Governor Larry Hogan signs legislation to ban fracking on Tuesday, making Maryland the third state in the county to do so. The State Senate and House of Delegates overwhelmingly supported the ban before the bill hit the governor’s desk. The bill will go into effect on October 1st when a temporary ban on fracking expires.
Annapolis
House debates child-marriage restrictions
A bill that would ban marriage involving people younger than 18 in all circumstances cleared a major hurdle in the House of Delegates Friday and is set to receive a final vote.
Annapolis proposal would crack down on left-lane drivers
A state senate committee considers a House passed bill that would limit the use of the far left lane to passing vehicles. The proposed law would only impact roads with three or more lanes in one direction. Offenders would face the possibility of a fine.
Maryland could expand options to treat addiction remotely
A bill that could expand telemedicine to include counseling for substance abuse disorders, which could help thwart the ballooning heroin-opioid epidemic in the state, is advancing in the Maryland General Assembly.
General Assembly leaders push for new plan to increase diversity in medical marijuana licenses
The president of the Maryland Senate is sponsoring a bill to increase diversity in medical marijuana grower licenses after a spate of other legislation addressing the issue has failed to gain traction in the Maryland General Assembly.
Bill that would revive cash bail draws ire
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — About 100 people rallied on Tuesday, with the support of Maryland legislators, against a Senate bill that, they said, would walk back a ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals regarding bail reform.
Bail reform supporters take their fight to the steps of the Maryland State House
arlier in the year, the Maryland Court of Appeals unanimously voted to change the standard used to determine if an individual should be required to pay a cash bail. Supporters of bail reform rallied Tuesday in Annapolis, saying Senate Bill 983 would undermine the Court of Appeals ruling.
Senate Dems push bills in time to override likely vetoes
Democrats in the Maryland Senate on Tuesday passed several pieces of legislation that are largely opposed by Gov. Larry Hogan, most notably a bill that would regulate the parameters for school evaluations and another that would require the state to fund Planned Parenthood should federal funding for that program be lost.
Natural Resources Dept. may regulate cownose-ray killing contests
The Department of Natural Resources plans to take pending state legislation to temporarily halt the contest-fishing of cownose rays and public comments about banning cownose ray tournaments in Maryland into consideration when it creates regulation to further administer the contests, according to a department representative.
Demonstrators arrested while seeking support for fracking ban
They came to Annapolis to urge the legislature to approve a ban on fracking. The legislation has been approved by the House but awaits action in a Senate committee. More than a dozen of the demonstrators were arrested during the anti-fracking rally.