BUDGET SHORTFALL IS FIXED, BUT FISCAL WOES CONTINUE: Lawmakers are putting the finishing touches on the state government’s nearly $71 billion budget, funding programs that range from improving public schools to staffing state agencies. The plan turns a $1.4 billion deficit into a $250 million surplus and a $2 billion rainy day fund through cuts and one-time maneuvers to shuffle money around — avoiding unpopular tax hikes. But the budget does not address long-term imbalances in the state’s finances. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
LAWMAKERS PUSH TO ENSHRINE ACCESS TO EMERGENCY ABORTIONS: After two years of struggling to get over the finish line, advocates hope this is the year they pass legislation ensuring Marylanders have access to emergency abortions during severe, life-threatening medical complications. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
MARYLANDERS TURN OUT FOR NO KINGS EVENTS: Thousands of No King protesters on Saturday afternoon in Columbia’s Symphony Woods heard speeches and music before sign-waving along Little Patuxent Parkway in downtown Columbia. “Give yourselves a round of applause. This is what democracy looks like,” Rep. Sarah Elfreth, the 37-year-old freshman congresswoman, told the crowd. Len Lazarick/Maryland Reporter.
- They were political heavy-hitters and grandmothers, candidates and musicians, activists and several hundred regular Joes. They were angry about a litany of Trump administration policies, but particularly focused on recent immigration raids. There was chanting and costumes and signs. Lots of signs. Hand-drawn and angry, often funny and just as often rude and not suitable for a general audience. Christine Condon and Rhiannon Evans/Maryland Matters.
- At one No Kings action in Baltimore yesterday, some went with quotes from, or riffs on, our greatest thinkers: There was founding father Thomas Paine (“In America, the law is king”), poet Robert Frost (“Two roads diverged in the woods and America took the psycho-path!”) and beloved children’s television personality Mr. Rogers (“Look for the helpers! Vote for the helpers!”) Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew.
HALF OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS FALL SHORT OF MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY: Under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future law, all Maryland school districts must reach a minimum teacher salary of $60,000 by July 1 this year. With three months left to get there, half of the state’s 24 districts are still figuring out how to meet the threshold. Kirsten Hacker/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE HIGHWAY KICKS OFF WEEKLONG CLEANING EFFORT: This week, Maryland State Highway Administration crews kicked off its all-hands-on-deck, weeklong litter cleaning mission called “Operation Clean Sweep.” So far, crews have picked up everything from fast-food containers to mattresses. Piles of tires have been found dumped in the wooded areas along highways. Sara Ruberg/The Baltimore Banner.
BASEBALL, WES MOORE AND BOOS: The Orioles were opening a new season and unveiling a towering new center field video board at Camden Yards. On a gloriously sun-splashed Thursday afternoon, Gov. Wes Moore was introduced to the stadium crowd. And then he was met with boos. The chorus was prominent enough to create a mild buzz in Annapolis and cause analysts to wonder what, if anything, the discordant moment meant for a governor who has polled favorably and is regarded as a rising Democratic star. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
HOUSING SECRETARY CRITICIZES SALISBURY’s NEW DIRECTON: Former Salisbury Mayor Jake Day, now Maryland’s housing secretary, sharply criticized the city’s new “Housing First+” model, calling it “problematic” for shifting emphasis away from permanent supportive housing and toward shorter-term transitional help. Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor, meanwhile, said the debate is not about whether to help people but how to use limited dollars. Josh Davis/The Baltimore Sun.
OPPONENTS TO BGE POWER LINE CONSIDER APPEAL: Residents who have been fighting BGE’s Harford-to-Anne Arundel County power line upgrade are debating whether to appeal the state’s March 19 approval of the project. The Maryland Public Service Commission ruled that BGE can proceed with its transmission line upgrades after months of back-and-forth between the energy company and concerned residents, who cite worries about the potential health effects of electromagnetic radiation and property rights violations. Opponents have until April 21 to appeal. Bryna Zumer/The Aegis.
COMMENTARY: I’M DEFENDING DAN COX! I’m not exactly one to come out and defend Dan Cox. So imagine how badly the Maryland Democratic Party screwed up for me to come out and defend him. Brian Griffiths/The Duckpin.
WASHINGTON COUNTY SEES SURGE OF CANDIDATES FOR COMMISSIONER: Dave Williams was one of two Democrats running for a Washington County commissioner seat four years ago. Now, he’s one in a field of eight Democrats running for five seats that have historically been held by Republicans. It’s not just Democrats who are motivated. Curtis Reigh is one of nine Republicans running for county commissioner. Rhiannon Evans/Maryland Matters.
BALTIMORE CO’s $100,000 SETTLEMENT: WHERE IT STANDS, HOW IT STARTED: Some Baltimore County Council members say they want court records in a $100,000 taxpayer-funded settlement unsealed, while others are unsure what authority they have to act — even as legal experts say the group has the tools to push the county administration to move forward. Brian Carlton/The Baltimore Sun.
- As the dispute over a lawsuit involving former Baltimore County officials enters its third year, a look back shows how the case reached its current situation. The matter stems from a 2024 lawsuit involving Patrick Murray, a former top aide to then-County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. The case was placed under seal by a circuit court judge at the request of Baltimore County. Brian Carlton/The Baltimore Sun.
THEY KNOW BEANS ABOUT BEANS: On a family farm in Carroll County, Chris Weaver and his father challenge each other every year: How many more soybeans can they grow? Last year, the answer broke a world record. Weaver set the world record for no-till, non-irrigated soybean yield, as verified by the Maryland Soybean Association, and also won the inaugural Maryland Soybean Yield Contest, by harvesting 156.73 bushels per acre in 2025. Second place went to the Hutchinson brothers of Talbot County, with 76.96 bushels per acre. Marissa Yelenik/The Carroll County Times.
BWI HIT WITH EXTRA LONG LINES AS TSA AGENTS WORK ELSEWHERE: Baltimore’s “easy come, easy go” airport was not so easy as spring break travel crowds swamped the place Friday and Saturday, with security lines stretching more than four hours long and drawing national and international attention. With TSA agents going unpaid and seeking other ways to make money, their absences came as nearly 29,500 passengers departed from BWI on Friday, the highest number since just before Christmas. Flight volumes remained steady over the weekend. Daniel Zawodny/The Baltimore Banner.
