FREEDOM CAUCUS HOPES TO REMAKE MARYLAND GOP ONE PRIMARY AT A TIME: Maryland’s Freedom Caucus, the minority of a minority, President Donald Trump-aligned coalition, seeks to challenge those in charge – including moderate Republicans — and advocates for smaller government, lower taxes, fossil-fueled energy production, banning transgender girls from sports teams and school choice. They’re modeled on the congressional Freedom Caucus, led by Maryland Rep. Andy Harris. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
GREEN PARTY ANNOUNCES GUBERNATORIAL TICKET: Maryland election officials will certify the results of last month’s Democratic and Republican primary elections Thursday, but not before the Maryland Green Party announced its own 2026 nominees. The Greens held their own online primary over the past two weeks and announced the winners Wednesday: longtime Green Party activists Andy Ellis and Owen Andrews, for governor and lieutenant governor. Will Hammann/Maryland Matters.
BPW OKs $109M FOR NEW VOTING SYSTEM: The Maryland Board of Public Works approved a new statewide voting system contract on Wednesday after the same proposal was removed from the board’s agenda three weeks ago amid transparency concerns. The $109 million contract with vendor Election Systems and Software launches Maryland’s transition to new ballot marking devices, scanners and tabulators – all of which will be in place for the 2028 election. Sarah Petrowich/WYPR-FM.
- Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis said that the time has come to replace the state’s current system, which is more than a decade old. “They no longer manufacture parts for it,” he said. “… replacement parts are impossible to get.” The new system will be more secure for the upcoming 2028 election, and additional features to meet updated requirements are expected to be in place for the 2030 election. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
LEGISLATIVE GROUP MEETS OVER SPECIAL POLICE & TRADITIONAL COPS: A legislative work group established to assess the role of special police officers in Maryland held its first meeting Wednesday, with more than a dozen individuals there agreeing something must be done to clear up the relationship between special police and traditional law enforcement. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
ACLU REPORT OUTLINES WAYS TO PREVENT DEADLY POLICE ENCOUNTERS: A soon-to-be-released report on accountability and transparency when it comes to deadly encounters with police also seeks to identify ways to prevent loss of life, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Barry Simms/WBAL-TV News.
CYCLOSPORIASIS CASES HIT 110 STATEWIDE; TWO MORE CONTRACT MEASLES: The number of people sickened by the cyclospora parasite continues to rise in Maryland, now reaching triple digits, the Maryland Department of Health reported Wednesday. State health data showed there were 110 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that can cause diarrhea, in the state. Matti Gellman/The Baltimore Banner.
- Nationally there were 4,173 cases reported in 41 states through Tuesday, more than doubling the 1,645 cases that had been confirmed in 34 states last week, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- A week after five new measles cases were detected in the state, two more Marylanders tested positive for the highly contagious disease, health officials said Wednesday. Two people in Southern Maryland traveled to a part of the country that’s having a measles outbreak, where they contracted it. Darreonna Davis/The Baltimore Banner.
MTA TO BEGIN SEARCH FOR REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR FOR KEY BRIDGE: The Maryland Transportation Authority this week began the formal process of finding a contractor for the next phase of the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement, after parting ways with the phase one contractor over costs this spring. Staff/Maryland Matters.
ETHICS COMPLAINT DISMISSED AGAINST HOWARD COUNCILMEMBER JUNG: The Howard County Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint alleging that a Howard County Council member’s scrutiny of a planned community center in Columbia was driven by her campaign for county executive. Last month, Brian Kim, developer of The Source, accused County Council member Deb Jung of violating county ethics rules by questioning the project’s funding in an effort to boost her campaign. Jess Nocera/The Baltimore Banner.
MO CO COUNCIL POISED TO INSTALL 18-MONTH FREEZE ON DATA CENTERS: Eighteen months appears to be the sweet spot for a moratorium on data center development in the county, with several Montgomery County Councilmembers signaling their support during a meeting of the Economic Development Committee Wednesday morning. Elia Griffin/Bethesda Today.
ARUNDEL SCHOOL EMPLOYEES PROTEST END OF TELEWORK: Several Anne Arundel County Public Schools employees urged the Board of Education on Wednesday to reverse the district’s decision to end telework days next academic year. Employees said ending telework could make it harder to do their jobs well and faulted the school system for not involving them in the decision. Tanisha Bhat/The Baltimore Sun.
CARROLL TEACHERS TO GET RAISE DENIED BY STATE TECHNICALITY: Teachers and other Carroll County school employees will get raises and new stipends next year after the school system wrapped up contract negotiations with all five of its bargaining units this month — including a boost for teachers who’ve been denied National Board Certification pay under a state technicality. Gabriella Fine/The Carroll Coumty Times.
SALISBURY DEFENDS USE OF FLOCK CAMERAS: Questions about Salisbury’s new Flock Safety camera network continue to surface, but police and city officials say the technology is being used responsibly for everything from deterring and investigating crime to recovering stolen vehicles and locating missing and vulnerable people. Josh Davis/The Baltimore Sun.
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