Politics

A decades-old lawsuit against the Maryland State Board of Education returned to court this week, reviving a prolonged debate over whether the state provides adequate funding for Baltimore City schools. Baltimore City Circuit Judge Audrey J. S. Carrión heard arguments Wednesday from attorneys representing the state and plaintiffs from the original 1994 case known as Bradford v. Maryland State Board of Education. Each side asked the court for a summary judgment to settle whether the state has violated city students’ right to an education as guaranteed in the state constitution.

Maryland officially has its own Supreme Court — in name, at least. Gov. Larry Hogan issued a proclamation Wednesday that amends Maryland’s constitution to change the name of the state’s highest courts and the titles of the judges that serve on them. In November, Marylanders voted 3-to-1 in favor of a constitutional amendment to rename the state’s highest court from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of Maryland. The seven judges who now sit on the Maryland Supreme Court will be referred to as justices or as chief justice, in the case of Chief Justice Matthew J. Fader, the administrative leader of Maryland’s court system.

Eight years ago, a week before Election Day, I published a column on Center Maryland speculating about who might be getting cabinet positions and other prominent roles in the anticipated administration of Anthony Brown, the Democratic nominee for governor (don’t bother looking for it on Center Maryland’s archives — most of the pieces from that era have vanished). The day after that column appeared, I ran into Ken Ulman, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, at the Montgomery Business Hall of Fame annual luncheon, greeting people as they came in. Ulman praised my column and said I had gotten just about everything right, with one or two notable exceptions. I was feeling pretty good about myself. But standing just a few feet from Ulman, also pressing the flesh, was the Republican nominee for governor, Larry Hogan. “I’m going to win,” Hogan told me confidently.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that Prince George’s County, Maryland, will receive a $3.25 million grant from Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. The multi-million dollar grant will fund a pilot program to support local farmers and producers of color, and to implement climate-centric practices in organic farming. “USDA is committed to supporting a diverse range of farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities,” Jennifer Lester Moffitt, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, said in a release.

Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration won’t be putting forward a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 — mimicking a decision by California — before he leaves office. Environmental advocates had been hoping the Republican governor’s administration would advance a policy matching California’s before the end of the year. They argue that, by waiting, Maryland could fall behind California, where 35% of new light-duty cars sold must be zero-emission in model year 2026. Maryland must give manufacturers two model years of notice before the rule takes effect. A 2007 state law mandates that Maryland follow California’s vehicle emissions standards, which are stricter than the federal government’s. Several other states have similar arrangements. But the process is in the hands of Hogan’s Department of the Environment.

A district public defender, an administrative law judge and a longtime lawyer with Offit Kurman are the latest to receive judicial appointments from Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Hogan announced Monday he appointed Alex M. Allman to the Harford County Circuit Court, Tracey Johns Delp to the Harford County District Court and Allison Sayers to the Howard County District Court. “The appointment of qualified individuals to serve across our state’s justice system is paramount to upholding our responsibilities to the people of Maryland and the rule of law,” Hogan said in a news release.