Commentary

House Bill 588, which would have allowed immigrants without documentation to gain access to health coverage through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, failed to gain approval in the General Assembly this year. This unfortunate result spells trouble for many state residents who are at high risk for delaying essential care. While advocates regroup to try again next session, what are families to do?

Back in the 1970s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed an enormous functioning hydraulic model of the Chesapeake Bay. Although long ago replaced by much more accurate computer simulations, there was one extremely valuable lesson passed along to the busloads of schoolchildren who would visit the 14.5-acre indoor facility on Kent Island: How shallow it all was. Sure, the deepest part of the bay (in real life, a 174-feet “hole” near Bloody Point not far from Annapolis; in the scale model, 21 inches deep) was impressive, but most of the display would hardly raise a splash if you stomped on it.

As Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) embarks on a new chapter with the appointment of a new superintendent, we believe this is a turning point — an opportunity to transform into a world class education system. We, the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association (PGCEA), the Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2250 (ACE-AFSCME Local 2250), and the Service Employees International Union 400 (SEIU 400), stand together with a focus on positive change and solutions.

Imagine a contemporary Rip Van Winkle fell asleep in 1993, when the average price of a gallon of gasoline was $1.10 and Maryland’s tax on that gas was 23.5 cents per gallon — or about 21% of the total price. He wakes up today to the news that, whoa, prices have gone up quite a bit. Motorists in Maryland are paying an average of $3.50 per gallon for gasoline, according to AAA.\

Frederick County’s student athletes put on quite a show in the spring sports state championships this year, with great team efforts and outstanding individual achievements. Our newspaper and website have been filled with stories and photos of victory after victory, achievement after incredible achievement. The athletes’ beaming smiles at the many victory celebrations are a reminder of the pure joy of sports competition.

It’s not difficult for Democrats and Republicans alike to list multiple reasons to hate the debt limit agreement reached over the weekend by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden. The irony, of course, is that the partisans are often clucking about the same issues, just opposite takes on them. Expanded work requirements for those who are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Aid for Needy Families program is a particularly galling imposition given how experience shows it won’t help recipients get jobs but will increase government bureaucracy.

Nearly a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion after almost 50 years. Our patients in Maryland experienced uncertainty and concern after the ruling as other states began to enact a myriad of abortion restrictions. Meanwhile, reproductive health care providers scrambled to establish a network of referrals to help patients get care in states where abortion remained legal.

In the year before the pandemic, I devoted several columns to the subject of reversing Baltimore’s population slide — things that a mayor, universities or groups like the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Downtown Partnership should do to attract people to the city again. When the latest population figures appeared, showing a further decline, I was not surprised.