Late nights. Fiery debates. Bills, budgets, regulations and reviews on repeat. The Maryland General Assembly tackles a long agenda over just 90 days for its annual legislative session. With less than a month to go before Sine Die on April 8, 2024, lawmakers have spent hours on topics ranging from justice and energy to cannabis and education, while also discussing the budget and taxes.
So far during the 2024 Legislative Session:
Lockdown: A man called in a threat to Annapolis police on Thursday, February 29, claiming to have a gun and prompting a shelter-in-place order at the Maryland State House. Fortunately, police found no evidence of suspicious activity and the lockdown was lifted after nearly 2 hours that evening. The incident also prompted conversations about plans for an emergency communication system. Read more about the lockdown.
Green Bag Appointments: Governor Wes Moore delivered 166 appointments for 82 boards and commissions for the state of Maryland. Overall, there are more than 5,000 designated posts for the mostly volunteer positions, and approximately 14% remain vacant following the latest appointments. Read the announcement.
Small Business Opportunities: The Governor announced $10 million for small business and community development grants through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Project Restore 2.0 and Business Boost grant programs. In addition, new HUBZone designations for Worcester, Allegany and Somerset counties will provide additional consideration to these underrepresented areas for federal procurement contracts.
State of the State: Governor Moore declared the state of the state is strong, but that there’s still work to be done on big problems. His speech focused on making the state safer, more affordable and competitive, and a state that serves. Read the transcript.
Fish: The Maryland Senate voted on a new name for the Northern Snakehead. “Chesapeake Channa” is derived from the scientific name Channa Argus. The goal of the bill is to encourage consumption of the fish to better manage its population.
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