DOJ THREATENS STATE ELECTIONS OFFICIAL WITH CRIMINAL CHARGES: Maryland’s top election official is being threatened with criminal charges by the Justice Department, the latest effort by President Donald Trump and his administration to pressure state elections officials and cast doubt on the validity of this fall’s elections, say some election advocates. It comes a day after DOJ attorneys signaled their intent to appeal a Maryland case in which they unsuccessfully sought to force the release of comprehensive voter records. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
GUN HOMICIDES DROP BUT GUN SUICIDES RISE TO RECORD LEVELS: As homicides continue to drop to record lows in Baltimore, the nation as a whole is also seeing a decrease in gun violence, according to a new report from Johns Hopkins University. Despite the drop in violence, the nation notched the fifth ever highest total gun deaths with nearly 44,500. The reason is because gun suicides are reaching record levels. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SPECIAL SESSION ON CONSTITUTION, REDISTRICTING: Maryland lawmakers will return to Annapolis in early August to consider changing the state constitution as a precursor to drawing more partisan congressional districts. But reviewing the constitution won’t be the only business on the agenda. Here’s a rundown of how a special session works and what to expect. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
QUESTIONS ABOUT MOTIVES ARISE OVER REDISTRICTING ACTION: Maryland lawmakers will return to Annapolis next month to consider a constitutional amendment that could change how the state redraws its congressional districts, reviving a debate over whether the proposal is intended to protect voting rights and ensure fair representation, as Democrats argue, or primarily benefit the Democratic Party politically, as some political scientists contend. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
CUTS TO FUNDING FOR DISABILITY AID SPARKS IRE: Connor Feron, who struggles to verbally articulate his thoughts due to autism and other medical conditions, is among many who are frustrated by this year’s proposed funding cuts for Marylanders with disabilities. The cuts were scheduled to take effect on July 1, but at 5:31 p.m. the day before, participants were suddenly notified of a delay. The pay cuts are now slated for October. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.
PEOPLE’S COUNSEL TO CHALLENGE BGE’s PROPOSED AVERAGE $8 A MONTH HIKE: is requesting an average $8-per-month rate hike for its electric customers beginning next year, but the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel has plans to challenge the proposal. BGE’s rate increase request was submitted to the Maryland Public Service Commission for approval, and hearings will ensue over the next several months. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
SUPREME COURT RULING REVIVES TRANSGENDER DEBATE IN MARYLAND: In Maryland, there are currently no active bans against transgender women playing on their preferred sports teams. But some lawmakers who hope to change that said they are encouraged by the Supreme Court’s ruling. Del. Kathy Szeliga has introduced legislation in the General Assembly for the past five years that aims to prohibit participation by transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Her bill this year did not even get a vote in committee. Mayah Nachman/Maryland Matters.
CHRISTA TICHY TO JOIN HOUSE OF DELEGATES FROM MO CO DISTRICT 19: Christa Tichy, a master electrician and member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, appears to have won the race for an open seat in the District 19 delegation to the Maryland General Assembly. Tichy was the first of five newcomers who filed to run as Democratic candidates for one of three District 19 state House seats after four-term Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Aspen Hill) announced her plan to retire at the end of her term. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
COMMENTARY: A TALE OF TWO COUNTRIES IN DEL. LILY QI’s MEMOIR: Del. Lily Qi’s new memoir “Elected American: From Red China to Blue Maryland” is a recounting of growing up in Communist Shanghai and then, as an adult, the sometimes difficult adjustment to life and work in the U.S. It is also a detailed account of what it takes to win an election to the Maryland House of Delegates as an immigrant from a community that is not politically conscious. Len Lazarick/MarylandReporter.
MTA BUS FLIES DOWN PIKESVILLE ROAD CRASHING INTO VEHICLES; 30+ INJURED: An MTA bus hurtled down a busy main street in Pikesville on Wednesday evening, leaving cars strewn across the road before slamming into a FedEx store in a major accident that injured more than 30 people. Baltimore County Fire Chief Joseph W. Dixon likened the site to a “war scene.” More than 100 first responders converged on the scene, which was closed to traffic and littered with damaged vehicles, debris and hanging power lines. Gov. Wes Moore said his administration was monitoring the situation and would support local officials as needed. Shayla Colon, Liz Bowie, Darreonna Davis and Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
- Here’s a photo gallery of the crash scene. Kenneth Lam and Brendan Nordstrom/The Baltimore Sun.
