MORE PRESSURE ON FERGUSON OVER REDISTRICTING: Gov. Wes Moore and those who support redrawing Maryland’s congressional districts are ratcheting up the pressure on holdout Senate President Bill Ferguson — though Ferguson’s opposition shows no sign of softening. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- House leaders are fast-tracking legislation to redraw the state’s eight congressional districts, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans who stand to lose the only seat the party holds in Maryland in the process. On Friday, the House introduced HB 488, a 40-page bill redrawing the state’s congressional districts for 2026 and then asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would keep the new districts for the 2028 and 2030 elections. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
BUT HOW IS MOORE & FERGUSON’s RELATIONSHIP REALLY? Ask Gov. Wes Moore or Senate President Bill Ferguson how their relationship is these days, and they’re going to tell you it’s agreeable. “My relationship with Bill Ferguson is fine, and we are going to continue working together,” Moore says. “I think in any family where you believe in the same ideals, there’s things that you’re going to disagree about,” says Ferguson. Pamela Wood and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
COMMENTARY: NO SLAM DUNKS IN REDISTRICTING: As the General Assembly goes through the paces of railroading Gov. Wes Moore’s proposed new congressional districts, we’re left with one practical question: what will happen if these districts are adopted? While Moore and his handlers are convinced that the districts will create an 8-0 Democrat sweep, I’m not entirely sure. Brian Griffiths/The Duckpin.
7 INCHES OF SNOW, SLEET DISRUPT MARYLAND ROUTINES: Sunday’s winter storm hit Maryland with more than 7 inches of snow and sleet, forcing widespread closures and travel disruptions that extended into Monday, along with limited power outages. Gov. Wes Moore closed all state offices Monday, as cleanup on main and secondary roads continued. Local governments from Baltimore City to those on the Eastern Shore declared a state of emergency, urging residents to stay home. Chevall Pryce and Josh Davis/The Baltimore Sun.
- This weekend’s snowfall may not top the record 2016 blizzard that dropped 29 inches and closed schools for seven days in some areas, but it could force Maryland school districts to hold classes in mid-June. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
- Here’s some nice winter storm photographs of Westminster. Thomas Walker/The Carroll County Times.
MOORE CHANGES PSC DIRECTION WITH BARVE AS IT CHAIR: The recent leadership shake-up at Maryland’s Public Service Commission came as Gov. Wes Moore was seeking a fresh direction for the board, which regulates gas and electric utilities in the state. The governor announced earlier this month that he had selected Kumar Barve, a longtime state delegate who has served on the commission since 2023, after a resignation from Chair Fred Hoover, a former director of the Maryland Energy Administration and assistant people’s counsel. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
ON THE BUDGET PLAN: MOVING FUNDS OUT OF CLEAN ENERGY: Gov. Wes Moore’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget would transfer $292 million from Maryland’s primary clean energy fund as part of nearly $1.8 billion in program cuts and fund shifts aimed at closing the state’s budget deficit. The move has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups and mixed reactions from lawmakers as the Maryland General Assembly begins reviewing the plan. Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
MORE ENROLL IN DOWNGRADED HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE: The number of people enrolling in health care plans through the state’s insurance marketplace may be at a record high, but the quality of coverage is down for thousands of Marylanders, officials told lawmakers this week. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
LAWMAKERS HOPE TO STREAMLINE COURT PROCESS IN SQUATTER CASES: Maryland lawmakers are renewing a push to streamline the court process for dealing with squatters, including a bill that seeks to accelerate the timeline for removing unauthorized residential tenants. Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
MOORE REMAINS MUM ON PROBE INTO SNAP ALLEGATIONS: Gov. Wes Moore’s office is not answering questions about an investigation he said took place into whistleblower allegations involving Maryland’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. A number of former employees at the state’s DHS said senior officials discussed a “scheme” to maintain a high food stamp payment error rate to delay hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal penalties. Moore pushed back, saying the allegations weren’t true and that there was an investigation that would be made public. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE ERROR, MISUNDERSTANDING LEAD TO VETERAN’s HOME IN FORECLOSURE: A state mistake meant that the Baltimore home of a military veteran wasn’t categorized as his primary residence, and he and his wife believed that because they were moving into housing for veterans, the exemption from property taxes he earned as a disabled veteran would automatically cover the new home. It didn’t, and they would ultimately apply for it in late 2023. As a result, the couple unknowingly accrued unpaid property taxes, and their home was included in the 2023 tax sale. Soon, the buyer of their debt foreclosed on the house and moved to evict them. Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
ROSENBERG’s LOVE OF THE O’s & HIS EARL WEAVER MOMENT: For almost every one of his 43 years in the House of Delegates, Sandy Rosenberg — a Democrat who is the General Assembly’s longest-serving member — has also attended a Baltimore Orioles game with former U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin and former Del. Jim Campbell. The three lawmakers shared a Baltimore legislative district in 1983. Cardin was then-state House speaker, and they’ve been bullish ever since about keeping up the ritual. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
HOWARD POLICE CONFIRM COLUMBIA MAN DETAINED BY ICE: Howard County Police said ICE agents detained a man in Columbia on Saturday morning after removing him from the vehicle he was driving. Officers responded to a report that a man had been removed from a vehicle and detained on Route 175, police said in a statement. After speaking with witnesses, Howard County officers confirmed the incident involved ICE agents. Sara Ruberg/The Baltimore Banner.
WICOMICO EXEC, SHERIFF COMMIT TO COOPERATING WITH ICE: Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano and Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis held a joint press conference on Friday, Jan. 23, and shared their opposition to SB 0245 — Public Safety: Immigration Enforcement Agreements — Prohibition. Olivia Minzola/The Salisbury Daily Times.
CARROLL VOTERS TO CHOOSE FROM ARRAY OF ‘I VOTED’ STICKERS: Carroll County voters will get to pick more than candidates in upcoming elections. After casting their ballots, voters will be able to choose from among the four winning designs for the 2026 Carroll County Board of Elections “I Voted” sticker. Gabriella Fine/The Carroll County Times.
REMAINS FOUND IN FREDERICK CALLED ‘HISTORIC IN NATURE:’ Little is known about the two sets of skeletal remains uncovered during an excavation in downtown Frederick earlier this week — only that police are convinced they’re “historic in nature.” The bones were discovered Tuesday by archaeological crews excavating land near the Hessian Barracks, an 18th century building on the grounds of the Maryland School for the Deaf. The excavation was part of the beginning stages of historical restoration work. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
