College enrollment of international students in the United States is decreasing for the first time in over 10 years. It dropped over six percent from 2016 to 2017 and many blame Trump administration policies for the drop in enrollment. But others say the drop in international enrollment has much more to do with growing competition from colleges around the world along with the increasing cost of attending college.
House and Senate override Governor’s veto of minimum wage increase
After Governor Hogan on Wednesday vetoed a $15 minimum wage in Maryland, the House and the Senate less than 24 hours later voted to override the veto. As a result, the first increase will kick in January 1, 2020, when the minimum wage will become $11 an hour. It will reach $15 in 2026.
Supporters say Clean Energy Jobs Act could bring thousands of clean energy jobs to Maryland
Montgomery County Senator Brian Feldman says legislation he’s sponsoring could bring as many as 20-thousand clean energy jobs to the state. The bill would require 50% of Maryland energy to be renewable by 2030 and reach 100% by 2040.
Climate change threatens flooding and hurts crabbing in Maryland
The effects of climate change are hitting Maryland hard. University of Maryland Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Associate Professor Tim Canty says climate change has already played a role in Ellicott City’s floods.
House Democrats introduce bill to fight voter suppression
In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed, ensuring the right to vote to black voters as well as enforcing oversight of places where voter suppression was common. In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down the oversight requirement. House Democrats want to bring it back to guarantee that exclusionary voting laws are not passed.
State senate hears testimony on doctor-assisted suicide
The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on Tuesday heard testimony on legislation that would allow physicians assisted suicide under certain conditions. The bill faced a hearing in a House committee last week.
White House protest calls on Trump administration to issue report, apply sanctions for the murder of Washington Post journalist
February 8th is the deadline for President Trump’s administration to provide a report on what happened to slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and how the U.S. will respond. On Thursday the Committee to Protect Journalists and other organizations gathered in front of the White House to demand that President Trump hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the murder of Khashoggi.
Mothers take on State House to push for additional gun control
They call themselves “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America” and members of the Maryland chapter came to Annapolis on Thursday to push for new gun control provisions. The moms and their supporters say they want the legislature to ban “ghost guns” and 3D printed guns as well as require background checks for anyone wanting to buy a shotgun or long guns.
State House Democrats present 2019 General Assembly priorities
Maryland Senate and House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled their legislative agenda for the 2019 General Assembly. Among their top priorities: increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and raising the age to 21 in order to buy tobacco products.