Legislation that would increase the minimum hourly wage in Maryland to $15 would mean higher salaries for struggling workers, but may also mean higher prices and companies leaving the state, supporters and opponents told lawmakers this month.
Support, concern for Maryland’s 4th try at aid-in-dying bill
A bill in the Maryland General Assembly would allow people with a terminal illness six months from the estimated time of their death to end their lives with a lethal dose of prescribed medicine.
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.
Md. bill seeks to prohibit using DNA databases to solve crime
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — After police used a new technique to arrest a man suspected of being the Golden State Killer, a Maryland legislator proposed a law that would prohibit use of a familial DNA database for the purpose of crime-solving.…
Photos, private information to be blocked under 9-1-1 bill
In anticipation of an update to statewide 9-1-1 communication systems by 2021, gruesome imagery of crime scenes or injuries, individuals’ medical histories and identification of domestic violence or rape victims may be protected from public view under legislation in the Maryland General Assembly.
Maryland legislature considers limits on the use of plastic straws in restaurants
The House Economic Matters Committee on Wednesday heard from both supporters and opponents of a bill that would severely limit the availability and use of plastic straws in restaurants starting in 2020.
Maryland state senator called to active duty during the legislative session
Montgomery County State Senator Will Smith is being deployed. Smith, a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve, will soon be on his way to Afghanistan ten days before the 90-day session of the Maryland General Assembly wraps up.
Schools may start before Labor Day as Senate bill advances
After several days of debate, a Senate bill to effectively rescind Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s executive order starting Maryland public schools after Labor Day passed 31-13 on Tuesday, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans voting no.
Maryland Senate votes to return school start dates to local school boards
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed an Executive Order in 2016, requiring Maryland’s public schools to begin classes after Labor Day. Now, Maryland senators are pushing back, approving legislation giving local public school boards throughout the state the authority, again, to determine the start and end date of the schools in their county. The measure now moves on to the House.
Local officials team up to push for hike in state’s minimum wage
Several county executives and the mayor of Baltimore joined together on Thursday to urge the legislature and Governor to support an effort to increase the statewide minimum wage to $15. Governor Larry Hogan says he’s open to the conversation but isn’t convinced it’s needed because of concerns of the impact it would have on some businesses.