MOORE’s 4th STATE OF THE STATE: AFFORDABILITY, GROWTH AND A BIT OF TRUMP? Some political analysts have a question ahead of Gov. Wes Moore’s State of the State address on Wednesday: Will the governor use his speech to take shots at President Donald Trump and position himself for a potential presidential run in 2028? Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
- Moore will deliver his fourth State of the State speech as he continues to navigate a touch and go relationship with President Donald Trump’s administration. Despite the strained relations, Moore and Trump’s transportation secretary recently had a productive meeting on rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the governor appeared at the White House for discussions of energy issues. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- “My speech is going to be focused on the issues that this administration has been focused on” including economic growth and affordability, Moore said Tuesday. Moore said he also wants the state to continue to push back on “the additional assaults that we are seeing from Washington, D.C.” Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
SHERIFFS URGE MOORE TO REJECT BILL ENDING ICE COOPERATION: Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, appearing in Edgewood alongside sheriffs and leaders from several other Maryland jurisdictions Monday afternoon, called on Gov. Wes Moore to reject a bill ending local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE. Brendan Nordstrom/The Baltimore Sun.
GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION CANCELS TRUMP MEETING AFTER MOORE, POLIS SNUB: The National Governors Association has canceled its annual White House meeting after President Trump only invited Republican governors to the gathering. Ashleigh Fields/The Hill.
- The NGA said it will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors are scheduled to convene in Washington later this month, after the White House planned to invite only Republican governors. On Tuesday, 18 Democratic governors also announced they would boycott a traditional dinner at the White House. Joey Cappelletti, Steve Peoples and Steven Sloan/The Associated Press.
- Trump left some governors, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), off the guest list for the dinner, which is part of a decades-long tradition meant to bring the president and governors from both parties together in Washington. Mariana Alfaro/The Washington Post.
- Eighteen Democratic governors are refusing to attend a dinner at the White House with President Donald Trump next week, after Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were uninvited. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
CRITICS SAY VAX ACT WILL CREATE CONFUSION FOR MARYLANDERS: The Moore administration’s plan to counteract “confusion” over shifting federal vaccine recommendations by granting more authority to state officials to set vaccine recommendations for Marylanders will just create more confusion, not less, critics told a Senate committee Tuesday. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
AT THE 11th HOUR, SEN. HARRIS FILES EXELON’s CONTROVERSIAL BILL: Since the Maryland General Assembly convened last month, Exelon has looked for a lawmaker to back a controversial bill that would allow the parent of Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. to build and operate power plants, passing the costs on to customers. Late Monday, Sen. Kevin Harris, a Democrat, filed the utility’s bill at the 11th hour before a procedural deadline. Adam Willis and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- Harris is not sure his bill allowing investor-owned utilities to get back in the business of generating power — and using ratepayer dollars to do so — is the answer to high energy prices and constrained demand in the state. But the Prince George’s County Democrat is sure that something needs to be done. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
A LONE DEM DELEGATE VOTES AGAINST REDISTRICTING: Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes is no stranger to feeling like she’s on an island. She’s the only Democrat in the General Assembly who represents the Eastern Shore. Before that, she had been the lone Democrat on the Wicomico County Council. And last week she was the one Democrat in the House of Delegates to vote against a bill that would further gerrymander Maryland’s congressional districts in favor of her own party. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
SEN. ELLIS SAYS FERGUSON NOT FIT TO BE SENATE LEADER: A Charles County senator stepped up his criticism of Senate President Bill Ferguson on Monday night, saying his fellow Democrat was not fit to lead the chamber. Sen. Arthur Ellis said Ferguson’s decision to block a plan to further gerrymander Maryland’s congressional maps in favor of Democrats disqualified him from being Senate president. Lee O. Sanderlin and Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
AG BROWN CLARIFIES LETTER THAT LED TO NEW B’MORE IG RESTRICTIONS: Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said Tuesday that a letter from his office that prompted Baltimore to implement new restrictions on what information its inspector general’s office can access is “fairly boilerplate advice” and not an opinion about whether the city’s oversight office is acting “within or out of bounds.” Dan Belson/The Baltimore Sun.
TOP EXECS OF B’MORE’s OPIOID NONPROFITS PAID BELOW REGIONAL PEERS: Baltimore nonprofits were given a portions of the $580 million in opioid settlement funds to address the opioid crisis and its impact on the city. A review of their most recent federal tax filings to find the annual compensation of these executive directors, the salaries range from $0 to $360,364. The majority of executives are paid in excess of $100,000 annually, according to filings, which is below their mid-Atlantic region peers. Kate Cimini and Steve Earley/The Baltimore Sun.
BUDDHIST MONKS ON PEACE WALK TO MAKE A SIDE TRIP TO ANNAPOLIS: The group of Buddhist monks whose monthslong walk took them 2,300 miles from Texas to Washington, D.C., are extending their peaceful journey to Maryland’s capital Thursday. According to the group’s website, the monks and their supporters will begin walking in Annapolis at 9 a.m. from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Alex Mann/The Baltimore Banner.
SEN. ELLIS’ comments about Senate President Ferguson actually shows that he is not fit to be a Senator. Sen. Ferguson is the only one that seems to understand law or stand up for “Democracy.” These Dems bitching and crying about redistricting are no better than Trump pushing the same bad policies that screw over us common folk.
Can’t wait to hear the Gov. speech about nothing that MDers care about.