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SCHOOLS WILL GET NEW STANDARDIZED TESTS: Maryland plans to replace the standardized tests used to assess students’ math and reading skills at the end of next school year, members of the state Board of Education announced this week. Jessica Calefati/The Baltimore Banner.
U OF M MAY HALT RAISES DUE TO STATE BUDGET DEFICIT: University of Maryland President Darryll Pines put it bluntly at Wednesday afternoon’s University Senate meeting: The state’s budget deficit means the outlook funding for public higher education was “not good.” Ellie Wolfe/The Baltimore Banner.
NEW CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS SHOW LAST-MINUTE SPENDING ON ELECTIONS: A political action committee affiliated with Gov. Wes Moore (D) spent $315,000 in the days leading up to this year’s election on ads that aimed to defeat his predecessor, Republican Larry Hogan, as Hogan vied to win a U.S. Senate seat. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
A SECOND TRUMP TERM AND POLICING IN B’MORE: The last time President-elect Donald Trump swept into the White House, the agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Baltimore Police Department to correct its “pattern and practice” of unconstitutional policing nearly unraveled. Ben Conarck/The Baltimore Banner.
OPINION: ON THE ROAD WITH BEN CARDIN, HIS DAYS AS U.S. SENATOR WINDING DOWN: Ben Cardin knows a lot about Maryland. During his farewell tour’s earliest days, the retiring U.S. senator talked spontaneously in Cumberland about municipal tax policy, broadband access for Crisfield and regulators who ignore New Windsor’s worries about power grid expansion. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
COMMENTARY: HOW TO FIX MD’S LONG EMERGENCY ROOM WAIT TIMES: Maryland has had the worst emergency room wait time among 50 states for the past eight years, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. While the average ER wait time in Maryland is over four hours, many patients who need emergency care may wait as long as 24 hours to receive care. Anna Palmisano/Maryland Matters.
COMMENTARY: LIMITING POLICE TRAFFIC STOPS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA: Some Annapolis lawmakers are readying legislation to limit the number of offenses that police can use to justify traffic stops – those flashing blue lights that can strike terror in even the most law-abiding motorists. This endeavor seems to be a continuation of ideas of the past four years that seek to limit what police can do. It is not what people are looking for from their government. Marc King/Maryland Reporter
ANNAPOLIS ROLLS OUT REAL-TIME WINTER ROAD CONDITION MONITORING SYSTEM: The City of Annapolis is rolling out a new dashboard that allows residents to monitor winter road maintenance, according to a news release. Called SnowPaths and maintained by the Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Public Works, it provides “real-time GPS tracking” of winter road maintenance when there is snow or ice. Megan Loock/The Baltimore
DEL. GROSSMAN RESIGNING: Another state lawmaker is leaving the General Assembly before the end of her term. Del. Brooke Grossman (D-Washington) told the website DCNewsNow this week that she is resigning midway through her first term because her family is moving out of the district, making her ineligible to serve. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
HARFORD CO. DEVELOPERS TO FACE HIGHER FEES, MONEY WILL GO TO SCHOOLS: Developers looking to build homes in Harford County will face higher fees to compensate for school overcrowding. The increased fees — referred to as “impact fees” — are one-time fees paid by developers for school construction projects to accommodate increased student populations. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
HARFORD COUNCIL AGAIN OVERRIDES CASSILLY’S TOURISM VETO: Amid slim revenue growth and potential funding challenges, including for things such as public education, Harford County officials have voted to pay two agencies for tourism services by funding both the county’s newly created tourism office and Visit Harford, a nonprofit tourism agency. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
YANG TO LEAD MO CO SCHOOL BOARD: In its first meeting with new board members, the Montgomery County school board on Thursday morning unanimously elected Julie Yang, who holds the District 3 seat, to serve as its president for the coming year and District 1 representative Grace Rivera-Oven as vice president. Ashlyn Campbell/MoCo360.
- The Montgomery County school board approved Thursday a $1.3 million contract to hire a company to conduct a school boundary study, agreeing to increase the study’s cost while also excluding a proposed analysis of district programs. Ashlyn Campbell/MoCo360
DEVELOPERS, COMMERCE OFFICIALS SUPPORT IMPACT TAX COLLECTION: Montgomery County-based developers and commerce officials voiced support for a bill that would alter how development impact taxes are collected during a County Council public hearing Tuesday in Rockville. Ginny Bixby/MoCo360.
MORE HOUSING FOR HOMELESS COULD COST DEVELOPERS: Maryland’s housing agency wants to attach more requirements to financing for affordable housing projects, and developers say the changes could make it more difficult to pull together already complicated deals. Hallie Miller/The Baltimore Banner.
LEGIONELLA CONCERNS SPREAD WITH FINDINGS IN TWO COURTHOUSES: Legionella bacteria has been found in more government buildings in Baltimore, prompting officials to plan to flush and sanitize the water systems at two courthouses this weekend. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
ZEKE COHEN SWORN IN AS B’MORE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT: Zeke Cohen became the 74th Baltimore City Council president during a packed swearing-in ceremony on Thursday morning. Emily Hofstaedter/WYPR.
TALBOT CO BIZ OWNERS PUSH BACK AGAINST POSSIBLE HOTEL TAX HIKE: Talbot County’s current public accommodations tax rate, or hotel tax rate, is 4%, the lowest of any county in the state. The tax is levied on those staying in hotels or short-term rentals, collected by the business and then paid to either the county or one of three towns. Konner Metz/The Star Democrat.
THOUSANDS OF TREES PLANTED DURING THREE YEAR CAMPAIGN: Baltimore County has planted more than 7,100 native trees in 46 neighborhoods, commercial areas and other communities since County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. launched a tree-planting campaign over three years ago. Danny Nguyen/The Baltimore Banner.
IMMIGRANT LEGAL AID PLAN DIVIDES FREDERICK: Controversy continues in Frederick over the mayor’s proposal to use taxpayer dollars to fund legal fees for undocumented immigrants. However, as debate surrounding the measure intensifies, those with the power to pass it remain silent. Rebecca Pryor/Fox45 News.
BAY CROSSING STUDY OPEN HOUSES: The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) will host Open Houses for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: Tier 2 NEPA (Tier 2 Study). The MDTA will share recommendations to address existing and future transportation issues at the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial (Bay) Bridge and its approaches along U.S. 50/301, from Anne Arundel County on the Western Shore to Queen Anne’s County on the Eastern Shore, in Maryland. MDTA