Politics

The Montgomery County Council unanimously voted to override County Executive Marc Elrich’s veto of Planning Board appointee James Hedrick during Tuesday’s meeting, with several councilmembers voicing disappointment with Elrich’s decision. Elrich formally disapproved the appointment of Hedrick to the Planning Board Friday, nearly a month after he was selected. A nine-vote supermajority from the council was required to override Elrich’s veto.

Maryland’s recreational cannabis industry inched a step closer to reality Monday as a state Senate committee passed a bill to get the industry up and running this summer. Senate Bill 516, now closer to a full Senate vote in the coming days, is expected to go through some final changes as lawmakers settle on a plan in the next two weeks to regulate what could be a multibillion-dollar industry.

The confirmation of a historic nominee to lead the Maryland State Police remains in limbo after nearly an hour of testimony before the Senate Executive Nominations Committee. Retired Lt. Col. Roland Butler’s testimony before the committee was the culmination of three weeks of effort to shore up his faltering nomination. If confirmed, he would become the first Black man to lead the Maryland State Police.

Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor has appointed residents, officials, merchants and others to an ad hoc committee to examine parking in the city. The group will look at changing demand for parking downtown, community needs, and parking and mobility options, and will recommend actions, according to a release from the city.

A joint offer from White’s Ferry owners and county government to buy the Virginia landing site could have seen the historic ferry reopened as soon as 30 days from the purchase—but the bid was rejected by Virginia landowners. Now Chuck and Stacy Kuhn are looking to sell White’s Ferry to Montgomery County. “This is not what we had hoped, but we understand the importance of White’s Ferry to the region’s economy—and the ferry needs to get moving again,” Chuck Kuhn said in a prepared statement.

Two more Maryland businesses have qualified for consideration for a sports wagering license, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, which oversees casinos and sports wagering in the state. The businesses, one of which has plans to open a betting facility inside the bar Sports and Social in North Bethesda, must get additional approval before opening to bettors.

With reported antisemitic incidents nearly doubling in Maryland last year, state lawmakers are proposing a package of bills aimed at preventing and addressing hate crimes. Sen. Benjamin F. Kramer (D-Montgomery) introduced five bills in the state Senate that he said target root causes of the increase in bias incidents in Maryland, which rose from 55 in 2021 to 109 in 2022, according to a report published this week by the Anti-Defamation League.
Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.

Two months after taking office, Gov. Wes Moore (D) continues to work to fill positions on key boards and commissions. Moore on Friday sent an additional 128 nominees to the state Senate for consideration — and also announced that he was withdrawing the names of 13 previously announced appointees. Moore has now sent hundreds of names for top administration positions and commissions along to the Senate, which is trying to work through his nominees at a rapid pace, with the General Assembly session set to end on April 10.