Politics

Maryland’s already swollen bank accounts are expected to grow by $1.6 billion, state forecasters said Thursday, setting the stage for renewed debate on how to spend the state’s historic surplus. Democrats have pushed extra funding for schools, child care and tax breaks on necessities such as diapers and medical equipment. Republicans have called for across-the-board tax breaks for retirees.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday embraced calls for an international war crimes investigation of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, citing the “atrocities” of bombing civilians, including a maternity hospital. Speaking alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda at a press conference in Warsaw, where she is demonstrating U.S. support for NATO’s eastern flank allies, Harris expressed outrage over the bombing Wednesday of the maternity hospital and scenes of bloodied pregnant women being evacuated, as well as other attacks on civilians. She stopped short of directly accusing Russia of having committed war crimes.

Anne Arundel and Howard county executives said their constituents’ health and quality of life have been negatively affected by changes to flight paths at BWI Marshall Airport. At a hearing Wednesday, they advocated for a bill that would create a commission to study the impact the airport has on neighboring areas. The bill, co-sponsored by Sens. Clarence Lam, Sarah Elfreth, Guy Guzzone, Katie Fry Hester and Ed Reilly, would create a Maryland Aviation Infrastructure Impacts Commission to study the health and environmental impacts of the airport. The Senate Finance Committee met Wednesday to discuss the proposed commission, which would be composed of residents from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard and Montgomery counties.

The Democratic majority in the Maryland House of Delegates gave initial approval to abortion rights legislation on Wednesday after a lengthy debate and attempts to amend the legislation by Republicans. The House ultimately gave approval to two abortion rights bills, including a measure sponsored by House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County), House Bill 1171, which would allow voters to decide whether to enshrine access to abortion services in the Maryland Constitution.

President Biden signed an executive order Wednesday for a sweeping review of the government’s approach to cryptocurrencies, aiming to secure the nation’s position as a leader in the rapidly growing industry while containing risks to consumers and the financial system itself. Ultimately, some structure could be imposed on what has been a fractured regulatory response to the rise of digital assets in a global market now valued at roughly $1.85 trillion.

Move over, liquor lobby. Step aside, Big Pharma. The cat lobby has arrived in Annapolis and already notched a win: Maryland is poised to become the second state in the country to ban declawing. The procedure, commonly performed for decades but now deemed barbaric and unnecessary by pet owners and some veterinarians, is banned in many parts of the world and also in several cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Denver. New York passed a statewide ban in 2019.