Politics

The city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Parade has been canceled again this year, the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts announced in a news release Thursday. The parade, an annual event for decades prior to the pandemic, has not been held since 2020. BOPA, which has been under pressure recently over the continued cancelation of other Baltimore events like Artscape and the Baltimore Book Festival, said the parade would not be held out of “a conscious decision to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy through a day of service rather than a parade.”

Baltimore Councilman Zeke Cohen has formed an exploratory committee to consider a run for City Council president in 2024. Cohen announced the formation of the committee Wednesday night at a private event in Little Italy. He reiterated his interest in the job Thursday on social media. “I will spend the next few months listening to neighbors,” Cohen said on Twitter. “We will collectively determine how I can best serve Baltimore. We will move together.”

Maryland lawmakers working to create a system for the legalized sale of recreational marijuana had a question for researchers: What does demand look like for cannabis in Maryland? The answer: it’s high. While adult residents use marijuana in rates similar to other states, Marylanders who do use consume about five grams more per month on average than their counterparts, a survey of thousands of Maryland residents found.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Thursday unveiled his team’s plan for the upcoming legislative session in Annapolis. Backed by members of his administration and the Baltimore City delegation, the mayor went through the wish list he’s taking to the State House next week. Scott said his top three priorities are public safety, the environment and infrastructure and quality of life.

Less than a month after a federal judge found Maryland’s ban on broadcasting legally obtained recordings of court proceedings unconstitutional, the state judiciary is considering a rule that would prevent the public from obtaining audio recordings of criminal court cases altogether. On Dec. 9, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett struck down Maryland’s so-called “broadcast ban,” which prohibited the dissemination of audio recordings obtained legally through the courts, determining that the law violated the First Amendment. His ruling came more than three years after a group of journalists and activists sued the state.

Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland’s only Republican U.S. House member, voted again Wednesday with a bloc intent on denying the body’s speakership to Kevin McCarthy of California. Harris voted three times Wednesday for Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican who got 20 votes compared with 201 for McCarthy in the final tally before the House adjourned until 8 p.m. McCarthy was well shy of the necessary majority of the 433 votes cast. Harris’ spokeswoman, Anna Adamian, did not return messages seeking comment.

Baltimore County is proposing a bill to ban plastic bags, following similar legislation passed in Howard County and Baltimore City. Under the legislation, people would have to bring their own bags or be charged by retailers for bags. The Bring Your Own Bag Act hopes to address trash buildup across the county and in its streams. The act was introduced by Councilman Izzy Patoka.