MARYLAND SUPREME COURT SAYS REDISTRICTING BALLOT QUESTION CAN GO TO VOTERS: A proposed ballot question that could set new standards for the way congressional maps are drawn in Maryland will go to voters in November, the Supreme Court of Maryland ruled Thursday evening. The order from a divided high court overturned two lower courts that had sided with state Republicans who challenged the proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution. The Thursday evening order came as an end-of-the-day deadline to finalize the ballot for printing approached. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
- Maryland’s highest court ruled Thursday that voters will have their say on changing the state constitution’s rules on congressional redistricting — but the wording must be clearer. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
COMMENTARY: MARYLAND, NOT TEXAS, TRIGGERED THE REDISTRICTING WAR: “Did the Democrats or Republicans start the gerrymandering fight?” is the obvious question many people are asking: Who started it? Most media suggest that Republican President Donald Trump started the mid-decade redistricting fight. However, longtime gerrymandering expert Howard Gorrell sees it differently because many overlook the earlier political moves and court rulings that set the stage for this ongoing battle. Howard Gorrell/Maryland Reporter
CARROLL CO. HEALTH DEPT. AWARDED $4.36M TO EXPAND RURAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS: Carroll County residents could soon find medical care, behavioral health services and help applying for public benefits in one place under a new state-administered, federally funded $4.36 million initiative. Marissa Yelenek/Carroll County Times.
3 AA CO SCHOOLS CLOSED FRIDAY DUE TO POWER OUTAGES: Three Anne Arundel County schools are closed on Friday due to power outages, according to the school system. Carrie Weedon Early Education Center, Shady Side Elementary School and West Annapolis Elementary School will be closed Sept. 4 because the schools do not have power. Todd Karpovich/The Baltimore Sun.
GLORIA STEINEM’S MARYLAND LEGACY: FROM MIKULSKI ‘S SENATE RISE TO ERA FIGHT: Feminist activist, journalist and writer Gloria Steinem‘s influence on Maryland politics ran deeper than her broad national profile, local activists and lawmakers said Thursday. Steinem, who died Wednesday in her New York home at 92, campaigned enthusiastically for Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski and held intimate living-room talking circles with Maryland feminist activists about the unfinished fight for the Equal Rights Amendment. Gabriella Fine/The Baltimore Sun.
KENNETH YOWAN, FORMER WESTMINSTER MAYOR, DIES AT 84: Mr. Yowan held several Westminster public service roles and led successful efforts to revitalize the city’s downtown, including the old Carroll Theatre, now the Carroll Arts Center on Main Street. He also served on a committee to expand the Carroll County General Hospital. Gabriella Fine/The Baltimore Sun.
MO CO JUDGE SIDES WITH ELECTION BOARD ON BALLOT QUESTION DISPUTE: A Montgomery County Circuit judge on Thursday found that the committee behind a proposed budget-limiting charter amendment did not meet the 10,000-signature requirement for placement on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
BA CO RESIDENTS CALL FOR TOTAL BAN ON DATA CENTERS: As Baltimore County planning officials near a final vote on a report outlining potential regulations for data centers, many residents are calling for a total ban on the facilities amid long-standing concerns about environmental burdens and impacts to communities. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
‘ABOUT AVERAGE’: HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN ABOUT INCREASE IN RABID ANIMAL INCIDENTS: A dead fox picked by Baltimore City Animal Control is the latest in a series of rabid animals incidents across the state, including a rabid kitten bite, aggressive raccoon and bat encounters, and multiple beaver attacks. Kate Amara/WBAL-TV.
