Read more about the article Anne Arundel Expands Civil Rights Protections Beyond County Employees
County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / Government Liability and Courts / Housing and Community Development
Anne Arundel Expands Civil Rights Protections Beyond County Employees

Anne Arundel County has enacted a substantial widening of its county-level anti-discrimination laws, granting its own Human Relations Commission broader range to hear cases involving private sector employment and housing discrimination cases. Bill 21-24, AN ORDINANCE concerning: General Provisions – Equity and Human Rights – Boards, Commissions, and Similar Bodies – Human Relations Commission, has passed the Anne Arundel County Council unanimously, and should be signed into law - as the bill as introduced at…

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April 18, 2024
Read more about the article Official Session Wrap-up “90 Day Report” Available from Legislative Services
Education / Environment / General Assembly News / Health and Human Services / Intergovernmental Relations / Planning and Zoning / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Transportation and Public Works
Official Session Wrap-up “90 Day Report” Available from Legislative Services

The annual 90 Day Report, a summary and review of actions taken through the 2024 regular session of the General Assembly. As always, the report provides a thorough review of major policy and fiscal issues considered or enacted through the session. An entire section is arranged county-by-county to show effects of multiple programs and initiatives on each county's fiscal situation. The nonpartisan staff agency to the General Assembly, the department of Legislative Services, has released…

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April 15, 2024
Read more about the article 2024 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups
Cannabis / County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Education / Elections / Emergency Management / Employee Benefits and Relations / Energy / Environment / Feature / Finance and Procurement / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Information Technology / Intergovernmental Relations / News You Can Use / Parks and Recreation / Pensions & Public Funds / Planning and Zoning / Public Information and Ethics / Public Safety and Corrections / School Construction and Capital Budgets / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Taxes and Revenues / Transportation and Public Works
2024 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups

Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2024 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. Maryland’s 446th legislative session convened amidst a substantial concern over the State’s fiscal situation, with weakened revenues and cost increases for many services at every level of government. Despite the budgetary limitations, many policy issues received a full debate, with many resolutions arising from the 90-day annual process. MACo’s legislative…

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April 12, 2024
Read more about the article 2024 End of Session Wrap-Up: Education
County News / Education / Higher Education / MACo Testimony
2024 End of Session Wrap-Up: Education

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work in the area of education policy in the 2024 General Assembly session.  Counties support education as the largest component of their budgets, with operating and capital support for schools typically representing a larger share of a county budget than all other functions combined. Statutory formulas drive most state-level funding, which requires constant attention to the state-county balance in funding responsibilities. The burden of costly mandates…

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April 11, 2024
Read more about the article 2024 End of Session Wrap Up: Employee Benefits and Relations
County News / Employee Benefits and Relations / MACo Testimony
2024 End of Session Wrap Up: Employee Benefits and Relations

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work on Employee Benefits and Relations policy in the 2024 General Assembly session.  MACo advocates for fair state laws governing employment practices, labor representation, and employer-employee relationships. MACo becomes particularly engaged when a proposal has a disproportionate or unique effect on public sector employees – frequently those affecting public safety employees or other public workers who engage in sensitive and essential functions. Maryland's 446th legislative session…

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April 11, 2024
Read more about the article Harford County Launches Free Mental Health App for First Responders
County News / Cyber / Emergency Management / Employee Benefits and Relations / Health and Human Services / Information Technology
Harford County Launches Free Mental Health App for First Responders

Harford County launches Lighthouse Health and Wellness, a free mental health and wellness app for first responders. First responders regularly face life-or-death situations, putting them at a higher risk for mental health issues. With more than 2,800 career and volunteer fire and EMS responders, 911 telecommunicators, and law enforcement officers in Harford County, the Cassilly administration is offering a new app to help support their physical and mental health. The Lighthouse Health and Wellness app…

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April 4, 2024
Read more about the article Maryland Tops List of America’s Remote Work Hotspots
County News / Economic Development / Employee Benefits and Relations / Human Resources / News You Can Use
Maryland Tops List of America’s Remote Work Hotspots

New research has discovered America’s remote work hotspots, with Maryland taking the top spot.   Experts at web hosting provider Hostinger analyzed data from the US Census Bureau on the number of citizens in each state who reported working from home for at least one day in seven days between January 9 and February 5, 2024. They calculated these numbers as a percentage of the working population in each state to determine America’s remote work hotspots.   At the…

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April 3, 2024
Read more about the article Family Leave Mandate Pushed Back, Fees Clarified, Under Passed Bill
Employee Benefits and Relations
Family Leave Mandate Pushed Back, Fees Clarified, Under Passed Bill

Maryland's mandatory Family and Medical Leave program, obligating employers to grant specific paid leave to employees under certain circumstances, will take effect later than had been planned - under a finalized bill, the payroll tax and employer/employee contributions will commence on July 1, 2025, with benefits eligibility commencing one year later on July 1, 2026. A MACo-sponsored collaborative is building to offer member counties an easy path toward a private plan. HB 571 has passed,…

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April 3, 2024
Read more about the article 24 Local Blueprint Reports Detail Progress, Challenges in Implementing Broad Education Goals
Education
24 Local Blueprint Reports Detail Progress, Challenges in Implementing Broad Education Goals

Each county school system has submitted its latest report detailing their progress in implementing the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, the broad educational reforms being phased in over a decade-long period across Maryland. These reports detail progress, and challenges, in each jurisdictions - with common themes. The 24 system reports have been sent to and compiled by the Accountability and Implementation Board, the State-level body specifically created to guide and assess the roll-out of these various…

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March 29, 2024
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