‘SETTLEMENT IN PRINCIPLE’ WITH DALI SHIP OWNER REACHED IN KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE LAWSUIT: The owner and operator of a cargo ship that caused the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge two years ago has reached a settlement with the state. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced the “settlement in principle” in a press release Thursday. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
SENATE PANEL VOTES TO ADVANCE REWORKED COMMUNITY TRUST ACT: A Maryland Senate committee voted Thursday night to recommend approval of a measure that would limit the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to operate in the state, even as the committee continues to rework the language of the bill. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
U.S. REP ANDY HARRIS IS A LONG-TERM INCUMBENT, BUT DEMOCRATS HOPE THEY CAN BEAT HIM IN 2026: Democrats running for Congress in Maryland’s 1st District are less focused on their primary opponents right now than on the incumbent they want to face in the fall – Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Harris. Ben Messinger/Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
NEW FEES FOR PAINT BUYERS: Maryland’s new paint fee is drawing sharp criticism from professional painters who say it will raise costs for consumers while sending millions of dollars to a nonprofit organization. The fee, which went into effect last week, adds $1.15 to the price of a gallon of paint and an additional $2.25 for five gallons. All of the new revenue will go to PaintCare, a nonprofit organization that will operate a new paint recycling program Jeff Abell/Fox 45 News.
‘NO KINGS ACT’ SAILS THROUGH HOUSE DESPITE REPUBLICAN PUSHBACK: The House gave overwhelming approval Thursday to the No Kings Act, which would let Marylanders sue federal agents who violate their constitutional rights, despite heated opposition from House Republicans. Rhiannon Evans/Maryland Matters.
BILL TARGETING GLOCK-STYLE PISTOLS HEADS TO GOV. MOORE’S DESK: Several popular handguns, including most Glocks, could soon be illegal to purchase in Maryland, after the state passed a bill outlawing the manufacture, purchase and sale of pistols capable of being easily converted to machine-gun type weapons. Ben Mause/The Baltimore Sun.
ENERGY BILL COMPROMISE DRAWS GOP BACKLASH OVER UTILITY COSTS: Maryland’s top Republicans on Thursday slammed a tentative deal on the state’s sweeping energy package, saying the compromise slashes bipartisan provisions and is unlikely to meaningfully curb rising utility bills, even as Democratic leaders tout it as a path to lower costs. Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
ECONOMISTS: STATE BUDGET ‘NIBBLES’ AT AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS: Maryland leaders pledged to lower costs through the state budget, but economists say affordability isn’t actually easing for Marylanders. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
ICE TOLD HISTORICAL TRUST ABOUT WAREHOUSE PLANS 2 WEEKS BEFORE PUBLIC: The Department of Homeland Security notified a state agency about the plans in mid-January — days before the warehouse sale was finalized and two weeks before the public would learn about the undertaking. Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Banner.
PIEDMONT POWER LINES SEEKS ACCESS TO COUNTY-OWNED LAND IN CARROLL: PSEG the utility behind the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, is asking the Maryland District Court to grant it access to 33 tracts of public land owned by Carroll County. While PSEG has used the court to access hundreds of private properties to conduct land surveys for the proposed power line, this is the first time it has sought access to public property. Lily Carey/Carroll County Times.
LIENS ON FEDERAL BUILDINGS POSSIBLE IF GOVERNMENT HOLDS STATE FUNDS HOSTAGE: Fighting back against the Trump administration has been a theme for Maryland Democrats during this year’s legislative session, and they’re trying to take accountability measures one step further with the Federal Obligations Enforcement Act. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR.
BILL PASSED TO GRANT SOME COLLEGE PROFESSORS UNION RIGHTS: The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation this week to give thousands of non-tenure track faculty the right to form recognized unions at public universities. If Gov. Wes Moore signs the bill into law, these educators will be the first granted collective bargaining rights at Maryland’s four-year public colleges. Currently, only the state’s community college faculty can unionize. Ellie Wolfe/The Banner/Montgomery.
MD SPENT $240K ON TRUMP PREP; RESULT UNCLEAR A YEAR LATER: More than a year after Maryland paid roughly $240,000 in taxpayer funds to Accenture to help prepare for a second Trump presidency, there is still no public record of what the firm produced or what taxpayers received in return. Tessa Bentulan/Spotlight on Maryland/The Baltimore Sun.
