Politics

Congressman Glenn Ivey, D-Md., who represents much of Prince George’s County, Maryland, is part of a group of bipartisan lawmakers pushing for new legislation that would fund the development of turnout gear for firefighters free of PFAS, which are also known as “forever chemicals.” “They’re already putting their lives at risk to fight fires. We don’t want to put them at risk just from the gear that’s supposed to be saving their lives,” Ivey said at a news conference last week at PGFD Fire Station 802 in Capitol Heights.

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners supports county government efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions, especially if those efforts save money. The county’s Department of Public Works came before the commissioners Thursday to suggest the formation of a countywide energy management program to develop practices that minimize energy costs through building construction, rooftop solar panels, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Former Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and her husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, announced they are ending their marriage. They released a statement Friday confirming what already appeared to be true based on divorce filings. “After careful consideration and much prayer, we have decided to end our marriage. We want to emphasize our commitment as strong co-parents moving forward.

Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday announced that Maryland would shift its focus on Chesapeake Bay cleanup in response to a recent study that said states could be making greater progress on the issue. Joined by EPA Region III Administrator Adam Ortiz at a state wildlife research center in Queenstown, Moore said the state would follow the science outlined in a report by the Chesapeake Bay Program Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee and focus more on the bay’s shallow water resources.

The City Council has marked its calendar for a second hearing on the Brooklyn Day shooting, with its eye on gaining new information about the Baltimore Police Department response and more data on the Safe Streets violence mediation program. The hearing, planned for Sept. 13 at 1 p.m., was announced in a tweet on Thursday by Councilman Mark Conway, the public safety chair, who said he expected the Police Department will have by then completed its “after-action report.”

In real life, Bob Odenkirk, who played a morally-challenged attorney in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, is a campaign donor to President Joe Biden and an outspoken critic of former president Donald Trump. But his political contributions don’t stop there. In an era in which out-of-state money increasingly influences state races, the Los Angeles-based actor gave $1,500 to Montgomery County Councilman Will Jawando, a Democrat seeking the U.S. Senate opening created because Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin isn’t seeking reelection next year.

The Baltimore area is one step closer to forming a Regional Water Governance Task Force authority. Under legislation approved this year in Annapolis, the regional authority would take over management of the water system now run by Baltimore City and surrounding counties. The first step was a 13-member panel to figure out how to do that.

Several park trails in Carroll County will now permit a certain class of motorized e-bikes to be used alongside hikers, runners and equestrians. The Board of Carroll County Commissioners voted 3-2 at its Thursday meeting to change a county ordinance and allow for the use of Class 1 e-bikes on county-owned park trails. The bicycles have an electric motor that operates when a rider is pedaling and automatically shuts off when the bike reaches 20 mph.