State Roundup: DOJ files charges in Key Bridge collapse as state reaches $2.25B settlement; new law requires municipalities to improve hazardous storm drains

DOJ FILES CHARGES IN KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE; STATE REACHES $2.25B SETTLEMENT: The Justice Department has filed criminal charges against a Singapore-based global shipping company and subsidiaries, accusing them of safety violations that led to the massive container ship crash that caused the 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday. Katie Mettler and Jeremy Roebuck/The Washington Post.

• The DOJ said the March 26, 2024, tragedy could have been averted if the cargo ship Dali’s operator, Synergy Marine Group, had responsibly maintained the ship’s generators. Instead, the company improperly used what are known as flushing pumps. Justin Fenton, Hayes Gardner and Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Banner.
• That announcement came the same day that Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said the state had reached a $2.25 billion settlement of its lawsuit against the ship’s owner for the bridge collapse that he said in a written statement sent “shockwaves through Maryland and caused damages on a scale this state had never seen.” Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.

NEW LAW REQUIRES MUNICIPALITIES TO IMPROVE HAZARDOUS STORM DRAINS: Nearly 10 months after 13-year-old Mason Kearns died when he was swept into a storm drain during a flash flood in Mount Airy, Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday signed “Mason’s Law,” creating new statewide safety requirements for drainage inlets. The law requires Maryland municipalities to inventory and prioritize open drainage inlets by April 1, 2028, and install approved grating systems or other safety improvements on drains deemed hazardous. Joseph DeBell/The Frederick News-Post.

• “The Kearns family, in their grief, made a choice that I believe is one of the most extraordinary acts of love and kindness that any family can make,” Moore said, addressing family members who sat in the front row at the bill signing. Passing Mason’s Law, a complex piece of legislation that requires municipalities to make safety improvements to storm drains by 2031, demanded teamwork from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of the legislature. Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Banner.

‘NO KINGS ACT’ AMONG 200 BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW TUESDAY: Maryland continued its broad pushback against Trump administration policies Tuesday with the signing of the “No Kings Act,” which would give anyone in the state a path to sue federal officials who violate their constitutional rights “under color of law.” It was one of more than 200 bills signed into law during the third bill signing of the year Tuesday. William Ford/Maryland Matters.

MOORE SIGNS UTILITY RELIEF ACT IN PUSH TO LOWER ELECTRIC BILLS: Gov. Wes Moore signed the Utility RELIEF Act into law Tuesday, ushering in a series of changes to the state’s energy markets that officials hope will lower customers’ electric bills in the months and years to come. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.

FOSTER CHILD MISSING FROM PRIVATE JUVENILE FACILITY: A 16-year-old foster child placed at Silver Oak Academy has been missing for more than nine days, according to sources familiar with the case and public records, deepening scrutiny of a privately operated juvenile facility already facing calls for closure from local law enforcement, lawmakers, former staff and residents. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.

MARYLAND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUS FIRMS FEEL BITE OF HIGHER GAS PRICES: Maryland school bus contractors are grappling with rising fuel prices as the war in Iran continues, costing counties and bus companies hundreds of thousands of extra dollars. The high prices come as districts finalize their budgets, which take effect July 1. Across central Maryland, districts are reporting sharp cost increases: Anne Arundel’s fuel spending jumped more than $14,000 per day. Carroll County saw nearly a $350,000 increase over two months. Harford County’s April costs ran about $195,000 higher than normal, and Howard County logged a $150,000 monthly spike. Tanisha Bhat/The Baltimore Sun.

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.

MARYLAND GAMBLE $500M ON PIMLICO AS HORSE INDUSTRY FLAGS, COSTS RISE: Maryland is committing more than half a billion dollars to rebuild Pimlico Race Course to try to preserve its horse racing industry, a gamble made as the project’s costs balloon and its expected returns remain uncertain as the sport shrinks. State and industry leaders say rebuilding Pimlico and Laurel Park is key to saving Maryland racing — an industry woven into the state’s identity, farm economy, and hopes for reviving Park Heights. Jeff Barker and Sam Cohn/The Baltimore Sun.

BA CO COUNCIL MOVES TO STOP KACH FROM CASHING IN ON SCRAPPED PENSION DEAL: Former Baltimore County Councilman Wade Kach resigned from the council just in time to cash in on a pension deal that the Baltimore County Council had recently scrapped. Now, the council Tuesday put in motion emergency legislation to keep Kach from collecting. John Lee/WYPR-FM.

WHO ARE THE VICTIMIZED BY HUMAN TRAFFICKING THE MOST? When a stranger plucked a 12-year-old girl off a neighborhood street near Cockeysville Middle School, it raised concerns about kidnapping and human trafficking. In reality, human trafficking rarely involves people not already known to the victims and theirabout kidnapping and human trafficking. I families, Ashley McAree, a forensic nurse with Greater Baltimore Medical Center, said. And despite the scary headlines, she said most victims are not girls, or even children. Karl Hille/The Baltimore Sun.

ALSOBROOKS BACKS JAWANDO FOR MO CO EXEC: U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks has announced she is backing Will Jawando for Montgomery County executive, making her the first member of the county’s federal delegation to weigh in on the race.  “Will has been a friend for many years, but more importantly, he is the kind of leader we need right now,” Alsobrooks wrote in a Friday press release from Jawando’s campaign. “Will is someone who knows how to fight, win, and deliver for working families.” Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.

ARUNDEL’s STATE’S ATTY CANDIDATES GO AT EACH OTHER IN DEBATE: Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney candidates Anne Colt Leitess and Carolynn Grammas went head-to-head on conviction rates, failed cases and more at a debate on Tuesday night. Leitess is an incumbent, while Grammas had been a part of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s office until last October, when she left to join the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. Both are Democrats. Benjamin Rothstein/The Baltimore Sun.

GOP SHERIFF HOPEFULS IN CECIL OFFER VIEWS ON LEADERSHIP, SAFETY: The four Republican Cecil County sheriff hopefuls sat on the Elkton High School auditorium stage and took turns answering five questions posed to all of them during the 2026 Primary Election Candidate Forum. Candidates Todd Creek, Nick Jaskiewicz, Bilton D. Morgan and Chris Sutton are vying for an open seat created by current Sheriff Scott Adams’ decision not to seek a fourth four-year term. Carl Hamilton/The Cecil Whig.