It is black-letter Maryland law that procurement evaluations must be based only on those factors set forth in requests for proposals and that factors “not specified in the request for proposals may not be considered.” The recent decision of the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals in Peek, LLC, MSBCA 3248 (Feb. 15, 2024), however, offers a cautionary tale to those submitting proposals to Maryland agencies that they should look past written minimum qualification requirements and look to other parts of requests for proposals when setting forth the offerors’ experience.

Steuart Pittman will straight up tell you. If you’re rich, he wants to raise your taxes. “I understand not wanting to pay taxes. Most of us feel that way. But most of us don’t have the resources to hire lobbyists or pour large sums of money into political campaigns. The folks who do those things are the ones creating tax cuts for the wealthy and loopholes for their corporations. They change the rules to benefit their interests, and their wealth grows.”

The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) today launched its “Climate Focused Funding Portal” for project proposals looking to reduce carbon emissions. The state will receive $94 million over five years, with $55 million available this year. The funds are authorized through the Federal Highway Administration’s Carbon Reduction Program established in President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

 

We asked Maryland voters what they think about Governor Wes Moore’s bill that would juice home construction across the state. They like what’s in it–and they want state leaders to make a move, because local governments haven’t done enough to fix our housing crisis. Due to decades of underbuilding, Maryland is short 96,000 homes, which has contributed to dramatic increases in housing costs. To fix that, Governor Moore and housing secretary Jake Day introduced a housing package we lovingly call Moore Housing.

In Baltimore City and in Baltimore, Dorchester and Somerset counties, every child can get a healthy school meal for free, without paperwork submitted by their parents and without the stigma of being labeled as poor. If you need a meal, you get a meal, no questions asked. In the remaining 20 Maryland school systems, this is not the case. The need for free school meals is quite simple, even though it is being debated in our General Assembly this winter. It has been well-documented that learning and development are impeded by hunger.

Maryland lawmakers are on track to allowing undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance on the state’s insurance exchange — though they’ll still need to pay full price and won’t get any government subsidies. The Maryland Senate gave approval to the change on a 34-13 vote on Friday afternoon. That followed approval in the House of Delegates on a 101-34 vote in late February.

 

When a developer promised to radically alter the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, many people were delighted and impressed. Some were indignant and horrified. They formed an opposition campaign. They packed public hearings. They feared city leaders were letting a political insider build a temple to hucksterism on a beloved piece of public land. And it all came down to a citywide ballot question that November.

Maryland’s push to electrify buildings and vehicles to reduce fossil fuel emissions will increase the load on the electric grid. By how much is a matter of contention. A December 2023 report prepared for the Maryland Public Service Commission anticipates minor increases in load growth as the state works toward the goals of its Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022. But a study commissioned by Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., Maryland’s largest electricity provider, anticipates that electrification will significantly increase the average load growth rate.

As the thoroughbred horse racing industry struggles with waning interest and grave economic challenges, its Maryland stakeholders are seeking to chart a path forward amid strong headwinds. But to complete that mission, advocates and legislators will soon need to introduce and pass a bill — and quickly, before the General Assembly session ends next month. Equipped with $400 million in state funds approved by the legislature in 2020 and a new proposal — one that would eventually consolidate racing at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, close Anne Arundel County’s Laurel Park and build a training track elsewhere in the state — the newly formed Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority hopes this is the year the industry has a feasible plan.

 

Phillips Foods and Seafood Restaurants Inc. will head north for its latest expansion outside Maryland. The Halethorpe-based company acquired or will soon acquire a facility, several plants and holding tanks in Canada, Phillips announced Friday. The acquisitions will expand the family-owned company’s seafood offerings in its restaurants, like Phillips Seafood at the Inner Harbor, and retail, as well as add to its global portfolio that already includes a presence in Asia.