Politics

Even before the collapse of an iconic piece of Maryland infrastructure Tuesday, finding the money needed to sustain the state’s critical transportation network was the largest hang-up left in the General Assembly session barreling toward its finish line. The crash that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge has only added to the complexity.

The plan for Maryland’s state government to take over ownership of Baltimore’s historic Pimlico Race Course cleared its first hurdle in Annapolis on Wednesday. A House of Delegates committee voted — with a few Republican dissenters — to advance the plan to the full House for a vote. Lawmakers must approve legislation for the complex racetrack deal to move forward.

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., urged federal and state officials Wednesday to take a fresh look at environmental requirements that he said could slow down reconstruction of a new Francis Scott Key Bridge. Harris said a new round of environmental studies related to a new span of the bridge could add years to its development.

Limiting the number of terms that Frederick officials serve could broaden the pool of people who run for office, but could also mean less experience and expertise in running city affairs, Frederick’s aldermen said Wednesday. The aldermen discussed two recommendations from a committee appointed to consider changes to the city’s charter: Age and residency requirements for the mayor and members of the City Council (a name recommended in place of the current Board of Aldermen), Limiting mayors to two four-year terms, consecutive or not, and members of the City Council to three four-year terms.

The Montgomery County Council will be holding multiple public hearings and forums in April to gather residents’ input on County Executive Marc Elrich’s (D) proposed $7.1 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1. The council, which is tasked with reviewing and finalizing the budget proposal, will hold four public hearings during both regular daytime council meetings and at night to hear from the public on all aspects of the proposed budget.

Two Democratic state senators are trying to secure funding for reproductive health clinics that provide abortion services before time runs out in the 2024 legislative session. And the success of one bill may help with the financial support of the other. The landscape for abortion access has changed drastically across the United States following the overturning of federal abortion protections in 2022.

Two Maryland state lawmakers and a county executive picked up the official and potentially consequential endorsement Tuesday of the National Education Association for their congressional bids, based on a recommendation from the Maryland State Education Association.

The Maryland Department of Health is about to enter its last month of Medicaid redeterminations, a 12-month process that has resulted in thousands of Marylanders losing health care coverage — while many others retained coverage in a process called “unwinding.”