/The Washington Post.