By Tashi McQueenAFRO Staff Writertmcqueen@afro.com As the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session came to a close, lawmakers rushed to pass dozens of bills before the midnight deadline on April 13. Bills that failed to pass before the deadline must be reintroduced next session and go through the legislative process again to be reconsidered. The 90-day […]
Category: Maryland Government
Posted inMaryland Government
Moore signs $70.8B state budget with no new taxes and fees
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed a balanced $70.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2027, emphasizing affordability without tax and fee hikes. The plan features significant utility relief, law enforcement funding and housing investments, despite opposition concerns regarding long-term government spending.
Posted inOpinion
The Community Trust Act: Due process should not depend on immigration status
The Community Trust Act in Maryland would require a judicial warrant for immigration detention, ensuring due process and protecting the rights of those accused of a crime.
Posted inBaltimore News
Moore unveils Baltimore Transit-Oriented Development Plan
State and local officials unveiled the Baltimore Regional Transit-Oriented Development Strategy at Rogers Avenue Metro Station on April 6. The strategy aims to boost housing, expand transit access and drive economic growth, including 400 new housing units and major Light Rail investments.
Posted inMaryland Government
Comptroller Brooke Lierman announces upcoming departure of Chief of Staff Rianna Matthews-Brown
By Office of the Maryland Comptroller Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman today announced that Chief of Staff Rianna Matthews-Brown will depart the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland on April 30, concluding her tenure as a senior leader in the agency during a period of significant transformation and growth. Matthews-Brown was the first African-American person to […]
Posted inPrince George's County News
Maryland Delegates advance bill on historic Cheltenham youth facility
Maryland delegates passed HB 552 in a 129–1 vote, creating a commission to study the historic Cheltenham youth facility, including its operations, abuses, and deaths, after recognition of an unmarked burial site of Black children.
Posted inMaryland Government
Caucuses push priority legislation in Maryland
Lawmakers from Maryland’s legislative caucuses gathered March 24 in Annapolis to advance shared priorities as the session nears its end, highlighting bills on youth justice, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant protections, and educational equity. Unity and collaboration remain central to their push for measurable results before Sine Die.
Posted inMaryland News
Lawmakers, community members rally in Maryland for immigrant protections
Lawmakers and community members rallied in Annapolis, Md., for We Are Casa’s Black Lobby Day, urging the state legislature to pass bills limiting federal immigration enforcement and ensuring humane standards for immigrant detention facilities.
Posted inMaryland Government
Maryland delegation in Congress backs effort to regulate energy use by AI companies
By Katelynn WinebrennerCapital News Service As power costs surge across Maryland, the state’s congressional delegation is taking a bipartisan stance in support of legislation that would regulate energy use by AI companies. The Power for the People Act would require AI companies to bear the costs of increased power demand and any possible infrastructure changes […]
Posted inMaryland News
3 days in Annapolis: Black excellence on display in Maryland State Capitol
By Haki Ammi When many think of Annapolis, Md., they envision the state capitol, the United States Naval Academy, the Alex Haley statue and the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum. But recently, Black excellence and power took center stage in Maryland’s capital, marking a historic and vibrant convergence of culture, leadership and progress. The series of events began […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Maryland leaders conduct surprise inspection of Baltimore ICE facility
Maryland leaders toured the Baltimore ICE facility, condemning the inhumane conditions identified even in the absence of detainees. Legislators praised Judge Julie R. Rubin’s March 6 order limiting capacity for detainees at the facility to 55 people and city officials have pledged to protect immigrants by fighting private detention centers.
Posted inMaryland News
Maryland challenges federal detention expansion amid disproportionate impact on Black migrants
By Ashlee BanksSpecial to the AFRO Advocacy groups and members of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus are raising alarms over the disproportionate impact that new warehouse-style detention centers will have on the state’s Black migrant communities. Statistically, Black migrants already face longer detention periods and higher rates of disciplinary action while in custody. U.S. Rep. […]