Read more about the article City Council Considers Pair of Bills to Protect Residents’ Housing Security
County News / Housing and Community Development
City Council Considers Pair of Bills to Protect Residents’ Housing Security

The bills before the Baltimore City Council would create an independent agency for a housing voucher program and restrict tax sales for certain individuals.  The bills sponsored by Council Member Ryan Dorsey and Council Member Danille McCray are intended to help vulnerable City residents. McCray's bill would prohibit tax sales on homes owned by the elderly, low-income or disabled. Dorsey's bill would create a voucher program administerd by a proposed new independent agency, the “Office…

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August 19, 2020
Read more about the article Some States Limit COVID-19 Testing to Temper Long Wait Times
Coronavirus / Health and Human Services
Some States Limit COVID-19 Testing to Temper Long Wait Times

Waits of up to 14 days for COVID-19 test results force some states to limit testing in an effort to reduce wait times.  According to experts the ideal COVID-19 test result turnaround time to stop the spread of the disease is 24-48 days. Unfortunately, the labs that process the tests can't keep up with the rate of testing resulting in the average turnaround time for results is now four days with it taking as long…

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August 18, 2020
Read more about the article Leaders, Advocates Seek to Seize Moment for Police Reform
General Assembly News / Public Safety and Corrections
Leaders, Advocates Seek to Seize Moment for Police Reform

Elected leaders and criminal justice advocates prepare for fall hearings and subsequent 2021 police reform and accountability legislative packages.  For Senator Will Smith, Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, and for many many advocates the lack of progress on police reform over the past years has come down to  "well-defined" police issues with little "political will." But supporters of reform believe this is a ripe time to generate impactful reform. The Baltimore Sun reports…

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August 18, 2020
Read more about the article Acting Head of Public Health Briefs Joint COVID-19 Workgroup
Coronavirus / General Assembly News / Health and Human Services
Acting Head of Public Health Briefs Joint COVID-19 Workgroup

Dr. Jinlene Chan, Acting Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services at the Maryland Department of Health, updated the workgroup on the Department's COVID-19 response activities.  Dr. Chan briefed the workgroup on the status of the state's roadmap to recovery which focused on the four pillars of testing, contract tracing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and hospital surge capacity. In terms of testing, on August 1st all counties reached the benchmark of testing 10% of their populations.…

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August 14, 2020
Read more about the article Senate Workgroup Releases COVID-19 Report and Recommendations for State and Local Criminal Justice System
General Assembly News / Public Safety and Corrections
Senate Workgroup Releases COVID-19 Report and Recommendations for State and Local Criminal Justice System

The report from the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee workgroup on the Courts and Criminal Justice System During the COVID-19 Pandemic included 19 recommendations for improvement.  The report looks at the actions taken by the courts and other criminal justice stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic so far and provides recommendations to improve or expand upon those actions as the pandemic and reopening efforts continue. Maryland Matters reports: “COVID-19 has prompted a reckoning with Maryland’s need to…

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August 13, 2020
Read more about the article Marshall Project Tracks COVID-19 Cases in State and Federal Prisons
Coronavirus / Public Safety and Corrections
Marshall Project Tracks COVID-19 Cases in State and Federal Prisons

The database allows tracking of testing, cases, and deaths federally and on a state-by-state basis.   The Marshall Project in partnership with the Associated Press has been collecting and updating this data since March of this year. From The Marshall Project: By Aug. 4, at least 86,639 people in prison had tested positive for the illness, a 10 percent increase from the week before. New cases among prisoners reached an all-time high this week after slowing down…

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August 12, 2020
Read more about the article Local Health Departments Are ‘All Hands on Deck’ During Coronavirus Crisis
Coronavirus / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues
Local Health Departments Are ‘All Hands on Deck’ During Coronavirus Crisis

Local health departments have long been challenged to do more with less and the pandemic has further stretched their limited staff and resources.  An article in NACo County News shares how nationwide these departments have continued to valiantly provide their services and address their communities needs during the pandemic despite facing hostility for issuing pandemic-related directives, lacking sufficient full-time staff, and needing existing staff to work in an "all hands on deck" capacity: Immunization, home…

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August 12, 2020
Read more about the article Baltimore Magazine Highlights Half-Way Point of City’s Surveillance Plane Pilot Program
County News / Public Safety and Corrections
Baltimore Magazine Highlights Half-Way Point of City’s Surveillance Plane Pilot Program

After three months, the controversial Baltimore City Police Department Aerial Investigation Research Pilot Program has two planes in the sky (and a third on the way) that have logged over 700 hours of surveillance footage aiding in the arrest of one individual.  As previously reported on Conduit Street, in April the Baltimore City Board of Estimates approved a Baltimore City Police Department contract for a six-month pilot of a surveillance plane that would take pictures…

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August 11, 2020
Read more about the article Nationwide Survey Finds One-Third of Renters Unable to Pay August Rent
Coronavirus / Housing and Community Development
Nationwide Survey Finds One-Third of Renters Unable to Pay August Rent

U.S. Census Bureau survey shows renters continue to struggle under financial uncertainty as the federal eviction moratorium and boost of unemployment benefits end.  The troubling figures on rent instability and financial anxiety came from the Household Pulse Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey polled people weekly over the past 90 days about their financial, physical, and mental health well being. Bloomberg City Lab reports: An estimated 27% of adults in the U.S. missed…

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August 10, 2020
Read more about the article Montgomery Mulls Removing Police from Traffic Enforcement
County News / Public Safety and Corrections
Montgomery Mulls Removing Police from Traffic Enforcement

Council Member has called for a study to determine whether traffic enforcement responsibilities can be shifted from the police department to other county agencies. The effort, spearheaded by Council Member Hans Reimer, follows a recent report by the Montgomery County Office of Legislative Oversight finding racial disparities in police enforcement and nationwide discussions on the scope of law enforcement accountability and responsibility. The Washington Post reports: Montgomery appears to be the only jurisdiction in the…

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August 10, 2020
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