BILLS TO PROTECT MARYLAND’s IMMIGRANTS MOVE FORWARD: Three bills, collectively known as Maryland’s Immigrant Justice Protection Package, aimed at protecting the rights of Maryland’s immigrant community are moving through the Maryland General Assembly. The bills will help protect immigrants from the Trump administration’s new deportation push, according to Ninfa Amador of CASA Maryland, the immigrant advocacy organization. Cinthya Roque Blanco of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
HOUSE OKs BILL TO SET UP REPARATIONS STUDY COMMISSION: The Maryland House of Delegates gave its final seal of approval Wednesday to the bill establishing a statewide reparations commission following more than an hour of discussion. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
- The bill’s passage on Wednesday night represented the culmination of years of work from Del. Aletheia McCaskill and other lawmakers who have been pushing for the state to open a discussion about whether and how to atone for the state’s legacy of supporting the enslavement of Black people and systematically denying their rights for generations after slavery ended. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
HOUSE PANEL RELUCTANTLY MOVES BILL CUTTING STATE FINANCIAL LIABILITY FOR SEX ABUSE SURVIVORS: A House committee hearing on a bill to limit the state’s financial liabilities in sex abuse lawsuits ended in an emotional vote Wednesday with one member walking out in anger and another casting a vote in tears. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
- The committee reluctantly moved a bill Wednesday that would slash the amount of money that childhood sexual-abuse survivors can win if they sue under the Child Victims Act, a landmark 2023 law that removed the statute of limitations on such claims. Madeleine O’Neill/The Baltimore Banner.
GOP LAWMAKERS PUSH TO RESTRICT GOV ATTENDING POLITICAL FUND-RAISER: A political fundraiser featuring Gov. Wes Moore, scheduled for Wednesday evening, is spurring emergency legislation to explicitly prevent his attendance at such events during the legislative session. Brooke Conrad and Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
- Sen. Jason Gallion and Del. Nic Kipke introduced twin bills banning state elected officials from fundraising for a political action committee or participating in a fundraising event during the 90-day General Assembly session as a “featured guest or in another role” meant to drive attendance or contributions or money raised. Brenda Wintrode and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- But with just days left in the session, Democrats said there was not enough time to consider the bills, particularly with more pressing issues like the budget and energy reform still hanging. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
BILL WAS INTENDED TO CURB CAMPUS HATE; EVEN STUDENTS HATED IT: A bill meant to curb hate and discrimination of all kinds at colleges and universities quickly became controversial, with student groups organizing caravans from their campuses to Annapolis to testify against the proposal at hearings. The bill would require colleges to publish and enforce restrictions on the time, place and manner of “expressive activity” — usually protests. Opponents believe it would hurt freedom of speech, unnecessarily increase the police presence on campuses and target pro-Palestinian activity. Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
COLLEGE ADVOCATES URGE STATE TO PROTECT STUDENTS FROM ICE: College students and religious leaders gathered at the Johns Hopkins University campus on Wednesday afternoon to call on Gov. Wes Moore, Attorney General Anthony Brown and state legislators to protect students from federal immigration officers. Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
BOP EXTENDS CALL CENTER CONTRACT TO AID LAID-OFF FEDERAL WORKERS: The Board of Public Works approved a $3.9 million extension Wednesday of a call center contract ahead of an expected surge of calls from laid-off federal workers, despite concerns about the “Frankenstein-esque” growth of the contract. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
HALF OF BALTIMOREANS SAY KEY BRIDGE COLLAPSE DISRUPTED THEIR LIVES: About half of Baltimoreans say their daily lives are disrupted following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, according to a new survey. The 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins University surveyed about 1,500 people in Baltimore City and county about the impact of the March 26, 2024, Key Bridge collapse and prospects for rebuilding the bridge. Andrew Mollenauer of Capital News Service/Maryland Reporter.
FEDERAL JUDGE IN MARYLAND ORDERS TRUMP TO CONTINUE BRINGING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK: A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the Trump administration to continue reinstating probationary federal employees that were fired from 20 federal agencies since the president took office earlier this year, a ruling related to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of attorneys general challenging the legality of those terminations. Katie Mettler/The Washington Post.
SLASHING OF FEDERAL JOBS LIKELY TO IMPACT BLACK PEOPLE THE MOST: The Trump administration’s slashing of the federal workforce, carried out by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency is likely to disproportionately affect Black people, who hold a higher percentage of civil service jobs than in other parts of the economy. John-John Williams IV and Greg Morton/The Baltimore Banner.
BOOKS PURGED AT NAVAL ACADEMY BEFORE HEGSETH VISIT: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the Naval Academy Tuesday for the first time since his confirmation in January. The trip to Annapolis came after the military academy reportedly reviewed and removed hundreds of books that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. On Monday, the Naval Academy began removing nearly 400 books and finished before Hegseth arrived, according to the Associated Press. James Matheson/The Baltimore Sun.
CASINO TO GET IMPACT FUNDS CASINOS GENERATED FOR COMMUNITY: Once hailed as an economic engine that would reduce Baltimore property taxes and shower local communities with gambling revenues, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore was quietly designated a recipient of gambling impact funds today. Bunched together with other expenditures, the Board of Estimates diverted $3 million from the Casino Local Impact Fund to bolster Horseshoe’s private security force because city police could no longer “consistently” provide the necessary manpower. Mark Reutter/Baltimore Brew.