Politics

Key committees in the Maryland Senate and the House of Delegates moved forward with a measure that would establish a statewide paid family and medical leave program, but proposed different paths to get there. The Time to Care Act would guarantee workers 12 weeks of paid leave following childbirth or to take care of themselves or a family member experiencing serious health issues. Depending on their salary, Marylanders — who worked either part-time or full-time for at least 680 hours in the last year — would receive a partial wage replacement of between $50 and $1,000 a week.

The House chamber erupted in an emotional debate on Thursday as Del. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore and Harford) introduced an amendment to an anti-discrimination bill that would have prohibited public school staff from discussing sexuality and gender. “It’s pretty simple, it just says that our public schools shouldn’t teach kids [aged] four, five, six and seven about sex and gender identity,” Szeliga said.

The House of Delegates and Senate have passed conflicting legislation to raise the minimum age for marriage in Maryland from 15 to 17. The House voted 100-35 on Wednesday for a measure that would prohibit 17-year-olds from marrying someone more than four years their elder. House Bill 83 would also require the 17-year-old to assure a judge that he or she is getting married voluntarily and not under duress. By contrast, Senate Bill 29, which senators approved last month, would require the 17-year-old to be either an expectant parent or have a parent’s or guardian’s consent to marry.

Window film will be installed on all public-facing windows and doors at the Carroll County Circuit Court in Westminster “to add an extra layer of security,” according to Fred S. Hecker, administrative judge for the Carroll County Circuit Court, the result of a $12,000 grant awarded to the county and accepted by commissioners Thursday. “I hope we never need it, but since they were offering, we took the opportunity,” Hecker said.

People lie on mortgage applications every day. Fudging a few key details on a routine form can make a loan seem less risky to a lender. Instead of saying they’re buying an investment property, they claim it’s a vacation home. Maybe they don’t disclose a debt. That could make a lender feel more confident about issuing a loan with a lower interest rate and cutting the amount of down payment required.

In a year of extraordinary budget surpluses, Maryland lawmakers are planning to set aside $800 million to cover future costs of the state’s sweeping education reform law known as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. As the Maryland Senate neared a vote on the state budget for the next fiscal year, Sen. Guy Guzzone said the decision was made in recognition of last week’s announcement that revenues are projected to be $1.6 billion higher than previously estimated, on top of a budget surplus that already was huge.

With her political challengers circling and a federal indictment looming over her, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby held her second news conference in as many days, in an effort to tout a job well done while remaining coy on whether she will run for a third term. Mosby, a progressive Democrat and Baltimore’s top prosecutor, released a report Wednesday examining the racial disparities for people the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office prosecutes.

Maryland Senate and House lawmakers are poised to pass gas tax legislation on Thursday.  Once the bill is passed, it goes to Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk. Senators tell WJZ that Hogan will likely sign the bill into law on Friday morning. Once he does, gas prices will drop immediately.  This emergency legislation is on the fast track to pass, in order for prices to quickly drop at the pump.