Read more about the article Final Hurdle Cleared in Opioid Settlements’ Disbursement
Attorney General Brian E. Frosh
Emergency Management / Government Liability and Courts / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues / Public Safety and Corrections
Final Hurdle Cleared in Opioid Settlements’ Disbursement

On Wednesday, August 31, two consent judgments were filed in Maryland's Circuit Court for Frederick County, allowing settlement funds from Johnson and Johnson and several major opioid medication distributors to flow to the state and its local governments. The multi-state settlements involving Johnson and Johnson, McKesson, AmeriSourceBergen, and Cardinal Health are worth approximately $395M and were first announced by Attorney General Brian Frosh in September of 2021. As a precondition to the settlement, the defendants required each state…

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September 1, 2022
Read more about the article Re-thinking Healthy Food Access
County News / Economic Development / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Transportation and Public Works
Re-thinking Healthy Food Access

Using Buffalo, New York, as a case study, Governing emphasizes a new approach to improving access to healthy food for low-income individuals and families. The publication states, "53.6 million people [in the United States] live outside an easy walk or drive to a full-service supermarket." In response to its many neighborhoods facing similar barriers, Buffalo has adopted a "collaborative approach that favors a network of community-led projects over one-off public investments." The approach represents a…

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August 31, 2022
Read more about the article Counties Honor International Overdose Awareness Day
County News / Emergency Management / Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections
Counties Honor International Overdose Awareness Day

August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day and counties across Maryland are using the day to honor the memory of those who succumbed to overdose and prevent additional loss of life. According to the Overdose Operational Command Center (OOCC), 177 Marylanders lost their lives due to a fatal overdose between April of 2021 and April of 2022. As has become custom, Governor Larry Hogan ordered all flags in Maryland to be flown at half-staff in…

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August 31, 2022
Read more about the article Cumberland, Maryland Among Most Affordable Housing Markets
Economic Development / Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning
Cumberland, Maryland Among Most Affordable Housing Markets

Route 50 recently dissected a report from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), spotlighting Cumberland, Maryland, as one of the country's most affordable small housing markets.  The publication details a housing affordability crisis spurred by "a perfect storm of high inflation, low inventory and rising mortgage rates." Using the Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, NAHB ranked markets across the nation based on the percentage of housing stock that is affordable for "families earning the national median income…

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August 31, 2022
Read more about the article MD Dept of Health Unveils Monkeypox Dashboard
Emergency Management / Health and Human Services
MD Dept of Health Unveils Monkeypox Dashboard

On Friday, August 26th, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) released its human monkeypox data dashboard featuring critical case and vaccination information. MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader described the purpose of the Dashboard in a press release: 'This tool will further help health care providers deliver the care that is needed to Marylanders affected by human monkeypox,' said Secretary Schrader. 'The dashboard also builds on the information about human monkeypox that the state has been providing…

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August 30, 2022
Read more about the article Bans Have Not Stopped Ghost Gun Manufacturer
An untraceable "ghost gun," courtesy of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
Emergency Management / Government Liability and Courts / NACo and Federal Issues / Public Safety and Corrections
Bans Have Not Stopped Ghost Gun Manufacturer

In a recent ProPublica piece co-published with The Baltimore Banner and Reno Gazette Journal, the story of Polymer80, a ghost gun parts manufacturer, and its defiance of state and local regulations receives the spotlight. As referenced in previous Conduit Street coverage, ghost guns are privately made, do-it-yourself firearms that, absent regulation, do not include traceable serial numbers. During the 2022 Maryland General Assembly Session, the legislature passed a law, SB 387 – Public Safety – Untraceable…

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August 29, 2022
Read more about the article Feds, State, and Baltimore City Join Hands to Reduce Violent Crime
County News / Emergency Management / Government Liability and Courts / Public Safety and Corrections
Feds, State, and Baltimore City Join Hands to Reduce Violent Crime

On Wednesday, August 24th, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron, Governor Larry Hogan, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott, and several agency officials joined together to unveil an initiative targeting violent crime in Baltimore City and throughout the rest of Maryland. U.S. Attorney Barron highlighted his agency's newly established Violent and Organized Crime Section, which is being expanded by over 30 new state-funded positions. In his most recent budget, Governor Hogan had allocated $3.5 million to…

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August 25, 2022
Read more about the article New Gun Lawsuit, New County Considerations
Government Liability and Courts / Public Safety and Corrections
New Gun Lawsuit, New County Considerations

As Maryland fully considers the impact of the United States Supreme Court's holding in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen, a new lawsuit, Bianchi v. Frosh, seeking to ease assault weapons restrictions is underway. Bianchi v. Frosh had also been heard by the Supreme Court, which opted to send the suit back to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and have it decided per the principles outlined in Bruen. In their…

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August 25, 2022
Read more about the article White House Breaks Down Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact on Marylanders’ Health
County Budgets / County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues / News You Can Use
White House Breaks Down Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact on Marylanders’ Health

On August 18th, the White House released a set of state fact sheets, including one for Maryland, detailing how healthcare costs will lower due to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022's passage. According to its fact sheet, the White House anticipates cheaper prescription drug costs, lower health insurance premiums, and increased health insurance coverage in Maryland. As a result of the Act's passage, older adults and persons with disabilities across Maryland will overwhelmingly benefit due…

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August 24, 2022
Read more about the article Feds Increasing Rural Marylanders’ Access to Drug Treatment
County News
Feds Increasing Rural Marylanders’ Access to Drug Treatment

The National Association of Counties (NACo), U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the State Justice Institute have partnered for a new initiative, Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions. Reaching Rural is intended to develop "bold solutions to the persistent challenge of substance use and misuse in rural communities." The program is open to individual health practitioners or cross-sector teams of justice and public safety practitioners, health practitioners,…

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August 24, 2022
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