JUDGE GIVES SURVIVORS OF CHURCH ABUSE TIL MAY 31 TO SUBMIT CLAIMS: Survivors of child sexual abuse will have until May 31 to submit claims against the Archdiocese of Baltimore in bankruptcy court, a federal judge ruled Monday. The decision follows more than a month of debate over the deadline, which is known as a “claims bar date” and effectively acts as a statute of limitations for potential lawsuits against the Baltimore diocese for clergy abuse. Alex Mann/The Baltimore Sun.
STATE, ORIOLES INK STADIUM DEAL; DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ON HOLD: After a seesawing saga that spanned the last five years — and most crucially, the past few months — the Orioles and the state formally agreed to a lease keeping the team at Oriole Park. The deal does not yet lease public land to the Orioles for development, which was a sticking point in the negotiations. But it outlines a 30-year lease agreement that would take effect once the state and team can agree to terms on those development rights. They have until the end of 2027 to come to such terms. Jeff Barker and Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Sun.
- The state’s Board of Public Works, chaired by Gov. Wes Moore, voted 3-0 for the lease extension, after it was approved by the Maryland Stadium Authority earlier in the day. Noah Trister/The Associated Press.
- A lease, which keeps the Orioles in Baltimore for at least another 15 years if not for decades, was approved by the Maryland Stadium Authority board and the state Board of Public Works. What comes next, though — beyond the relief of more games being played at Camden Yards — is still an open question. Danielle Allentuck and Andy Kostka/The Baltimore Banner.
- “We will jumpstart a larger project centered on how we reinvest in downtown while also saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars by making the Orioles pay their fair share,” Moore said. “The state will make investments to upgrade the ballpark with the stadium authority controlling that process and ensuring that every single public dollar is spent wisely.” Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
OPINION: LEASE NEGOTIATIONS TAUGHT MOORE HARD-WON LESSONS: During the all-important Board of Public Works vote to approve one of Gov. Wes Moore’s keystone promises to extend the Camden Yards lease, Comptroller Dereck Davis teasingly hesitated. Moore laughed, but added: “I can’t take these kinds of jokes.” The exhausted shake of Moore’s head showed how hard-won the deal was, and hopefully the political wisdom that came with it. Kyle Goon/The Baltimore Banner.
WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO CREATE MARYLAND’s EDUCATION MIRACLE: Interim Maryland School Superintendent Carey Wright’s task will be to replicate a version of what she executed in her last stop, in Mississippi, where rapid improvement came only after policymakers there fundamentally shifted the state’s approach to instruction and accountability, with a particular focus on reading. Teachers and administrators were provided with special, evidence-based training; literacy coaches were dispatched to schools that struggled with the subject; and in many instances, kids who couldn’t pass a reading test at the end of the third grade had to repeat the year in school. Kevin Mahnken/Maryland Matters.
U.S. SENATE OKs O’MALLEY TO HEAD SOCIAL SECURITY ADMIN: The U.S. Senate, in a bipartisan vote, overwhelmingly approved former Baltimore Mayor and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley to lead the Social Security Administration Monday. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
- O’Malley will run one of the biggest social programs in the nation and grapple with the surrounding uncertainty over its funding. Roughly 70 million people — including retirees, disabled people and children — receive Social Security benefits. Adam Thompson/The Baltimore Banner.
HAKEEM JEFFRIES BACKS TRONE FOR SENATE: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Monday endorsed Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) in the sharply contested Democratic primary race to be Maryland’s next senator, along with two other top Democrats in the House of Representatives. Erin Cox/The Washington Post.
FOUR FINALISTS RECOMMENDED FOR FREDERICK CIRCUIT JUDGESHIP: A committee that reviewed seven applications for a Frederick County circuit judge vacancy has recommended four finalists. The applicants were vying to succeed Frederick County Circuit Court Judge Theresa Adams, who retired in September. Andrew Schotz/The Frederick News Post.
BA CO COUNCIL OKs BILLS ENSHRINING INSPECTOR GENERAL’s OFFICE: The Baltimore County Council passed unanimously Monday a pair of bills enshrining the Office of the Inspector General into county law in a highly-anticipated vote after Council Chair Julian Jones Jr. announced he was withdrawing widely-criticized amendments that would have hamstrung the watchdog agency. Lia Russell/The Baltimore Sun.
- Council chairman Julian Jones, who sought to amend the legislation to add an inspector general advisory board and weaken the office’s subpoena power, chose not to introduce those amendments. Taylor DeVille/The Baltimore Banner.
B’MORE COUNCIL APPROVES CHARTER AMENDMENT ON POLICE STRUCTURE: Baltimore voters will once again be asked to weigh in on local control of the Baltimore Police Department. The Baltimore City Council approved a proposed charter amendment Monday that would create a structure for the city’s police department within the city charter in hopes of finalizing the transition from state to local control. Emily Opilo/The Baltimore Sun.
ARUNDEL COUNCIL VOTES DOWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BILL: A bill that would require most new residential buildings in Anne Arundel to include affordable units failed to pass the Anne Arundel County Council on Monday night. Dana Munro/The Capital Gazette.
- The deciding vote ultimately went to County Councilwoman Allison Pickard, a Democrat who considers housing a pet issue. After weeks of debate and hours of testimony heard about the bill, Pickard said she voted with her conscience and joined the council’s Republican minority in rejecting the bill. “I’m looking for results that will give us the biggest impact and the most housing opportunities for our families,” Pickard said. Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
CARROLL SHERIFFS TO GET UPDATED NIGHT VISION GOGGLES: Carroll County Sheriff Jim DeWees requested commissioners’ approval last week to purchase 13 sets of updated night vision goggles for deputies to aid in search and rescue operations. Commissioners unanimously approved the request Thursday. The goggles’ cost, $57,410.55, will be covered by a fiscal 2023 Urban Area Security Initiative grant, DeWees said. Sherry Greenfield/The Carroll County Times.
