Read more about the article Deep Dive: High Court Reins in County Claims in Public Harm Cases
Feature / Government Liability and Courts / Policy Deep Dive
Deep Dive: High Court Reins in County Claims in Public Harm Cases

The Maryland courts have ruled that there is no broad "public nuisance" avenue available in Maryland law to target potential causes of public harm. While Maryland Supreme Court justices differed over local government's right to recover damages from opioid distributors under a common-law claim of public nuisance, the majority opinion effectively barred a county's claim of this type, with other justices expressing concern that the majority went too far and applied inconsistent logic in the…

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May 20, 2026
Read more about the article State Agency Approves FY27 School Construction Funding, Shortfalls Still Loom
School Construction and Capital Budgets
State Agency Approves FY27 School Construction Funding, Shortfalls Still Loom

State school construction board reports local shares of annual funding are $1.25B to the state share of $430M. Concern continues amongst IAC board members that state contributions are not keeping pace with need.  During a regularly scheduled meeting of the Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) Executive Director Alex Donahue shared insights on the FY27 state capital budget and sat for questions from board members. Donahue's remarks included a description of the financial needs statewide in…

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May 14, 2026
Read more about the article MD Department of Education Updates State Board on College and Career Preparation Progress
Education
MD Department of Education Updates State Board on College and Career Preparation Progress

During a recent meeting of the Maryland State Board of Education (MSBE), state officials updated board members on progress towards getting all students college and career ready between grade ten and graduation. Current data shows a little more than 50 percent of students met the college and career readiness standard at the conclusion of the 2024 - 2025 school year.  A primary component of the Maryland education reform plan - the Blueprint for Maryland's Future…

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May 14, 2026
Read more about the article Report Highlights Prevalence of Mental and Behavioral Health Related Calls for Service
Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections
Report Highlights Prevalence of Mental and Behavioral Health Related Calls for Service

Public safety officials are being called on to respond to mental and behavioral health crisis situations by the thousands every year, highlighting a need for continued investment in community-wide resources and training.  Earlier this year, the Office of the Attorney General released the annual report from the Independent Investigations Division (IID) that investigates officer involved fatalities in Maryland. A section of the report specifically explored how often a call for service is directly related to…

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May 13, 2026
Read more about the article Board of Public Works Meeting Sends $1.9M to Counties
Board of Public Works
Board of Public Works Meeting Sends $1.9M to Counties

During a meeting yesterday the Board of Public Works approved $1.9M in funds for ten county governments. Funds came from Program Open Space (POS) and prior year state capital budget allocations. Of the $1.9M, the largest allocation of $600K was made to Montgomery for the construction of a new recreational trail within Rock Creek Regional Park and North Branch Stream Valley Park. About $1.5M of the total funds were appropriated from Program Open Space with…

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May 7, 2026
Read more about the article May 15 Deadline for Input on Education Reform Implementation
Education
May 15 Deadline for Input on Education Reform Implementation

Local officials have until May 15, 2026 to submit feedback for the 2026 update to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future Comprehensive Plan. The deadline is approaching for local governments to provide input on the annual update of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future (Blueprint) Comprehensive Plan (BCP) - which is essentially a progress report on implementation of the State education reform package. Jurisdictions are being asked to provide targeted feedback on implementation progress. Submissions can be…

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May 6, 2026
Read more about the article SCOTUS Orders List Includes Under-the-Radar Decisions With Broad Impact
Courts / Government Liability and Courts
SCOTUS Orders List Includes Under-the-Radar Decisions With Broad Impact

Tracking decisions during a US Supreme Court term is vital to staying on top of implications for counties, but not all decisions with local government impacts make the headlines. The orders list can be a very useful tool to catch the most recent decisions quickly, particularly those where sweeping guidance for lower courts is issued without argument. Recent activity at the U.S. Supreme Court underscores why local governments need to closely track not just major…

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May 5, 2026
Read more about the article Montgomery Proposing Record School Budget Despite Continued Enrollment Decline
County Budgets / Education
Montgomery Proposing Record School Budget Despite Continued Enrollment Decline

With a seven year loss of almost 10,000 students, the nationally ranked Montgomery County Public School system budget has grown by $1B in that same time.  In FY26 the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) system posted the largest single year decline in student enrollment since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Year over year decline from 2024 - 2025 totaled nearly 2,200 students. This brings the nationally ranked school system to a loss of nearly…

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April 30, 2026
Read more about the article Prince George’s Police Department Leads the Way In Modernizing Recruitment Practices
Public Safety and Corrections
Prince George’s Police Department Leads the Way In Modernizing Recruitment Practices

Amidst a nationwide shortage of public safety officials, Prince George's adopts new hiring strategy to modernize and streamline recruitment of quality candidates into the county police department.  Following a recent hiring blitz, the Prince George's County Police Department has made 98 conditional offers of employment. The April 18 hiring fair, organized by the Prince George’s County Police Department, was designed to compress what is traditionally a months-long recruitment pipeline into a single, highly structured day.…

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April 27, 2026
Read more about the article Juvenile Detention Changes Coming for Local Detention Centers
Public Safety and Corrections
Juvenile Detention Changes Coming for Local Detention Centers

Maryland General Assembly sets 2029 deadline for prohibition on housing juveniles in adult detention facilities, including local county detention centers, bringing significant relief from operations and liability challenges for local governments.  After a number of attempts, the Maryland General Assembly has moved forward with provisions that effectively bar the long term holding or housing of juveniles in adult detention centers. The provisions passed during the 2026 legislative session on SB 323, which was initially a…

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April 27, 2026
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