Tuesday, November 5, 2024 | Baltimore, MD
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Politics

Ferguson’s Chief of Staff Jake Weissmann to Step Down; Sally Robb to Replace Him

Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann, who served two Maryland Senate presidents as their chief of staff, plans to step down at the end of July. Weissmann will be replaced by Sally Robb, who is currently the deputy chief of staff to Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City). Robb will be the first Black woman to serve as the top staffer for a Maryland Senate president.

Gov. Hogan says it’s time to get back to work. To laid-off employees, it’s not that simple.

Outside the Baltimore Convention Center, a small group of laid-off hotel workers chanted, “Keep the benefits going” and held signs asking, “Where is the work?” Across the street, a bold “WE’RE HIRING” sign was on display at a struggling restaurant. The workers were protesting Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to end enhanced federal jobless benefits in early July, two months before President Biden and Congress intended. Hogan and many other GOP governors say the bigger unemployment checks are keeping people from filling vacant jobs, making it more difficult for the economy to rebound.

Ep. 11: What Comes Next? with Delegate Bonnie Cullison

We’ve heard from some of the architects of the biggest stories in Annapolis this year and asked them what they’ve accomplished during a period when Marylanders have needed them most. On episode 11 of The Lobby, we’re picking up where we left off with Senator Craig Zucker (MD-14) and Quinton Askew of Maryland 2-1-1. We’ll talk with Delegate Bonnie Cullison (MD-19) about the successes of the 2021 session, the work of groups like NAMI Maryland and RALI Maryland to combat the increase in substance misuse and mental illness during COVID, using reverse auctions to save the state money on prescription medicines without sacrificing coverage, and what The Thomas Bloom Raskin Act means for Marylanders, as well as her long-time efforts to increase school-based health centers.

Hear what makes Delegate Cullison the long-reigning stalwart of level-headed bipartisanship in Annapolis, and the history that lead her to where she is.

Session never really ends, we hope to see you soon in the Lobby.

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Maryland board approves contract for Australian firms to develop toll lanes on I-270, Beltway

The board for Maryland’s tolling authority approved a contract Tuesday for two Australian firms to develop toll lanes for part of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270, even as the contract remains under protest by a losing bidder. The contract would be limited to the two companies, Transurban and Macquarie, doing preliminary design at their own expense.

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12. The Bigger Picture with Marc Weller, Marc Broady, and Mike Middleton

On episode 12 of The Conference Call, Damian joins Marc Weller and  Marc Broady of Weller development, and Cherry Hill’s own Mike Middleton to get at the root value of partnership, and what that means for community health, impact, and legacy. Join us for a conversation about Weller’s roots in Buffalo and D.C., and his vision for creating lasting change in Baltimore. Then we’ll hear what Broady took from his time with the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, and what Mike Middleton sees in their partnership to steward Port Covington’s renaissance.

Tune in next week for part two of this illuminating discussion.

Maryland Among States Poised to Allow College Athletes to Profit Off Their Name, Image and Likeness

A seismic shift will rock college sports next month, when a handful of new state laws go into effect allowing student-athletes to make money off their personal images. It’s been against the rules governing collegiate sports for student-athletes to make a profit off their name or image — a practice that’s commonplace in professional sports. But a flurry of states has forged ahead with laws granting college athletes the rights to their own “name, image and likeness,” arguing that it’s a matter of fairness for student-athletes. Statutes in five states, including Georgia and Florida, will go into effect July 1.

Maryland among first in U.S. to limit how police use genealogy websites

Detectives were stumped by the 2010 shooting of Michael Anthony Temple in Odenton. The gunman left DNA on a cigarette and coffee cup, but a search of the police database found no match. Five years passed, the case went cold, and Temple died of his injuries. The breakthrough came when investigators submitted the DNA to consumer genealogy websites. Nine years after the shooting, they charged Fred Lee Frampton Jr.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
As deadline for veto override approaches, Baltimore Council President Nick Mosby pitches security deposit grants

Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby will introduce an emergency measure to offer grants to people to help pay security deposits in the wake of Mayor Brandon Scott’s veto of a deposit alternatives bill. Mosby, a Democrat, wrote a letter Friday to Scott about his plan to introduce the legislation next week. Mosby described grants of up to $2,000, based on renters’ incomes, to aid them in making security deposits.

Read More: Baltimore Sun
Photo of vehicles on road during evening
Vote on Maryland toll lanes will move forward Tuesday

A public-private project to build toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270 will take the next step in Maryland’s review process despite a predevelopment agreement being in dispute between the state and a losing bidder. Plans to build express lanes on lower Interstate 270 and part of the Capital Beltway will go before the Maryland Transportation Authority board on Tuesday for a vote that would open a 30-day period of public and legislative review before final approval.

Perez to Become a Partner at Venable But That Won’t Affect His ’22 Deliberations

When the powerhouse Baltimore-based law firm Venable LLP announced Thursday that former Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez was coming aboard as a partner, the Maryland political world was puzzled. Did Perez’s new and presumably remunerative job mean he wasn’t planning to run for governor in 2022?

The Morning Rundown

We’re staying up to the minute on the issues shaping the future. Join us on the newsletter of choice for Maryland politicos and business leaders. It’s always free to join and never a hassle to leave. See you on the inside.