MORE SENATORS ARE SPEAKING UP ABOUT OFF-YEAR REDISTRICTING: All eyes are on the Maryland Senate as President Bill Ferguson says a proposed Democratic-leaning congressional map will not make it to the Senate floor for a vote. Being at odds with Maryland’s chief executive and his Democratic colleagues in the opposite chamber has thrust Ferguson into the spotlight, but other senators are making their voices heard on redistricting. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
MARYLAND REDIRECTED FUNDS FOR ABORTIONS BUT THE FEDS BLOCKED IT: Last year, Del. Lesley Lopez sponsored a state bill that became law that she described as “a groundbreaking, first-in-the-nation program to secure access” to abortion by redirecting millions in unused funds. But, before a dollar could be distributed, federal health officials called use of the money impermissible and squashed the program last month, setting off a scramble to save the funding. Meredith Cohn and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
B’MORE CONSIDERS TWO BILLS TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM ICE: The Baltimore City Council will consider two new bills that are aimed at protecting city residents from federal immigration officials and protecting their information. The first bill, requires city agencies to develop and implement a plan to limit ICE activities in Baltimore-owned spaces like schools, parks, libraries and office buildings. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
- The other bill would bar Baltimore Police from cooperating with federal enforcement actions – except where required by federal or state law – ban the city from collecting and sharing data related to immigration status, and restrict spending on actions related to immigration enforcement. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Banner.
- Last week, both the House and Senate passed their own versions of a ban on 287(g) agreements, deals that give local law enforcement the authority to handle some immigration enforcement. Chevall Pryce/The Baltimore Sun.
COLUMN: TWO LAWMAKERS SEEK A WAY TO MAKE ICE AGENTS ACCOUNTABLE: Federal agents are trampling constitutional protections against unreasonable search, unlawful arrest, cruel and unusual punishment and the right to bear arms. Federal courts aren’t stopping them. Two state lawmakers want to hand that job to Maryland judges, adopting an untested legal theory that would hold federal agents accountable in state courts. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
ANNAPOLIS’s MONDAY NIGHT RITUAL: Hundreds of advocates descend upon the State House complex in a Monday night ritual, when that “mass of people” turn out to push their legislative priorities — whether that’s voicing support for specific bills, pushing back against proposed budget cuts or sending other messages to lawmakers. Danielle Brown and William Ford/Maryland Matters.
OLDEST STATE GOVERNMENT BUILDING REOPENS TODAY: An unassuming building constructed to be one of the most secure in colonial Maryland will take its place as a historic exhibit alongside the State House, the oldest working capitol building in continuous use. State officials are scheduled to reopen the restored Old Treasury Building — the oldest state government building in Maryland — during a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday. The ceremony marks the first time the building has been open for public access in decades. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
McCLAIN DELANEY FALLS BEHIND IN FUND-RAISING AGAINST TRONE: With two Democratic incumbents facing competitive primaries, early campaign disclosures depict two different situations for U.S. Reps. April McClain Delaney and Kweisi Mfume. While Mfume holds a solid fundraising edge over his most prominent challenger, Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway, McClain Delaney’s fundraising has quickly fallen behind former Rep. David Trone’s self-funded war chest in what is expected to be a costly campaign for both candidates. Ben Mause/The Baltimore Sun.
HARFORD SCHOOL BOARD TERMINATES SUPERINTENDENT’s CONTRACT: The Harford County Board of Education decided to terminate the rest of Superintendent Sean Bulson’s contract. The unanimous vote comes amid an investigation into a reported robbery involving Bulson, who was then placed on administrative leave. Jake Shindel and Ashley Hinson/WBAL-TV News.
- Dyann Mack, one of Bulson’s deputy superintendents, is currently serving as acting superintendent. Another deputy superintendent, Eric Davis, was placed on paid administrative leave. Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
- Board President Lauren Paige said Monday that the group voted 6-3 in a closed session last week to pursue a unilateral termination under Section 10B of Bulson’s contract rather than attempt a dismissal for cause. A for-cause termination would have required the board to prove allegations such as immorality, misconduct in office or insubordination and would ultimately be decided by the state superintendent, Paige said. Matt Hubbard and Shaela Foster/The Aegis.
HOW A TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS UNSEATED A STAR SUPERINTENDENT: She wore a green dress and was gone when he woke up. Her name is unknown, and so are the events that took place inside the Harford County superintendent’s hotel room that night in New Orleans. The encounter that came to light last month spurred the school board to put Sean Bulson on paid leave and launch multiple investigations, and now his termination. Bulson was one of the longest-serving superintendents in the state, earning praise for raising test scores and winning the state’s Superintendent of the Year award. Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
16-YEAR-OLD SHOT AT MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL; SECOND TEEN ARRESTED: A 16-year-old male student was shot inside Wootton High School in Montgomery County on Monday afternoon, and police have arrested another student in the case, officials said. The suspect, who is also 16 and lives in Rockville, will be charged as an adult. Dan Morse/The Washington Post.
CRAIG CLARY, ‘OLD SCHOOL’ HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS REPORTER, DIES AT 64: Craig Joseph Clary, a longtime Catonsville Times sports writer and editor who covered high school games and their athletes throughout the region for four decades, died of an apparent heart attack Thursday at his Catonsville home. He was 64. “He was one of the greatest champions of high school sports I’ve ever met,” said Rich Hambor, Catonsville High School athletic director. Jacques Kelly/The Baltimore Sun.
PERENNIAL CANDIDATE RALPH JAFFE DIES AT 84: Ralph Jaffe, a perennial candidate who is on the ballot in Maryland’s 2026 gubernatorial race, has died. The Pikesville resident was 84 and is listed as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor. The retired teacher ran in U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races over the years and was a write-in candidate in Maryland in the 2024 presidential election. Maryland Elections Administrator Jared Demarinis said candidates like Jaffe show that average citizens can participate and try to make a difference. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
Again the Senate President is Correct. EVEN IF we assumed everything was legal and morally correct to do, logistically it is a nightmare for the upcoming Elections. Gov. Moore just shows how captured he is by The National Dem Party OR he is just absolutely stupid and moronic. The fact that he keeps pushing something so risky and logistically impossible shows he is not right to be Gov let alone Pres. He continually pushes for things and wastes energy on crap that MDers do not care about. This kind of attitude is exactly what got Hogan elected many years ago. The lack of understanding of what the actual public is worried about speaks loudly. He OBVIOUSLY does not care about affordability or energy bills or anything that actually matters to us common folk. No one seems to care we are losing MDers left and right. He doesn’t care about the MD Gov’t not running its agencies properly. He’s just all smiles and a pretty face. Nope its all about getting rid of the last Repub in this state, hate him or like him, Andy Harris is the only one we have that has the President’s ear which is absolutely crucial for us. People are blinded by their bias. The House of Delegates should be ashamed of themselves for wasting time on redistricting. Good to see we have a Senate with some sanity and a Senate President that is knowledgeable and has some integrity, unlike our current Gov and House Speaker.