SENATE PANEL BEGINS AMENDING ENERGY PACKAGE: The Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee began attaching amendments to the state legislature’s mega energy package known as the UTILITY Relief Act on Monday. The 104-page omnibus cleared the House of Delegates nearly two weeks ago with a promise of at least $150 in annual utility savings for Maryland ratepayers. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
TAX HIKES AVOIDED AS SENATE, HOUSE PASS VERSIONS OF $71B BUDGET: In separate votes Monday evening, the Maryland House and Senate passed identical versions of a nearly $71 billion fiscal 2027 budget designed to close a projected $1.4 billion deficit while leaving over $250 million in surplus and more than $2 billion in the state’s rainy day fund — making good on Democrats’ promise to avoid raising taxes this legislative session. Mennatalla Ibrahim |and Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
LAWMAKERS RUSH BILL CRITICS SAY COULD LEAVE VICTIMS UNPROTECTED: In a rare procedural move just hours before a key legislative deadline, Maryland lawmakers fast-tracked a bill that would overhaul how residents can seek criminal charges, prompting warnings from critics that the changes could leave some victims without immediate protection. Garry Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
FOSTER CARE ADVOCATES ENCOURAGED BY SYSTEM CHANGES, WITH CAVEAT: Advocates for foster children said they are encouraged by changes recently announced by Gov. Wes Moore Maryland’s foster care system, but they also believe any progress will depend on oversight and accountability. “I am cautiously optimistic,” said Francha Davis, executive director of Voices for Children Montgomery. Mike Murillo/WTOP-FM.
PELOSI, JONES, BENSON HONORED AS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH CLOSES: As Women’s History Month wrapped up, Maryland Democrats honored the public service of House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi from dawn until dusk Monday, in a series of ceremonies held in Annapolis. Two veteran Democratic state lawmakers were honored alongside Pelosi with the award: former House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones of Baltimore County and Sen. Joanne Benson of Prince George’s County. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- State Archivist Elaine Rice Bachmann said Pelosi, Benson and Jones collectively represent more than 100 years in elected office. Pelosi turned 86 on Thursday, Benson turned 85 this month and Jones is 71. None of them are seeking reelection this year. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
- Pelosi was awarded for her leadership while in Congress, a legacy she solidified with her “direct manner, steely nerve and willingness to confront her adversaries,” said Bachmann. And more women, including Pelosi, were inducted into the Maryland Hall of Fame, including Pelosi’s mother. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
- House Speaker Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk praised Pelosi as the “most consequential speaker of the House of Representatives in our history.” “There are millions of girls and young women in this country on both sides of the aisle who can picture themselves achieving at the highest level,” Peña-Melnyk said. “I know that Baltimore is in her blood, and Maryland is in her heart. Once a Marylander, always a Marylander.” Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
HIGH COURT ORDERS FULL HEARING ON DELEGATE’S ELECTION DISPUTE: Del. Gary Simmons got good news from the state’s top court Monday, which ordered a full hearing on whether his Democratic primary opponent lives in the district. The Supreme Court of Maryland reversed a lower court’s ruling that it was premature for Simmons to challenge the residency of John Dove Jr., who hopes to unseat Simmons. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
MARYLAND GOP CONSULTANT EMBEZZLED FOR YACHT LOAN, FEDS SAY: James Appel, who has worked for the Maryland Republican Party and numerous GOP candidates, was indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering. Appel routed $100,000 from a politician’s campaign accounts and another $100,000 from a local tennis nonprofit organization into his own accounts in 2024 to refinance a loan on a 65-foot Pacific Mariner yacht, according to the indictment. Pamela Wood and Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.
- Appel also is accused of signing campaign finance reports misrepresenting the balances of the account. He is also accused of lying about bank balances to board members of the community group from which he allegedly stole. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
NO NEED TO BREAK IN; OLD TREASURY BUILDING OPENS AS A FREE MUSEUM: Four attempted break-ins are part of the lore of the state’s oldest public building, the Old Treasury Building, which recently opened to the public as a free museum after renovations. Built in 1737, the building still stands in Annapolis, in the shadow of the State House. It has thick brick walls and a heavy wooden interior door. The windows once would have been protected with bars and shutters. Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
HONORED TEACHERS NAMES GET MIXED UP FOR SOMERSET AWARD: When Somerset County’s superintendent opened the sealed envelope and announced the district’s teacher of the year at a fancy Friday night event, Myresha Bevins walked up to the stage to cheers. But the Washington Academy and High School teacher was handed a trophy engraved with a different name: Corey Bivens, an elementary school teacher who was also a finalist for the award. Liz Bowie/The Baltimore Banner.
FBI PROBES NY REAL ESTATE PURCHASES IN B’MORE THAT COLLAPSED: Federal investigators are examining a group of New York investors who borrowed more than $100 million in private credit to rapidly buy about 700 homes in Baltimore — a real estate portfolio that is now in collapse. Giacomo Bologna and Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
ADUs RISE AS HOUSING PRICES PUSH YOUNG PEOPLE FROM MARKET: They go by a few different names: granny flats, in-law apartments, secondary suites. Housing wonks call them accessory dwelling units, or ADUs: small residences that share land with another, larger home. In Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, ADUs are already a viable housing alternative for some residents as costs of living soar. Maryland lawmakers and housing advocates have embraced them as housing prices push young people to flee the state and first-time homelessness to rise. Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
