SUPERINTENDENTS SEEK TO WORK WITH MOORE ON BLUEPRINT ADJUSTMENTS: Some state school superintendents are saying it’s “clear that adjustments are needed” on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan as the state faces a looming fiscal crisis, and are asking to work with the Moore administration on potential changes. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
STATE LAWMAKERS MAY TACKLE DANGEROUS MOLD: Maryland lawmakers could soon take a stab at defining what counts as dangerous mold after state agency leaders spent a year reviewing best practices. For those who have wrestled with expelling the fungus from their homes, schools and businesses, added regulations would be a welcome step forward. Hallie Miller and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
GUN VIOLENCE BILLS EXPECTED IN ANNAPOLIS; BUT TRUMP IMPACT A CONCERN: As Maryland legislators prepare bills aimed at addressing gun violence, the recent presidential election and its potential repercussions are top of mind for lawmakers and for Second Amendment and gun safety advocates. During the upcoming General Assembly session, legislators plan to introduce at least two bills focused on gun safety: one from last session that would tax guns and gun accessories to fund trauma and violence intervention prevention programs and one that would require and enforce the relinquishment of firearms within a domestic violence setting. Rachel Konieczny/The Daily Record.
TEACHERS SOUND ALARM ABOUT HIGH-PRICED RETIREMENT PLANS: Maryland teachers sounding the alarm about companies like Equitable that are still allowed to sell high-priced retirement plans in Maryland schools. Many teachers, one said, don’t know they have far less-expensive options and could be keeping more of their earnings. Instead of a 401(k), public school employees are offered a 403(b) to save their retirement money. While federal law requires employers to pick 401(k) providers that are in employees’ best interests, it doesn’t apply to 403(b) plans, said Daniel Otter, head of a nonprofit that advocates for teachers. Kristen Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
VOTERS DON’T GET A SAY IN COUNTY EXEC REPLACEMENTS IN ARUNDEL, BA CO: Elected officials, not voters, will determine the replacements for two elected seats in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties left vacant after local Democratic leaders won congressional seats in the 2024 presidential election. In Prince George’s County, there will be a special election to fill the seat of former County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who is departing for the U.S. Senate. Glynis Kazanjian/The Baltimore Sun.
PICKARD ANNOUNCES RUN FOR ARUNDEL EXEC IN 2026: As if there was any doubt that the 2026 election cycle is now underway in Maryland, Anne Arundel County Councilmember Allison Pickard (D) on Sunday became the first candidate to enter the wide-open race for county executive, saying she has the skill set and work ethic for the complex job. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
CONGRESSMEN PUSH HARD FOR KEY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT FUNDS: Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, including three who will soon retire, are in a last-minute sprint to secure full funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement before lawmakers leave for the holidays. They’re appealing to their fellow representatives and senators, making the case for Maryland and other states that have faced disasters this year, sticking together and trying to stave off a growing wave of pushback from the House Freedom Caucus. Cathy Woodall/The Baltimore Sun.
JUVENILE ARRESTS RISE, BUT NEW STATE LAW NOT THE REASON: A month after a new state law gave police more power to arrest young juveniles for crimes for which they previously couldn’t be prosecuted, arrests of youthful offenders in Baltimore have reached a monthly high for 2024. But none of that had to do with the new law, police said. Glynis Kazanjian/The Baltimore Sun.
CARDIN’s FAREWELL TOUR MET WITH MUCH PRAISE: The posters put up by the staff of U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin said, “Thank you, Howard County,” but they might just as well have said “Thank you, Ben” from the elected officials who met with the retiring senator Friday. The effusive praise and thanks for Cardin’s 58 years of elected service were mutual in the second leg of his “farewell tour” of the state. He’s represented Marylanders for 18 years in the Senate, 20 years in the U.S. House, and 20 years in the state House of Delegates, including eight as speaker. Len Lazarick/MarylandReporter.com.
ANNAPOLIS LEADERSHIP SHUFFLES STAFF ROLES: With just over a month until the start of the 2025 legislative session, three top State House veterans will assume new roles in a series of changes that will affect the governor’s office and leadership in the House of Delegates. Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced a retooling of his legislative and policy advisers late Friday, as he reaches the midway point of his term. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
AUDIT SAYS PRISONERS MISS OUT ON HEALTH CARE SUE TO LACK OF OVERSIGHT: Prisoners in Maryland’s in-state detention centers are missing out on needed healthcare due to a lack of oversight by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, as well as failures by the contractors in charge of health services, according to the Office of Legislative Audits. Scott Maucione/WYPR-FM.
MOORE PUSHES FUNDRAISING AS FREEZE OF SESSION NEARS: For the past few weeks, Gov. Wes Moore (D) and his surrogates have warned supporters in frequent email appeals for campaign contributions that the “fundraising freeze” is fast approaching. That’s a reference to the ban on political fundraising by any statewide officeholder and all 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly during the three months that the legislature is in session — beginning on Jan. 8. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
COMMENTARY: MO CO EXEC ELRICH MISSES THE MARK: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich protests that Virginia “is eating our lunch” when it comes to job growth. Rarely do I agree with the executive, but on this, he is spot on. Rather than belt tightening or implementing effective pro job growth policies for the county to increase the tax base, Elrich, in the fiscal 2026 county budget public discussion sessions, is yet again turning to tax increases. Unfortunately, Elrich thinks like a tax-and-spend politician and not a businessperson. Reardon Sullivan/MoCo 360.
B’MORE FAITH LEADERS FACE DILEMMA WITH TRUMP: A dilemma faces Baltimore faith leaders, elected officials and others: whether to engage with President-elect Donald Trump, resist him, or navigate a combination of the two. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
2 ARUNDEL OFFICES CHARGED WITH MISCONDUCT IN FATAL 2023 CRASH: Two Anne Arundel County Police officers are facing charges of misconduct in office in a deadly crash in 2023 in Pasadena. Dylan Segelbaum/The Baltimore Banner.
CONVICTED, ATTORNEY SAYS HE WASN’T COMPETENT TO DEFEND SELF: Attorney Stephen L. Snyder, the highly successful plaintiffs lawyer convicted last month of federal extortion charges, is asking to be acquitted or for a new trial, arguing among other things that he was not competent to represent himself. Snyder, 77, was convicted of trying to extort the University of Maryland Medical System for $25 million. Justin Fenton/The Baltimore Banner.
FORMER B’MORE SCHOOLS CEO GREGORY THORNTON DIES AT 69: Gregory Thornton worked in many cities over the course of his more than 30-year career, but his approach to education was consistent. When he moved to Baltimore in 2014 to become CEO of the city’s public schools, he wanted to build a sense of community and shared dedication to student outcomes, whether or not people sent their children to district schools. He wanted to move away from terms like “those kids” or “those students,” said his friend and colleague, Rudy Ruiz. He died on Nov. 29. He was 69. Cayla Harris/The Baltimore Banner.
