Commentary

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass a new law, the For the People Act, that secures our elections, protects our freedom to vote, gets big money and special interests out of politics, and cleans up government. The For the People Act, introduced as H.R. 1 and S. 1 to indicate its high priority, is the most transformative pro-democracy bill introduced in Congress since the Watergate era. It is the bold action that Americans want and deserve, and Congressman John Sarbanes has been championing this comprehensive effort through Congress.

On a drizzly Saturday morning, when spring seemed to have hit the “pause” button and the TV news was just as dreary, a friend and I drove to Dundalk. We thought we’d mosey around the Plaza Flea Market, maybe get some face masks, light bulbs, new sweatpants. What we found instead was dazzling diversity. The Plaza Flea Market’s logo is a silhouetted farmer driving an Amish-style buggy.

David Fowler, Maryland’s former longtime chief medical examiner, drew national attention recently when he testified in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted on murder and manslaughter charges for killing George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for more than 9 minutes last May. It was Dr. Fowler’s opinion that the victim died not of a lack of oxygen, as Minnesota medical experts had explained, but by a suddenly erratic heartbeat brought on, in part, by breathing in carbon monoxide fumes from a nearby vehicle exhaust. Given the overwhelming nature of the prosecutorial evidence, including a video of Mr. Floyd repeatedly pleading that he could not breathe, this struck even the most casual observer as somewhat suspect. But, some fear, it may have been much worse than that.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass a new law, the For the People Act, that secures our elections, protects our freedom to vote, gets big money and special interests out of politics, and cleans up government. The For the People Act, introduced as H.R. 1 and S. 1 to indicate its high priority, is the most transformative pro-democracy bill introduced in Congress since the Watergate era. It is the bold action that Americans want and deserve, and Congressman John Sarbanes has been championing this comprehensive effort through Congress.

Gov. Larry Hogan and the so-called moderates he treated to crab cakes in Annapolis last week think of infrastructure in the most conventional terms — fixing roads and bridges. Hogan is a 20th Century road warrior when it comes to prioritizing public dollars; he killed a major transit system for Baltimore, put the money into suburban and rural roads instead, advocated wider highways and a third bridge over the Chesapeake Bay. When you’re a Republican, you tend to think inside the box, and it’s a small, colorless box. You’re stuck with cutting taxes and keeping the government small and weak — even when the nation needs (and the public wants) bold action.

Maryland’s red-flag law has enjoyed a successful first two years, getting guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or to others. But in the aftermath of a recent mass shooting in Indiana, now may be a good time for the supporters of the law to reassess and make any changes that would improve it. Brandon Hole, who shot and killed eight people at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis, might have been prevented from purchasing the semiautomatic rifles used in the attack if a prosecutor had invoked the state’s red-flag law.

Maryland’s more than 30-year efforts to repair the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries has taken time, resources, and a general commitment from the public. Even with our efforts, oysters, crabs, sturgeon, and rockfish populations remain terribly low compared to historic numbers. Pollution from Pennsylvania and New York continues to seep into our Bay without consequence. Bay water clarity has also not made it to desired levels.