JUDGE EXTENDS ORDER BLOCKING WASHINGTON COUNTY ICE DETENTION CENTER: A federal judge extended his order Thursday blocking work on a Washington County warehouse that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to turn into an immigrant detention center to house up to 1,500 people. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
12K CHILD SEX ABUSE CLAIMS WITH NO CLEAR PLAN FOR PAYOUTS: There’s a major expense on the horizon that legislative leaders aren’t addressing as the budget works through the State House: potentially enormous legal payouts to people sexually abused as children in Maryland’s juvenile justice system. Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Banner.
ADVOCATES OF REPARATIONS COMMISSION COULD BEGIN RECRUITING APPOINTEES SOON: Supporters could begin soliciting volunteers to serve on the long-awaited, and long-delayed Maryland Reparations Commission as soon as next week, ending a year of starts and stops on the measure. William J. Ford/Maryland Matters.
REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR GAS TAX HOLIDAY. DEMOCRATS PUMP THE BREAKS: With gas prices rising as a consequence of the the U.S. war on Iran, some lawmakers are hoping to temporarily suspend Maryland’s 46 cents-per-gallon gas tax but it’s not clear whether they’ll get the buy-in from Democrats that would be necessary to make their idea a reality. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
BILL REQUIRING TAMPONS IN MEN’S, WOMEN’S BATHROOMS GETS MIXED REACTIONS: A bill that would require the availability of tampons and other hygiene products in both men’s and women’s bathrooms in public buildings is receiving mixed reactions. Many people wonder why tampons need to be available in men’s bathrooms. David Collins/WBAL TV.
PIEDMONT POWER LINE LAND RIGHTS DEBATE HEADS TO FEDERAL COURT: A court case about the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project power line is set for debate in federal court on May 6. The power line, which would stretch 70 miles across Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties to connect power stations in Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, has sparked debate among central Maryland residents and the power line’s developer, utility company PSEG. Lily Carey/Carroll County Times.
STATES DEMAND REFUNDS ON ‘ILLEGAL’ TRUMP TARIFFS: Maryland and Virginia are part of a growing, multistate push to force Congress to refund more than $166 billion in tariffs, after the Supreme Court ruled the Trump policy illegal. Attorneys general in more than a dozen states, including Maryland and Virginia, are arguing the money to pay for President Donald Trump’s tariffs came straight out of consumers’ pockets. Will Vitka/WTOP-FM.
OFFICIALS SEEK ANSWERS AMID PROBE INTO FORMER BGE INSPECTOR: As the Maryland Public Service Commission investigates allegations of a former BGE inspector falsifying records and spending time on a boat instead of performing his job duties, the Office of the People’s Counsel said “the evidence gathered so far raises significant concerns.” Jessica Babb/WBFF-TV News.
MO CO LEADERS ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL SECURITY FUNDING FOR GROUPS FACING THREATS: Participants in the county’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program that need to increase security staffing amid escalating violence in the Middle East could receive an additional $10,000 from the county through a spending proposal announced Wednesday. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides money to Montgomery County-based nonprofits, faith-based organizations and houses of worship at risk for hate bias incidents. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today.
WHO’S WATCHING TAXPAYER MONEY? MD SPLIT ON FEDERAL FRAUD CRACKDOWN: Maryland leaders are split over whether to cooperate with a new White House anti-fraud crackdown, even as state officials admit they cannot fully account for potential misuse of taxpayer-funded programs. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
BOUCHAT, IN BOUT OF FRUSTRATION, SKIPS FLOOR VOTES, COMMITTEE SESSIONS AS TERM ENDS: When the House debated a bill Thursday intended to improve the safety of storm drains, House Minority Whip Jesse T. Pippy (R-Frederick) rose to ask a question of the sponsor — knowing the sponsor would not be there. Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.
