Politics

The Harford County Council stripped the owner-occupancy requirement from proposed legislation regulating farm breweries Tuesday but will require almost a third of a brewery’s alcohol to be made on-site within three years of getting the proper approvals if made law. Introduced after a public hearing on revised rules for farm breweries in the county, the two amendments each passed with six voting for them and one absent. The council will vote to approve the legislation at a future meeting.

While mail-in and drop box ballots helped increase turnout in September’s Democratic primary, candidates for Frederick alderman are divided on whether the city should move its elections to coincide with other contests around the state and allowing unaffiliated voters to vote in primary contests. The city’s five Democratic and two Republican candidates — who are vying for five open seats — took questions on a variety of issues at a virtual forum Thursday night.

Droves of visitors swelled the population of Crisfield, the southernmost town in Maryland, on Wednesday for the J. Millard Tawes Clam Bake and Crab Feast. The feast – typically held at the end of July each year and delayed since 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic – is one of two major annual events hosted by the coastal town’s Chamber of Commerce. Ahead of and during Wednesday’s event, Maryland Matters spoke to each of the candidates vying to be Maryland’s next governor about their ideas for boosting the Eastern Shore economy ― though some offered more details than others and, in some cases, the proposals are essentially repackaging their broader campaign themes.

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley kicked off the first of three community listening sessions Thursday to update residents on infrastructure projects, public safety and tornado recovery, and to hear feedback about budget priorities. Buckley’s first stop was Thursday at the Pip Moyer Recreation Center. Other sessions will follow on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Michael E. Busch Library and Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at Mt. Olive Community Life Center.

A panel of experts Wednesday advised Maryland lawmakers to carefully consider data collection and public education on potential risks of marijuana use before legalizing the drug for recreational use. Increases in the potency of THC in modern strains of marijuana have lowered the ratio of the psychoactive chemical to others that might prevent some adverse effects of the drug. Public education is needed for users, including an increasing number of pregnant women, but also adolescents who might access the drug.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich Wednesday defended his decision to remove police officers from public schools, saying the move does not compromise student safety and is designed to address equity concerns. The current academic calendar year marks the first time in nearly two decades that the county’s schools do not have officers on campus. However, officers are on patrol in close proximity to schools in case of an incident. The decision to remove officers from schools was made last spring.

With Maryland’s $2.5 billion surplus, many questions remain. Although Gov. Larry Hogan announced how he planned on spending the surplus, Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford shared some insight of his own. “It’s not the government’s money,” Rutherford told C4 and Bryan Nehman on Wednesday morning. “The citizens give their money to the government… Maybe the government should return some of the money.” Rutherford said that some should be saved for a rainy day, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as something that required state money to be used to help residents stay afloat.

It has been three weeks since Annapolis’ first election conducted mostly by mail showed voter turnout increase by about 20%. Now, election officials have begun gearing up for the Nov. 2 general election. The general election follows just 42 days after the Sept. 21 primary where 1,776 Democrats voted in three contested primaries in Wards 3, 4 and 8; a combined voter turnout was about 30%. That’s a 22% increase over what it was in those wards in 2017 when about 1,450 ballots were cast.