ICE CRACKDOWN DRIVES NEW WAVE OF MARYLAND BILLS: Maryland lawmakers made standing up against the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts an early priority, ending a federal program meant to expand the reach of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement into local jails in the session’s first weeks. It turns out they were just getting started. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
COMMENTARY: DEPORTATIONS WON’T STOP WHEN THE INSANITY ENDS: Local governments in Maryland might not want you to know this. They’re working with ICE. It’s not the horrific campaign to drag pregnant women and friendly neighbors to the border and give them a sharp kick. No, it’s the routine business of removing criminal aliens. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
CUTS TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATE PROGRAM RAISE CONCERN: Legislators are discussing cuts to the EmPOWER program, which could shrink some of the rebates that homeowners get for energy efficiency projects — and completely eliminate others, starting in 2027. They are making the changes to reduce the EmPOWER surcharge on customers’ bills, arguing that it’s one of the few ways to easily get a somewhat quick reduction. Comparatively, trying to stabilize energy markets thrown out of whack by data center demands will take much longer, they say. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
CHURCH & STATE BILL DOMINATES LEGISLATIVE DEBATE: It may never even take effect, but that did not make the debate any less intense Friday over the Keeping Charities Nonpartisan Act of 2026, which could regulate the ability of charitable organizations to participate in partisan activity. SB 4 ended up as one of the most hotly debated issues in a hurried day of House and Senate action on bills Friday, after some Black lawmakers worried it could have a “chilling effect” on the historically important voice of Black churches. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
‘ELOPEMENT’ BILL TO PROTECT WANDERING PEOPLE ADVANCES: Shari Bailey said she was brought to tears this week when a lawmaker texted her with the news that the House had passed a bill, inspired by her daughter, that aims to improve outcomes for people with autism or dementia who wander off. It was one bit of good news in a string of positive developments for a package of bills Bailey is backing that deal with the problem of “elopement.” Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
BILL TO EASE RESTRICTIONS ON 2nd GOV’T JOBS FOR LAWMAKERS GETS A BOOST: Sen. Ron Watson (D-Prince George’s) walked away from a job in the Prince George’s County school system in December due to potential ethical concerns, but he didn’t walk away from the issue. Watson is the lead sponsor of SB 618, which would let a legislator work for a state, county or local government if that person had served one elected term in the General Assembly and met other standards, including having “objectively satisfied the minimum education, licensure and experience requirements” of the job. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
COMMENTARY: BILLS TARGETING ISRAEL ARE ANTISEMITIC: The state of Israel is the target of several bills in the legislature this year. One requires the Maryland pension fund to divest any holdings in Israel. Another seeks to punish nonprofits that contribute to Israel. Simply stated these bills are antisemitism in disguise. The bill’s critics argue that it seeks to silence legitimate criticism of Israel under the guise of protecting Jewish interests. Marc King/Maryland Reporter.
TEENS SEEK TO BOOST CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WITH NEW BILLS: Gavin Falcón, 17, believes teens’ voices should get more sway statewide, especially when it comes to decisions that directly affect their lives. Last summer, the Long Reach High School junior and other students asked Howard County representatives in the General Assembly to help them craft bills to allow students more say in decisions made about their education. The General Assembly is now considering these proposed laws. Kiersten Hacker/The Baltimore Sun.
WELCOME TO CROSSOVER DAY: Monday is “crossover day” for the General Assembly, marking a critical deadline for bills that lawmakers want to see reach the finish line this legislative session. Bills need to pass in both the Senate and the House in order to be sent to the governor for final approval; crossover day is a timeline marker to ensure legislation from one chamber has enough time to be heard in the other before sine die – the last day of the legislative session – on April 13. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
- Maryland lawmakers have until 11:59 p.m. today to advance legislation and make good on key promises, like lowering costs and bolstering the state’s economy. So far, the General Assembly has only passed one bill that was signed into law — a ban on 287(g) agreements that allow local law enforcement to collaborate with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented immigrants detained in local jails. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
SUPREME COURT RESTORES BEREANO’s LAW LICENSE AFTER 26 YEARS: The Supreme Court of Maryland restored the law license Friday of Annapolis power lobbyist Bruce Bereano, more than 26 years after it disbarred him in the wake of a federal mail fraud conviction linked to his lobbying firm. In a one-page order, the court said it was granting the petition for reinstatement from “Bruce Charles Bereano … as a member of the Bar of Maryland.” Steve Crane/Maryland Matters.
TAX RATES TOP OF MIND AT FORUM OF MO CO EXECUTIVE HOPEFULS: Tax rates took center stage during a Montgomery County executive candidate forum Thursday night. Hosted by the 720-member Leisure World Democratic Club, the forum was the first since outgoing County Executive Marc Elrich (D) released his $8 billion proposed operating budget for fiscal 2027. To fund his budget proposal, Elrich called for a 6.3-cent property tax rate increase and a 0.1-cent income tax rate increase. The forum featured the three “major” candidates in the race to succeed Elrich — County Councilmembers Andrew Friedson, Evan Glass and Will Jawando. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
TWO VASTLY DIFFERENT REPUBLICANS SEEK A BA CO COUNCIL SEAT: The two Republicans running for the Baltimore County Council seat in the 5th district, which goes from Timonium to the Pennsylvania line, agree on this: GOP voters have a clear choice in the June primary. It pits a well financed candidate who embraces the president against an environmentalist who runs a fly fishing shop in Monkton. John Lee/WYPR-FM.
ICE TEMPORARILY CLOSES CITY FACILITY: U.S. ICE temporarily closed its Baltimore holding cells after a federal judge ordered the agency to reduce overcrowding and ensure that the basic needs of people detained there were met. The processing facility has since reopened, ICE said in a statement Friday. The agency did not say how long the facility was shuttered and when exactly it reopened. Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Banner.
PRINCE GEORGE’S SCHOOLS CONSIDER REMOVING CESAR CHAVEZ’s NAME: The Prince George’s County Public Schools system is weighing renaming a school that bares Cesar Chavez’s name following sexual abuse, grooming and rape allegations against the civil rights icon. Darreonna Davis/The Baltimore Banner.
MD FIRM’s DATA CENTER PLANS WORRY WATCHDOGS OVER ELECTRICITY DRAIN: TeraWulf, a Maryland-based digital technology company, plans to change a power plant in Charles County into a data center hub — a move that some consumer watchdogs worry could increase already soaring electricity prices for Marylanders. Lily Carey/The Baltimore Sun.
REPLICA OF B’MORE COLUMBUS STATUE NOW AT WHITE HOUSE: After years of controversy surrounding the original’s dumping into Baltimore’s harbor six years ago, a replica of a Christopher Columbus sculpture was placed on the White House grounds on Sunday. The Columbus sculpture was said to have been placed on the White House campus after The Washington Post reported that officials designated an area for it. Chevall Pryce/The Baltimore Sun.
- The statue is outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where it is visible from Pennsylvania Avenue NW and 17th Street NW. The White House had considered putting the statue on the South Lawn. Dan Diamond and Olivia George/The Washington Post.
- The statue’s owners, the Italian American Organizations United, said they have agreed to loan the marble statue to the Trump administration and have signed an agreement with the National Park Service. The group’s president, John Pica, called the installation a victory. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
Gov. be like, “We want more money!” We be like, “What money?” Gov. be like. “How bout all that property tax and income money?” We be like, “we don’t have that no more. We broke, BGE took it, corporations raising prices for no reason took it, our credit cards took it, gas took it.”
No one has anymore money, cut the damn cost of gov’t already. WTF!?