maryland general assembly

Saying Howard County “must make sure we are not using a sledgehammer when only a scalpel is necessary,” County Executive Calvin Ball said Thursday that the county will continue its move to acquire buildings in historic Ellicott City, but has not committed to demolishing them.

Major federal employers in Harford County and the surrounding area, Aberdeen Proving Ground and the Perry Point VA Medical Center, will be spared any harm from the partial federal government shutdown.

The Kirwan Commission's inability to determine state education funding formulas may be frustrating Carroll officials who believe it may help address budget shortfalls. But it's possible a greater emphasis on income will have county government paying more in wealthier jurisdictions like Carroll.

Baltimore's auditor reported that the city transportation department has failed to have independent reviewers properly verify all speed and red light camera tickets in new system.

During a meeting Tuesday where members of the Board of County Commissioners proposed ideas for new legislation to Carroll County’s delegation to Annapolis, opioids took center stage.

Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday appointed six more members to a commission charged with redrawing Maryland’s congressional district map after a federal court ruled one of the state’s districts was unconstitutionally drawn to diminish Republican influence.

Carroll County Public Schools had year filled with action and change.

In addition to the five employees killed in June in the shootings at the Annapolis Capital, the region lost a number of notable citizens in 2018. Here, we recall some of those who left a lasting mark.

A new report tracking sexual harassment in the Maryland General Assembly says there were 11 complaints against lawmakers over the last year, but it's unclear

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday planned to announce legislation and new funding to expand the number of schools participating in the state’s technology education program.

These were the top 10 biggest news stories from the past year.

Maryland needs to find ways to move forward on the policy and politics of education reform even without a final report from the Kirwan Commission.

Although President Donald Trump has little to do with running local governments in Maryland, he played an outsize role in politics here in 2018. Trump’s actions prompted backlash among the electorate, which in November voted out several high-profile Republicans in the state.

Who were the winners and losers in Maryland politics in 2018?

A much anticipated proposal to significantly increase state aid to Maryland’s local school systems has been delayed yet another year, to the dismay of many teachers, parents and education advocates.

While raising the tobacco sale age to 21 would be a remarkable step toward helping our neighbors, we believe more must be done to protect the residents of Baltimore City, including increased local control over the sale, distribution and packaging of tobacco products.

Here’s what you need to know about the Supreme Court decision on sports betting and what it means for Marylanders.

Maryland Senate President Mike Miller says he'll push in the 2019 General Assembly session for several law enforcement initiatives in Baltimore, including approving a police force at Johns Hopkins University. Miller says he also wants to help the city hire 500 new police officers.

Of various bills the Board of County Commissioners proposed to Carroll’s legislative delegation this week, many of them focused on battling the opioid epidemic — a subject commissioners Dennis Frazier, R-District 3, and Eric Bouchat, R-District 4, have made priorities.

Marylanders just voted to make sure taxes on casinos enhance education funding. But the fruits of another vote six years ago are going to make sure schools get a little bit less.

Del. Pat Young of Catonsville will lead Baltimore County's contingent of state delegates in Annapolis this year.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is appointing former Delegate Kelly Schulz to lead Maryland’s commerce department after the departure of Michael Gill, who is leaving for a job in the private sector. Schulz is currently the head of the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

A new Maryland law seeks to encourage organ donation by offering up to $7,500 in tax credits. Unfortunately, studies show such breaks don't boost donor numbers. For that, we should allow compensation. The National Organ Transplant Act must be overturned.

Think you know your Baltimore? Try answering our weekly trivia question.

After dismissing two less ambitious options, the Maryland Stadium Authority proposed replacing Baltimore's faded Pimlico Race Course with a stylish – and costly – new track designed to open up its amenities to the surrounding community year-round and encourage development in the area.

Opposition is mounting in the Democratic-controlled Maryland legislature to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s proposal for a new Washington Redskins stadium on parkland overlooking the Potomac River in Prince George’s County. House Speaker Michael Busch says the state has more pressing needs.

Harford Community College proposes a $50.8 million operating budget for fiscal 2020, with a handful of new positions, a 2 percent employee salary increase, higher health insurance costs and a 3 percent tuition hike.

Maryland’s government is entering a new year with more than $1 billion in unspent revenues, but could be bracing for a potential economic recession, members of a state fiscal panel say. The $1 billion in unspent revenues are due, in part, to a $500 million surplus from last fiscal year.

The Maryland Stadium Authority's recommendations for a rebuilt Pimlico as home to the Preakeness Stakes are ambitious — and doable.

Gov. Larry Hogan names Kerwin Anthony Miller Sr. as the newest Harford County District Court judge. He succeeds retired Judge Victor Butanis.

An extra $1.9 billion in school construction over five years sounds like a great idea. But Gov. Larry Hogan's proposal comes with more trade-offs than he's acknowledging.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan plans to announce $3.5 billion for school construction projects across the state, thanks in part to a new state constitutional amendment that forces casino revenue to add to school funding. The governor’s office says the projects will result in 27,000 jobs.

That 22-year-old Tyrone Ray died in a barrage of gunfire last year was undisputed, but defense attorneys and prosecutors have disagreed over who pulled the trigger.

The Maryland General Assembly is bringing in former First Lady Michelle Obama's chief of staff to conduct sexual harassment prevention training for 188 lawmakers and their staffs. The training comes after a women’s caucus report that detailed accounts of harassment in Annapolis.

The latest from the Kirwan Commission that's making recommendations to upgrade Maryland's educational system seems daunting — a $4.4 billion increase in education spending. But it's not really so radical.

The state health exchange enters its final week of this year’s open enrollment, and Marylanders appear more interested in buying health insurance than many Americans.

A state commission debating a recommendation to increase spending in Maryland’s public schools by $4.4 billion annually is running up against a tight deadline: the start of next month’s General Assembly session. Advocates for public school students are pushing the commission to finish by Jan. 9.

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to ban advertising for marijuana products on billboards, in print publications and on the radio. The move was resisted by one trade group that said the commission's move violates the free speech of companies.

As we enter the 2019 legislative session, Maryland is poised to become a national hub for the new clean energy economy. By passing the proposed Maryland Clean Energy Jobs Act, or “MCEJA”, in 2019, Maryland will see tens of thousands of new jobs created and billions of dollars invested.

This week marks the orientation for 60 new Maryland General Assembly legislators — 43 in the House of Delegates and 17 in the state Senate. Before they can decide the future of the state, they first have to find their desks, figure out their committees and learn where to park.

Reflections on Annapolis 1997 vs. 2018

Your chances in life shouldn't depend on where you live. But Maryland's new school rankings show without question that they do.

The Baltimore City Council is set to take up legislation that would make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against potential tenants because of how they would pay their rent, a move largely designed to stop property owners rejecting Section 8 vouchers out of hand.

Harford County Executive Barry Glassman called for unity in the wake of national and local tragedies and political polarization as he and the seven members of the County Council were inaugurated Monday.

Incoming Sen. Cory McCray will represent Baltimore on the Senate's powerful budget committee. McCray, 36, will take the Budget and Taxation Committee seat held for 24 years by the man he defeated in June’s Democratic primary, Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden.

In addition to harming sea life, acoustic tests — in which boats tugging rods pressurized for sound emit jet engine-like booms 10 to 12 seconds apart for days and sometimes months — can disrupt thriving commercial fisheries.

Commissioner Doug Howard, R-District 5, gave his closing remarks at his last Board of Carroll County Commissioners meeting Nov. 29.

Instead of repeatedly throwing our eggs into the proverbial commissioner basket and then axing them like failed big-time college football coaches, we need to change the Baltimore Police Departments’s structure from the top down.

A bill expected to be considered by the state legislature next year would add regulations for new structures in historic Ellicott City.

Another mortgage crisis may be on the horizon as out-of-state hedge funds buy up distressed loans and seek to foreclose on people’s houses, consumer advocates warned Thursday during a rally where they called for a legislative fix.