Politics

Maryland state officials, county officers and non-profit organizers gathered in Ocean City on Wednesday to discuss the policy solutions and tactics to face the ever-evolving opioid crisis, as one of many forum discussions that will occur at the annual Maryland Association of Counties summer conference. State and federal efforts have attempted to reduce substance abuse across the United States, particularly as synthetic opioids like fentanyl contributed to rising fatal overdoses over the past decade.

The debt limit law Congress approved earlier this year included a much-publicized provision that would cut all federal spending by 1% if Republicans and Democrats fail to reach agreement on the dozen government funding bills before Jan. 1. That sounds pretty threatening. But, the across-the-board automatic spending cut wouldn’t actually have any real-world effects until April 30, and it will never go into effect if Congress can pass its appropriations bills before that date.

Maryland’s highest court on Wednesday reprimanded a former Montgomery County judicial candidate over a false statement she made during her political campaign, but also warned bar counsel to avoid launching investigations so close to elections to avoid the appearance of bias. All three opinions — from the majority, a concurring justice and a dissenting justice — are unusually critical of bar counsel, who is tasked with investigating and prosecuting attorneys accused of misconduct or ethical breaches.

Approaching the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, Maryland lawmakers and advocates came together Tuesday to highlight provisions of the law aimed at reducing the costs of prescription drugs and providing incentives for renewable energy. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) spoke at a press conference hosted by the Maryland Health Care for All! coalition, a health policy advocacy group.

Tempers flared Tuesday as the Wicomico County Council held its first public meeting since being sued by County Executive Julie Giordano (R) earlier this month for blocking two of her high-profile nominations and stripping funding for three positions in her administration. Some angry members of the public called for members of the council to resign — and one referred to council members as “an old boys’ club” seeking to block the priorities of the new county executive out of spite.

In the three years since its inception, the Office of Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan has gone from three people toiling in a small windowless room in the historic Towson courthouse to doubling its staff size and budget. That was the main message of its annual report, which published Tuesday, summarizing what Madigan’s office has accomplished during the previous fiscal year.