On Friday, Governor Hogan sent a letter to the nominating committee requesting that it reopen nomination applications for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future’s Accountability and Implementation Board, in order to attract more diverse candidates.

Hogan asked the Nominating Committee to provide him a new slate of candidates for the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB) that “accurately reflect[s] our student population.” The board was established through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

“While many of the nominees selected are undoubtedly qualified individuals, there is a discernible lack of representation from the majority of jurisdictions in the State,” Hogan said in his letter.

Hogan’s call for a more diverse pool of nominees to choose from comes after several decision makers expressed concern over the original slate’s lack of geographical and demographic diversity.

Last week, a slate of nine nominees was sent to the governor for consideration; four nominees reside in Montgomery County, three in Baltimore City, one in Baltimore County, and one in Anne Arundel County.

Currently, the governor has until October 1st to appoint seven of the nine nominated candidates, who are also subject to Senate confirmation. The governor, Senate president and House speaker will jointly appoint a chair of the panel.

More background on the Blueprint and AIB may be found in previous Conduit Street coverage:

• Huge Cache of Kirwan Blueprint Data Now Available
• Nominations Open for Blueprint Accountability and Implementation Board
• Top Issues of 2021 Session: Blueprint for Maryland’s Future
• Governor Vetoes Kirwan, Tax, Fiscal Bills in Silent Session Cap-off 
• Kirwan Blueprint Bill Heads to Governor, With a “Trigger” Provision
• MACo on Kirwan Blueprint: Rely on State Funding
• Senate’s Kirwan Blueprint Bill: What’s In It For Counties?
• Breaking Down The Kirwan Blueprint Bill