Maryland state government and elections news- The Baltimore Banner
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State government

    The Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station, foreground, and Brandon Shores Generating Station are seen across Cox Creek from homes in the Stoney Beach community.
    Maryland lawmakers demand federal regulator stop expected electricity bill spike
    Maryland lawmakers joined a call from the Office of People’s Counsel for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to stop supply costs from surging this summer.
    House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones sponsored a bill to create a state Department of Social Equity. It ultimately passed and became law as the Department of Social and Economic Mobility.
    Maryland’s new cabinet agency is focused on equity — but we’re not calling it that
    Multiple existing programs will be folded into the state's new Department of Social and Economic Mobility, which was signed into law Tuesday.
    Gov. Wes Moore, center, smokes a cigar and holds hands with his wife, First Lady Dawn Flythe Moore ahead of the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
    Who watched the races from Maryland’s exclusive, taxpayer-funded Preakness tent?
    During a full day of racing capped by a dramatic come-from-behind Preakness Stakes win by the horse Journalism, dozens of fans watched the action in a trackside tent paid for by Maryland taxpayers.
    Gov. Wes Moore and John Taube, executive director of the Allegany County Library Center, look at the high-water mark in the children’s section of the Westernport Library two days after a storm caused catastrophic flooding in the area.
    Maryland Insurance Administration invokes emergency powers to help flood victims
    Flooding devastated Western Maryland last week, and now the Maryland Insurance Administration is invoking emergency powers to help those affected get access to drugs and medical equipment.
    Maryland Gov. Wes Moore vetoed a bill that would have required a study of reparations Friday.
    Gov. Moore vetoes bill creating a state commission to study reparations
    Maryland Gov. Wes Moore vetoed a bill requiring a study of reparations for the lingering effects of slavery and state-sanctioned discrimination, pledging he’ll move forward with his own proposals.
    Aaron Fitzgerald wades through the flooded parking lot of Westernport Elementary School to retrieve belongings from his mother waterlogged car after a catastrophic storm hit the area on Tuesday.
    Gov. Moore declares state of emergency in flood-ravaged Western Maryland
    Heavy rains this week led to the worst flooding parts of Allegany County has seen in nearly 30 years. Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency.
    Moody’s Ratings has downgraded the state’s bond rating to Aa1, it's second-highest rating.
    Maryland state government’s credit rating downgraded
    For the first time in more than three decades, the state doesn’t get the top credit score from Moody’s.
    Maryland lawmakers passed a bill this year that automatically exempts people from experiencing a driver’s license suspension over unpaid child support if they make at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines.
    Maryland lawmakers scale back driver’s license suspensions for unpaid child support
    The measure exempts Marylanders making at or 250% below the federal poverty guidelines.
    Alexandria Warrick Adams, executive director of Elev8 Baltimore, said at a Thursday press conference that Maryland communities and children will feel the effects of AmeriCorps cuts.
    Maryland loses 550 AmeriCorps positions to Trump administration cuts
    Maryland lawmakers and AmeriCorps partners are asking the community to step in to save their organizations and programs as the Trump administration moves to significantly cut the federal agency.
    Renderings show what the redeveloped Pimlico Race Course in Park Heights could look like. The thoroughbred horse racing track is scheduled to be torn down after the 2025 Preakness Stakes and rebuilt in time for the 2027 Preakness Stakes.
    Here’s what the rebuilt Pimlico Race Course could look like
    After this year’s Preakness Stakes, the historic Pimlico Race Course will be torn down to make way for a reimagined and rebuilt center for thoroughbred horse racing.
    The beach at Sandy Point State Park is popular, and the park regularly fills up on weekends during the summer.
    These Maryland parks will require reservations this summer
    Greenbrier State Park and Sandy Point State Park, both popular destinations during warm seasons because of their water access, will require passes beginning May 24.
    Former Gov. Larry Hogan, left, and Gov. Wes Moore both had significant business deals and investments that they brought with them to public service. A new state law sets a standard for governors going forward.
    New ethics law clamps down on future Maryland governors’ business dealings
    A new law will require Maryland’s governors to either divest from their businesses, put their assets into a blind trust or sign an agreement not to participate in any decisions involving their businesses.
    Prospective job seekers speak with recruiters during a federal workers career fair hosted at Howard Community College in Columbia last month.
    Where federal workers searching for new jobs should look in Maryland
    Local leaders and state officials are trying to help federal workers find stability and chart a new path forward in Maryland.
    Gov. Wes Moore and his Korean counterpart Gov. Park Wan-Su of the South Gyeongsang Province pose for a group photo holding Dongbaeki plushies. Park presented the Maryland delegation with Dongbaeki toys. Dongbaeki, a gull, is a mascot of the South Korean city of Tongyeong.
    In selling Maryland, Wes Moore offers Japan, Korea a Trump alternative
    Whether Moore is in Annapolis or Seoul, Donald Trump is an inescapable force.
    White House border czar Tom Homan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
    Trump official suggests arrests of ‘sanctuary’ leaders could happen
    ‘Wait to see what’s coming,’ Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, said Thursday.
    Baltimore Blast owner Ed Hale, shown in 2024, said he is close to launching a campaign for governor to challenge Gov. Wes Moore in the 2026 election.
    Former banker Ed Hale Sr. plans 2026 primary challenge to Gov. Wes Moore
    “I think the general consensus is that he’s going to run for president and that makes him ... someone that is not fully invested in Maryland,” Hale said.
    Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has joined other Democratic attorneys general in several lawsuits challenging Trump administration actions.
    Lawsuit tracker: How Maryland, Baltimore are suing the Trump administration
    Maryland and Baltimore are suing the Trump administration. Here's where things stand.
    Mark Anthony Sykes was sentenced to three years of supervised probation in connection to an ongoing corruption investigation at the Maryland Department of Labor.
    Defense attorney: Bribery case at state Labor Department involves ‘much larger fish’
    An ongoing corruption investigation involving bribery at the state Department of Labor could involve “much larger fish,” a defense attorney involved said.
    The Washington Monument is seen on the mall in Washington would be in Maryland if retrocession were ever to happen.
    Is Maryland the answer to DC’s MAGA woes? Jamie Raskin says maybe.
    When Rep. Jamie Raskin said D.C. should become part of Maryland again, I had to ask. That’ll never happen, right? Then I learned about retrocession.
    Washington Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris, from left, signs a helmet along with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after an announcement about a new home for the NFL football team on the site of the old RFK Stadium, Monday, April 28, 2025, at the National Press Club in Washington.
    The Commanders are leaving Prince George’s County. There’s a plan for what’s next.
    The impending move is a loss for Prince George’s County and the state of Maryland, though officials are painting it as not-so-bad.
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