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Commentary

Masks are no longer mandatory on public transit, but they can still help reduce COVID’s spread. Choose wisely.

Americans could scarcely be blamed for feeling confused about whether or not to wear a mask right now. A week ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended into May a nationwide mask mandate for travel on airplanes, trains, buses and other forms of public transportation. Then on Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck it down. Meanwhile, some local governments and private employers are reasserting mask mandates in response to rising COVID-19 transmission rates because of virus variants.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
The country’s skilled labor shortage is an equity problem

After last year’s record numbers of resignations, almost every industry in America is currently in need of more workers. While the overall labor shortage in America has been extensively broadcast, it is less widely known that we are currently in dire need of one specific kind of laborer: skilled trade workers in fields including construction, electrical work and plumbing. Today, there are 650,000 open construction jobs in the United States and 10 million unfilled manufacturing jobs globally.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
man's hand with pills spilled out of the container .
Important unsung legislative actions matter to your health

I served in the Maryland House of Delegates for 24 years, from 1995 to 2019. At the end of each General Assembly session, I’d send a letter to my constituents summarizing the bills that passed or failed. The media covered the high profile and controversial issues, so my report included a section of “Unsung Legislative Actions.” These were items that didn’t get headlines but were important. These two bills — both enacted in the 2022 session — initially may seem remote or technical in nature, but they will impact the health and well-being of every Marylander with minimal cost and substantial benefit. You should know about them.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Speed cameras are the ‘nuisance’ that saves lives

Before anyone flipped the switch to activate the new speed cameras on the Jones Falls Expressway (Interstate 83) in Baltimore last Thursday, there was a veritable traffic jam of critics on social media with a thumb’s down assessment of the situation. The responses ranged from the pointed but polite like an eye-roll emoji with the comment, “speeders are a top priority in Baltimore” to the even more sarcastic suggestion that the next step for Baltimore may be to imprison too-fast electric scooters. “Baltimore is so greedy with those speed cameras,” lamented one woman on Twitter last week.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
We need more expungement, not less

As complex as our legal system can be, most readers will recognize the phrase “innocent until proven guilty.” By design, our criminal justice system favors the accused. Think momentarily about what it means for the government to remove our fundamental rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — even temporarily — through imprisonment. This is an immense power, and it is why our court system both maintains a presumption of innocence and requires the state to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that a criminal defendant is guilty before removing one of us from society.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Trump-fueled GOP culture wars target the gay pride flag

Last year, a nationwide mental health survey found that a stunning 42% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide in the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased teen suicides attempts overall, likely played a role in that. But the survey of 35,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning individuals between the ages of 13 and 24 by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on LGBTQ youth suicide prevention, points to other factors as well: 94% of those surveyed said recent politics had worsened their outlook and 75% said they had suffered some form of gender discrimination.

Martin: Montgomery County’s teachers need better working conditions

The best part of my job as president of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) is stopping by schools to talk with colleagues about their experiences on the front lines in public education. While there, I also get to observe and chat with students. Every school visit reinforces the sense of pride I feel in the skill and dedication of my colleagues and reminds me what an honor it is to be entrusted with educating our county’s children.

Important unsung legislative actions matter to your health

I served in the Maryland House of Delegates for 24 years, from 1995 to 2019. At the end of each General Assembly session, I’d send a letter to my constituents summarizing the bills that passed or failed. The media covered the high profile and controversial issues, so my report included a section of “Unsung Legislative Actions.” These were items that didn’t get headlines but were important. These two bills — both enacted in the 2022 session — initially may seem remote or technical in nature, but they will impact the health and well-being of every Marylander with minimal cost and substantial benefit. You should know about them.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Climate bill passage is electrifying

The Climate Solutions Now Act sets up a huge potential for Maryland to go even further in its goals to eliminate the vast majority of emissions.By allowing the Climate Solutions Now Act to become law, Governor Larry Hogan and the Maryland General Assembly have thrown down the gauntlet. We as a state are now required by law to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2031 and 100% by 2045. We should be proud of our leadership in the General Assembly and the many advocates who worked for the bill’s passage.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Maryland’s decision to expand who can perform abortions is a leap forward

At a time when reproductive rights are under unprecedented attack across the country, Maryland took a significant step to increase access to abortion statewide. Not only will women in Maryland benefit from the forward-looking legislation that lifts outdated barriers on who can perform abortions, but also the expansion of access could help women from other states where laws are being passed to restrict or ban abortions in anticipation of a Supreme Court ruling soon on a Mississippi case challenging Roe v. Wade.

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