Politics

A handful of members within the Maryland congressional delegation are asking the Internal Revenue Service to waive rules that would financially burden families who paid into the college trust program Maryland 529. In August, State Treasurer Dereck Davis announced that his office would allow Maryland 529 account holders to electronically view their account balances and accrued interest earnings, modernizing a troubled agency that had almost entirely relied on paper documents since its 1997 inception.

The Baltimore County Council will explore the possibility of adding more council members, following years of pressure from voting rights advocates. Councilman Izzy Patoka, a Pikesville Democrat, introduced a resolution Monday proposing a work group to study “whether any changes to the structure of the council are appropriate and [will] serve the goal of improving representation for county residents.”

While Marylanders are being reminded to get their flu and RSV vaccines, they are also being reminded that COVID-19 boosters are available. But a new poll found that not everyone is rushing to get the shot. The poll by Gonzales Research and Media Services showed that 52% of respondents said they will be getting their boosters this year, while nearly 42% said they will skip it. And their willingness to get the booster shots appears tied to how they feel about the federal government’s handling of the pandemic.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) were evicted Tuesday from their United States Capitol hideaway offices in the aftermath of the ousting of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The ejection of Hoyer and Pelosi from their hideaway offices was one of the first acts of the new interim speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.). Hoyer’s communications team confirmed reports that he was ordered out of his hideaway, but declined any further comment on the matter in a statement to Capital News Service.

For several months, Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater has been soliciting ideas for bills and position statements for the county’s 2024 legislative package, which will be presented to the state delegation this year. Fitzwater’s staff contacted more than 100 community organizations and all of the county’s boards, commissions, councils and municipalities, according to a Sept. 28 press release.

With Maryland’s Child Victims Act in effect since Sunday, lawsuits have already been filed in courthouses throughout the state — including some high-profile cases against the Roman Catholic Church and state of Maryland. But how many more will come remains unknown. When other states set aside time limits — permanently or for brief timeframes — hundreds and sometimes thousands of cases seeking delayed justice were filed in state courts.

Dissident Republicans in the U.S. House voted with Democrats on Tuesday to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, a historic move that came just nine months after he secured the gavel following days of negotiating with the GOP’s right flank and 15 rounds of voting. It wasn’t immediately clear after the vote how the House would proceed in the coming days, having entered uncharted territory. No speaker has ever before been removed by the House.

In the new administration’s first year, Gov. Wes Moore (D) and the state’s top lawmakers supported legislation to bolster health care coverage, access and protections in Maryland. Moore signed several bills back in May that aim to do just that. Some of those bills, including measures to protect and expand access to abortion services, took effect in June. But several health-care focused bills went into effect over the weekend, with a start date of Oct.1.

President Joe Biden and leaders in Congress paid tribute Friday to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female US senator in the country’s history. “She was a historic figure, a trailblazer for women and a great friend,” he said. Feinstein, a Democrat from California, died at the age of 90 on Thursday night at her home in Washington.