ALLEGED FAULTY SOFTWARE TO BLAME FOR MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MEDICAID FRAUD: Maryland is suing a former state health department contractor for its allegedly defective software that hobbled regulators’ abilities to fight fraud in the drug and mental health treatment field. Alissa Zhu and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
AG BROWN SUES UNITED HEALTHCARE, OPTUM FOR DEFRAUDING MEDICAID PROGRAM: Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group (also known as United Healthcare) and Optum, Inc., alleging they defrauded the Maryland Medicaid Program by supplying a defective computer system. Ellie Buckheit/Fox 45 News.
DORCHESTER JUDGE PROMISES QUICK DECISION IN SECOND REDISTRICTING CHALLENGE: An Eastern Shore Republican lawmaker said he is “very confident” that a Dorchester County judge will strike down a proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution that seeks to set standards for how congressional districts are drawn. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
THE STATE OF THE SCHOOLS BLUEPRINT: The new school year means we’re a year further into the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the $4 billion-a-year decade-long reform plan that has dominated the public discourse about education in this state for the better part of a decade. In the latest Maryland Now podcast episode, we take a close look at the recent history of education in this state, and probe some of the factors, personalities and political imperatives driving the debates over the Blueprint. Josh Kurtz/Baltimore Fishbowl
- The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and its impact on county governments was also a hot topic at the Maryland Association of Counties conference in Ocean City earlier this month. Len Lazarick/The Business Monthly and Maryland Reporter
WHY SCHOOLS SPLIT ON TELLING PARENTS ABOUT A STUDENT’S GENDER IDENTITY: A federal challenge to an Anne Arundel County Schools policy has put new attention on a question Maryland public school districts answer very differently: When a student asks to use a different name or pronouns at school, must the parents be told? Tanisha Bhat/The Baltimore Sun.
STATES SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FAMILY PLANNING RESTRICTIONS: Maryland is co-leading a lawsuit with 22 other states challenging new Trump administration funding requirements that threaten family planning grants unless states comply with what Attorney General Anthony Brown calls “unlawful and discriminatory conditions.” Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHALLENGE FOUR MORE STATES OVER IN-STATE TUITION FOR IMMIGRANTS: The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday sued Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington over laws that allow immigrants in the country without legal status to pay in-state college tuition in the states where they live. Maryland is among the 21 states that have been sued by the administration for their immigration tuition policies. Shauneen Miranda/Maryland Matters.
EXELON CHIEF OPENS UP ABOUT ENERGY CRISIS: ‘CUSTOMERS ARE SUFFERING’: The head of energy giant Exelon Corp. has been stopping in at its utilities, including Baltimore Gas and Electric, to connect in small-group sessions with employees and hear what they’re hearing. At a time when consumers are increasingly frustrated by soaring utility bills that strain budgets, Calvin G. Butler Jr. says he is looking for unfiltered views. Lorraine Mirabella/The Baltimore Sun.
MORE ON TRANSMISSION LINES: While many West Virginia grassroots organization members and government leaders have aggressively pushed back against plans for a new electrical transmission line that aims to cross multiple states, local Maryland officials haven’t taken a real stance on the project. Teresa McMinn/Cumberland Times-News
MAYOR SCOTT USING ‘AGGRESSIVE’ LEGAL TACTICS IN IG DISPUTE: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is escalating his dispute with Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming by asking a state appellate court to intervene rather than comply with a judge’s order to release records she seeks for investigations. Emily Opilo and Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.
B’MORE’S CHANCES OF RECOUPING MONEY FROM KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE ARE SLIM AFTER RULING: Baltimore City and County’s chances of recouping economic losses from the company that owns the ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge two and a half years ago are slim after a Wednesday ruling from U.S. District Court for Maryland Judge James Bredar. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
NEW POLICE CHIEF OF TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY: The Maryland Transportation Authority announced Nicholas Augustine as its next chief of police following an extensive recruitment process. Augustine is a veteran law enforcement executive with more than 25 years of experience and currently serves as an assistant chief of police with Montgomery County Police Department. Augustine will begin his service with the MDTA Police on Oct. 2. Maryland Department of Transportation.
NEW HARFORD SOFTWARE TOOL LETS RESIDENTS TRACK 26 ENERGY PROJECTS COUNTYWIDE: Harford residents can now track energy projects countywide using a project tracker tool on the county government’s website. The Solar/Battery Tracker on Harford County Department of Planning and Zoning’s landing page outlines how many solar and battery storage projects are active in the county, application status and details about each project, along with an interactive map of where the projects are proposed. Matt Hubbard/Aegis.
COMMENTARY: WHO BENEFITS FROM THE ‘MANSION TAX’?: Maryland, like much of the nation, faces a severe housing affordability crisis. As the dream of homeownership slips out of reach for more families, political pressure has intensified for elected officials to deliver solutions. Among the proposed remedies, an increasingly favored mechanism is a local “wealth” or “mansion” tax. J.H. Snider/Maryland Matters.
