Commentary

Vehicles illegally parked at bus stops prevent Marylanders with disabilities from safely accessing transit buses, keeping us from reaching jobs, schools, healthcare appointments and more on time – if at all. This is a major problem that has gone unrecognized for a long time – but help is finally on the way thanks to Del. Robbyn Lewis and Sen. Arianna Kelly. To combat this problem, last year WMATA launched its Clear Lanes program to enforce illegal parking at bus stops with bus-mounted cameras.

As we near the end of Black History Month, it’s imperative to recognize that Black history is not merely a chapter in the annals of Maryland’s story; it is the very fabric of the state’s rich tapestry. From the bustling shipyards of Baltimore to the farmlands and waterways of Southern Maryland, the contributions and struggles of Black Americans are woven into every corner of Maryland’s history.

Supporting our Maryland multilingual learners’ work to graduate with a college degree is a pressing social and racial justice issue. The Credit for All Language Learning (CALL) Act seeks to level the playing field for multilingual learners who currently do not receive credit for their English Language Learning coursework (which is not considered credit bearing, but is eligible for Pell grants). This is definitely an equity issue, as we provide credit to most college students toward their degree for taking basic foreign language courses while multilingual learners who speak one, two, or more languages are not given credit for English courses that are equally, and many times more, rigorous.

Juvenile crime has been the subject of intense debate over the past few years, as Maryland has seen a major uptick in it. The crime ranges from the notorious “squeegee kids” who harassed people in their cars, to the “Kia challenge,” which saw numerous youths exploit the vulnerabilities of certain Kia and Hyundai cars to steal them, to murder, robbery, gang violence and more. Fox45 Baltimore provided me with the platform to sit down with the governor of Maryland, Wes Moore; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy during a critical town hall Monday night to discuss the state of criminality among juveniles in the state

In 2022, Maryland passed the Child Interrogation Protection Act, which, among other things, requires that children speak with a lawyer before being interrogated by police. This year, the Maryland General Assembly is considering removing this safeguard by allowing parents, rather than attorneys, to act as children’s legal advocates. As psychologists who work in the legal system, we strongly oppose this change, which incorrectly assumes that parents provide the same degree of legal protection as lawyers do.

How do Marylanders describe the effect industrial sludge has on their lives? “Smells like rotting meat and death.” “You can feel the smell in your teeth.” “People sometimes have to pull over to puke.” These are quotes from farmers and people who have lived in farming communities all their lives. But what they’re smelling is not the typical aroma of manure and fertilizer that rural Maryland is used to. It’s the stench of industrial sludge, particularly dissolved air flotation or “DAF” — a substance derived from the protein rendering process.

With lawmakers now having officially passed the halfway point in the annual 90-day Maryland General Assembly session, it’s time to get serious about balancing the state budget and taking action to reduce a structural deficit that could exceed $3 billion by 2028. Whatever Gov. Wes Moore and his Democratic majority embrace — be it substantially higher taxes (unlikely), massive reductions in spending (ditto) or some combination of taxes and budget cuts (the typical compromise) — the circumstances raise a question: Are all Marylanders now paying their fair share of the cost of government, and will they continue to pay after whatever deal is struck?