Conduit Street Podcast: Digging Into Tax Caps in Maryland
Maryland stands alone among states in how much power it gives the governor in its budget process. Only a handful of states limit the ability of the legislature to increase spending. And Maryland is the only state in which only the governor can directly add items or amounts to the budget. Section 52 of Article III of the Maryland Constitution prohibits the General Assembly from increasing any budget item, adding any new appropriations to the…
Maryland’s US Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin introduced legislation to create a new federal funding program to help construct and upgrade fire stations in Maryland and across the country. They announced the bill during a visit to Baltimore County Fire Station No. 4 in Catonsville. The Fire Station Construction Grants Act would create a $1 billion grant program with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to modify, upgrade, and construct fire and EMS department…
The Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives announced the appointment of the new director for the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism, Dr. Samélia Okpodu-Pyuzza. “Dr. Samélia Okpodu-Pyuzza has demonstrated leadership through her years of dedicated service to Maryland,” said Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives Executive Director Steven J. McAdams. “Her service experience and exceptional programmatic and project management skills are an asset to our office, and we are thrilled to continue our work with her…
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh announced that Maryland is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 states to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing foreign robocalls into the United States. The bipartisan Task Force has one goal: to cut down on illegal robocalls. “Robocalls are more than an annoyance; they are often schemes by fraudsters and scammers with the purpose of stealing billions of dollars from unsuspecting…
The State of Maryland has submitted its 2022 American Rescue Plan, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Annual Performance Report to the US Department of the Treasury. The report — which details expenditures from March 3, 2021, through June 30, 2022, and includes planned allocations for fiscal 2023 — describes the use of the funds allocated to the state through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Read the report. “The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the…
Don’t miss your opportunity to submit questions for the Statewide Candidate Forum at the MACo Summer Conference. MACo is inviting the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor, comptroller, and attorney general to participate in a candidate forum to close out the 2022 Summer Conference. Conference participants will have a unique opportunity to hear directly from the candidates on issues that matter most to county governments. Moderators: Mileah Kromer, Director, Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics,…
Given delays in processing an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots, official results will follow after a full accounting of pending votes. That may take days or even weeks. But, as several county races are very close, an overview of Maryland’s election recount procedures seems relevant. Maryland law does not provide for automatic recounts, which some states require if the margin between the top two candidates is within specific parameters. Instead, Maryland law allows a losing candidate…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently awarded more than $2 million to 12 climate resilience projects to help communities prepare for, and recover from, climate-related impacts. These competitive grants will help communities plan and design solutions to withstand flooding and other weather-related events. These projects will identify and prioritize vulnerable communities, incorporate climate change data and information into existing plans and policies, and develop nature-based or natural solutions to control flooding. Funding is made…