Aiming to build off their progress in recent years on increasing access to health care and making the criminal justice system more equitable, Maryland’s Legislative Black Caucus said Thursday it will back a lengthy list of legislation and “moral” goals in the annual legislative session that kicked off last week. The caucus, with 66 members between the 141-member House of Delegates and the 47-member Senate, is the largest one of its kind in the country, said its chair, Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, a Montgomery County Democrat.

A petition for a ballot measure to reduce the size of the Baltimore City Council from 14 districts to eight has collected more than 25,000 signatures, far exceeding the number needed for the question to go to voters in November’s general election. The measure is backed by the People for Elected Accountability and Civic Engagement, a committee with ties to the conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, which two years ago successfully funded a charter amendment imposing term limits on elected officials in City Hall.

Construction will begin this summer on the next phase of Ellicott City’s Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan, according to an announcement Thursday from County Executive Calvin Ball. Improvements include a 5.5-million-gallon flood mitigation pond and an extended north tunnel — the focal point of the project. Heavy rains in 2011, 2016 and 2018 caused major flooding in Ellicott City’s historic district, killing three people and leaving behind massive destruction.

The county will see about $14 million in additional revenue related to the latest property reassessments. Phil Thompson, the county’s finance officer, provided the Worcester County Commissioners with an update regarding property tax revenues this week. While the state released the information in late December, Thompson said it was important to consider details beyond the 46% increase the county experienced.

As Baltimore City leaders explore ways to reimagine the “Highway to Nowhere” thanks to a $2 million federal grant, some community groups are wondering: What’s taking so long? Repurposing the infamous 1 1/2-mile stretch of U.S. 40 took an important step forward last year when Baltimore City received federal funds to help study the proposal, which is backed by Mayor Brandon Scott and members of the Maryland congressional delegation.

It won’t cost Ravens fans much to see Lamar Jackson and company take on the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium this weekend. Tickets for the Saturday afternoon playoff game — when temperatures are supposed to be in the 20s — are cheap, with resale tickets going for as little as $98 on StubHub as of Thursday afternoon. Tickets to the team’s first home playoff game since 2020 are listed for far less on Stubhub than what it will cost fans in Detroit, Buffalo and San Francisco to see their teams play in their respective playoff games.

Gov. Wes Moore (D), who used national connections and his growing political popularity to set fundraising records during his 2022 campaign, continues to raise money at a furious pace. In campaign finance documents released Wednesday, Moore reported collecting more than $2.6 million for his own campaign committee during his first year in office. On top of that, the governor helped the Maryland Democratic Party raise almost half a million dollars in its state accounts between mid-January 2023 and this January, while his lieutenant governor, Aruna Miller, reported raising $274,000 over the past year.

Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman said Allegany County will benefit from having an updated housing stock as it is a critical component of attracting people to the area. Lierman spoke with the media while attending the 2024 PACE Reception held Thursday at the Westin Hotel in Annapolis. PACE — an acronym for Positive Attitudes Change Everything — is an annual event where elected officials and administrators from Western Maryland are given the opportunity to meet with top state-level officials to discuss needs for the upcoming year.

Acting Howard County Schools Superintendent Bill Barnes proposed a $1.13 billion spending plan Thursday afternoon, setting up what is to be a “difficult budget process.” The school system must overcome a $103.8 million gap to balance the budget. “While difficult, we need to make significant changes now to put the school system on a more fiscally sustainable path, not just for the coming year but beyond as we continue to see mandated increases in the years to come,” Barnes said Thursday.

 

In November 2022, Anne Arundel County voters elected three new delegates and one new senator to represent them in Annapolis. Two of the legislators, state Sen. Dawn Gile, a Democrat, and Del. Stuart Schmidt, a Republican, were elected to represent District 33, which includes Riva, Crofton, Odenton, Severna Park and Cape Saint Claire.