MARYLAND LOOSENS ‘RED DYE’ DIESEL RULES AMID HIGH PRICES: Gov. Wes Moore is allowing farmers and loggers to use tax-exempt diesel fuel in their on-road trucks, amid high fuel prices during the United States’ war with Iran. In an executive order that took effect on Friday, Moore took an unprecedented step in Maryland, allowing truck drivers hauling products from timber to live poultry to fill their vehicles with “red-dyed” diesel, which is exempt from the state’s motor fuel tax of 47.45 cents per gallon, and the federal excise tax of 24.40 cents per gallon. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
MOORE, COX ADDRESS HOUSING, VACANT PROPERTY IN FORUM: Faith and community leaders with Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development pressed two Maryland gubernatorial candidates on accountability and solutions at a large Monday evening gathering focused on housing, the economy and vacant properties. Jeff Abel/WBFF-TV News.
SCHWARTZ, HARRIS TO FACE OFF TONIGHT: Maryland’s 1st Congressional District race is more likely to hinge on President Donald Trump and his policies. Newcomer Dan Schwartz is focusing on rising gas prices, tariffs, and the war in Iran. Incumbent Andy Harris supports the war as well as Trump’s immigration enforcement and cuts to government spending. The candidates face off in a public forum tonight. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
IN LOW KEY RACE FOR ATTY GEN, CHALLENGER RUTLEDGE SEES PATH TO WIN: He’s outnumbered in voter registration, likely outraised and outspent in campaign donations and is running in a race that’s getting little exposure against an incumbent with decades of name recognition. But Republican attorney general nominee Jim Rutledge still sees a path to victory in his bid to unseat Attorney General Anthony Brown, saying,“We believe that the independent vote and the Republican vote, and the Democrats that are disappointed with his [Brown’s] record on basic law enforcement, like the Fraternal Order of Police, will not back Anthony Brown this time.” William Ford/Maryland Matters.
MARYLAND UNDECIDED ON FEDERAL SCHOOL CHOICE TAX CREDIT: Thirty-one states have opted in to a new federal tax credit supporting school choice, but so far, Maryland is not one of them. The state has until the end of the year to decide whether to join. Gov. Wes Moore is expected to announce news on the policy “in the coming days,” his office said Monday, declining to comment on whether the Democrat will opt in to the program. The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit supports scholarships to offset private school costs and other education expenses for both private and public school students. Tanisha Bhat/The Baltimore Sun.
COLUMN: POLITICAL SLOGANS OFTEN VANISH: “Leave no one behind.” Whether you see the phrase as aspirational or feel-good hokum, it is the most effective political phrase in Maryland today. When Gov. Wes Moore leaves office — at the end of an all-but-assured second term in 2030, or sooner for the national stage — he’ll take “Leave no one behind” with him. Political slogans are like that, written to carry just enough meaning to inspire at a particular moment in time. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
COLUMN: ON BEING KEVIN KAMENETZ’s SON AND HIS OWN PERSON: Karson Kamenetz is 25 years old, in law school, and about to become the youngest person ever to sit on the Baltimore County Council. His last name is the most famous in Baltimore County politics. His father, Kevin Kamenetz, built one of the strongest county organizations Maryland has ever seen and died in May 2018, days before the Democratic primary for governor. “Being my father’s son may get me in the door,” Karson told me, “but it’s still up to me to break the ice.” Barry Connell/The Maryland Wire.
HOWARD COUNTY LAUNCHES ONLINE REPORTING OF ICE ACTIVITIES: Howard County announced on Friday the launching of an online form in which people can report the activities of U.S. ICE in the county. “We believe every resident, regardless of immigration status, deserves to be treated with respect. Unfortunately, we have seen horrific incidents unfold between ICE agents and members of the public,” County Executive Calvin Ball said in a press release. Bridget Byrne/The Baltimore Sun.
SECRET SERVICE TOOK DOWN DRONE OVER FOOTBALL GAME IN B’MORE: The U.S. Secret Service in December took down a drone using electronic jamming equipment at the Army-Navy Game in Baltimore, where President Donald Trump, Gov. Wes Moore and other federal and state leaders were present, according to CBS News. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
CITY ED BOARD MEMBER DID NOT DISCLOSE ROLES THAT GOT TAXPAYER FUNDS: A Baltimore City school board member failed to disclose his leadership roles in two organizations that received more than $100,000 in taxpayer money from the school system he was responsible for overseeing. Patrick Hauf/The Baltimore Sun.
BETHESDA NUCLEAR COMPANY SEEKS TEXAS GRID CONNECTION: Bethesda-based Blue Energy Global Inc. has applied to connect a planned nuclear power project to the Texas electric grid. The company says it is the first Texas grid application involving small modular nuclear reactors. The project, planned for the Port of Victoria in Texas, would power a data center campus with two natural gas turbines and up to five 300-megawatt nuclear reactors. Karl Hille/The Baltimore Sun.
JUDGE CANCELS TAX-PAYER FUNDED TRUMP ADS MADE BY COLUMBIA FIRM: A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump to cancel any remaining taxpayer-funded television commercials made by a Columbia-based advertising agency, even as the administration said the ad campaign was coming to an end. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rochon in New York on Sunday sided with a coalition, which includes the nonpartisan watchdog Common Cause, that challenged the ads as an illegal misuse of funds. She told the administration to cancel any remaining ads, including those set to air that night. John-John Williams/The Baltimore Banner.
