Comptroller Peter Franchot is urging Maryland taxpayers who are collecting unemployment insurance to plan for the potential loss of Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) that they would normally receive. The EITC is a benefit for people with low-to-moderate-incomes. Taxpayers who meet all of the federal requirements may be eligible for a Maryland credit up to half of the federal EITC, but not greater than the state income tax. While unemployment insurance is taxable, it is…
The Montgomery County Council introduced Bill 46-20, which would prohibit the Montgomery County Police Department from deploying School Resource Officers (SROs) to Montgomery County Public Schools. Montgomery County Councilmembers Will Jawando and Hans Riemer are the lead sponsors for this proposed legislation. A school resource officer is a sworn uniformed law officer trained in emergency preparedness, crisis management, community policing concepts and problem solving who is assigned to work as a liaison to Montgomery County Public…
While all Maryland public school systems began the academic year virtually, many jurisdictions hoped to transition into in-person learning, especially for certain groups of students. Now — with COVID-19 cases surging and Maryland in the "Red Zone," Governor Larry Hogan ordered reduced capacity for bars and restaurants statewide, issued an expanded public health advisory for out-of-state travel, and "strongly recommended" 25 people or less at in-person gatherings. Many counties have followed suit and further implemented even tighter…
The Maryland Board of Education has announced they will retain Greenwood/Asher & Associates to lead the search for the next Maryland State Superintendent of Schools. The firm will use a multi-phased search process including planning, community outreach, and a national recruitment strategy in order to assist the State Board in the process of selection and appointment of a new State Superintendent. From the press release: Dedicated exclusively to supporting educational organizations, Greenwood/Asher & Associates (G/A&A)…
Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL) will now allow members to borrow Wi-Fi hotspot kits and Chromebooks thanks to funding from the Library Foundation. Wi-Fi hotspots will allow for library members to connect to the internet from a computer, phone, Roku, or other device. Hotspots will connect anywhere that has Sprint LTE data service and can be used at home, at work, or on the go. There are currently 50 available kits that can be…
Amid a national surge in COVID-19 cases, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski yesterday delivered an update on the County’s ongoing response to the pandemic, committed $11.5 million in CARES Act funding to provide supplies directly to Baltimore County Public School principals to help them prepare for eventual reopening, and provided details on the County’s latest efforts to expand direct relief for restaurants. Maryland today reported 1,338 new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours. This…
The Maryland Department of Labor released a comprehensive update on the processing and payment of unemployment insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Maryland Department of Labor, nearly 95% of claims have been processed, over $7.8 billion in benefits have been paid, 2.6% of claims are pending review for possible fraudulent activity, and new illegitimate traffic was detected and blocked. From press release: Nearly 95% of Claims Processed, Vast Majority of Pending Claims…
The Maryland Department of Health released a K-12 Schools COVID-19 Dashboard dataset that reflects public and non-public K-12 schools in Maryland that have COVID-19 outbreaks. Data are based on local health department reports to MDH, which may be revised if additional information becomes available. This list does not include child care facilities or institutes of higher education. Schools listed meet 1 or more of the following criteria: 1) At least two confirmed COVID-19 cases among…
Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Tiffany Robinson announced that Maryland's 2020 - 2024 State Workforce Plan has been approved by the United States Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. Under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), passed in 2014, all states are required to develop and submit a 4-year State Workforce Plan. Collaboratively developed, Maryland's plan "maps out the state’s strategic and operational blueprint for connecting Maryland employers with the…
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