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Politics

Olszewski proposes new Baltimore County Police positions, continued hiring bonuses in public safety budget
April 5, 2022 -

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. pitched a slate of new Baltimore County Police positions on Monday and another pool of money for hiring bonuses, calling public safety one of government’s most “sacred” responsibilities. Flanked by Police Chief Melissa Hyatt, Olszewski described the proposals as a way of further strengthening the police department through improved officer wellness, quicker investigations and more data analysis.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Maryland would become second state to ban cat declawing under a bill General Assembly passed Monday
April 5, 2022 -

Maryland appears set to become the second state to ban declawing of cats, something animal welfare advocates consider a “barbaric” practice. Critics say declawing is already rare, though, and that the measure would infringe on the judgment of veterinarians. The General Assembly approved a bill Monday that would outlaw any procedure removing a portion of a cat’s claws or paws, except in the case of a medical condition compromising the animal’s well-being. It would not affect practices to file or trim cat claws.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Maryland Gov. Hogan signs redrawn congressional district map, ending monthslong legal and legislative battle
April 5, 2022 -

Gov. Larry Hogan, ending a monthslong legal and legislative tussle with Democrats, signed a map of Maryland’s congressional districts on Monday that the General Assembly redrew after a judge rejected the first version as extremely partisan. Hogan, a Republican, said he decided to approve the reconfigured map after the state attorney general agreed to drop an appeal of state Judge Lynne Battaglia’s decision tossing out the initial map.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Wes Moore wins coveted endorsement in Maryland governor’s race
April 4, 2022 -

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore on Saturday won the coveted endorsement of the state’s largest teachers union, a large boost for the former nonprofit chief who is making his first run for public office. The support from the Maryland State Education Association, a 76,000-member union, is sought after in state Democratic politics and comes as the crowded race for the Democratic nomination begins to intensify.

Read More: Washington Post
Maryland congressional district map hearings continue, veto maneuvers in place
April 4, 2022 -

The issue of Maryland’s congressional district maps is back in court. The latest hearing on Friday was strictly on the new map lawmakers approved this week. Judge Lynne Battaglia heard two hours of evidence on the map, but then said she will not rule on the merits. That’s because Battaglia’s ruling from last week throwing out an old map is being appealed.  The judge did hear from experts who say this new map is more compact and addresses her concerns in last week’s decision, though some of the plaintiff’s attorneys questioned why a part of Baltimore City went from the heavily Democratic 7th District into the Republican 2nd District.

Read More: WBAL NewsRadio
Hogan, Ferguson And Jones Sign $1.86B Tax Cut Package Into Law
April 4, 2022 -
Marylanders are due to receive $1.86 billion in savings after Gov. Larry Hogan, House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson signed into law a package of tax cuts, including a bill that eliminates the income tax for most retirees in the state. Senate Bill 405 and House Bill 420 create a tax credit of $1,000 for residents age 65 and older whose income does not exceed $100,000, and a credit of $1,750 for couples age 65 and older whose income does not exceed $150,000.
Read More: WJZ-TV
US senators announce additional visas for Maryland’s seafood industry
April 4, 2022 -

As crab season begins, small seafood businesses in Maryland are getting extra help with the release of additional visas to hire temporary migrant workers. U.S. senators from Maryland, Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, have announced that 35,000 temporary nonagricultural worker visas will soon be available. These are vital to the small businesses that make up Maryland’s crab and seafood industries. “The Maryland seafood industry depends on this seasonal labor,” Van Hollen told WTOP. “This, we hope, will provide some really important relief to Maryland seafood.”

Read More: wtop
Headline climate package forwarded to Hogan’s desk, faces possible veto
April 4, 2022 -

Maryland lawmakers made its final advance Thursday on the legislature’s premier climate package, sending the measure to Gov. Larry Hogan (R) who has called it a “reckless and controversial energy tax bill.” Democrats, who hold majorities in both houses, passed the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 (SB 528) with enough time to override a potential governor veto before April 11, the end of session. Hogan criticized the bill mid-March as it was being debated in the Senate, though its alterations to property tax law only concern exemptions for certain solar users.

Read More: Star Democrat
Maryland paid family, medical leave bill heads to governor’s desk
April 4, 2022 -

Maryland employees could get up to three months of paid leave to support their family or take care of medical issues if Republican Gov. Larry Hogan chooses to sign the bill that won final approval in the Senate Thursday. The Time to Care Act (SB275), previously approved by the House of Delegates, is now on Hogan’s desk for his possible signature. By sending the bill to Hogan by Friday, lawmakers have time before the end of their 90-day session to override a possible veto.

Read More: Baltimore Business Journal
Maryland’s intensive legislative session enters frenetic final stretch
April 4, 2022 -

As Maryland lawmakers steam into the final days of the General Assembly’s annual legislative session this coming week, much work remains to be done — hashing out deals, lining up votes and killing bad ideas. Of the hundreds upon hundreds of bills lawmakers filed before the session kicked off in January, the ink from Gov. Larry Hogan’s pen signing them into law has only dried on a handful of them. The governor and legislators quickly agreed, for instance, on a 30-day temporary suspension of the gasoline and diesel fuels taxes.

Read More: Baltimore Sun

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