Politics

Maryland has an open seat in the U.S. Senate up for election this year that’s drawing national attention, with control of the chamber hanging in the balance. That means there’s plenty of polling, as the candidates and other interested parties search for indications of which way voters will go. The Democratic front-runners are Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone.

A bill that just barely crossed the finish line in the Maryland General Assembly will allow the Attorney General’s Office to more effectively pursue damages in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster. Passed shortly before the legislature adjourned Sine Die Monday night, Senate Bill 680 will permit the proportionate distribution of liability among parties believed to bear responsibility for the bridge collapse.

Gov. Wes Moore referenced lessons he learned as a U.S. Army soldier and talked of distinction between battle and war. Understanding the difference is key in the fight for freedoms, including women’s rights, he said in his keynote address at the 20th Annual Western Maryland Democratic Summit on Saturday at Rocky Gap Casino Resort.

Gov. Wes Moore was quick to declare victory on key legislation as the General Assembly adjourned its 2024 session this month amid a last-minute legislative frenzy. But, for advocates and environmentalists, the session was at best mediocre for the state’s lofty climate aspirations. Some fear late backroom interventions and compromises could upend the state’s ability to meet its statutory emissions-reduction and clean-energy targets.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has amended several of his state campaign finance reports to correct errors regarding five individual contributors and issued refunds to four other donors after The Baltimore Sun reported the campaign accepted donations above the $6,000 maximum limit from nine entities. The two amended reports were filed Saturday.

Baltimore Councilman Zeke Cohen holds a sizable lead in the race for City Council president, leading nearly all demographics of Democratic voters as he challenges incumbent President Nick Mosby, according to a new poll for The Baltimore Sun, the University of Baltimore and FOX45. The poll gauging interest for the Democratic primary, released Monday, shows Cohen with 40% of the vote to Mosby’s 21% among likely primary voters surveyed.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. submitted a $5 billion budget for fiscal year 2025 to the County Council on Thursday, an increase from the fiscal year 2024 budget of $4.9 billion. The budget will have to be approved by the council — which can cut, but not otherwise change the proposal. The council is scheduled to vote on the budget on May 23.

The Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives has pressed the federal government to seek money from shipping companies that may be liable for the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse before spending taxpayer dollars on a replacement. But the group’s member from Maryland, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, said Thursday that he believes it’s OK for the government to “front the money” for a new Key Bridge, while working to be paid back by any liable parties.

The Democratic race to become Baltimore City Council president is up for grabs about a month from primary day, according to a new survey from Goucher College Poll and The Baltimore Banner, as the race has tightened now that a third candidate is in the field. Twenty-seven percent of likely Democratic voters said that if the election were held today they would vote for Zeke Cohen, a sophomore councilman representing Southeast Baltimore.