Politics

As the Maryland General Assembly’s annual 90-day lawmaking session grinds into its final three weeks, there remains plenty of time for politicians to hammer out deals and line up votes on everything from leadership’s major priorities to a backbencher’s most modest proposals. Little remains settled, with only a single piece of legislation — a monthlong gas tax holiday — having made it to Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk so far this year.

A judicial bill intended to hold Maryland judges accountable is making its way through the General Assembly, but it’s not exactly what Gov. Larry Hogan had hoped for. The Maryland General Assembly isn’t immune to growing concerns about violent crime and what to do about it. The problem is recognizing the source of the crime and passing legislation that will make a difference. Hogan said his Judicial Transparency Act would address concerns about the sentencing of violent criminals.

Outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday threw his official endorsement behind fellow Republican Kelly Schulz for Maryland’s next governor, citing their years of close political collaboration and calling Schulz the only candidate able to “continue the legacy” of his two terms in office. The move by the governor to endorse Schulz, who spent seven years as a cabinet secretary under Hogan, hardly came as a surprise.

U.S. District Court Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby said at a Monday hearing that she would try to rule this week as to whether a new Baltimore County council redistricting proposal complies with the federal Voting Rights Act. Attorneys for challengers to the county council’s map — which includes just one majority Black council district and was adopted by the county council after Griggsby blocked their original proposal —  said the new version still doesn’t comply with the Voting Rights Act.

The Maryland Senate passed a substantial juvenile justice reform measure Monday as lawmakers reached a milestone day in their 90-day session with three weeks left. The reform legislation, which now goes to the House, generally says a child younger than 13 will not be subject to the jurisdiction of juvenile court for delinquency proceedings and may not be charged with a crime. But juvenile courts would have jurisdiction over a child who is at least 10 and has committed the most serious crimes, like murder and other crimes of violence.

Thiru Vignarajah, the former city, state and federal prosecutor who has run for Baltimore state’s attorney and mayor, is running for state’s attorney again, setting the stage for a potential rematch of the last election for the city’s top prosecutor. Unsuccessful bids for the Democratic nominations for state’s attorney in 2018 and mayor in 2020 make Vignarajah a familiar face in Baltimore. He has been a partner at the law firm DLA Piper and prosecuted a range of high-profile cases during stints as deputy Maryland attorney general, special U.S. attorney for Maryland and chief of major investigations in the Baltimore state’s attorney’s office.

A court hearing on Baltimore County Council’s proposed map of its council districts focused heavily on disagreement over the extent to which county residents’ voting breaks down along racial lines. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby heard arguments Monday afternoon over whether the council’s newly redrawn map of its district boundaries is fair to Black voters. The plaintiffs, including the Baltimore County NAACP branch and a number of county residents, have said the new map — like the first one — would disadvantage Black voters.

The Democratic-led Maryland Senate passed legislation this month calling on a state commission to compile and post circuit court sentencing data on a largely county-by county-basis, rebuffing Gov. Larry Hogan’s proposal that the posted information provide by name the sentence each Maryland judge rendered for violent criminals. Following the Senate’s 46-0 vote, attention now has shifted to the House Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to hold a hearing on the Senate-passed bill Tuesday.

Baltimore City Council introduced five bills Monday aimed at combating the city’s problem with vacant properties. The legislation, which includes three bills sponsored by City Council President Nick Mosby and two from Odette Ramos, calls for increasing several fees associated with owning a vacant property in Baltimore. Another bill would streamline the city’s newly approved in rem foreclosure process to make sure it’s aligned with state law.