JUDGE EXPECTED TO RULE TODAY ON REDISTRICTING AMENDMENT CHALLENGE: An Anne Arundel County judge expects to rule by Wednesday afternoon on a challenge to Maryland’s proposed congressional redistricting amendment after questioning the state’s legal defense of the measure during a Tuesday hearing. At issue is whether the General Assembly was bound by a July 1 deadline it enacted earlier this year for proposed constitutional amendments or whether, as the state argues, lawmakers’ authority under the Maryland Constitution allowed them to act after that deadline. Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
- “There are a couple things that trouble me about this case,” Judge Robert J. Thompson said before adjourning for the day. “ … when all of this lawmaking authority, at least statutory lawmaking authority, rests in one branch of the government, and that branch … wants to do something that its own laws … don’t allow or don’t make easy to do, you can just say, ‘Well, you know, we won’t follow those laws.’ That doesn’t seem right…” he said. The comments left Republicans hopeful and Democrats characterizing his ruling as a jump ball. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
STATE ED BOARD DELAYS KEY PART OF PLAN TO FIX MATH SCORES: Elementary and middle schools will get more time to implement a new rule requiring children to spend at least 60 minutes per day learning math. Members of the Maryland State Board of Education on Tuesday responded to concerns about the new directive and voted unanimously to extend the timeline by one year, meaning school districts now have until fall 2028 to comply. Jessica Calefati/The Baltimore Banner.
A NEW LANE ON I-695 COSTING $184 MILLION: Maryland is spending $184 million to add an extra lane to a portion of the Baltimore Beltway, a project officials said will ease congestion during peak travel times but has left some drivers questioning how it will work. The project, which includes construction and traffic pattern changes along 38 miles of Interstate 695, is designed to add capacity along the west and north sides of the Beltway from the Interstate 70 interchange to Route 43 near White Marsh Boulevard. Tessa Bentulan/The Baltimore Sun.
VAN HOLLEN SAYS DEM PARTY NEEDS TO CHANGE; IS HE TO LEAD IT? The Democratic Party is having something of an identity crisis — losing to President Donald Trump twice in three elections will do that. Should the party embrace anti-establishment figures who espouse progressive policy ideas like Medicare for all and rhetoric about unrigging the economy for the 1%? Or should Democrats try to appeal to moderates who want to return to semi-normalcy in a time of political upheaval? Although he’s been in Congress since 2002, with key leadership roles throughout his tenure, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, 67, counts himself firmly in the anti-establishment camp. Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
STATE SUPREMES DECLINE TO HEAR MALVO APPEAL: The Maryland Supreme Court declined to hear Lee Boyd Malvo’s attempt to withdraw his guilty plea to six counts of first-degree murder in the D.C. sniper attacks that terrorized the Washington area for three weeks in 2002. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
MOODY’S DOWNGRADES B’MORE RATING AMID MORE CITY BORROWING: Moody’s Ratings has downgraded Baltimore’s credit rating, citing years of declining reserves across city government as Baltimore prepares to ask voters to authorize another $280 million in borrowing this fall. The downgrade does not mean Moody’s believes Baltimore cannot pay its debts. Brian Carlton and Chevall Pryce/The Baltimore Sun.
HOWARD COUNTY TO APPEAL JUDGE’s RULING ON ICE BUILDING PERMITS: Howard County attorneys filed a notice Monday that they intend to appeal a federal judge’s decision to reinstate building permits for a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Elkridge. The county revoked the permits in early February and elected leaders moved quickly to pass emergency legislation aimed at blocking the project. Lillian Reed/The Baltimore Banner.
FREDERICK COUNCIL PROPOSES TO BAR COUNTY WORKERS FROM AIDING ICE: The Frederick County Council on Tuesday debated a proposed law barring county government employees from cooperating with ICE agents in most circumstances. If passed, the Values Act would codify in county law non-cooperation administrative policies that have been implemented by County Executive Jessica Fitzwater since June. The bill will come up for a final council vote following a public hearing. Erik Anderson/The Frederick News Post.
BA CO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER APOLOGIZES TO MUSLIM COMMUNITY: A Baltimore County school board member apologized Tuesday to Muslim students and families for sharing a Facebook post about Sharia law, saying criticism she heard during the night’s board meeting helped her understand why the post was offensive. “Hearing it from your voices and seeing your faces, I understand now,” Maggie Litz Domanowski said near the end of Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. “And I am truly sorry.” Racquel Bazos/The Baltimore Sun.
5 IN CECIL WITH MEASLES WERE NOT VACCINATED: State health officials on Monday declared a measles outbreak in Cecil County. “The definition of an outbreak is two or more cases,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, public health officer for the Cecil County Health Department. Cecil County now officially has five cases of the highly infectious disease; all five were not vaccinated. Jane Bellmyer/The Cecil Whig.
CARROLL COURT DISMISSES SUIT AGAINST 3 IN STATE’S ATTY OFFICE: The Carroll County Circuit Court dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by business owner Anthony Birdsong against three members of the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office over their comments that he said portrayed him as guilty of assault, despite his acquittal. The complaint alleged the three defendants harmed Birdsong’s reputation and business ventures by telling others that people didn’t know the “whole story” of his case, implying he’d avoided conviction only because of which judge happened to hear his trial. Marissa Yelenik/The Carroll County Times.
