Politics

Baltimore’s City Council passed a bill Monday to create a police accountability board. The bill passed with several amendments, news outlets reported. The amendments include allowing former officers to serve on the board and giving the police department two weeks to refer complaints instead of three days. A law passed by the General Assembly last year requires each Maryland jurisdiction in Maryland to have a police accountability board by Friday, July 1. The bill now goes to the desk of Mayor Brandon Scott, who is expected to sign it.

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner came out in support of former U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez’s bid for governor on Monday. “Tom Perez has a proven track record of impressive accomplishment, understands the critical importance of working collaboratively with local leaders, and — maybe most importantly — has never forgotten where he came from or the challenges our families face,” Gardner (D) said in a statement endorsing Perez, who is also a former chair of the Democratic National Committee. “Put simply: he is ready to Get Stuff Done,” Gardner continued.

Maryland’s top three Democratic candidates are essentially tied as they head into the final weeks of the primary campaign, according to a new poll. Of Democratic voters who’ve made up their minds and said they are likely to vote, 16% support Peter Franchot, 14% support Wes Moore and 14% support Tom Perez — all well within the margin of error of 4.9%, making the race a statistical dead heat.

Marylanders are bracing to pay more at the pump starting Friday due to a legislatively mandated automatic gas tax increase. A bill passed in 2013 calls for an automatic gas tax increase based on inflation, which is measured by the Consumer Price Index. Starting Friday drivers will pay about 7 cents more per gallon for gas. This brings to total state gas tax from 36 cents a gallon to 43 cents per gallon.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade precedent has prompted donations large and small to aid those in Maryland and from out of state seeking an abortion. Abortion remains legal in Maryland, and providers are gearing up to accept a larger influx of people from other states seeking care here.

A new state program will provide training and apprenticeships for people looking to get into the information technology field, Gov. Larry Hogan said. The state’s Department of Information Technology is partnering with Catalyte, Inc., and Digital Network Group, LLC, to provide training for people without an IT background.

Mayor Brandon Scott, flanked Monday by advocates for getting young voters to the polls, implored Baltimoreans to exercise their constitutional right in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin and others joined him on the eve of Tuesday’s statewide voter registration deadline.