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Lee O. Sanderlin

Lee O.

Lee O. Sanderlin is an enterprise reporter with a focus on power, political and otherwise. Before The Banner, he worked at The Baltimore Sun, and newspapers in Mississippi and his native North Carolina.

The latest from Lee O. Sanderlin

Maryland Senate committee advances ICE mask ban bill
Though the passage came as little surprise — leadership in both chambers have made curbing ICE a top priority — an amendment to the law took some teeth out of it.
Federal immigration officers deploy pepper spray at protesters after a shooting Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Minneapolis.
Moore proposes another $100M in energy rebates, renewable incentives
Gov. Wes Moore's bill is expected to compete this session with a host of proposals from Maryland lawmakers, advocates and power companies hoping to steer a response to the region's mounting energy concerns.
Gov. Wes Moore at an energy announcement last year. Moore unveiled a $200 million energy plan Tuesday, about half of which will go to rebates on power bills.
Can Moore, Ferguson keep a working relationship under redistricting pressure?
Behind the scenes things are becoming tense as the two Democratic leaders continue to disagree whether Maryland should redraw its congressional maps to more heavily favor Democrats.
Senate President Bill Ferguson and Maryland Governor Wes Moore sign one of many bills the day after the end of the 447th session of the Maryland General Assembly on April 8, 2025.
How Maryland bought a $4.5M horse farm it’s not going to use
The purchase of a horse farm, Shamrock Farm, involves a partner at Venable, the Pittsburgh Steelers, a Florida Republican, Gov. Wes Moore and a state authority that no longer exists.
Shamrock Farm, located at 4926 Woodbine Road in Carroll County.
Maryland plans to purchase Laurel Park for horse training center after ‘fatal flaw’ found at Carroll County farm
Maryland officials said Tuesday they have reached a tentative agreement with Stronach Group, the Canadian company that owns Laurel Park, to acquire the property.
Laurel Park will host the 2026 Preakness as Pimlico Race Course is being rebuilt.
As power bills surge, Exelon and Constellation spend big for influence in Annapolis
Exelon and Constellation are among the state’s top campaign donors — the second and third biggest, according to campaign finance records.
The 21-story, mixed-use Constellation Building serves as the headquarters of Constellation Energy and a regional office for the Exelon Corporation.
Crime is down, so why isn’t Ivan Bates happy?
Baltimore City has achieved a stunning turnaround in violent crime despite a rift between State’s Attorney Ivan Bates and Mayor Brandon Scott.
Ivan Bates, Baltimore City’s 26th state’s attorney, looks out over downtown from his office.
State finds neglect in foster teen’s hotel suicide, says aide didn’t secure meds
The company contracted to care for the teenage girl who had been living in an East Baltimore hotel for weeks failed to lock up her medication or properly supervise her, a state report found.
Department of Human Services building on S. Charles Street, in Baltimore, Wednesday, February 26, 2025.
Underground Charles Street fire caused by gas buildup in crowded conduit, report finds
The report listed a slew of recommendations to prevent future explosions and fires in the city’s underground conduits.
BGE workers continue working on North Charles St., in Baltimore, Monday, September 30, 2024.
Baltimore is writing more parking tickets again
The city wrote fewer tickets in 2024 than it did during the pandemic. Here's what's happened in 2025.
A ticket for expired tags is seen on a windshield in the Edmondson Village neighborhood in West Baltimore.
Maryland lawmakers override Moore vetoes on trio of climate and energy bills
The overrides come as lawmakers prepare for a legislative session next month in which growing energy demand and utility bills promise to dominate policy debates.
Transmission lines travel north from Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center, Constellation’s nuclear power plant in Lusby, Maryland.
Dalya Attar’s attorney: Feds don’t have sex tape at center of blackmail case
Dalya Attar’s attorney is seeking to have extortion charges dismissed.
Maryland state Sen. Dalya Attar leaves the Edward A. Garmatz U.S. Courthouse after pleading not guilty in federal court last month.
Maryland’s top lawmakers say they won’t draw new congressional maps in special session
Senate President Bill Ferguson and House of Delegates Speaker Pro Tempore Dana Stein issued a joint statement emphasizing that the scope of the special session will be “strictly limited.”
When members of the Maryland General Assembly convene in a special session on Tuesday, they won’t consider whether to draw new congressional district boundaries.
Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones stepping down
Jones, 71, has been a member of the legislature since 1997 and ascended to the top position in 2019 following the death of longtime House Speaker Michael E. Busch.
House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones moderates floor debate on crossover day at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md. on Monday, March 17, 2025. Any bill not passed by either the House or Senate by midnight on crossover day is likely defeated for the 2025 session.
Scott and Bates rift: Allies urge both leaders to cooperate to avoid ‘severe’ fallout
“No agency is perfect, and we welcome good-faith engagement on how to improve our operations,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott wrote to Ivan Bates.
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates and Mayor Brandon Scott chat on October 17, 2024 before sitting on a panel discussion about gun violence at the historic Clifton Mansion.
Bates to cut ties with mayor’s public safety office, citing ‘cloak of secrecy’
Ivan Bates outlined numerous complaints about the office, according to a seven-page letter sent to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Tuesday.
Mayor Brandon Scott, left, speaks to the press as Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates listens during a community walk through the Four by Four neighborhood on May 7, 2024.
State Sen. Dalya Attar, others plead not guilty in blackmail case
Monday was first time the three defendants appeared in court together since indictment last month.
Maryland State Sen. Dalya Attar, in a hooded coat and sunglasses, leaves the Edward A. Garmatz Courthouse after pleading not guilty in federal court to extortion and conspiracy charges.
Attar case fallout: Rosenbluth resigns from Baltimore Sheriff’s Office
The longtime owner of Tov Pizza resigned from the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office a day after a news story showed his involvement in the Sen. Dalya Attar case.
The longtime owner of Tov Pizza resigned from the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office a day after a news story showed his involvement in the Sen. Dalya Attar blackmail and extortion case.
Kevin Plank wants Maryland to buy his luxury horse farm
Emails detail a pitch to turn Sagamore Farm into a state-owned horse training facility.
Sagamore Farm in northern Baltimore County was founded in 1925 by Issac Emerson, the inventor of Bromo-Seltzer.
Key Bridge rebuild expected to cost billions more than preliminary estimate
The new bridge is now expected to open by the end of 2030 and cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion — more than twice initial estimates — Bruce Gartner, executive director of the Maryland Transportation Authority, said Monday.
Crane barges are seen at the Francis Scott Key Bridge site at sunrise as test piles are installed into the Patapsco River bed to test the strength and stability for the new bridge's foundation.
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