CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON REDISTRICTING TO BE VOTED ON: The Maryland Senate successfully passed a constitutional amendment on Tuesday with a vote of 32-13, which has the potential to alter the process of drawing future congressional maps. This decision followed extensive discussions by the House on Monday night. The proposed amendment seeks to eliminate the existing constitutional stipulations that require congressional districts to be contiguously connected, reasonably shaped, and to take into account existing geographic boundaries. Tinashe Chingarande/The Baltimore Sun.
- This amendment also momentarily addresses Maryland’s involvement in the national redistricting power struggle between Democratic and Republican states, both aiming to gain a stronger foothold in Congress. The contentious nine-month debate not only heightened tensions among Democrats but also captured national media attention, placing additional pressures on the state. With just three months remaining before voters weigh in, several key developments are anticipated. Brenda Wintrode and Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
- The decisive vote, which took place shortly after 6 p.m., concluded a two-day special session summoned by Democratic leaders who are under pressure to help their party secure additional congressional seats. The session’s outcome appeared nearly guaranteed, as Democrats maintain a supermajority that affords them the ability to pass legislation as long as they unite. Pamela Wood and Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- View the Fox5 Washington story.
LAWSUITS ANTICIPATED TO CHALLENGE REDISTRICTING REFERENDUM: U.S. Rep. Andy Harris announced on Tuesday that outside groups are poised to file lawsuits this week contesting Maryland’s congressional redistricting referendum. These legal actions will hinge on Republican allegations that Democratic lawmakers failed to comply with state laws in their efforts to place the measure on the ballot for November, following a three-day special session. Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
- “We are eager to present this case in court as quickly as we can to initiate any delays possible,” emphasized Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. He, along with Senate Minority Whip Senator Justin Ready, stressed the urgency of the situation, as the measure must be submitted to state election officials by Wednesday to secure its place on the November ballot. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
CHILD SEX ABUSE CLAIMS AGAINST THE STATE COULD HAVE BILLION-DOLLAR IMPACT: As Maryland legislators reconvened in the capital this week to amend the state’s congressional redistricting policies, many pressing issues were notably absent from their limited agenda, including a more consequential topic — the potential multibillion-dollar liability resulting from over 12,000 allegations of child sexual abuse against the state. Gary Collins/The Baltimore Sun.
NEW COMMISSION ON CHELTENHAM YOUTH DEATHS HOLDS INAUGURAL MEETING: After visiting the site where approximately 230 Black youths are interred, Phyllis Hammond expressed her emotions through poetry. At the first meeting of a newly established commission tasked with investigating the historical context, operations, and resident fatalities at the former House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children in Cheltenham, Hammond, 69, recited “If these woods could talk.” The poem was written in memory of her uncle, Amos Hammond, who passed away at 18 in 1921, and for the many other children who lost their lives at the reform school. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
AMAZON DROPS PLANS FOR DATA CENTER AT CALVERT CLIFFS: According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Calvert County officials, Amazon Web Services has abandoned its initiatives to establish data centers on the grounds of Southern Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. This decision followed significant voter resistance against the development of large-scale data centers during the county’s primary election held on June 23. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
FORMER OLYMPIAN’S ATTORNEYS SEEK TO PROTECT HIM FROM PROSECUTION: Legal representatives for former Olympian David Hearn, who hails from Maryland and faces accusations of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, are seeking a judicial ruling to prevent federal prosecutors from pursuing a reopening of the case against him. Jasmine Golden and Liam Bowman/The Washington Post.
BALTIMORE COUNTY’S LEGAL EXPENSES APPROACH $1.5 MILLION: Recent records reveal that Baltimore County has invested approximately $1.5 million in legal defenses over the past several years. This expenditure covers a range of conflicts, including voting rights issues, labor disputes, and public records litigations, alongside an inspector general investigation. The figures were obtained via the Maryland Public Information Act. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
BGE APPLIES TO BLOCK INCREASE IN CONDUIT FEES IN BALTIMORE: This week, BGE urged Baltimore officials to reject a proposed increase in conduit fees, while city leaders accused the utility company of prioritizing shareholder profits over the interests of ratepayers. Brian Carlton/The Baltimore Sun.
IMMIGRATION ARRESTS OF TWO PROFESSORS SPARK CONTROVERSY IN MARYLAND UNIVERSITIES: The recent detention of two educators from Baltimore has stirred discontent across their respective Maryland institutions, which are already grappling with new visa restrictions impacting thousands of international faculty members, researchers, and students. Daniel Zawodny, Alissa Zhu, Ellie Wolfe, Clara Longo de Freitas and Meredith Cohn/The Baltimore Banner.
MARYLAND JUDGE STOPS ICE FROM DEPORTING WITNESS AGAINST MS-13: A federal judge in Maryland has intervened to prevent the Trump administration from swiftly detaining and deporting a man who testified against members of the MS-13 gang, ruling that doing so could effectively amount to a death sentence. Dan Belson/The Daily Record.
The post State Roundup: Redistricting constitutional amendment to go to voters; lawsuits to challenge it are in the works; child sex abuse claims against Maryland could cost billions appeared first on MarylandReporter.com.
