Leadership Changes Coming to Legislative Black Caucus
General Assembly News / Uncategorized
Leadership Changes Coming to Legislative Black Caucus

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland is set to have new leaders come the 2023 General Assembly session. Maryland's Legislative Black Caucus will come under new leadership at the start of the 2023 legislative session in January. On September 26, Caucus Chair Delegate Darryl Barnes of Prince George's County and Caucus Treasurer Delegate Benjamin Brooks of Baltimore County announced that they intend to resign their current leadership positions with the Caucus in December. Del. Barnes, who’s chaired…

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September 29, 2022
Montgomery State’s Attorney Tours Schools, Warns of Ghost Guns
County Government and Structure / County News / Education / Emergency Management / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections
Montgomery State’s Attorney Tours Schools, Warns of Ghost Guns

On Saturday, September 24th, Bethesda Magazine published a piece chronicling Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy's efforts to educate students on gun safety issues, focusing on ghost guns. The State's Attorney is visiting each of Montgomery County's 26 high schools to “educate [the county's] high school students about how to keep schools and students safe.” Gun seizures have risen in the last year, with "907 guns [having] been seized in the county as of Sept. 11,"…

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September 26, 2022
Police Redistricting Moves Forward in Baltimore City
Baltimore City's Neighborhood - courtesy of the Baltimore City Health Department
County News / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / Public Safety and Corrections
Police Redistricting Moves Forward in Baltimore City

The Baltimore City Council has moved legislation modifying its police district boundaries to third reader, the final step before requiring Mayor Brandon M. Scott's signature. Council Bill 22-0257, entitled "Police Department of Baltimore City - Police Districts - Redistricting," became necessary after, in 2019, the Maryland General Assembly required the Baltimore City Police Commissioner to draft a police redistricting plan within one year of a decennial census conducted by the United States Census Bureau. Under…

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September 23, 2022
St. Mary’s Accepting Legislative Proposals for 2023 General Assembly Session
County News / General Assembly News / News You Can Use
St. Mary’s Accepting Legislative Proposals for 2023 General Assembly Session

The Commissioners of St. Mary's County invite residents and organizations to submit legislative proposals for the 2023 session of the Maryland General Assembly. The Commissioners will hold a joint meeting with the St. Mary's County Legislative Delegation on December 13 to consider potential legislation for the 2023 session. Legislative Proposals are due to the Commissioners by Monday, October 17. The form to submit a legislative proposal can be found on the St. Mary's County website.…

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September 19, 2022
Howard Potentially Eliminating Little-Known Court
County News / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts
Howard Potentially Eliminating Little-Known Court

A Herald-Mail article details a Howard County ballot question seeking to eliminate the county's Orphans' Court, following the lead of two other jurisdictions and potentially creating a statewide rift in the judiciary. Maryland's Orphans' Courts, established through the Maryland Constitution (Article IV, §§ 1 and 40), preside "over the administration of estates." The courts have the "authority to direct the conduct of personal representatives" of an estate and have "jurisdiction over the guardianship of the property…

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September 12, 2022
Montgomery Lawsuit Tests Boundaries of Anton’s Law
General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / Public Information and Ethics / Public Safety and Corrections
Montgomery Lawsuit Tests Boundaries of Anton’s Law

On September 5, the Washington Post reported on an ongoing lawsuit between Montgomery County and its police union, potentially undercutting the intent of Anton's Law.  Anton's Law, passed in 2021 as a part of the Maryland General Assembly's sweeping police reform package, removed most police misconduct records as classified personnel records under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA). The Law took effect on October 1, 2021. In Montgomery County, Alexa Renehan requested records relating to…

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September 6, 2022
Johns Hopkins Study: Health Officer Harassment Impedes Public Health
Coronavirus / General Assembly News / Health and Human Services
Johns Hopkins Study: Health Officer Harassment Impedes Public Health

Findings from the "The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Civic Life and Public Health Survey" suggest faith in public health officials and institutions is eroding, undermining ongoing COVID-19 response efforts. The survey results, released on July 29, noted a significant percentage of 1,086 adult respondents, 21%, believed that threatening public health officials for business closures to slow COVID-19 transmission was justified. Said responses were taken in July and August of 2021. They represent a significant spike…

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August 4, 2022
Big Changes Ahead for Maryland’s One-Of-A-Kind Budget Process
General Assembly News / State Budget and Fiscal Issues
Big Changes Ahead for Maryland’s One-Of-A-Kind Budget Process

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…

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August 3, 2022
Breaking Developments in Police Oversight: Training Requirements Yes, Partially-Retired Judges No
County News / General Assembly News / Government Liability and Courts / Public Safety and Corrections
Breaking Developments in Police Oversight: Training Requirements Yes, Partially-Retired Judges No

The Police and Correctional Training Commissions (PCTC) and the Maryland Judicial Ethics Committee have released guidance further shaping how counties implement the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021. Both rulings will pose additional challenges to counties' ability to fulfill these broad, mandated requirements. In a letter to county leadership dated Monday, July 25th, PCTC discussed how it will administer a recently approved 40-hour training for members of county Administrative Charging Committees (ACCs), a requirement of…

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July 28, 2022
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