But as the 90-day clock expires Monday, it turns out that at least seven of the nine counties that had the so-called with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have pulled out of those plans and an eighth said the agreement will not be enforced, even though it鈥檚 still on the books.

Most of the local departments dropped the 287(G) agreements either the same day or the day after Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed and into law Feb. 17. The emergency legislation took effect immediately upon his signature.

While they appear to have given up the 287(g) fight, however, sheriffs are still assessing a challenge to another immigration bill that passed during the waning hours on the last day of this year鈥檚 session: the . It is one of several immigration enforcement bills the governor has yet to sign, with just one more bill signing scheduled for May 26.

The majority Democratic legislature and the supporters of the argue it eliminates and distrust of police in communities where aggressive immigration tactics have been conducted and enforced by President Donald Trump (R) and his administration.

As of Sunday, , the agency had 1,832 law enforcement agencies in 39 states and two U.S. territories signed on to participate in the 287(g) program. Seven of the nine Maryland counties 鈥� Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, St. Mary鈥檚 and 鈥� already informed the agency they had to terminate their partnerships due to the passage of the law.

鈥淚 thank you for your partnership since 2019 and your efforts to help me keep our communities safer,鈥� wrote Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams in a Feb. 17 letter addressed to Vernon Liggins, acting field office director in the Baltimore ICE office.

But the agency鈥檚 website lists two Maryland counties still participating: Garrett and Washington.

A representative from the Garrett County Sheriff Office didn鈥檛 respond to requests for comment Friday.

Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert said that because the 287(g) ban took effect immediately, the agreement 鈥渋s pretty much null and void. We鈥檙e not participating in the 287(g) program. We just don鈥檛 have a lot of people with detainers on them that are processing through the jail. There鈥檚 not a large immigrant community here in Washington County.鈥�

But Albert and some other sheriffs are assessing legal advice about the Community Trust Act.

sponsored by Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Anne Arundel and Howard), which was made an emergency measure, would prohibit local or state police from holding a person for ICE, except in limited scenarios: If a person was convicted of a felony in the United States; is a registered sex offender; served between 12 to 18 months in a state prison; or committed an offense in another state and served at least five years in prison.

A major part of the bill requires federal officials to present a judicial warrant to hold someone, not just an administrative warrant.

One of the main complaints from Republican lawmakers and some sheriffs is the act will not only decrease cooperation with federal officials, but also force law enforcement agencies to follow both federal and state law they say conflict with each other.

鈥淲e鈥檙e sworn to uphold the constitution of the United States and the state of Maryland. The Community Trust Act puts us in a very tough predicament,鈥� Albert said.

鈥楬ave some standing鈥�

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler posted a video April 15 on urging the governor to veto the Community Trust Act.

鈥淭his legislation is a direct assault on public safety. It officially bans our law enforcement and correctional officers from communicating with our federal partners at the Department of Homeland Security,鈥� Gahler said in video.

He reiterated that point said in an interview Thursday.

鈥淭he governor hasn鈥檛 signed it. We鈥檙e waiting on [whether] if he vetoes it, or allows it to become law after 30 days if he doesn鈥檛 veto it or sign it,鈥� Gahler said. 鈥淲e have talked with attorneys. We think we might have some standing. I hope we don鈥檛 get there. I hope he does the right thing and vetoes this terrible bill.鈥�

Another immigration-related bill awaiting the governor鈥檚 signature is the which seeks to close loopholes in the state鈥檚 Public Information Act and prohibit a business from selling personal data of an individual 鈥渇or the purpose of immigration enforcement.鈥�

鈥淭he signing of these bills are going to be career defining for our governor and going to mark his legacy on immigration at a time when our communities are under attack,鈥� said Cathryn Jackson, policy director for We Are CASA.

As for the 287(g) legislation advocates pushed for more than a decade to get, Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George鈥檚) said 鈥渋t鈥檚 a big deal.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just really unfortunate we are in this political climate we are in today with a federal administration in trying to prevent people from obtaining the American dream,鈥� said Williams, who sponsored the House version of the 287(g) legislation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about people who are searching for a better life for their family. When we talk about American exceptionalism, our immigration system is a part of that,鈥� she said.

is part of States 91欧美激情room, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.

Source

Last summer, the state began requiring park users to聽聽in order to visit five state parks, including Sandy Point and Newtowne Neck. Popular beaches at each of those parks had drawn miles-long lines of cars on warm sunny days, sometimes beginning as early as 3 a.m., filling parks to capacity and forcing park rangers to turn visitors away.

State park officials say the registration requirement brought a dramatic improvement, and eliminated early park closures. The system聽, and an associated call center took more than 4,000 calls, according to the Maryland Park Service, which is part of the state鈥檚 Department of Natural Resources.

鈥淲e really pressed this thing against the most significant challenge places to see if we could break it. And it worked. It never broke. I would say it was an unqualified success,鈥� said Paul Peditto, assistant secretary of land resources at the department.

Now, they鈥檙e looking to implement the same system at popular areas of at least eight new parks across the state, including Gunpowder Falls, Swallow Falls, Rocky Gap and Rocks State Park, according to a list provided by Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Gregg Bortz.

But the state is also eyeing different avenues for expansion. At some park locations with unmonitored 鈥渉onor boxes,鈥� where visitors are supposed to insert their park entry fee in cash, the department will instead post a QR code that visitors must scan on their cellphones to pay the fee before a gate will lift, allowing them to enter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exactly the same as if we had Ranger Paul sitting there and he manually enters you into the thing, takes your cash or your credit card, and then hits the button to open the gate 鈥� but it鈥檚 all automated,鈥� Peditto said.

The department is also looking to bring the reservation system to several shooting ranges operated by the state, Bortz said, including at Green Ridge and Savage River state forests.

The park service was hoping to start installing the system at new parks as soon as possible, so that it may reach some parks by June. But the arrangement with Kaizen Labs, the contractor installing the systems, faced a hang-up at last week鈥檚 Maryland Board of Public Works meeting, where it must be approved in order to go forward.

After pushback from the board, which includes the governor, the state treasurer and the comptroller, the department withdrew the agenda item. Agency staffers said they were asked to provide additional documentation on the agreement with Kaizen, including comparisons to other state park reservation systems nationally. The matter could be reintroduced as soon as the board鈥檚 next meeting on May 20, and department officials are optimistic that it will be.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just going back and we鈥檙e going to redo that economic assessment for the board, and continue to keep moving forward,鈥� said Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz.

Under the deal, the state won鈥檛 pay Kaizen a lump sum, but rather tack on a 23% processing fee to each entry payment, which would go directly to the company. State park entry fees often range between $3 to $5 per person, so the fees could increase by more than a dollar per visitor.

It鈥檚 the same arrangement that took hold at last year鈥檚 slate of five parks. Peditto said the agency received 鈥渘o pushback鈥� on the slight fee increase in 2025.

鈥淢ost people figured out: 鈥業 would gladly pay $1.70 extra to know that I鈥檝e got a spot in line and I鈥檓 going to get in,鈥欌�� Peditto said.

鈥楧ishonor boxes鈥�

Kurtz still remembers the reception he got when he stopped his car at an entrance at Greenbrier State Park last winter, hoping to drop an entry fee in the park鈥檚 collection box.

鈥淚t鈥檚 free! Keep moving!鈥� yelled a person from a car behind Kurtz, with some obscenities mixed in, according to the secretary.

By requiring online payment at the gate, the department is hoping to change that paradigm, Kurtz said, and recoup revenue that would otherwise be lost.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in a tough budget situation. We鈥檙e not changing the fee structure. We鈥檙e just enforcing it,鈥� he said.

Peditto said he jokingly calls the collection tins 鈥渄ishonor boxes,鈥� since they鈥檙e frequently ignored 鈥� sometimes maliciously, and sometimes not.

鈥淣obody carries cash with them anymore,鈥� Peditto said. 鈥淭hey ask for three or five dollars and you鈥檙e like 鈥� 鈥業 want to pay you, but I don鈥檛 have a way of doing it.鈥� This solves that problem, too.鈥�

The new procedure also has safety benefits, Peditto said.

Now, park rangers will have an online record of each park entrant, and precisely when they arrived at the entry gate, Peditto said. The system will make it easier for park rangers to realize that someone hasn鈥檛 exited the park in a timely fashion, a possible signal that they are lost or injured in a park, Peditto said.

Rangers would also immediately know more about the potentially lost visitor, making it easier for them to reach emergency contacts, and more quickly ascertain where the person may be stranded.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure there鈥檚 some folks who think that that鈥檚 maybe too much Big Brother government,鈥� Peditto said. 鈥淲e look at it as a pretty darn good safety net.鈥�

The agency is hopeful that visitors who don鈥檛 have the proper technology on hand when they arrive at the gate 鈥� or struggle to use it 鈥� will be few and far between, Peditto said. But there is still a contingency plan.

鈥淓very location has a phone number you can call. We have a 24/7 dispatch system at DNR,鈥� Peditto said. 鈥淲e will figure out a way to get them in.鈥�

Expanding the system

The reservation system might be a byproduct of the coronavirus pandemic, which caused a dramatic increase in Maryland state park visitation. In 2020, 21.5 million visitors came to Maryland state parks, a 45% increase over the previous record-breaking year.

After COVID, the numbers decreased slightly from the 2020 peak, but stayed considerably higher than pre-pandemic, according to the park service.

The park service plans to expand the online system as widely as possible, Peditto said. But many parks are not a natural fit, and the system likely won鈥檛 be deployed there, he said. The initial focus is on parks with traffic queues and other issues, he said.

鈥淚t would be, I don鈥檛 know, irresponsible to say we鈥檙e going to figure out a way to force everybody to come into Dan鈥檚 Mountain Wildlife Management Area on like a 5-mile long road right through the middle of it, and try to figure out how to capture all of them.鈥�

The park service is hopeful that the fee arrangement with Kaizen will aid in the program鈥檚 expansion, Peditto said.

鈥淲e thought that that would better incentivize the vendor to sort of grow the model with us,鈥� Peditto said.

The vendor did not make a profit on the arrangement in 2025, he said.

鈥淚 know for sure that this was not something that they were bragging to their investors about the first year,鈥� Peditto said.

Source

They were reacting to a 13-minute video podcast in which Dels. Mark N. Fisher (R-Calvert) and Brian Chisholm (R-Anne Arundel) accused Del. Chao Wu (D-Howard and Montgomery), who is a native of China, of being a spy for the Chinese government. Throughout the video, Fisher and Chisholm also make references to how Wu talks.

The video was first flagged Friday by House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel), who wrote Fisher and Chisholm urging them to delete the video and apologize to Wu.

It was followed Monday by statements from the legislature鈥檚 Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, even the leader of the House Republican Caucus, all of whom said the video was out of line.

鈥淴enophobia and bigotry have no place in the Maryland legislature,鈥� Del. Lily Qi (D-Montgomery), chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, said in a written statement Monday. 鈥淎s a data scientist, Delegate Chao Wu is an asset to our legislative work. One can debate the merit of a bill without resorting to racist name-calling and unfounded accusations.鈥�

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland condemned 鈥渋n the strongest possible terms the racist, xenophobic, and deeply offensive remarks,鈥� directed at Wu.

鈥淩hetoric that seeks to demean, otherize, or question the legitimacy of an elected official based on race, ethnicity, ancestry, or the way they speak is unacceptable and dangerous,鈥� according to the Monday statement from the Black Caucus. 鈥淪uch conduct debases public discourse, fuels division, and undermines the dignity owed to every Marylander.鈥�

Fisher and Chisholm started their podcast on the 鈥渄umbest bill in America鈥� by naming a bill that was actually introduced by Wu in the 2025 General Assembly.聽, which died in committee without a vote, would have prompted developers of generative artificial intelligence programs to disclose where they obtained the data that was used to train and update the AI system.

Fisher claimed that the bill would have required private companies to disclose 鈥渢rade secrets.鈥� The bill had eight cosponsors whom Fisher and Chisholm do not mention.

They then cite a nine-month old Washington Examiner story that said Wu had been involved 20 years ago, as a college student, with a campus organization that the State Department in Trump鈥檚 first term said had ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Chisholm says it鈥檚 part of the Chinese government鈥檚 plan to 鈥渟end in spies, people like Chao Wu, and try to gain intelligence.鈥�

Throughout the video, Fisher and Chisholm make references to Wu鈥檚 looks and how he speaks. Almost 11 minutes into the video, which was posted April 30 on X, Fisher offered the 鈥渋mportant caveat鈥� that 鈥渂ecause you鈥檙e Asian doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e a Chinese Communist,鈥� but continued to imply that Wu was working for the Chinese government.

Wu said that he had 鈥渘o idea鈥� why the two Republicans decided to make him the center of the video. He rejected their claims.

鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e ever been called a Chinese spy,鈥� Wu said. 鈥淯nfortunately, Chinese Americans have always been targeted by xenophobia or just racism.鈥�

Wu was born in Yingshan, Hubei, China and came to Maryland in 2003 for graduate school at University of Maryland, College Park to get a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering. He served on the Howard County School Board from 2018-2022 and began his term with the House of Delegates in 2023.

Neither Fisher nor Chisholm responded to requests for comment Monday.

Both delegates are part of a seven-member group of hard-right Republicans know as the Maryland Freedom Caucus. The caucus did not explicitly defend their statements Monday, instead accusing Pe帽a-Melnyk of聽聽of lawmakers rather than dealing with the state鈥檚 economic problems.

滨苍听, Pe帽a-Melnyk expressed 鈥減rofound disappointment鈥� at the podcast statements that she called 鈥渙ffensive, unacceptable, and beneath the dignity of this institution.鈥�

鈥淩educing a colleague to harmful stereotypes, questioning his loyalty because of where he was born, and mocking the way he speaks is disrespectful and unbecoming of anyone entrusted with public service. It echoes a long and painful history of discrimination that has no place in Maryland or in the House of Delegates,鈥� wrote Pe帽a-Melnyk, herself an immigrant from the Dominican Republic.

鈥淣ational political figures who traffic in racist tropes to sow division and fear have tried to make this kind of rhetoric feel normal. It is not. In Maryland, we will call it out and denounce it at every turn,鈥� her letter said.

House Minority Leader, Del. Jason Buckel (R-Allegany), said he had 鈥渘o reason to believe鈥� that Wu was 鈥渟omehow affiliated with the Chinese government as an American citizen and elected official.鈥�

鈥淭here is no place for discrimination or prejudicial treatment toward Asian Americans based on their ethnicity in our party and that鈥檚 not something our Caucus engages in or promotes in any way,鈥� Buckel said in a statement Monday.

In a follow-up interview Buckel said he doesn鈥檛 believe Chisholm and Fisher are racist, but said that he wouldn鈥檛 blame Wu for feeling 鈥渟ingled out鈥� for being accused of what Buckel called a 鈥渜uite serious offense that shouldn鈥檛 be made light-heartedly.鈥�

Source

The finalists鈥� identities were not released, but a search committee official expressed confidence their qualifications to run Maryland鈥檚 second-largest school system.

鈥淥ur committee worked diligently to lead a transparent, community鈥慸riven search grounded in the values of Prince George鈥檚 County,鈥� committee Chair James Bell Jr. said in a Friday statement. 鈥淭he finalists we have recommended reflect the leadership qualities our families, students, and staff told us matter most. We are confident this process will support the selection of a superintendent committed to strong, student鈥慶entered progress for PGCPS.鈥�

According to the Maryland State Department of Education, Braveboy is expected to make a selection from the finalists by June 1.

Braveboy appointed the current interim superintendent Shawn Joseph in June 2025 for the 2025-26 school year. State law requires a three-person search committee be named to help find a permanent leader, with Bell named by State Superintendent Carey Wright and the other two members 鈥� county residents Jennifer Avelar and Gordon L. Sampson 鈥� appointed by Gov. Wes Moore (D).

Forwarding the finalists ended the search committee鈥檚 role in the process. It is unclear whether Joseph applied for the permanent job.

Earlier, Braveboy鈥檚 office and the county鈥檚 school board partnered with PoliHire, a D.C.-based search firm, to find the next superintendent. It surveyed nearly 4,300 county residents between February and March on what they would like to see in the next superintendent.

An April report summarized five characteristics identified in that survey: community-centered and transparent communicator; operationally strong and results-driven leader; strategic and responsible fiscal steward; culture-builder and organizational leader; and instructionally focused education leader.

The majority of respondents identified as teachers/licensed professionals (1,889) and parents/guardians (1,827).

Those who participated in the survey outlined three strengths based on whether respondents agree or disagree. They agreed 鈥渟chools are safe,鈥� the 鈥渨orkforce is effective鈥� and 鈥渢echnology is well integrated.鈥� They disagreed with the statements 鈥渟tudents are college and career ready鈥� and 鈥淧GCPS is fiscally responsible.鈥� The most cited area of concern that most respondents disagreed with was 鈥渇acilities are well maintained.鈥�

The search committee recommended the candidates reach out to parent and student representative groups, employee organizations and community and business leaders.

In addition, the committee 鈥渆ncouraged more dialogue with Latino community groups due to the low survey response rate.鈥� This is based on lower response rates 鈥渋n more densely populated, lower-income, and linguistically diverse communities in northern Prince George鈥檚 County,鈥� according to the survey report.

Once Braveboy selects a candidate, that person鈥檚 name will be sent to the county school board for approval by June 30. The state superintendent then makes the final decision to appoint that person to a four-year term.

Source

But abortion advocates say a Supreme Court case reviewing mail access for mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen used for both medication abortions and miscarriage care, could threaten the ability of Marylanders to get abortion medication by mail.

鈥淭here鈥檚 often the misconception that we are safe in Maryland from these politically motivated attacks on abortion,鈥� Lynn McCann-Yeh, executive director for the Abortion Fund of Maryland, said Tuesday. 鈥淭his particular Supreme Court case is so concerning because it has nationwide implications on how mifepristone can be dispensed and prescribed if this court case moves forward.鈥�

Last Friday, May 1, blocked a 2023 U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule that allowed mifepristone to be dispensed without an in-person visit with a physician.

That decision briefly blocked health providers from sending the medication through the mail nationwide, creating chaos and confusion for abortion providers and patients in Maryland, according to Karen J. Nelson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland.

But Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on the appellate court鈥檚 decision until May 11, giving both sides time to file briefs in the case 鈥� and allowing mifepristone to be sent over the mail for at least one more week.

鈥淭his is politically motivated and it鈥檚 a darn shame that our patients have to be concerned about this,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淭he voters in the state of Maryland have demanded that reproductive health care be available in this state, and they codified it in the state constitution two Novembers ago.鈥�

Anti-abortion organizations like the Maryland Family Institute agree that the court case has significant implications for reworking abortion policies across the United States and in Maryland.

Jonathan Alexandre, legislative counsel for the Maryland Family Institute, said the temporary stay by the Supreme Court was a 鈥渟uper-wise decision鈥� to allow time to gather enough evidence and data to make the case that sending mifepristone through the mail is harmful.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 shy away from realizing the cataclysmic effect this will have on reorienting the entire nation鈥檚 laws when it comes to protecting life in the womb,鈥� Alexandre said.

The court challenge was brought by the state of Louisiana, which argues that the FDA鈥檚 2023 decision to no longer require in-person visits for mifepristone undermines its near-total ban on abortion, allowing providers from other states to send the medication into Louisiana through the mail.

Louisiana also claims that it paid $92,000 in Medicaid bills for two women who needed medical care due to complications related to mifepristone.

But the current lawsuit against mifepristone has nationwide implications and could threaten even Maryland residents from receiving the medication from a Maryland provider, even though abortions are legal in the state.

鈥淲hile it was great that there was this kind of temporary reprieve 鈥� we know that the broader case is still unresolved,鈥� McCann-Yeh said. 鈥淭elehealth medication abortion is an increasingly important way of accessing abortion care in the country.鈥�

Abortion in the U.S. has become a patchwork of state policies since June 2022, when the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women鈥檚 Health Organization largely overturned federal abortion protections and sent the issue back to legislatures.

Some states, such as Louisiana, have near-total bans for abortion services, while states like Maryland are known as 鈥渟hield law鈥� states that protect providers from prosecution for providing abortion care to residents in more-restrictive states.

Nationally, approximately 27% of abortions happen through telehealth services, according to 2025the聽 data from the Society of Family Planning, a research and advocacy group that publishes an annual report called #WeCount. That鈥檚 up from just 5% nationwide in early 2022, before the Dobbs decision.

In Maryland, an average of 533 abortions a month took place through telehealth services from June 2024 through June 2025, according to most recent #WeCount data. An average of 2,729 abortions a month occurred in person at Maryland clinics during the same period.

Compare that to data from before the Dobbs decision, when 40 Marylanders received telehealth abortions in April 2022 and just 50 in May 2022.

While most abortions occur in clinics still, McCann-Yeh said the Supreme Court could block the ability to receive mifepristone in the mail, creating hurdles for Marylanders seeking abortion care.

鈥淔or a Maryland resident who may not be able to get to a clinic, this is a huge logistical hurdle,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou now have to travel to the clinic, which might be anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours away.

鈥淚f you are a parent or have disabilities, if you鈥檙e working to make ends meet and you鈥檙e concerned about costs 鈥� all of these create a lot of additional hassles that people in Maryland would have to go to get abortion care that鈥檚 otherwise protected and supported in their state,鈥� McCann-Yeh said.

Meanwhile, in states with strict abortion bans, such as Louisiana or Maryland鈥檚 neighbor West Virginia, approximately 96% to 100% of abortions were acquired through telehealth services in 2025, according to the data.

Abortion advocates say some providers in Maryland will prescribe and send abortion medications like mifepristone through the mail to residents in other states who are unable to get them otherwise. It鈥檚 not clear how much mifepristone is sent out of Maryland into states with more restrictive abortion bans, but Alexandre says that the state鈥檚 lax telehealth requirements put women at risk.

鈥淵ou have males buying this and forcing women to take it, or women will take it past the age of gestation that are safe for ingesting this pill,鈥� Alexandre said. 鈥淲hat this law that Louisiana has passed, and ultimately what the court is going to review, is saying whether or not you should put these safety protocols in place to ensure that the dangers of this pill are fully addressed and that women are offered the protection that they need.鈥�

Abortion providers like Nelson with Planned Parenthood are continuing to provide telehealth care to Marylanders, as she said the organization does not send mifepristone out of state.

But behind the scenes, staff with Planned Parenthood and other abortion advocacy groups are preparing for what may happen if the Supreme Court takes up the Louisiana case.

鈥淲e鈥檙e super glad that the recent stay does temporarily restore access to medication abortions by telehealth,鈥� Nelson said, 鈥淏ut with the chaos and the confusion, with the back and forth between rulings does have an impact on those who are seeking sexual and reproductive health care.鈥�

Source

The Legislative Policy Committee, in a May 4 letter to the authority, also imposed a 45-day delay while it reviews the proposed purchase of the track, which is supposed to be transformed into a state-of-the-art training facility.

The pause will not affect the May 16 running of the 151st Preakness Stakes, which is being run at Laurel Park while the race鈥檚 traditional home, Pimlico in Baltimore, is being razed and rebuilt.

But the聽, made up of House and Senate leaders, want to take a closer look at the long-term plans for Laurel Park 鈥渢o get a full accounting of the dollars that have gone out and plan for the dollars ahead,鈥� Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Wednesday.

鈥淎s budgets get tighter, every dollar has to be scrutinized even further. And so I think the legislature has an interest in really understanding the full game plan of where we are headed to make sure that we鈥檙e getting the best value for public investment,鈥� Ferguson told Maryland Matters after a campaign event in Baltimore.

The authority announced two weeks ago that it reached a $48.5 million deal to buy the facility from 1/ST Maryland LLC. Officials framed it as a deal that would save the state $50 million over the costs of converting a Carroll County farm into the state鈥檚 training facility.

After buying Shamrock Farms for $4.5 million in August, it was determined that the cost of turning the 328-acre property into the training center the state wanted would be excessive and environmentally problematic.

Ferguson said that the recommendation to buy Shamrock Farms 鈥渃ame to us after what we believed was sufficient, due diligence, clearly was not sufficient, and what happened in that purchase was not just a mistake 鈥� it feels like it sent the state backwards. I think there are a lot of concerns and questions about the purchase overall.鈥�

Ferguson said in hindsight he wishes the state had not purchased Shamrock Farms.

鈥淣ow we have to figure out what we can do to mitigate the damage of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淐an the state afford the purchase of a second property to mitigate the issues with Shamrock, because it鈥檚 not usable.鈥�

The deals are the latest twist in the state鈥檚 ongoing efforts to preserve a horseracing industry in Maryland, which supporters like聽Gov. Wes Moore (D) claim provides nearly 30,000 jobs and $3 billion in economic activity for the state.

Even so, racing has struggled for decades in Maryland. The decaying Pimlico Race Course, home of the second leg of racing鈥檚 Triple Crown, became a symbol of the industry鈥檚 decline.

鈥淚t just seems like other than the Preakness, it just doesn鈥檛 seem to have the support, you know, from the public at large, to survive,鈥� state Treasurer Dereck Davis (D) said Wednesday. 鈥淏ut this isn鈥檛 football and this isn鈥檛 baseball or basketball. Those are really, whether we want to admit it or not, those are the pasttimes in America and here in Maryland.鈥�

In 2024, lawmakers passed legislation meant to give another 鈥� perhaps final 鈥� chance to horse racing with the so-called Pimlico Plus Plan, which consolidated thoroughbred racing in the state. Tracks owned by the Stronach Family and 1/ST would close, with the exception of Pimlico, effectively making the state government the operator of thoroughbred racing in Maryland.

鈥淚 think there are generalized concerns about the long-term stability of the industry,鈥� said Ferguson, adding that the state has been in the business 鈥渇or decades. 鈥� I think that鈥檚 been a challenge that we keep navigating over and over again.鈥�

The 2024 plan called for Pimlico to be razed and replaced by a modern facility overseen by a state-created Maryland Thoroughbred Race Track Operating Authority, which would also oversee planned enhancements for the surrounding Park Heights community.

The state would finance the purchase of a property to create a state-of-the-art training facility. When all was said and done, there would be 120 racing days at Pimlico.

Within a year of passing the Pimlico Plus legislation, cracks in the plan began to show. The legislature decommissioned the race track authority and divided its work between the stadium authority, to oversee construction of a new Pimlico and the training facility, and the Maryland Economic Development Corp., to oversee economic development around the track, including a possible hotel and parking garage.

The agreement also included an 鈥渆xclusive and perpetual license鈥� to the state for rights to the Preakness for an initial 10 years, starting this July. The deal automatically extends in five-year increments unless terminated by the state. Under that deal, the state agreed to pay 1/ST a $3 million base fee that increases by 2% annually, as well as 2% of the handle from races.

The Stronach Family and 1/ST agreed under the deal to put the Woodlawn Vase trophy, awarded to the winner of the Preakness, on permanent loan to the state. The vase, valued at an estimated $7 million, is considered one of the most valuable in sports.

But two weeks ago, 1/ST announced an $85 million deal with Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, for the intellectual property rights to the Preakness and Black-eyed Susan stakes and all associated trademarks and memorabilia. The agreement remains subject to the state鈥檚 earlier licensing deal.

The legislators鈥� letter is focused on the sudden shift from Shamrock Farms to Laurel Park for a training facility, a proposal taht 鈥渋s less expensive maybe intuitively appealing, [but] no estimates or timelines have been provided.鈥�

鈥淎lthough MSA [the stadium authority] asserts that Laurel Park is a more suitable project, not much is known about the costs associated with construction of a facility at Shamrock Farm or Laurel Park,鈥� said the two-page letter, a copy of which was obtained by Maryland Matters. 鈥淢SA has not provided detailed cost estimates for construction or environmental mitigation at either location. MSA has also not disclosed its plan for Shamrock Farm if Laurel Park is purchased.鈥�

Stadium authority officials pledged at the time to 鈥渆ngage in collaborative conversations鈥� with Carroll County government officials on possible future uses for Shamrock Farms. But no details were provided.

A stadium authority spokesperson was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

The existence of the lawmakers鈥� letter became public during a discussion at Wednesday鈥檚 Board of Public Works meeting of a聽聽for outdoor LED boards, food service and laundry equipment for the Pimlico. Davis, a member of the board, said that 鈥渁t some point 鈥e have to get it [the horseracing industry] to sink or swim.鈥�

鈥淐an it survive? We can鈥檛 keep pouring massive amounts of dollars into this industry for the third weekend in May,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I know, I know the conversations about year-round, but that鈥檚 not really working, which is why we鈥檙e here.鈥�

The contract is the seventh since October 2024 to come before the board, which has approved nearly $184 million for the project.

Davis said the continued expense of underwriting the flagging horseracing industry will take resources from other areas.

鈥淲hat are we forgoing in terms of the difference we can make in our communities?鈥� he asked. 鈥淭hese kinds of dollars will make a difference 鈥� and a lasting difference.鈥�

Davis supported the measure but his comments underlined a growing frustration held by some over the continued costs.

鈥淚f you have to come back here in another year or two, or whatever, with another proposal or another way to bring it along 鈥� I think we鈥檙e going to have to have a serious conversation about what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淚s this the right approach or is this a commitment we want to keep on making, despite the fact that maybe we already know what the outcome is going to be.鈥�

– Maryland Matters reporter Christine Condon contributed to this story.

Source

鈥淧erhaps it鈥檚 a bit of tragic poetry that, in the midst of an affordability crisis, that even the cost of running to represent the people of Maryland鈥檚 Fifth Congressional District is too high,鈥� Williams said in a聽聽post Tuesday afternoon.

鈥淚 believe in earnest that I remain the best candidate to fight and work for Marylanders in Washington, to speak truth to power, and to be a tireless progressive voice for women, immigrants, and marginalized communities,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淎las, the reality is that winning this fight would require resources that this campaign simply doesn鈥檛 have, and keeping pace with our opponents鈥� spending is an impossible hurdle to clear.鈥�

The timing of the announcement also means that Williams, an attorney with the firm Rees Broome in Tysons Corner, Virginia, will lose her seat in the House of Delegates in January, since the deadline for her to file for reelection to that seat passed in February.

Williams does not plan to endorse any of the 23 Democrats remaining in the race to succeed Hoyer, who is stepping down after 45 years.

One of those candidates is fellow Prince George鈥檚 County Democratic Del. Adrian Boafo, who became the candidate to beat after he was聽聽in January.

David Karol, an associate professor of government and politics at University of Maryland, College Park, said Boafo 鈥渋s probably favored鈥� based on the money he has 鈥� he reported having聽聽as of March 31, according to his Federal Election Commission report 鈥� and major endorsements, from Hoyer and both the national and state聽.

Karol聽 said 鈥渋t鈥檚 possible鈥� a few more candidates decide to drop out of the race as early voting in the primary election approaches, from June 11-18. Election Day is for the primary is June 23.

鈥淚n a crowded field, it鈥檚 hard to get attention and break through,鈥� Karol said. 鈥淪ome candidates will feel like there鈥檚 no point to sticking it out to the end with several weeks to go. They would spend more money at a time they don鈥檛 see a realistic path.鈥�

The other two candidates to pay attention to, Karol said, are former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and businesswoman Quincy Bareebe. Dunn has raised more than $2 million and Bareebe has self-funded most of her $3 million campaign.

But there is no shortage of other candidates. Besides Boafo, other elected officials in the race are聽Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles), Prince George鈥檚 County Councilmember Wala Blegay and Charles County Commission President Reuben Collins II.

In addition to Dunn and Bareebe, other Democrats in the race are former Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Mark Arness, Ellis Colvin, Elldwnia 鈥淓lla鈥� English, Terry Antonio Jackson II, Harry Jarin, Walter Kirkland, Jerry Lightfoot, Heather Luper, James Makle Jr., Leigha Messick, Keith Salkowski, Kenneth Simons, Alexis Solis, Tracy Starr, Dave Sundberg and Harold Tolbert.

There are also three Republicans in that primary race 鈥� Chris Chaffee, Bryan DuVal and Michelle Talkington 鈥� and three independents who plan to run in the November general election 鈥� Mildred Marie Hall, Jonathan Burruss and Brian Jordan.

But the Democratic nominee will be a strong favorite in the 5th District, where registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a more than 2-to-1 ratio in 2024. The he includes the three Southern Maryland counties of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary鈥檚 with portions of Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel counties.

鈥淭he primary is going to choose the next Congress member in that district,鈥� Karol said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no path for a Republican in that district. The Democratic primary is the ball game.鈥�

鈥楥ourageous leader鈥�

Williams was appointed to the House from legislative District 22 in December 2019 to replace former Del. Tawanna Gaines (D), who resigned earlier that month. Williams was elected to the seat in 2022 and has earned praise for several pieces of legislation she sponsored this year.

That included the bill to ban so-called 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement agencies and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed that bill into law during the first month of the 90-day legislative session.

It was the second year for her聽聽which died in the last minutes of the 2025 legislative session.

Also this year, Williams served as lead sponsor of聽聽to prohibit law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, from wearing face coverings when working in the state. That will was a response to ICE sweeps around the country by masked agents often without identification. Her bill did not advance beyond a House committee, but the聽聽sponsored by Sen. Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George鈥檚) did pass and is expected to be signed by the governor this month.

Williams has served as the chair of the Prince George鈥檚 County House delegation since 2024.

With the departure of Williams and Del. Anne Healy (D), who isn鈥檛 seeking reelection after more than 35 years in the House, Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George鈥檚) is the only current District 22 lawmaker who will return in January, if he is reelected this fall.

鈥淚t鈥檚 bittersweet,鈥� Martinez, 30, said of the departuers of both Williams and Healy. 鈥淏oth of them have really shown what leadership looks like for our district.鈥�

Martinez called Williams a 鈥渃ourageous leader.鈥�

鈥淚 am just really proud in her time that she has 鈥� been able to cement herself in the law and been able to really put her stamp on shaping policy and ensuring that our values are not just something that we speak, but what we live, and that鈥檚 the work she has done,鈥� he said.

Source

The work was authorized by passage of one of several school system-backed bills passed in the just-ended General Assembly session, the state Board of Education was told Tuesday. School officials called it a 鈥渧ery successful year鈥� for schools in the legislature, which they attributed in part to greater involvement in Annapolis by State Superintendent Carey Wright, Board President Joshua Michael and other department officials.

鈥淭his is not easy work. It鈥檚 time consuming,鈥� Wright said Tuesday.

HB 1582 gives the department the flexibility to possibly get rid of the current school rating system. It is not among the more than 350 bills signed into law so far by the governor, including more than 200 on Tuesday.

Tim Guy, assistant state superintendent of assessment and accountability, said the change in revamping the rating system will modernize it and ensure it matches the work being done now, such as the Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future education reform plan.

Guy said the Accountability Advisory Committee, which earlier recommended eliminating , would reconvene to assess what system to incorporate on how to rate schools and student achievement. The goal would be to present a proposal for public comment later this year and submit a document early next year to the U.S. Department of Education.

If that gets approved, then hopefully a new rating system would be ready for the 2027-28 school year 鈥渂ased on 2026-27 data,鈥� he said in an interview during a break in the meeting. The board met at the Anne Arundel County Public Schools board meeting room Tuesday because of HVAC work being done on the state Department of Education building in Baltimore. where the board normally meets.

The department-requested bill, sponsored by House Ways and Means Chair Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery), adds a couple of other school quality indicators to assess accountability in the schools. Those include school staffing measures that make sure schools have adequate personnel, and completion of a 鈥渨ell-rounded curriculum鈥� that doesn鈥檛 simply focus on reading, writing and arithmetic.

The bill also requires the department to provide an update by July 1, 2027, to the board and the General Assembly 鈥渙n final school quality and student success metrics鈥� that include analyses of how those measures correlate with student poverty trends.

The bill, which would take effect July 1, is expected to be signed into law by the governor in one of the two remaining bill-signing sessions next month.

Other measures

Some of the other education-related measures approved by the legislature include sponsored by Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) on a request from the Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future Accountability and Implementation Board, known as the AIB. It has not yet been signed into law.

The bill made minor revisions to the Blueprint education reform plan, such as extending the 鈥渉old harmless鈥� provision to fund programs for multilingual learners, students in poverty and those in special education through fiscal 2028. That provision protects those students from any per pupil funding cuts that come along.

The bill, which would take effect July 1, also extends the time for a teacher who wants to become a principal to receive National Board Certification, from July 1, 2029, to July 1, 2034.

Another provision in the bill deals with dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take college courses locally with the tuition paid by their school district. The bill extends authority of the AIB and the state Board of Education, 鈥渋n consultation with local school systems,鈥� from fiscal 2027 to fiscal 2030 and may limit the number and types of courses a student can take at a local college.

Two other bills highlighted 鈥� and 鈥� would require applicants in direct contact with children in a childcare facility to submit to 鈥渃riminal history record checks.鈥�

The bills, sponsored by Sen. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel) and Del. April Miller (R-Frederick), also require the department to establish a centralizing background check unit to process and manage records for all childcare workers by June 30, 2027. Laurel Cratsley, executive director of government affairs, said record checks are currently done at 13 regional offices across the state.

The bills also allow the department to appoint a deputy state superintendent to specifically focus on early childhood education.

To help decrease staffing shortages at early childcare centers, the bills provide a probationary employment period for those applying for the first time to work as a childcare teacher in a center that serves children at least 2 years old. The current law is a preschool or center with children who are 3 years old.

The bills, which have yet to be signed, go into effect Oct. 1.

鈥楽uccessful year鈥�

Wright and other state school officials were a bit more involved in this year鈥檚 legislative session than in the past.

According to a breakdown of written testimony, about 174 total letters on legislation were submitted by department officials, about a 40% increase from last year. The department categorized the letters in four areas and compared them to last year. There were:

• 66 letters of support, a 94% increase;
• 27 letters of opposition, a 42% increase;
• 19 letters of support with amendments, a 36% increase; and
• 62 letters of information, a 5% increase.

Besides Wright and Michael traveling to Annapolis, department staff including Cratsley, Stefan Redding Lallinger, chief policy officer; Yvonne Harper, legislative liaison; and Maddie Houck, an education policy analyst, were involved this year.

Michael said all departmental bills were approved this year, which rarely happens.

鈥淲e leaned in. We engaged. That is a big deal,鈥� he said. 鈥淰ery successful year in terms of legislation. Now we have to do the work.鈥�

Source

Kanaiyah鈥檚 Laws named in memory of Kanaiyah Ward, a 16-year-old who died in a Baltimore hotel while in state custody last September from an apparent overdose of diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter allergy medicine.聽聽is one of several measures that aim to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

鈥淜anaiyah should be here today. What happened to her was a tragedy. What happened to Kanaiyah was unacceptable,鈥� Moore said during the bill-signing ceremony in the State House. 鈥淓very child in our care deserves the same standard of care that any one of us would expect and hope for our children.鈥�

It was one of more than 200 bills signed Tuesday,听 the second bill signing ceremony after the 2026 legislative session, with two more scheduled. Bills ranged from immigration protections to administrative improvements for Medicaid waiver recipients with developmental disabilities to a voting rights measure that passed in the literal last minutes of the legislative session.

Sponsors and supporters were on hand for each bill. For Kanaiyah鈥檚 Law, that was her grandfather, Michael Ward, and mother, Brooke Ward, who sniffled and held back tears during the governor鈥檚 comments on her daughter. After the signing, Moore presented two official signing pens to Brooke and Michael Ward, the first of dozens he would hand over to various bill supporters Tuesday.

After Kanaiyah鈥檚 death, the Department of Human Services instituted a new policy prohibiting the placement of foster children in unauthorized settings, like hotels and hospitals, overflow solutions that had been used by the state when it could not immediately find a foster placement. One of the several bipartisan foster care bills signed Tuesday,听codifies that policy.

Kanaiyah鈥檚 Law creates a new State Foster Youth Ombudsman in Human Services to serve as a neutral voice for youth in out-of-home placements. The new ombudsman will also investigate complaints made by foster kids and otherwise ensure that children in the state鈥檚 care are in safe and healthy locations.

The bill also creates a Guardian Assistance Program to help relative caregivers to become permanent legal guardians of foster kids that have been placed in their homes by removing financial barriers.

Voting rights, pricing protections, migrant safeguards, more

Among the other bills signed into law yesterday was one to prohibit the practice of changing groceries prices to be from shopper to shopper, based on a person鈥檚 personal data, what聽聽refers to as 鈥渄ynamic pricing.鈥�

鈥淎t a time when our people are being squeezed by the cost of everything 鈥� especially groceries,鈥� Moore said, 鈥渁t a time when technology can predict what we need, when we need it, when we鈥檒l pay for it, and when we鈥檒l pay more for it 鈥� Maryland is not just pushing back, Maryland is pushing forward.鈥�

The legislation was a priority measure for Moore as well as Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel).

Moore also signed a series of bills focused on boosting protections for immigrants who may interact with federal immigration enforcement. Those bills require聽,听聽and other 鈥渟ensitive鈥� locations to create and adhere to policies on how staff should operate if there are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on the premises.

Ferguson said that those new laws will help protect Marylanders from some of the more 鈥渋nsidious immigration enforcement activities.鈥�

鈥淭hose campaigns have been intentionally built around instilling fear in communities,鈥� he said. 鈥淪chool personnel should not be used as ICE immigration officers, nor should they be able to share information with ICE about a child or parent.鈥�

One bill that almost didn鈥檛 pass in time to make it to the governor鈥檚 desk for approval was聽, the Voting Rights Act of 2026, given final approval in the House during the last five minutes of the last night of the session, amid a cacophony of opposition from Republicans who believed House rules were were being ignored to rush the bill through.

Ultimately, the bill passed just before the session ended at 11:59 p.m. on April 13, which Pe帽a-Melnyk noted several times during her comments Tuesday. SB 255 allows the attorney general or a resident to a county or local government based on 鈥減olarized voting.鈥� It also pushes to ensure county and municipal elections don鈥檛 dilute voter strength based on voters鈥� race, color or sexual orientation, among other characteristics. Because it鈥檚 an emergency measure, the bill became law immediately.

鈥淎t a time when the foundations of our democracy are being tested across the country, we are strengthening our right to vote,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said. 鈥淭hat little bill that could, I tell you. As I was up there with five minutes, I thought 鈥業 could not let it die on my watch,鈥� because there was so much at stake.鈥�

The legislation discussed at the bill signing ceremony only scratched the surface of the hundreds of bills signed into law Tuesday.

Moore also signed聽聽that will allow chicken farmers to begin constructing new chicken houses even if the general permit covering the industry has expired. The issue arose this year, when the Maryland Department of the Environment was late to reissue the permit, and any new construction was halted. Late last week, MDE issued the new permit, which will likely resolve the issue once it takes effect on May 8. But the bill will have an impact if the permit ever lapses again, so poultry industry groups still wanted to see it signed.

Also signed was聽聽to make it easier for people with developmental disabilities to hang on to their Medicaid waiver coverage if there are administrative errors on their annual reapplication process, an issue the community has been wrestling with for over a year.

In addition, the governor also signed聽to create a database that will help Marylanders on federal food assistance and Medicaid adhere to upcoming work requirements ushered in by the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress last year.

鈥淭hey may not all make the headlines, like the popular bills, but they are so important,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said. 鈥淭hey reflect the kind of steady, thoughtful work that keeps Maryland moving forward through our focus on affordability, accountability and opportunity.鈥�

Source

State officials said Tuesday that the decision to part ways with Kiewit Infrastructure as the project enters phase two, came down to a disagreement on price for completing the project.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been very pleased with the quality of the work and the timeliness of the work, and Kiewit will continue to do that work until it鈥檚 completed,鈥� said Transportation Secretary Kathryn Thomson.

Under the terms of the initial contract, Kiewit began the design and planning of the new bridge. The contract required the state to negotiate first with Kiewit on an option on phase two construction.

Those negotiations continued over the last three weeks but bogged down on the issue of price.

Thomson said state officials worked with Kiewit to 鈥渂etter understand their bid and what we believe is a reasonable cost for the bridge.鈥�

The cost of that replacement is currently estimated at $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion. It is not expected to open until the end of 2030 鈥� about two years later than originally projected.

鈥淲e ultimately decided that their bid was unacceptably high,鈥� Thomson said. 鈥淲e were not able to resolve the differences, although the discussions helped us better understand some of the source of the differences.鈥�

Because of the impasse, Thomson said the state will 鈥渙ff ramp鈥� Kiewit from the project.

Thomson declined to elaborate on the value of Kiewit鈥檚 bid, citing confidentiality restrictions.

The Nebraska-based firm . It will continue to work on the project until the end of the year. All told, the company will be paid about $700 million for its part in the project, according to transportation officials.

Thomson said the project will continue without interruption.

鈥淲e will go out to the market to seek competitive bids for phase two and expect to have contractors on board to ensure that there is no work stoppage and that we see continual progress to reconstruct the Key Bridge in the coming months,鈥� she said.

Reconstruction started two years ago after the collapse of the Key Bridge in the early morning hours of March 26, 2024. The container ship Dali was聽leaving the Port of Baltimore that morning when it lost power. The fully loaded 985-foot ship went dark, drifted and eventually struck one of the piers of the bridge.

Within seconds, much of the span . Six members of road crew who were working on the bridge deck that morning died.

The collapse closed the Port of Baltimore for weeks. The ship was trapped under the fallen bridge decking. State, federal and private crews pulled 50,000 tons of steel and concrete from the shipping channel to reopen it to port traffic.

The National Transportation Safety Board, in a November report, said the collapse was the result of a power outage . But the agency also cited what it called 鈥渨oefully inadequate鈥� infrastructure protecting the Key Bridge.

Currently, the project includes about 30 of the nearly 1,000 pilings that will be required to build the new bridge. James Harkness, chief engineer for the Maryland Transportation Authority, said Kiewit continues to make progress on the project.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e out there working two locations for driving those piles. Similarly, they鈥檙e working two locations on the construction trestle or the temporary work platform,鈥� Harkness said. 鈥淪o, they鈥檙e working on both sides, north and south there as well. So making good progress on all those activities.鈥�

Then-President Joseph Biden (D) at the time of the bridge collapse promised full federal reimbursement for the project. The state, however, is responsible for forward-funding much of the work and seeking reimbursement.

At times, federal officials under President Donald Trump have raised questions about the security of that funding. The biggest concern is the potential for escalating costs.

鈥淢aryland and the U.S. Department of Transportation are aligned that we all have an obligation to deliver this bridge in a cost effective, timely and responsible way that meets the highest safety standards. There鈥檚 no daylight between us on that,鈥� Thomson said.

鈥淵es, it is true that USDOT would like to bring this cost in as low as possible. That is also true for us too, but we will be guided by responsible project management, keeping tight control over risks,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut they 鈥� have not laid down a marker, and by law, they鈥檙e legally obligated to cover 100% of the costs.鈥�

鈥� This story may be updated.

Source

The ruling overturns two lower courts that had agreed with the attorney general that publishing the names was justified to 鈥渕ake public for the first time the enormous scope and scale of abuse and concealment perpetrated by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.鈥�

But the high court said, in a聽聽Monday, that allowing publication of the names would defeat one of the main reasons for the secrecy of grand jury proceedings: Preventing unindicted persons from being 鈥渉eld up to public ridicule.鈥�

鈥淥ne of the primary purposes of grand jury secrecy is to protect uncharged persons from public disgrace in the absence of a criminal charge and a forum in which to seek vindication,鈥� said the opinion written by Justice Jonathan Biran. 鈥淭o overcome an objection to disclosure of otherwise secret information about an uncharged individual, a requestor must show that disclosure will serve an interest beyond the public鈥檚 interest in learning the information.鈥�

While there are some instances in which grand jury material might be releases, Biran wrote that a court 鈥渕ay not order disclosure of secret grand jury material, over the objection of an uncharged individual, for the purpose of holding that person accountable in the court of public opinion.鈥�

David Lorenz, a member of the Abuse Survivors Coalition, disagrees.

鈥淭here are people in that report [who] helped protect criminals who were committing crimes against our children. They were not doing anything,鈥� he said Monday evening.

鈥淚 have a hard time with the Supreme Court saying that unredacting these names is not in the public interest,鈥� Lorenz said. 鈥淚t is in the public鈥檚 interest. Anybody with a child has an interest in knowing those names.鈥�

Lorenz said Archbishop Bishop William Lori 鈥渃an release the names tonight. He can fix this.鈥�

Neither the archdiocese nor the attorney general鈥檚 office immediately responded to a request for comment on the ruling.

The attorney general鈥檚 office began its investigation into the abuse by clergy in 2018, under former Attorney General Brian Frosh (D). Hundreds of victims were interviewed, hundreds of thousands of church documents dating to the 1940s were subpoenaed by a grand jury and reviewed,听

In April 2023, slightly more than three months after taking office, Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) released a聽聽that listed 156 members of the clergy 鈥� priests, brothers, deacons and nuns 鈥� as abusers. More than 600 children are known to have been abused by the clergy listed in the report, though investigators expect that number to likely be far higher.

A Baltimore City Circuit Court allowed the report to be printed, bur ordered about 35 names of people who had not been charged to be withheld. That was upheld for the most part by the Appellate Court of Maryland, which said that the lower court erred only in not making an individual assessment for each of the 35 individuals where their information should be withheld.

Eighteen of those named appealed to the Supreme Court of Maryland, which sided with them.

The court鈥檚 opinion Monday noted how the attorney general鈥檚 office sought to disclose the names that 鈥渨ill bring some measure of accountability鈥� to the archdiocese.

鈥淲e do not minimize the harm that so many children suffered at the hands of clergy and others within AOB [Archdiocese of Baltimore],鈥� Biran wrote. 鈥淣or do we discount the interest of the public in understanding the history of child abuse in AOB and other institutions. Investigative journalism, criminal prosecutions, and civil actions have exposed much of what went on within AOB.鈥�

In October 2023, about six months after the release of the report, the state鈥檚聽聽went into effect, lifting the statute of limitations to file child sex abuse claims against public and private entities. Lawmakers last year were forced to scale back that legislation,听 that could have run into billions of dollars.

Source

The numbers serve as a grim reminder to Marylanders to take cold weather seriously and look out for neighbors who may be more vulnerable, state health officials said.

鈥淲e saw temperatures that we don鈥檛 usually see. That kind of cold can be very, very dangerous,鈥� said Clifford S. Mitchell, director of the Maryland Health Department鈥檚 Environmental Health Bureau. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be that cold for it to be dangerous, but when it does get that cold, we want to emphasize those preventive measures.鈥�

According to a recent report from the Maryland Department of Health, the 77 Marylanders who died from cold-related illnesses this year is two more than the previous record of 75, set just last year.

Those low temperatures also led to almost 3,000 people landing in the emergency room 鈥� most for cold-related reasons, but some due to which tends to increase in the cold months.

The data comes from weekly updates to the 鈥淢aryland Cold-Related Illness Surveillance Report鈥� which issued its last update for the year on

The annual cold season typically runs from November through March, with some years spilling into the first week of April. The cold season surveillance period ended on April 4 this year.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking very closely at the data and thinking about how we better identify, in greater detail, those people who are at increased risks,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to understand those increased risks where we can do a better job with our local health department colleagues and emergency services.鈥�

The most recent data shows that of the 77 people who died, 46 were 65 or older, a vulnerable group if exposed to extreme temperatures. Almost 70% of the fatalities were men. About 16% of the total deaths were of people who are presumed homeless, while 69% had an address associated with them. The remaining 15% could not be confirmed to have an address or not.

鈥淲e really want to try to reach people who are at risk however and wherever we can 鈥� that I think is the continuing lesson of this,鈥� Mitchell said.

Meanwhile, there were 2,665 people who went to the emergency department or urgent care for cold-related illnesses,听 well over last year鈥檚 record of 2,130 visits.

A total of 326 people went to the emergency room for carbon monoxide exposure, beating the previous record of 205 visits from the 2023-2024 cold season.

There were also 907 calls for emergency medical services, up from last year鈥檚 record of 572.

The record-breaking winter comes on the heels of a deadly 2025 heat season that saw the highest number of deaths in over a decade.

Mitchell says that some of these extreme temperatures are to be expected due to climate change. He said state officials like the health department and emergency services need to be prepared to help people in times of crisis and more quickly identify vulnerable populations.

鈥淓ven as we talk about a warming planet, we鈥檙e also seeing changes in temperatures that are not only extremely high, but also lower lows and longer lows,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淲e have to be prepared for, and are trying to be prepared for, weather events that are both from extreme heat and related to cold.鈥�

Source

Wednesday was one of those days, as all five took the stage to face a few dozen residents at the Riderwood Village senior community in Silver Spring in the afternoon before meeting again at a scheduled appearance in Bethesda with the two Republicans in the race.

Part of the 90-minute forum hosted by the Riderwood Democratic Club focused on the $8 billion proposed for the county by outgoing County Executive Marc Elrich (D). Elrich is seeking a 6.3-cent increase in the property tax and a 0.1% income tax increase to pay for the budget, which would fully fund the county鈥檚 160,000-student public school system, the largest in the state.

Three of the candidates for executive 鈥� Andrew Friedson, Evan Glass and Will Jawando 鈥� serve on the County Council that must decide on that budget. Elrich, who is term-limited as executive, is now running for an at-large seat on the 11-member council.

鈥淚 will not be supporting the tax increases that the county executive has proposed, but I will continue looking at the budget and finding ways to make it more efficient and finding reductions when necessary,鈥� said Glass, an at-large councilmember.

Friedson, who represents District 1, noted that Wednesday was 鈥淭ax Day.鈥� He said raising taxes 鈥渋s completely unsustainable. We have to figure out a way to manage government. We have to be able to figure out a way to be more efficient with your taxpayer dollars.鈥�

Jawando, an at-large councilmember, said life isn鈥檛 easy for residents under the county鈥檚 regressive tax system, noting that homeowners pay the same property tax rate as major county businesses such as Marriott, AstraZeneca, or a proposed data center. He said the county would need state authority to change the tax system, but that would be a priority for him as executive.

Two of the other Democratic candidates 鈥� landlord Mithun Banerjee and small business owner Peter James 鈥� don鈥檛 support the proposed tax increase.

Banerjee blamed his three councilmember opponents for not doing enough.

鈥淚f we are doing so good, why do you have to keep increasing taxes? These people are the ones at fault,鈥� he said.

The candidates took questions from Maryland Matters founder Josh Kurtz, who moderated the forum, and from members of the audience, on affordable housing, public schools, the and data centers.

Friedson said he helped expand the duties of the Office of Inspector General to include the school system. 鈥淚 was proud to lead the effort,鈥� he said.

Glass praised the school system, but said he will not 鈥渟imply rubber stamp the school board鈥檚 budget,鈥� which represents half of all county spending.

Banerjee said he would tie public school funding to school performance, or student outcomes. 鈥淒on鈥檛 do your performance, you don鈥檛 get your money,鈥� he said.

James, who was the only person on stage to wear a T-shirt rather than a sports jacket, said more funding should go to Montessori schools.

鈥淲ho鈥檚 ever heard of a school shooting at a Montessori school? They have better outcomes, both in graduation rate and later in life,鈥� said James, who graduated from Springbrook High School in 1973.

Jawando, who chairs the council鈥檚 Education and Culture Committee, said he鈥檚 visited more than half of the county鈥檚 schools. He also highlighted his endorsement from the powerful Montgomery County Education Association.

The candidates were finally asked to tell the audience their favorite Montgomery County restaurants. Banerjee said if someone would like something quick and affordable, 鈥淢cDonald鈥檚.鈥�

According to the , there were almost 404,000 registered Democrats in Montgomery County in March, compared to 100,040 registered Republicans and about 189,000 independents. That makes the winner of the June 23 Democratic primary a heavy favorite to win the Nov. 3 general election.

But that hasn鈥檛 stopped two Republican candidates, Shelly Skolnick, an attorney, and Esther Wells, a certified public accountant, from filing paperwork to run in the GOP primary.

All seven candidates were scheduled to appear at a candidate鈥檚 forum Wednesday evening hosted by the Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights, a nonpartisan coalition that represents about 20,000 residents in the southwest part of the county.

The state show Arian Borghei has filed as a write-in candidate in the general election.

Source

But she repeated her hopes that the bill, named for her daughters who died in a 2022 fire in a rental without working smoke detectors, will protect another family from the anguish her family has suffered.

and among the first of more than 140 bills signed into law Tuesday by Moore, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel), just hours after the 2026 legislative session

The three leaders looked past the final day drama to praise the overall achievements of the session, which they said passed bills to address affordability issues and push back against policies from the Trump administration.

鈥淎s we are living in a time 鈥� where our politics are mired in hate and division, and it鈥檚 easier to fight than to find a way to solve problems, the only way forward is to get the job done,鈥� Ferguson said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we did in partnership and in unity.鈥�

The bill signing ceremony occurred in the Governor鈥檚 Reception Room in Annapolis, where bill sponsors were joined by hundreds of advocates affected by the bills, waiting in line for the chance to stand behind the leaders and get their picture taken at the signing.

Moore commended Weiner for her bravery in advocating for the legislation.

鈥淲e are grateful that she has turned pain into progress and has turned hurt into heroism,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淏ecause of her courage, because of her will, because they chose to turn the worst moment of their lives into a fight for other families that they may never even meet.鈥�

He extended his gratitude all other Marylanders who share similarly challenging personal stories, some for multiple years in a row, to improve state laws.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thankful that you made your voices heard because in that you made our state better,鈥� Moore said.

Weiner couldn鈥檛 easily put words to how she felt following the bill signing.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to describe,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful 鈥� it鈥檚 a heavy lift, it鈥檚 an emotional lift.鈥�

The bills named for her daughters will require greater fire safety measures at short-term rentals through companies like Vrbo and Airbnb. The legislation was inspired by tragedy in 2022, Jillian and Lindsay, then 21 and 19, respectively, were killed in a fire at a short-term rental unit in New York that did not have functioning fire alarms.

Moore also signed the 鈥淰ax Act,鈥� granting the state health secretary authority to set vaccine recommendations for Marylanders, independent of any federal guidelines. The bills, and also ensure that those recommendations are covered by Maryland insurance companies.

The legislation was a priority for Moore, who announced the proposal earlier this year, shortly after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began rewriting vaccine recommendations for children.

In fact, many bills pushed over the finish line this session were in response to Trump administration policies 鈥� including legislation aimed at limiting cooperation with federal agents in immigration enforcement.

Pe帽a-Melnyk highlighted the immigration-focused legislation, along with housing affordability measures and a massive energy package, as high points to what she called a 鈥渉ighly productive session.鈥�

鈥淚t was my first session as speaker, and it鈥檚 in the books. And I have to say that I am proud of what we have accomplished,鈥� she said.

鈥淲ith this budget and everything we鈥檝e done, honest to God, we have created opportunities and have protected the people of Maryland,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said.

is part of States 91欧美激情room, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.

Source

Tensions spilled over in the Senate after Republican senators slow-walked bills for much of the evening with the clock ticking. And chaos erupted in the House at four minutes to midnight when House leaders tried to cut off debate on a voting rights bill and lawmakers began shouting over each other as the speaker tried to keep the process moving.

The House explosion came over聽, the Maryland Voting Rights Act of 2026, that supporters have said is needed to preserve voting rights ahead of Supreme Court rulings this summer that are expected to gut the federal Voting Rights Act.

Republicans spent close to an hour in a House session Saturday debating the bill that they called biased and partisan. But when they tried to continue that debate late Monday night, Democrats called the question, essentially shutting off debate.

House Republicans聽, demanding to debate the issue further, and Democrats shouted back. House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel) said the motion was not debatable, but the ruckus scarcely died down until midnight, when Majority Leader David Moon (D-Montgomery) moved that the House adjourn Sine Die.

Pe帽a-Melnyk, speaking to reporters early Tuesday, attributed the outburst to the stress that comes with the final hours of a legislative session.

鈥淵ou know that always happens on Sine Die. You know why? It is because everyone is stressed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is the last day and the clock is running.

鈥淢oving forward, again, my job is to run the floor in a way that is respectful and civil, which I鈥檝e done, and I stand by that, because I was very intentional about that. And my friends across the aisle, they鈥檙e my friends,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said.

The Senate was more of a slow burn, as Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) grew frustrated with some Republicans slowing down the passage of bills.

Sen. William Folden (R-Frederick) was among those frequently questioning bills and offering amendments throughout the day, as the clock was ticking.

Tensions reached a boiling point with minutes to go before midnight, as Folden rose again to ask questions about聽聽鈥� a bill creating a premium cigar lounge liquor license for tobacco shops 鈥� on what would ultimately be the last bill of the session.

鈥淧lease stop. You鈥檝e embarrassed yourself enough,鈥� Ferguson said from the rostrum, interrupting Folden鈥檚 line of questioning. With just two minutes left, Ferguson dropped the bill and moved into a brief line of thanks before adjourning.

Folden said he was upset because he had been working with Senate leadership to pass a salary increase for the Frederick County Sheriff, by attaching it to a bill about the Prince George鈥檚 County State鈥檚 Attorney, but that leadership abruptly reversed course.

鈥淎t the last minute, apparently they weren鈥檛 happy about that,鈥� Folden said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 like the sheriff of Frederick County. They made it a personal matter.鈥�

He said he didn鈥檛 begrudge Ferguson for his stern remarks Monday night.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a high-tension time. I don鈥檛 have any ill will to the Senate president,鈥� Folden said. 鈥淚鈥檓 operating within what I have left as a super minority member. That鈥檚 all I got.鈥�

Despite the high-volume arguing in the last moments of the 2026 session, the House and Senate were able to come together during the rest of the day to finalize dozens of bills and send them off to the governor for consideration.

Stillbirth tax credits

A third attempt to grant a $1,000 tax credit for parents who have faced the loss of a child through stillbirth faced an uncertain future just a week ago, but now it鈥檚 on its way to the governor鈥檚 desk.

Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery) last week called on the House to move聽 which had not been voted out of the Ways and Means Committee. But committee Chair Jheanelle K. Wilkins (D-Montgomery) expressed concerns over whether a tax credit was the most appropriate offer to grieving parents.

As of Monday, the committee had not voted on the legislation, holding it up in the legislative process.

Instead of waiting for a committee vote, Waldstreicher added the stillbirth tax credit language to聽, which concerns an income tax subtraction for agricultural equipment. It would require the agriculture secretary to report to the legislature and the governor on recommendations for which types of equipment should qualify for an income tax subtraction modification.

The House ultimately accepted the amended version, sending both the agriculture-related tax benefit and the stillbirth tax credit to the governor鈥檚 desk.

Waldstreicher called it 鈥渁 historic moment of recognition for parents who have been through incredible trauma.鈥�

鈥淭his has been a five-year labor of love,鈥� he said, recognizing Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), Wilkins, and the parents of stillbirth children who 鈥渘ever gave up鈥� and continued to advocate for the legislation.

Transit-oriented housing bill back on track

Gov. Wes Moore鈥檚 priority housing bill, on Transit-Oriented Housing, would encourage new housing development around transit-oriented locations by restricting parking minimums and other local decisions in specific situations.聽听补苍诲听聽would also prohibit the collection of certain county taxes until a project is close to completion.

But the bills got hung up between the House and Senate in a dispute over so-called project labor agreements (PLAs).

The administration bill originally included language calling for PLAs, collective bargaining agreements between a project developer and labor unions establishing the terms for employment on a project. Developers looking to apply for the state鈥檚 Transit-Oriented Development Capital Grant and Revolving Loan Fund would get a boost if the project included a PLA, under Moore鈥檚 proposed legislation.

The House wanted to keep that language, while the Senate stripped it out. Ultimately, the House deferred to the Senate. The bills approved Monday say developers applying for a state grant to help fund their projects can include so-called project labor agreements (PLAs), but they won鈥檛 earn extra consideration by state officials for doing so.

No vacations for Cayman Island insurance tax

The Senate agreed with the House that a complex tax issue on so-called captive insurance should be left up to state insurance officials to decide whether hospitals should have been paying taxes on potentially billions sheltered in the Cayman Islands 鈥� at least for the time being.

鈥淐aptive insurance鈥� is when an organization forms its own insurance company 鈥� a captive 鈥� to help cover claims that may not be covered by commercial insurance.

Maryland does not have a regulatory framework to let companies establish captives within the state. So decades ago, Maryland nonprofit hospitals set up captives in offshore locations such as the Cayman Islands. The hospitals believe those captives are not subject to a 3% state tax on out-of-state insurance premiums, but state insurance officials aren鈥檛 so sure.

Senate Bill 890 had proposed a two-year pause on the tax to give the Maryland Insurance Administration time to study the issue. But the pause in tax collections was stripped out by the House Ways and Means Committee, and the amended bill was given a preliminary OK by the full House Friday.

The Senate agreed to remove the proposed two-year pause Monday.

鈥淪o if MIA does a study and decides that the taxation is correct and should be done, then they can go ahead and charge the tax,鈥� Finance Chair Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel) said before the chamber approved the bill on a unanimous vote.

Elopement bills see some successes

A legislative package known as the LEAD Act, to provide greater resources for people with disabilities who 鈥渆lope,鈥� or wander away from caregivers, made notable strides this year, with lawmakers passing two out of five first-time bills.

The LEAD Act 鈥� for Laila鈥檚 Elopement Awareness and Dissemination Act 鈥� is named after a young autistic girl whose elopement at age 6 inspired the bills to give caregivers more resources when their loved one wanders away, a common occurrence for people with autism, dementia and other disabilities.

On Monday, the Senate approved聽, to require law enforcement training on how officers can better locate and interact with an individual who has 鈥渆loped.鈥澛燭he Senate version of the bill聽, was passed and sent to the governor鈥檚 desk last week.

The Senate on Monday also gave final approval to聽, which prompts the Maryland Department of Health to set up a resource webpage for family caregivers.

Other bills passed the House, but got stuck in Senate committees. They would have聽聽the use of locative devices with parents of autistic kids prone to elopement and increased聽聽to include nearby bodies of water,听

Megalodon lives in Maryland

After some concerns that the bill making megalodon the official state shark might be as dead as the prehistoric shark itself, it rose from depths of the General Assembly recycling bin Monday.

The shark and a proposal for 鈥淧urple Lights Night,鈥� to honor survivors of domestic violence, were appended by the House to聽, sponsored by Sen. Carl Jackson (D-Baltimore County), which originally designated the Natural History Society of Maryland as the state鈥檚 official natural history museum. The Senate unanimously agreed to the 鈥淪tate Shark, State Natural Sciences Museum, and Purple Lights Night鈥� bill Monday.

鈥淚 guess [I鈥檒l] be the shark guy now,鈥� Jackson said early Tuesday morning after the Senate adjourned Sine Die. 鈥淏ut definitely happy to bring the Maryland State Natural History Museum to Baltimore County. It鈥檚 been a long time coming, and I鈥檓 really excited about it. It鈥檚 been a journey.鈥�

As for the megalodon (formerly called 鈥淥todus megalodon鈥�), the legislation almost went to sleep with the fishes, after it failed to get out of the Senate. It was revived by the House Government, Labor and Elections Committee which rolled the museum, megalodon and domestic violence survivors into one measure.

Shark support came not only from two sponsors 鈥� Sen. Jack Bailey (R-Calvert and St. Mary鈥檚) and Del. Todd Morgan (R-St. Mary鈥檚) 鈥� but also from fourth-grade students at Beltsville Academy in Prince George鈥檚 County who drew shark pictures and submitted letters to the Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee.

鈥淚 think it was extremely important that in the divisiveness of the world today, when it comes to politics, that we were able to influence the hundreds of children that wrote testimony to this bill to learn about how an idea becomes a law,鈥� Bailey said early Tuesday morning.

A study on second jobs

Unlike the megalodon, Sen. Ron Watson鈥檚 (D-Prince George鈥檚)聽聽looked last week like it might be going places. But the bill, that would have eased restrictions on state lawmakers holding another state job, or working for a county or municipal government, was first turned into a study then died when the clock ran out Monday.

The bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Johnny Ray Salling (R-Baltimore County), would have let a lawmaker hold a second state or local government job if that person had served at least one full term in office and 鈥渙bjectively satisfied the minimum education, licensure and experience requirements鈥� of the job.

It was approved 32-10 in the Senate on March 23. It appeared Watson had a receptive audience when he presented the bill April 7 to the聽, but it voted Saturday to聽聽as a Task Force on Legislator Employment.

The House granted preliminary approval to the amended bill and passed the measure 101-36 on the same day Monday. The Senate would have had to concur with those changes for the amended bill to pass, but the legislation did not get across to the Senate before midnight and the bill died.

Source