Commentary

The outrage and tragedy of drunk driving deaths is that they are entirely preventable. For three years, we’ve introduced legislation to strengthen Noah’s Law, named for Montgomery County police officer Noah Leotta, who was killed by a repeat drunk driver in the line of duty. At Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we refer to bills like Noah’s Law as “all-offender” laws. What does that mean? Drunk driving offenders are offered a chance to resume normal life if they do one simple thing: put an ignition interlock on their car. Since our victory in Maryland, 35 other states have followed suit – and some have gone much farther.

Sex traffickers who exploit children should be punished. Their victims should not. Maryland, however, charges child sex trafficking victims with crimes that are a direct result of their own victimization. In fact, sex trafficked minors in Maryland can be charged, detained, and convicted for the same prostitution that their trafficker demanded. Other charges can be brought for truancy and running away, as well as crimes that are common to street survival like trespassing, fourth-degree burglary, and drug possession.

The conventional wisdom is that Vladimir Putin catastrophically miscalculated. He thought Russian-speaking Ukrainians would welcome his troops. They didn’t. He thought he’d swiftly depose Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government. He hasn’t. He thought he’d divide NATO. He’s united it. He thought he had sanction-proofed his economy. He’s wrecked it. He thought the Chinese would help him out. They’re hedging their bets.

Access to the full range of reproductive health services — including abortion — is important to protect the safety of mothers and children, to support families and to advance the health and financial security of communities. The Maryland state legislature approved a bill last week that expands insurance coverage of reproductive health care and lifts unnecessary restrictions on who can provide abortions. It’s now on the governor’s desk. This bill is good news — for health.

Maryland had the ninth highest homicide rate in the nation in 2020 and, keeping with national trends, the number of murders spiked in several Maryland areas in 2021, including Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. We know the story in Baltimore: 78 homicides in 2022, as of April 1. In the first 25 days of the year, there was more than one murder a day. There is broad agreement more must be done and organizations like Roca, where we work, are making an impact. For nearly 35 years, Roca has been working with the highest risk young men and women, those most likely to be victims or perpetrators of violence, and changing the trajectory of their lives.

Lee McCardell was the most famous of Baltimore Sun correspondents who covered World War II in Europe. In the months before the war, sensing that the U.S. would one day enter it, McCardell prepared for his eventual assignment by covering Army maneuvers and training. He also observed Ukrainian folk dancers in an East Baltimore church hall. It was 1938, a year before Germany invaded Poland to start the war, when McCardell wrote a bright, detailed story for The Evening Sun about not only the colorful dance troupe but the larger Ukrainian community.

Maryland has a rich history of service to our neighbors and our communities. We saw this selfless spirit during the past two years, as Marylanders from all walks of life stepped up to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Service brings us together, creates a sense of connection to people and place, and shows our love for one another. It is also a powerful vehicle to create meaningful and long-lasting change.