Politics

Maryland lawmakers passed an omnibus climate change bill on Thursday designed to give the state some of the most aggressive environmental goals in the country — if the bill survives a veto threat from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. The sprawling legislation accelerates Maryland’s already ambitious environmental goals, seeking to cut emissions by 60 percent of 2006 levels by 2031, up from the current goal of 40 percent. It also spells out sweeping changes to get there.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison joined state lawmakers and gun control advocates in calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to sign into law a ban on “ghost guns,” unserialized firearms that can be purchased as kits and assembled at home. A bill prohibiting people from purchasing, receiving, selling, offering to sell or transferring a “ghost gun” or “ghost gun” part on or after March 1, 2023 was passed in the House of Delegates on Tuesday by a vote of 92 to 41. The Senate passed it on March 16, 35-11.

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has amended her annual finance report to indicate that her 84-year-old grandmother – and not her deceased grandfather – contributed to her campaign. The corrected report, submitted to the State Board of Elections, wipes from the public record a $500 check that was listed as coming from Prescott Thompson, who died in 2016, on November 30, 2021

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. announced a $216 million plan on Wednesday that would boost funding for cancer treatment, prevention and research in Maryland. The investment, which uses a historic budget surplus to invest in projects prioritized by Hogan (R) and legislative leaders, was formally introduced as a supplemental budget amendment in the General Assembly.

Health care workers besides physicians could start performing abortions in Maryland and the procedure would be covered without cost by most insurance plans in the state under legislation passed by the General Assembly this week and is now headed to Gov. Larry Hogan’s desk. The Abortion Care Access Act received broad support from Maryland Democrats, who hold veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, and was passed over fervent objections from Republican lawmakers who oppose abortion on moral grounds.

While her son spent 891 days in Maryland juvenile detention over a stolen cell phone, his first encounter with the justice system, Keisha Hogan found her voice. Earlier this month — seven years after her son was released — she delivered an impassioned speech to state legislators asking them to support proposed legislation that would prevent other Maryland youth from being incarcerated under similar circumstances.

President Joe Biden announced a new COVID-19 government website Wednesday while urging Congress to approve billions in funding to keep the pandemic at bay. Speaking from the White House, Biden said that without a bipartisan agreement on new funding, the federal government will need to roll back or end programs meant to curb the spread of the virus.