A COVID-19 vaccine is administered to a nursing home resident Dec. 23, 2020. (Maryland GovPics) By Callan Tansill-Suddath Capital News Service A bill that would require the Maryland Department of Health to create and implement a two-year plan for COVID-19 recovery by June 1, among other measures, is nearing passage in the Maryland General Assembly. […]
Author Archives: Capital News Service
Posted inAfro Briefs
Bill to repeal Maryland state song advancing in Legislature
Maryland My Maryland state song. (Photo/www.loc.com) By CALLAN TANSILL-SUDDATH Capital News Service Annapolis Bureau A bill that would repeal Maryland’s state song “Maryland, My Maryland!” on the grounds it contains offensive and outdated language is advancing in the Legislature this week. The song, penned in 1891, labels President Abraham Lincoln as a “despot,” poses a […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Md. bill would curb police use of military surplus equipment
Sen. William C. Smith Jr. speaks at a Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Hearing over Zoom on Feb. 3, 2021. (Screenshot by Jacob Steinberg Capital News Service) BY JACOB STEINBERG Capital News Service Annapolis Bureau Law enforcement agencies in Maryland could be limited from obtaining certain military equipment via a federal surplus program under a bill […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Vaccine Hunters take control of appointment search
The cover photo for the Maryland Vaccine Hunters Facebook group. (Courtesy of Maryland Vaccine Hunters via CNS) By CALLAN TANSILL-SUDDATH Capital News Service Annapolis Bureau Frustrated with the slow rollout, many residents are turning to a Facebook group for help in hunting down COVID-19 vaccine appointments. The Maryland Vaccine Hunters group has existed for just […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Bills seek to limit implicit bias in Md. judicial system
(Stock Photo) BY JACOB STEINBERG Capital News Service Annapolis Bureau Maryland legislators introduced a pair of bills that could mandate police, judges, state’s attorneys and public defenders undergo implicit bias training in order to recognize and counteract any potential biases they may carry against specific groups. Implicit bias is the attitudes, or stereotypes that may […]
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What’s next for the struggling U.S. Postal Service?
RARITAN, N.J. – Inside the lobby of a post office in Raritan, New Jersey, on Feb. 22, 2021. (Jennifer Mandato/Capital News Service) By JENNIFER MANDATO Capital News Service Washington Bureau Almost two months into the new year, the U.S. Postal Service is still juggling massive delays, budget issues and operational challenges, compounded by the many […]
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Md. taxes may be offset by diaper, feminine hygiene donation
(Courtesy Photo) By MADISON HUNT Capital News Service A Maryland bill would allow deductions of up to $1,000 from state income tax for donations of diapers or feminine products to a qualified charitable organization starting in tax year 2021. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a heightened demand for diapers and feminine hygiene products, […]
Posted inNEWS
Franchot expects Marylanders to see relief as early as Friday
(Courtesy Photo) By CATHERINE SCOTT Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, D, expects 98% of all relief payments to be processed and in eligible people’s bank accounts as early as Friday. He said 266,985 electronic payments totaling $113.6 million and 148,972 paper checks totaling $61.7 million will be processed and sent […]
Posted inNEWS
Virginia House and Senate advance bills to abolish death penalty
The Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates passed identical bills this week to abolish the death penalty in the commonwealth. If either bill is signed by the governor, Virginia would become the 23rd state to abolish the death penalty. (Courtesy Photo) By Capital News Service After over 400 years of conducting the most executions […]
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Bill establishes Md. police use of force requirements
In this June 1, 2020, file photo, an officer holds a baton and shield as demonstrators gather to protest the death of George Floyd near the White House in Washington. In the wake of Floyd’s death, state lawmakers around the country want to make it easier to hold police legally accountable for their actions. (AP […]
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Maryland bill would allow therapy dogs in schools
Alexia Godfrey, 14, plays with Jane, a therapy. Therapy dogs, so often associated with nursing homes, have expanded their range. The trained animals now comfort people everywhere from disaster sites to hospitals to schools. Watching at left is Godfrey’s mother, Pam Eubanks. (AP Photo/Tim Roske) By TOM HINDLE Capital News Service COLLEGE PARK, Md. — […]
Posted inMaryland Government
Some struggle with new bill testimony system in Maryland
By AUDREY DECKER, Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Signing up to speak at a bill hearing or file written testimony got harder — and for some, maybe impossible — after the coronavirus pandemic shifted how the Maryland General Assembly accepts witness testimonies. In previous years, interested parties would trek to Annapolis the morning of a […]