MARYLAND CODIFIES 10-YEAR LONGEVITY PLAN FOR AGING POPULATION: This year, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Longevity Ready Maryland Act and created the Aging Resilience Fund, both of which will work in tandem to improve the state’s support system for older adults. The Longevity Ready Maryland Plan is a 10-year, multisector strategy to ensure that state agencies are coordinating over how to address Maryland’s growing population of elders. State estimates say one in four Marylanders will be 60 years or older by 2030, and by 2045, its estimated 315,000 people will be 85 or older. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
DALI OWNERS FIGHT NEGLIGENCE, LIABILITY CLAIMS IN KEY BRIDGE ACCIDENT: An army of lawyers showed up at a hearing on Tuesday to iron out issues ahead of an upcoming trial to determine whether the owner and operator of the ship that struck Maryland’s Key Bridge should be held liable for the full damages caused by the tragedy. That trial is expected to take up most of June, and many crew members onboard the ship during the tragedy have pleaded the Fifth in depositions. Some still remain in Baltimore more than two years after the tragedy. Mike Hellgren/WJZ-TV News.
ELLIS, LAPIN CALL ON STATE TO MOVE NOW ON REDISTRICTING: State Sen. Arthur Ellis, who is running for Congress, and state Senate candidate Bobby Lapin are calling on the state to act after a Supreme Court ruling weakened the Voting Rights Act. Democrats have considered a map that would create 8 Democrat-leaning districts, making it difficult for any Republican to win a seat in the state’s federal delegation. Jeff Morgan/WMAR-TV News.
DISABILITIES ADVOCATES ‘DEEPLY DISTURBED’ BY RAPE AT CARE HOME: Advocates are “deeply disturbed” and “heartbroken” over the alleged neglect at a community provider in Baltimore that resulted in the rape and impregnation of a young woman with significant cognitive disabilities. A negligence lawsuit claims that a young woman was sexually abused while in the care of Baltimore-based community service provider Dominion Resource Center, resulting in the patient getting pregnant some time in April 2024 and the birth of a child in December. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
- As first reported by the Washington Post, Kamryn Jones had been brought to a hospital from a small group home in Maryland, where she lived because her neurological disorders required the constant presence of two caregivers. She was legally blind, could barely speak and, according to doctors, had the cognitive function of a toddler. A doctor gently pushed Kamryn’s midsection. Ultrasound images confirmed his suspicion: She was seven months pregnant. Dan Morse/The Washington Post.
Q&A WITH COMMERCE SECRETARY HARRY COKER: Maryland’s Secretary of Commerce Harry Coker Jr. said Sphere Entertainment Co.’s decision to build a second U.S. location in Prince George’s County shows that companies want to invest in the state. Capital News Service talked with Coker about the Sphere, legislative wins and goals for the commerce agency. He also discussed key issues in Maryland, including the pros and cons of data centers and the impact of federal layoffs. Irit Skulnik of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
PENSION BOARD SEEKS PUBLIC TRUSTEES: The Board of Trustees for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) is seeking two trustees, one each from Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. Public Trustees serve a three-year term, from July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029. The Board holds fiduciary oversight of the ERS for the sole benefit of members and beneficiaries. County residents interested in serving must submit a statement of qualifications and resume, by 5:00 p.m. on May 27, 2026 to [email protected]. For more information, contact [email protected] or (301) 454-1415 or
visit us at ers.mncppc.org.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STATE SURPLUS? Gov. Wes Moore says he turned a Maryland deficit into a surplus. State budget forecasts tell a different story, and the governor is sidestepping questions about it. When Moore took office in January 2023, Maryland had a $5 billion surplus. He said the state was in a “fortunate financial position.” By the 2025 legislative session, the state faced a $3.3 billion deficit, and Moore’s messaging changed, claiming the surplus wasn’t real because of one-time federal Covid funds. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
ISSUES DEBATED AT COURT HEARING OVER POWERLINE DISPUTE: The dispute over a power transmission line planned for Central Maryland reached a federal appeals court in Richmond, where attorneys sparred Tuesday over survey work that is underway. Attorneys for numerous landowners in the path of the 67-mile power line argued that land surveys being performed by PSEG Renewable Transmission are an unauthorized use of eminent domain. But PSEG’s attorneys argued that, if the company cannot continue completing surveys, the Maryland permitting process for the power line would become “completely unworkable.” Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
DEL. WILLIAMS DROPS OUT OF CROWDED RACE FOR HOYER’s HOUSE SEAT: Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George’s) suspended her campaign Tuesday to replace longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th), citing the costs of competing in a crowded primary where two dozen Democrats were seeking the nomination. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
BA CO COUNCIL PASSES LAWS TO PROTECT ANIMALS: The Baltimore County Council on Monday passed three laws to protect animals from abuse and neglect, and to intervene more proactively in cases of dogs that could pose a danger. Marcus Dieterle/Baltimore Fishbowl.
STATE SUPREMES SAY MO CO LACKS AUTHORITY OVER WEAR & CARRY PERMIT: The Supreme Court of Maryland has found Montgomery County does not have the authority under state law to prohibit wear-and-carry permit holders from bringing guns within 100 yards of certain public places, according to an April 28 opinion. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
EASY LOANS ARE USED TO BUY UP RENTAL PROPERTY THROUGHOUT U.S.: An easy-to-get, loosely regulated loan used to buy rental property has exploded in popularity across the U.S. in the past five years, with Baltimore and other postindustrial cities at the forefront, a Banner analysis of national mortgage data found. Sahana Jayaraman/The Baltimore Banner.
ARUNDEL COUNCIL CANDIDATE REIMBURSES CAMPAIGN FOR MISSPENT FUNDS: Geonta Simmons knows he messed up. Last year, the Democrat candidate for the District 1 seat on the Anne Arundel County Council, spent nearly one-third of his $5,426.56 campaign war chest at fast-casual and fast-food restaurants, on tickets for a monster truck show and even at a Waffle House in North Carolina. Simmons has reimbursed the campaign for multiple food or other expenses that were not campaign-related, he said. Cody Boteler/The Baltimore Banner.
