Politics

Baltimore’s most powerful political offices are exclusively held by men, but women fueled the campaigns that got them there. A handful of women are the most sought-after — and effective — campaign fundraisers for races in Baltimore and across Maryland. That several Maryland women represent most mainstream Democratic city and state officials is unusual, said Martha McKenna. The communications consultant advises federal and local campaigns, including Sheila Dixon’s current mayoral bid.

About 200 miles of Baltimore city roads need to be repaved, but funding cuts at the state level may put the projects in jeopardy. Senate lawmakers approved Senate Bill 362, which includes potential long-term cuts in transit funding that are intended to address the state’s $3.3 billion budget shortfall. The bill heads to the House for its approval. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is calling on the House to restore the cuts to the city’s highway user revenue.

Juvenile justice legislation moving through the General Assembly is facing opposition from advocacy groups that say the proposed changes would bring a new wave of mass incarceration and criminalize Black children. The proposals still must go through a conference committee to hash out differences between the Senate and House bills, both of which have passed their respective chambers.

A Maryland House committee voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that would allow certain renewable energy sources to be built and used on any type of land. Several representatives of Frederick County, as well as county officials, said they are concerned that the bill oversteps counties’ zoning authority and would be expensive for jurisdictions. If passed, House Bill 1407 would prevent all jurisdictions from adopting zoning laws or other regulations that limit or ban the construction and operation of Tier 1 renewable sources under Maryland’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS).

Nearly a year after Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced plans for a new “iconic lakefront library” in Columbia, the project is essentially back to the drawing board. Ball’s enthusiasm for the proposed $144 million state-of-the-art library wasn’t shared by all last year, with some complaining about a lack of transparency in developing plans for a tiered, glass-enclosed structure along Little Patuxent Parkway and overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi.

A House committee vote Wednesday set up another battle with Senate fiscal leaders over finding new revenues this year. The House Ways and Means Committee voted 15-7 to approve House Bill 1319, which could open the door to casino-style iGaming in Maryland. The committee vote fell mostly along party lines with Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery) joining the six Republicans in opposition.

As the General Assembly scrambles to process bills in the waning days of Maryland’s 90-day session, renters and housing advocates are pushing for passage of measures that would ease the burden of housing insecurity across the state. Gov. Wes Moore (D) has offered his own legislative package to address Maryland’s housing shortage, estimated at 96,000 units statewide. But addressing the housing shortage is complicated, and legislative solutions range from incentivizing development of new affordable housing units to protecting renters from unnecessary evictions.