Politics

Two General Assembly bills aim to abolish the board of Maryland 529, the beleaguered state higher education savings agency, and move the organization under the auspices of the state treasurer by June, a change State Treasurer Dereck Davis supports. Del. Cathi Forbes, a Baltimore County Democrat, has introduced the House version of the legislation and Sen. Joanne Benson, a Prince George’s County Democrat, is the chief sponsor of an identical bill in her chamber.

Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller urged lawmakers Wednesday to approve an extension and expansion of tax credits for low-income residents that have helped them during the coronavirus pandemic but are set to end. The proposal is a priority for Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who included $171 million in his $63.1 billion budget plan for the legislation. It would make permanent an expansion of the state’s earned income tax credit approved in 2021 for tax years through 2022. The measure also would expand the state’s child tax credit.

Three Frederick County lawmakers have signed on to a bill that would mandate Holocaust education in schools across Maryland. State Sen. Ben Kramer, D-Montgomery, is the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 837, called the Educate to Stop the Hate Act. Democratic Sen. Karen Lewis Young, D-Frederick, as well as Republican Sens. Paul Corderman and Justin Ready, whose districts include parts of Frederick County, are among the bill’s seven co-sponsors.

One of Gov. Wes Moore’s nominees to serve on the state’s Public Service Commission has withdrawn following criticism. Moore nominated Juan Alvarado, a senior official at the American Gas Association to serve on the PSC on Feb. 17. He had previously worked on the commission staff. Alvarado was criticized by some Democratic senators and environmental groups for what they said might be his lack of commitment to Moore’s climate goals, which included a 100% clean energy by 2030.

A key component of Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s push to accelerate the state’s minimum wage could face tough sledding in the legislature. For the first time in nearly a decade, Democrats control both the legislature and the executive branch. By and large, both branches appear to be rowing in the same direction on top issues. Below the surface, there are some points of disagreement.

As Maryland’s 23 counties and the city of Baltimore continue to work on state-mandated comprehensive police reforms, some of the state’s municipalities may be able to incorporate their own methods. Sen. Ron Watson (D-Prince George’s) and Del. Lesley Lopez (D-Montgomery) have identical legislation that would allow 88 of the state’s 157 municipalities with police forces to create their own accountability boards.