As of last week, more than 22,000 Marylanders had done just that, asking the Motor Vehicle Administration for the logo that was made possible under what became known as 鈥淓ric鈥檚 ID Law.鈥�

鈥淚t shows it is really needed for people who cannot speak for themselves,鈥� Carpenter-Grantham, 21, said during a recent interview.

The Montgomery County resident has high-functioning autism, and the logo is designed to alert police and other emergency responders to the developmental or intellectual disabilities that are not immediately noticeable with Eric, and others like him. The decal can be placed not only on driver鈥檚 licenses but on MVA-issued identification cards and even moped operator permits.

The law also requires that the state Police Training and Standards Commission, in consultation with the State Police and other stakeholders, 鈥渋mplement training concerning interactions with individuals who have a nonapparent disability.鈥�

Kimberly Boddie of Prince George鈥檚 County, who has an hidden disability and the butterfly logo on her ID, said police training is sorely needed.

鈥淚f a police officer is talking to me and I turn my head, a police officer may think I鈥檓 being rude. I鈥檓 sensitive to light,鈥� Boddie, 49, said Friday. 鈥淭raining helps officers and just makes things better.鈥�

Boddie said she doesn鈥檛 drive due to a trifecta of ailments 鈥� lupus, Raynaud鈥檚 disease and Sjogren鈥檚 syndrome.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain and inflammation in various parts of the body. Sjogren鈥檚 is another autoimmune disease that creates dry eyes and lack of moisture in the mouth. The disease can trigger Raynaud鈥檚, a disorder that restricts blood flow that Boddie said can make her 鈥渉ands turn blue and makes me immobile. I鈥檓 an autoimmune warrior.鈥�

Boddie was officially diagnosed with all three in 2020, then noted jokingly, 鈥淏ut I never got COVID.鈥�

鈥楻emarkable young man鈥�

The Carpenter-Grantham family has not just been sitting at home and relishing its success since getting a state law passed.

They have traveled to other states to lobby for passage of legislation like Eric鈥檚 ID Law, in states such as聽听补苍诲听. Linda Carpenter-Grantham, Eric鈥檚 mom, said they are already planning to return to聽聽next year to work on a bill that did not win passage during this year鈥檚 legislative session.

The mother-and-son duo traveled across the border into Washington, D.C., and testified Thursday before the聽Committee on Transportation and the Environment on the 鈥淓ric鈥檚 ID Amendment Act of 2026.鈥� The bill would allow applicants for a license, permit, or identification card to have the applicant鈥檚 nonapparent disability noted on the credential.

鈥淎s a person with autism, I understand how it feels to be misunderstood sometimes. People with autism and other invisible disabilities communicate differently, need extra time to process information, or react differently in stressful situations,鈥� Eric said in his testimony to the committee.

鈥淯nfortunately, those differences can sometimes be failures to follow rules, or change of behavior, instead of being recognized as a disability. This is why this legislation matters,鈥� he said.

Several other Marylanders joined the family to testify in support of the D.C. measure, including Boddie, Laurel City Councilmember Kyla Clark and Prince George鈥檚 County Dels. Kym Taylor and Karen Toles, both Democrats. Taylor, who has an adult son with an invisible disability, was a co-sponsor of the Eric鈥檚 ID bill when the General Assembly passed it into law last year.

Taylor summarized how the Maryland law and the D.C. bill are both strictly voluntary.

鈥淭his bill does not require anyone to disclose a disability. It does not create a registry. It does not require medical documentation. It does not impose additional fees,鈥� she said. 鈥淚nstead, it empowers individuals and families with a voluntary tool that can facilitate understanding during critical interactions.鈥�

Meanwhile, the Carpenter-Granthams may return to Annapolis next year with a proposal for an Eric鈥檚 ID amendment to produce butterfly stickers and have them placed on vehicle windows to inform police officers someone with a non-apparent disability is inside.

罢丑别听聽has already promoted not only stickers, but also buttons with informational cards. Representatives from the office will hand them out during the Ocean City Air Show on the weekend of June 13. The Carpenter-Grantham family plan to be there, too, to talk about the law.

鈥淚 want to celebrate this for Eric because he鈥檚 a remarkable young man to have this vision,鈥� said Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli. 鈥淭his [will] help first responders 鈥� law enforcement, paramedics, firefighter personnel. Think about the benefits this will have for everyone. This is just huge for our residents and visitors who have those hidden disabilities.鈥�

Linda Carpenter-Grantham hopes other sheriffs will follow Crisafulli鈥檚 lead.

鈥淭he sheriff was just so excited to follow up with Eric鈥檚 ID Law. It鈥檚 good to see,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is something we need to get done.鈥�

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Maryland will part ways later this year with the current contractor, Nebraska-based Kiewit聽 Infrastructure, after failing to reach agreement on a final project cost. State officials have refused to disclose the amount sought by Kiewit, citing confidential negotiations, but some estimates have placed Kiewit鈥檚 asking price as high as $9 billion.

But Transportation Secretary Kathryn Thomson and other officials told members of House Appropriations and the Environment and Transportation committees that they estimate the cost at about $5.2 billion.

Thomson said the transportation officials 鈥渨orked with independent cost estimators and Federal Highways and did our own analysis to better understand what the cost of the bridge 鈥� the remaining demolition and reconstruction 鈥� would cost, and put that out in the report that we released in November of last year.

鈥淭hat remains our cost estimate for the bridge 鈥� the higher end, the $5 billion,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut we continue to reevaluate that assessment, pressure-test the assumptions, and that remains our best estimate.鈥�

Initial estimates for a new cable-stayed bridge in the days immediately following the 2024 collapse placed the cost of replacement at about $1.7 billion.

鈥淚鈥檓 deeply concerned about where we are on cost right now,鈥� said Del. Ryan Nawrocki (R-Baltimore County).

Thomson told the panel during a nearly 75-minute briefing that state officials knew initial estimate 鈥渨as not going to be the final cost but we wanted to get into the emergency relief program at Federal Highways [Administration] and 鈥� that was the advice to us, just give us what it would have cost at the time.鈥�

Bruce Gartner, executive director of the Maryland Transportation Authority, said that number was arrived at without any design work completed and based on the 1970s era bridge that was in place when a cargo ship allided with it.

The authority oversees the bridge and other toll facilities.

鈥淚鈥檓 really concerned about where the number really is,鈥� Nawrocki said. 鈥淒o we have a $5 billion project? Do we have a $7 billion project? Is it a $9 billion project? And if it goes to any of those higher numbers, is the federal government going to continue to fully fund this project?鈥�

Thomson rejected the higher estimates.

鈥淭o the extent you鈥檝e heard substantially higher numbers, those are not our numbers, and I continue to say those will never be our numbers,鈥� Thomson said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e in the 5-billion-ish range.鈥�

Reconstruction began two years ago after the collapse of the Key Bridge. The container ship Dali was leaving the Port of Baltimore in the early morning hours of March 26, 2024, when the fully loaded ship lost power soon after leaving the port. The 985-foot vessel went dark, drifted and eventually struck one of the piers of the bridge.

Within seconds, much of the span . Six members of road crew who were working on the bridge deck that morning died.

The collapse closed the Port of Baltimore for weeks. The ship was trapped under the fallen bridge decking. State, federal and private crews pulled 50,000 tons of steel and concrete from the shipping channel to reopen it to port traffic.

The National Transportation Safety Board, in a November report, said the collapse was the result of a power outage . But the agency also cited what it called 鈥渨oefully inadequate鈥� infrastructure protecting the Key Bridge.

As part of the rebuild effort, the state in 2024 to design and plan the new bridge. As part of that work, the company has also started placing pilings in the bed of the Patapsco.

Kiewit held the option to be the first to negotiate a contract on phase two construction. Three weeks of negotiations bogged down over what Thomson said was an 鈥渦nacceptably high鈥� bid.

The state is now 鈥渙ff-ramping鈥� Kiewit. The firm will continue to place piles for the project until the end of the year. As of April, about 30 of the nearly 1,000 pilings that will be required to build the new bridge had been placed. The state will pay the firm $700 million for its part of the project.

Even so, Thomson told the committees that work will continue as the state bids out the project as .

So far the costs have been covered with money from an insurance claim and an early release of federal funding.

Thomson and Gartner said that toll increases will not be needed to cover the costs. Some toll increase could come as early as next year, but officials said it is not related to the bridge.

鈥淪o we do have plans to adjust tolls, but not as a result of this project or project needs,鈥� Thomson said.

The state still expects to receive full reimbursement of the cost of the rebuild from the federal government.

The committee also heard briefly from the Office of the Attorney General on lawsuits related to the bridge.

The office announced a month ago that it reached a $2.25 billion settlement with Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., the owner and operator of the Dali. The settlement is expected to go toward rebuilding the bridge.

The settlement resolves all claims with the owner and operator of the cargo vessel. The state could still seek damages from Hyundai Heavy Industries, the builder of the ship.

Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine are expected to pay the state by June 5.

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罢丑别听聽filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt by sheriffs from 17 counties, claims the law would 鈥渋ntentionally obstruct federal law enforcement and thwart Plaintiffs鈥� obligation to uphold the Constitution of the United States.鈥�

鈥淢aryland鈥檚 blatant defiance of federal immigration law is not merely a political disagreement or passive abstention; it is deliberate, disruptive action that jeopardizes the public safety of all Americans,鈥� the suit says.

The suit was filed by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that works to restrict immigration, on behalf of sheriffs from Allegany, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne鈥檚, St. Mary鈥檚, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico and Worcester counties.

It lists the state of Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) as defendants. Brown鈥檚 office said Wednesday morning that it would not comment on the court case.

The suit comes more than a month after the聽聽was passed, on the last day of the legislative session, and just days after Moore said he would not sign the bill, but would let it become law without his signature.

Moore said in a statement Friday that he agrees with the bill鈥檚 goal of keeping local police focused on local crime, and that the state should 鈥渘ot let untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents deputize our law enforcement officers to do immigration work.鈥�

But he also said the bill 鈥減resents real implementation challenges that must be addressed through executive action and in next year鈥檚 legislative session.鈥�

The act,听, was sponsored by Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Anne Arundel and Howard), and would end the practice of accepting administrative warrants from federal ICE agents to hold immigrant detainees. Under the law, local law enforcement officials would only be obligated to recognize a judicial warrant from an ICE agent.

The act has been called a necessary complement to the emergency bill passed and signed early in the legislative session that banned so-called聽聽formal cooperation agreements between ICE and local law enforcement agencies.

Eight of the nine Maryland counties with 287(g) agreements聽聽them, and the ninth said the agreement would no longer be enforced. But immigration advocates feared that sheriffs would just continue to work with ICE on an informal basis, which is why they pushed for passage of the Community Trust Act.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler, the lead plaintiff in the federal suit, is scheduled to be one of the speakers who will discuss the complaint during a news conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Annapolis.

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Tuesday鈥檚 announcement came three weeks after the Maryland Transportation Authority announced it was parting ways with the current contractor, Kiewit Infrastructure, because of an 鈥渦nacceptably high鈥� bid on the second phase of what is now, officially at least, projected to be about a $5 billion project.

Officials never said what price Kiewit was proposing for the second phase of the project, only that after weeks of discussions the state 鈥渄ecided that their bid was unacceptably high,鈥� Maryland Transportation Secretary Kathryn Thomson said at the time.

It was then that they decided to 鈥渙ff-ramp鈥� Kiewit and look for new contractors for phase two, Thomson said.

Under the plan unveiled Tuesday, the work will be broken into four contracts:

• Demolition of remaining bridge structures in the Patapsco and on land. State officials estimate the bids will be between $50 million and $100 million when the job is put out to bid this summer, with work possibly starting this fall.
• Construction of the southern highway approach to the bridge, including highway and 3,ooo feet of bridge, grading, wetlands work and tolling systems, lighting and the like. That is expected to cost $300 million to $400 million and be advertised this fall or winter, with work starting in the spring.
• Construction of a similar northern approach, with s shorter bridge section and longer at-grade roadway, expected to cost $200 million to $300 million and be advertised this with construction next spring.
• The largest piece, the construction of the bridge itself and protection for the bridge piers against a future boat strike. Requests for contractor qualifications will go out this summer, with possibly starting next summer. The cost of that work is expected to be between $3.5 billion and $4 billion.

All told that work would range between just over $4 billion to $4.8 billion. That鈥檚 on top of the roughly $700 million that Kiewit is expected to get for the first phase of the project, which included design, some demolition and installation of pilings that will eventually support the new bridge.

Thomson said last month that the state has been 鈥渧ery pleased with the quality of the work and the timeliness of the work鈥� by Kiewit. State officials said work on the bridge would continue uninterrupted, as Kiewit is expected to work through the end of this year on its share of the project as new contracts are awarded.

The four-lane Key Bridge was destroyed early on the morning of March 26, 2024, when a fully loaded container ship leaving the Port of Baltimore lost power and struck one of the bridge鈥檚 piers. In seconds, the bridge collapsed into the river, pinning the ship, killing six members of a road crew that was working on bridge and blocking ship traffic in and out of the port.

President Joe Biden promised, and Congress later affirmed, that the federal government would pay the full cost of bridge replacement 鈥� which at the time was estimated to be about $1.9 billion for a project that officials hoped to have finished by 2028.

The project is currently expected to cost a total of $4.3 billion to $5.2 billion, and be completed by the end of 2030. The escalating costs have led to threats by the Trump administration that it might not pay the full share of replacement, but state officials and member of the state鈥檚 congressional delegation have so far been able to keep funding on track.

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Because of the error, which the State Board of Elections聽聽and attributed to a vendor, elections officials are re-sending all 565,000 of the mail-in ballots issued so far, which are expected to arrive in mailboxes聽.

In a聽聽Monday afternoon, Trump hurled accusations at Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), writing that he 鈥渁llowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win.鈥�

鈥淚n Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught! So now, they鈥檙e going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what鈥檚 happening with the first 500,000 they sent,鈥� Trump wrote in his post.

The president also pledged to ask the Justice Department to open an investigation into the matter. The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Maryland election officials, meanwhile, are rushing to dispute the president鈥檚 post.

None of the mail-in ballots issued were 鈥渋llegal,鈥� said State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis in a聽. Rather, some voters may have received a ballot corresponding to the wrong political party, according to a Monday news release from the elections board.

鈥淣o fake OR illegal mail-in ballots were distributed. The wording in President Trump鈥檚 continued posts about Maryland鈥檚 elections creates an environment of misinformation on a voting right,鈥� DeMarinis wrote.

Maryland officials say they have voided the incorrect ballots issued by their vendor, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions, so that they cannot be used, and they have set in place adequate safeguards to prevent a person from voting twice using the two ballots.

鈥淓very return envelope/oath has a unique identifier to ensure that a voter can only vote one ballot,鈥� reads a board of elections webpage聽听颈蝉蝉耻别.

Affected voters are instructed to dispose of the original ballot and utilize the newly issued ballot to cast their votes.

Maryland has closed primaries, so voters may only cast their ballots in the party primary matching their registration. The June 23 primary will feature the governor鈥檚 race and all of the seats in the General Assembly, in addition to congressional elections and local races including county executives and county councils.

Maryland voters still have time to request to vote by mail. The ballot printing error only affected those who requested to vote by mail early, and received their ballot by May 14.

The deadline to request a mailed ballot is June 16. But voters who wish to receive their ballot as an emailed link and print it at home can request until June 19. All ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. on June 23, or brought to a ballot drop box or polling location by that time.

In a statement, Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for Moore, called Trump鈥檚 social media post 鈥渇alse and irresponsible.鈥�

鈥淭he State Board of Elections identified a vendor error, disclosed it publicly, and is fixing it to ensure every eligible voter receives a valid ballot and every valid vote is counted,鈥� Moussa wrote. 鈥淢arylanders should look to the State Board of Elections for accurate information 鈥� not social media misinformation designed to undermine confidence in our elections.鈥�

Moore does not administer Maryland elections in his role as governor. The five-person, bipartisan State Board of Elections handles those duties, together with its selected election administrator, DeMarinis. The board includes three members of the majority party in the state and two members of the minority party.

In its latest聽, the state board announced that communications to affected voters would begin Monday. Voters will receive a postcard to their registered address, or an electronic message to their preferred method of contact.

The production of the new ballots began Tuesday, and the new ballots will be mailed on a rolling basis as soon as they are printed. Envelopes will feature the message 鈥淩EPLACEMENT BALLOT INSIDE.鈥� Mailing is to be completed by May 29. Voters are instructed to return only the replacement ballot in the replacement envelope.

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But now, partially restored and easily accessible, it is the centerpiece of Maryland鈥檚 newest state park.

The 1,042-acre near Gaithersburg honors the legacy of the Howard family, who owned the land after emancipation from slavery, and became major contributors to Black communities in Maryland, including by founding the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper.

鈥淔reedman鈥檚 State Park will be a place for reflection, education and connection,鈥� said Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw during a Friday. 鈥淎 place where visitors can understand the deep ties between land and liberty, a place where Marylanders can see how the work of freedom continues long after emancipation, and a place where the legacy of the Howard family is protected 鈥� not as a footnote, but as a chapter of statewide significance.鈥�

The story begins with , who was born enslaved in 1814 in Montgomery County, and purchased his freedom in 1851. In the ensuing years, he bought the freedom of his wife and her four oldest children from the Gaither family, for whom Gaithersburg is named.

In 1862, as the Civil War raged, the Howard family bought a plantation house known as Locust Villa, which is believed to have been built in 1790, and several hundred surrounding acres. That home has largely fallen to ruin, but another on the property is still standing, called Greenbury鈥檚 House, after one of Howard鈥檚 sons.

According to the , Howard grew rye, oats and other crops on the land, and owned livestock. But he also helped other Black Marylanders purchase land of their own, state property records show, sold some of his land to be used as a school for African American children, and built a chapel in 1889.

鈥淪everal sources even attribute Howard with providing lodging for the slave Dred Scott,鈥� whose case before the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a historic blow to the rights of African Americans, according to the archives, but no known documentation exists to prove it.

鈥淗owever, according to local legends and Howard family history, Howard assisted runaway slaves as well, with the family鈥檚 history also recounting two of Howard鈥檚 sons escaping to Canada through the Underground Railroad before Enoch George Howard had bought his family鈥檚 freedom.鈥�

When Howard died in 1895, he divided the property equally among his five children, according to the archives. One of his five children, Martha Elizabeth Howard married the Civil War veteran and former slave John H. Murphy, and later contributed $200 to help her husband found the Afro-American, which crusaded against Jim Crow, and became one of the most widely circulated Black newspapers in the region. Today, the paper is still run by fourth- and fifth-generation Murphy descendants.

鈥淎fro News is a publication that, for more than a century, has ensured that Black history, achievement and struggle are told clearly, fully and without apology,鈥� said Savannah Wood, the executive director of Afro Charities, and a great-great granddaughter to Martha Howard. 鈥淔rom that perspective, it鈥檚 a joy to be here to dedicate this park, which is now doing the same thing.鈥�

The property, acquired by the state more than 60 years ago, had been part of Patuxent River State Park, where it was often used for hunting. Now, it stands alone with its own state park designation.

But there鈥檚 still plenty of work to be done.

Greenbury鈥檚 House has a new roof and other refurbishments, but still has boarded-up windows. The Park Service still hopes to add signs describing the significance of the house, the Locust Villa and the graveyard between them, which is the final resting place for George and his wife Harriet, as well as Greenbury and other descendants.

For now, visitors wishing to access the property can park at a lot on Elton Farm Road, and hike a mile on a wooded trail to reach Greenbury鈥檚 House. From there, they can continue past farm fields and tracts of woodland to the burial ground and the ruins of Locust Villa, said Park Ranger Shea Neimann, a 20-year veteran of the Park Service who helped bring the new park to fruition.

Friday鈥檚 dedication ceremony was a joyous occasion for the more than a dozen descendants who returned to the property to share reflections and memories, and gather for a family photo in the burial ground. They also placed bits of sea glass on their ancestors鈥� headstones, meant to symbolize the path of their spirits back across the Atlantic Ocean to Africa, Crenshaw said.

Houston Murphy, who attended Friday鈥檚 ceremony, said he remembers spending a night on vacation in the 鈥渃ramped鈥� Locust Villa as a young boy, where the fireplace was so large he could stand inside it.

His father, William H. Murphy Sr., a well-known judge and political force in Baltimore City, owned one tract of land in the new state park, he said. But the state approached him about acquiring the land for recreation.

鈥淢y father fought them, because he didn鈥檛 want to give up his 2 acres. It was his getaway from this stress of being a Black attorney and a Black judge in the city of Baltimore,鈥� Murphy said Friday.

Ultimately, the state won out, and paid Murphy for the property that would later become part of Patuxent River State Park.

鈥淢y father never thought it was a fair price,鈥� Murphy said.

For members of the family, the state鈥檚 early stewardship of the land left something to be desired, what with the loss of Locust Villa. But now, with restoration efforts well underway and a new state park created to honor the Howard family, the descendants have new hope.

鈥淲e already lost one really significant site with the state not recognizing how important the history was, but it鈥檚 great that we have new leadership that understands the importance of this history and is willing to put resources behind it,鈥� Wood said.

State officials said Friday that they were able to create the new state park thanks to the , which the legislature passed in 2022 after a historic surge in state park visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law allowed for the park鈥檚 dedication and allocated funds for its branding and additional park rangers.

Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz acknowledged Friday that the story of the Howard family is one the state 鈥渟hould have been proudly telling鈥� for a century.

But dedicating the park in this moment, when President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration is working to scrub 鈥渘egative鈥� depictions of U.S. history, including the history of slavery, from national parks and monuments, has added significance, Kurtz said.

鈥淭his is an opportunity for us at a time, frankly, nationally, when stories like this are being suppressed, to tell this, to tell this loudly and tell this proudly,鈥� Kurtz said.

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But as the 90-day clock expires Monday, it turns out that at least seven of the nine counties that had the so-called with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have pulled out of those plans and an eighth said the agreement will not be enforced, even though it鈥檚 still on the books.

Most of the local departments dropped the 287(G) agreements either the same day or the day after Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed and into law Feb. 17. The emergency legislation took effect immediately upon his signature.

While they appear to have given up the 287(g) fight, however, sheriffs are still assessing a challenge to another immigration bill that passed during the waning hours on the last day of this year鈥檚 session: the . It is one of several immigration enforcement bills the governor has yet to sign, with just one more bill signing scheduled for May 26.

The majority Democratic legislature and the supporters of the argue it eliminates and distrust of police in communities where aggressive immigration tactics have been conducted and enforced by President Donald Trump (R) and his administration.

As of Sunday, , the agency had 1,832 law enforcement agencies in 39 states and two U.S. territories signed on to participate in the 287(g) program. Seven of the nine Maryland counties 鈥� Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, St. Mary鈥檚 and 鈥� already informed the agency they had to terminate their partnerships due to the passage of the law.

鈥淚 thank you for your partnership since 2019 and your efforts to help me keep our communities safer,鈥� wrote Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams in a Feb. 17 letter addressed to Vernon Liggins, acting field office director in the Baltimore ICE office.

But the agency鈥檚 website lists two Maryland counties still participating: Garrett and Washington.

A representative from the Garrett County Sheriff Office didn鈥檛 respond to requests for comment Friday.

Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert said that because the 287(g) ban took effect immediately, the agreement 鈥渋s pretty much null and void. We鈥檙e not participating in the 287(g) program. We just don鈥檛 have a lot of people with detainers on them that are processing through the jail. There鈥檚 not a large immigrant community here in Washington County.鈥�

But Albert and some other sheriffs are assessing legal advice about the Community Trust Act.

sponsored by Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Anne Arundel and Howard), which was made an emergency measure, would prohibit local or state police from holding a person for ICE, except in limited scenarios: If a person was convicted of a felony in the United States; is a registered sex offender; served between 12 to 18 months in a state prison; or committed an offense in another state and served at least five years in prison.

A major part of the bill requires federal officials to present a judicial warrant to hold someone, not just an administrative warrant.

One of the main complaints from Republican lawmakers and some sheriffs is the act will not only decrease cooperation with federal officials, but also force law enforcement agencies to follow both federal and state law they say conflict with each other.

鈥淲e鈥檙e sworn to uphold the constitution of the United States and the state of Maryland. The Community Trust Act puts us in a very tough predicament,鈥� Albert said.

鈥楬ave some standing鈥�

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler posted a video April 15 on urging the governor to veto the Community Trust Act.

鈥淭his legislation is a direct assault on public safety. It officially bans our law enforcement and correctional officers from communicating with our federal partners at the Department of Homeland Security,鈥� Gahler said in video.

He reiterated that point said in an interview Thursday.

鈥淭he governor hasn鈥檛 signed it. We鈥檙e waiting on [whether] if he vetoes it, or allows it to become law after 30 days if he doesn鈥檛 veto it or sign it,鈥� Gahler said. 鈥淲e have talked with attorneys. We think we might have some standing. I hope we don鈥檛 get there. I hope he does the right thing and vetoes this terrible bill.鈥�

Another immigration-related bill awaiting the governor鈥檚 signature is the which seeks to close loopholes in the state鈥檚 Public Information Act and prohibit a business from selling personal data of an individual 鈥渇or the purpose of immigration enforcement.鈥�

鈥淭he signing of these bills are going to be career defining for our governor and going to mark his legacy on immigration at a time when our communities are under attack,鈥� said Cathryn Jackson, policy director for We Are CASA.

As for the 287(g) legislation advocates pushed for more than a decade to get, Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George鈥檚) said 鈥渋t鈥檚 a big deal.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 just really unfortunate we are in this political climate we are in today with a federal administration in trying to prevent people from obtaining the American dream,鈥� said Williams, who sponsored the House version of the 287(g) legislation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about people who are searching for a better life for their family. When we talk about American exceptionalism, our immigration system is a part of that,鈥� she said.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.

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Last summer, the state began requiring park users to聽聽in order to visit five state parks, including Sandy Point and Newtowne Neck. Popular beaches at each of those parks had drawn miles-long lines of cars on warm sunny days, sometimes beginning as early as 3 a.m., filling parks to capacity and forcing park rangers to turn visitors away.

State park officials say the registration requirement brought a dramatic improvement, and eliminated early park closures. The system聽, and an associated call center took more than 4,000 calls, according to the Maryland Park Service, which is part of the state鈥檚 Department of Natural Resources.

鈥淲e really pressed this thing against the most significant challenge places to see if we could break it. And it worked. It never broke. I would say it was an unqualified success,鈥� said Paul Peditto, assistant secretary of land resources at the department.

Now, they鈥檙e looking to implement the same system at popular areas of at least eight new parks across the state, including Gunpowder Falls, Swallow Falls, Rocky Gap and Rocks State Park, according to a list provided by Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Gregg Bortz.

But the state is also eyeing different avenues for expansion. At some park locations with unmonitored 鈥渉onor boxes,鈥� where visitors are supposed to insert their park entry fee in cash, the department will instead post a QR code that visitors must scan on their cellphones to pay the fee before a gate will lift, allowing them to enter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exactly the same as if we had Ranger Paul sitting there and he manually enters you into the thing, takes your cash or your credit card, and then hits the button to open the gate 鈥� but it鈥檚 all automated,鈥� Peditto said.

The department is also looking to bring the reservation system to several shooting ranges operated by the state, Bortz said, including at Green Ridge and Savage River state forests.

The park service was hoping to start installing the system at new parks as soon as possible, so that it may reach some parks by June. But the arrangement with Kaizen Labs, the contractor installing the systems, faced a hang-up at last week鈥檚 Maryland Board of Public Works meeting, where it must be approved in order to go forward.

After pushback from the board, which includes the governor, the state treasurer and the comptroller, the department withdrew the agenda item. Agency staffers said they were asked to provide additional documentation on the agreement with Kaizen, including comparisons to other state park reservation systems nationally. The matter could be reintroduced as soon as the board鈥檚 next meeting on May 20, and department officials are optimistic that it will be.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just going back and we鈥檙e going to redo that economic assessment for the board, and continue to keep moving forward,鈥� said Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz.

Under the deal, the state won鈥檛 pay Kaizen a lump sum, but rather tack on a 23% processing fee to each entry payment, which would go directly to the company. State park entry fees often range between $3 to $5 per person, so the fees could increase by more than a dollar per visitor.

It鈥檚 the same arrangement that took hold at last year鈥檚 slate of five parks. Peditto said the agency received 鈥渘o pushback鈥� on the slight fee increase in 2025.

鈥淢ost people figured out: 鈥業 would gladly pay $1.70 extra to know that I鈥檝e got a spot in line and I鈥檓 going to get in,鈥欌�� Peditto said.

鈥楧ishonor boxes鈥�

Kurtz still remembers the reception he got when he stopped his car at an entrance at Greenbrier State Park last winter, hoping to drop an entry fee in the park鈥檚 collection box.

鈥淚t鈥檚 free! Keep moving!鈥� yelled a person from a car behind Kurtz, with some obscenities mixed in, according to the secretary.

By requiring online payment at the gate, the department is hoping to change that paradigm, Kurtz said, and recoup revenue that would otherwise be lost.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in a tough budget situation. We鈥檙e not changing the fee structure. We鈥檙e just enforcing it,鈥� he said.

Peditto said he jokingly calls the collection tins 鈥渄ishonor boxes,鈥� since they鈥檙e frequently ignored 鈥� sometimes maliciously, and sometimes not.

鈥淣obody carries cash with them anymore,鈥� Peditto said. 鈥淭hey ask for three or five dollars and you鈥檙e like 鈥� 鈥業 want to pay you, but I don鈥檛 have a way of doing it.鈥� This solves that problem, too.鈥�

The new procedure also has safety benefits, Peditto said.

Now, park rangers will have an online record of each park entrant, and precisely when they arrived at the entry gate, Peditto said. The system will make it easier for park rangers to realize that someone hasn鈥檛 exited the park in a timely fashion, a possible signal that they are lost or injured in a park, Peditto said.

Rangers would also immediately know more about the potentially lost visitor, making it easier for them to reach emergency contacts, and more quickly ascertain where the person may be stranded.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure there鈥檚 some folks who think that that鈥檚 maybe too much Big Brother government,鈥� Peditto said. 鈥淲e look at it as a pretty darn good safety net.鈥�

The agency is hopeful that visitors who don鈥檛 have the proper technology on hand when they arrive at the gate 鈥� or struggle to use it 鈥� will be few and far between, Peditto said. But there is still a contingency plan.

鈥淓very location has a phone number you can call. We have a 24/7 dispatch system at DNR,鈥� Peditto said. 鈥淲e will figure out a way to get them in.鈥�

Expanding the system

The reservation system might be a byproduct of the coronavirus pandemic, which caused a dramatic increase in Maryland state park visitation. In 2020, 21.5 million visitors came to Maryland state parks, a 45% increase over the previous record-breaking year.

After COVID, the numbers decreased slightly from the 2020 peak, but stayed considerably higher than pre-pandemic, according to the park service.

The park service plans to expand the online system as widely as possible, Peditto said. But many parks are not a natural fit, and the system likely won鈥檛 be deployed there, he said. The initial focus is on parks with traffic queues and other issues, he said.

鈥淚t would be, I don鈥檛 know, irresponsible to say we鈥檙e going to figure out a way to force everybody to come into Dan鈥檚 Mountain Wildlife Management Area on like a 5-mile long road right through the middle of it, and try to figure out how to capture all of them.鈥�

The park service is hopeful that the fee arrangement with Kaizen will aid in the program鈥檚 expansion, Peditto said.

鈥淲e thought that that would better incentivize the vendor to sort of grow the model with us,鈥� Peditto said.

The vendor did not make a profit on the arrangement in 2025, he said.

鈥淚 know for sure that this was not something that they were bragging to their investors about the first year,鈥� Peditto said.

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They were reacting to a 13-minute video podcast in which Dels. Mark N. Fisher (R-Calvert) and Brian Chisholm (R-Anne Arundel) accused Del. Chao Wu (D-Howard and Montgomery), who is a native of China, of being a spy for the Chinese government. Throughout the video, Fisher and Chisholm also make references to how Wu talks.

The video was first flagged Friday by House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel), who wrote Fisher and Chisholm urging them to delete the video and apologize to Wu.

It was followed Monday by statements from the legislature鈥檚 Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, even the leader of the House Republican Caucus, all of whom said the video was out of line.

鈥淴enophobia and bigotry have no place in the Maryland legislature,鈥� Del. Lily Qi (D-Montgomery), chair of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, said in a written statement Monday. 鈥淎s a data scientist, Delegate Chao Wu is an asset to our legislative work. One can debate the merit of a bill without resorting to racist name-calling and unfounded accusations.鈥�

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland condemned 鈥渋n the strongest possible terms the racist, xenophobic, and deeply offensive remarks,鈥� directed at Wu.

鈥淩hetoric that seeks to demean, otherize, or question the legitimacy of an elected official based on race, ethnicity, ancestry, or the way they speak is unacceptable and dangerous,鈥� according to the Monday statement from the Black Caucus. 鈥淪uch conduct debases public discourse, fuels division, and undermines the dignity owed to every Marylander.鈥�

Fisher and Chisholm started their podcast on the 鈥渄umbest bill in America鈥� by naming a bill that was actually introduced by Wu in the 2025 General Assembly.聽, which died in committee without a vote, would have prompted developers of generative artificial intelligence programs to disclose where they obtained the data that was used to train and update the AI system.

Fisher claimed that the bill would have required private companies to disclose 鈥渢rade secrets.鈥� The bill had eight cosponsors whom Fisher and Chisholm do not mention.

They then cite a nine-month old Washington Examiner story that said Wu had been involved 20 years ago, as a college student, with a campus organization that the State Department in Trump鈥檚 first term said had ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Chisholm says it鈥檚 part of the Chinese government鈥檚 plan to 鈥渟end in spies, people like Chao Wu, and try to gain intelligence.鈥�

Throughout the video, Fisher and Chisholm make references to Wu鈥檚 looks and how he speaks. Almost 11 minutes into the video, which was posted April 30 on X, Fisher offered the 鈥渋mportant caveat鈥� that 鈥渂ecause you鈥檙e Asian doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e a Chinese Communist,鈥� but continued to imply that Wu was working for the Chinese government.

Wu said that he had 鈥渘o idea鈥� why the two Republicans decided to make him the center of the video. He rejected their claims.

鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e ever been called a Chinese spy,鈥� Wu said. 鈥淯nfortunately, Chinese Americans have always been targeted by xenophobia or just racism.鈥�

Wu was born in Yingshan, Hubei, China and came to Maryland in 2003 for graduate school at University of Maryland, College Park to get a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering. He served on the Howard County School Board from 2018-2022 and began his term with the House of Delegates in 2023.

Neither Fisher nor Chisholm responded to requests for comment Monday.

Both delegates are part of a seven-member group of hard-right Republicans know as the Maryland Freedom Caucus. The caucus did not explicitly defend their statements Monday, instead accusing Pe帽a-Melnyk of聽聽of lawmakers rather than dealing with the state鈥檚 economic problems.

滨苍听, Pe帽a-Melnyk expressed 鈥減rofound disappointment鈥� at the podcast statements that she called 鈥渙ffensive, unacceptable, and beneath the dignity of this institution.鈥�

鈥淩educing a colleague to harmful stereotypes, questioning his loyalty because of where he was born, and mocking the way he speaks is disrespectful and unbecoming of anyone entrusted with public service. It echoes a long and painful history of discrimination that has no place in Maryland or in the House of Delegates,鈥� wrote Pe帽a-Melnyk, herself an immigrant from the Dominican Republic.

鈥淣ational political figures who traffic in racist tropes to sow division and fear have tried to make this kind of rhetoric feel normal. It is not. In Maryland, we will call it out and denounce it at every turn,鈥� her letter said.

House Minority Leader, Del. Jason Buckel (R-Allegany), said he had 鈥渘o reason to believe鈥� that Wu was 鈥渟omehow affiliated with the Chinese government as an American citizen and elected official.鈥�

鈥淭here is no place for discrimination or prejudicial treatment toward Asian Americans based on their ethnicity in our party and that鈥檚 not something our Caucus engages in or promotes in any way,鈥� Buckel said in a statement Monday.

In a follow-up interview Buckel said he doesn鈥檛 believe Chisholm and Fisher are racist, but said that he wouldn鈥檛 blame Wu for feeling 鈥渟ingled out鈥� for being accused of what Buckel called a 鈥渜uite serious offense that shouldn鈥檛 be made light-heartedly.鈥�

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The finalists鈥� identities were not released, but a search committee official expressed confidence their qualifications to run Maryland鈥檚 second-largest school system.

鈥淥ur committee worked diligently to lead a transparent, community鈥慸riven search grounded in the values of Prince George鈥檚 County,鈥� committee Chair James Bell Jr. said in a Friday statement. 鈥淭he finalists we have recommended reflect the leadership qualities our families, students, and staff told us matter most. We are confident this process will support the selection of a superintendent committed to strong, student鈥慶entered progress for PGCPS.鈥�

According to the Maryland State Department of Education, Braveboy is expected to make a selection from the finalists by June 1.

Braveboy appointed the current interim superintendent Shawn Joseph in June 2025 for the 2025-26 school year. State law requires a three-person search committee be named to help find a permanent leader, with Bell named by State Superintendent Carey Wright and the other two members 鈥� county residents Jennifer Avelar and Gordon L. Sampson 鈥� appointed by Gov. Wes Moore (D).

Forwarding the finalists ended the search committee鈥檚 role in the process. It is unclear whether Joseph applied for the permanent job.

Earlier, Braveboy鈥檚 office and the county鈥檚 school board partnered with PoliHire, a D.C.-based search firm, to find the next superintendent. It surveyed nearly 4,300 county residents between February and March on what they would like to see in the next superintendent.

An April report summarized five characteristics identified in that survey: community-centered and transparent communicator; operationally strong and results-driven leader; strategic and responsible fiscal steward; culture-builder and organizational leader; and instructionally focused education leader.

The majority of respondents identified as teachers/licensed professionals (1,889) and parents/guardians (1,827).

Those who participated in the survey outlined three strengths based on whether respondents agree or disagree. They agreed 鈥渟chools are safe,鈥� the 鈥渨orkforce is effective鈥� and 鈥渢echnology is well integrated.鈥� They disagreed with the statements 鈥渟tudents are college and career ready鈥� and 鈥淧GCPS is fiscally responsible.鈥� The most cited area of concern that most respondents disagreed with was 鈥渇acilities are well maintained.鈥�

The search committee recommended the candidates reach out to parent and student representative groups, employee organizations and community and business leaders.

In addition, the committee 鈥渆ncouraged more dialogue with Latino community groups due to the low survey response rate.鈥� This is based on lower response rates 鈥渋n more densely populated, lower-income, and linguistically diverse communities in northern Prince George鈥檚 County,鈥� according to the survey report.

Once Braveboy selects a candidate, that person鈥檚 name will be sent to the county school board for approval by June 30. The state superintendent then makes the final decision to appoint that person to a four-year term.

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But abortion advocates say a Supreme Court case reviewing mail access for mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen used for both medication abortions and miscarriage care, could threaten the ability of Marylanders to get abortion medication by mail.

鈥淭here鈥檚 often the misconception that we are safe in Maryland from these politically motivated attacks on abortion,鈥� Lynn McCann-Yeh, executive director for the Abortion Fund of Maryland, said Tuesday. 鈥淭his particular Supreme Court case is so concerning because it has nationwide implications on how mifepristone can be dispensed and prescribed if this court case moves forward.鈥�

Last Friday, May 1, blocked a 2023 U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule that allowed mifepristone to be dispensed without an in-person visit with a physician.

That decision briefly blocked health providers from sending the medication through the mail nationwide, creating chaos and confusion for abortion providers and patients in Maryland, according to Karen J. Nelson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland.

But Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on the appellate court鈥檚 decision until May 11, giving both sides time to file briefs in the case 鈥� and allowing mifepristone to be sent over the mail for at least one more week.

鈥淭his is politically motivated and it鈥檚 a darn shame that our patients have to be concerned about this,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淭he voters in the state of Maryland have demanded that reproductive health care be available in this state, and they codified it in the state constitution two Novembers ago.鈥�

Anti-abortion organizations like the Maryland Family Institute agree that the court case has significant implications for reworking abortion policies across the United States and in Maryland.

Jonathan Alexandre, legislative counsel for the Maryland Family Institute, said the temporary stay by the Supreme Court was a 鈥渟uper-wise decision鈥� to allow time to gather enough evidence and data to make the case that sending mifepristone through the mail is harmful.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 shy away from realizing the cataclysmic effect this will have on reorienting the entire nation鈥檚 laws when it comes to protecting life in the womb,鈥� Alexandre said.

The court challenge was brought by the state of Louisiana, which argues that the FDA鈥檚 2023 decision to no longer require in-person visits for mifepristone undermines its near-total ban on abortion, allowing providers from other states to send the medication into Louisiana through the mail.

Louisiana also claims that it paid $92,000 in Medicaid bills for two women who needed medical care due to complications related to mifepristone.

But the current lawsuit against mifepristone has nationwide implications and could threaten even Maryland residents from receiving the medication from a Maryland provider, even though abortions are legal in the state.

鈥淲hile it was great that there was this kind of temporary reprieve 鈥� we know that the broader case is still unresolved,鈥� McCann-Yeh said. 鈥淭elehealth medication abortion is an increasingly important way of accessing abortion care in the country.鈥�

Abortion in the U.S. has become a patchwork of state policies since June 2022, when the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women鈥檚 Health Organization largely overturned federal abortion protections and sent the issue back to legislatures.

Some states, such as Louisiana, have near-total bans for abortion services, while states like Maryland are known as 鈥渟hield law鈥� states that protect providers from prosecution for providing abortion care to residents in more-restrictive states.

Nationally, approximately 27% of abortions happen through telehealth services, according to 2025the聽 data from the Society of Family Planning, a research and advocacy group that publishes an annual report called #WeCount. That鈥檚 up from just 5% nationwide in early 2022, before the Dobbs decision.

In Maryland, an average of 533 abortions a month took place through telehealth services from June 2024 through June 2025, according to most recent #WeCount data. An average of 2,729 abortions a month occurred in person at Maryland clinics during the same period.

Compare that to data from before the Dobbs decision, when 40 Marylanders received telehealth abortions in April 2022 and just 50 in May 2022.

While most abortions occur in clinics still, McCann-Yeh said the Supreme Court could block the ability to receive mifepristone in the mail, creating hurdles for Marylanders seeking abortion care.

鈥淔or a Maryland resident who may not be able to get to a clinic, this is a huge logistical hurdle,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou now have to travel to the clinic, which might be anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours away.

鈥淚f you are a parent or have disabilities, if you鈥檙e working to make ends meet and you鈥檙e concerned about costs 鈥� all of these create a lot of additional hassles that people in Maryland would have to go to get abortion care that鈥檚 otherwise protected and supported in their state,鈥� McCann-Yeh said.

Meanwhile, in states with strict abortion bans, such as Louisiana or Maryland鈥檚 neighbor West Virginia, approximately 96% to 100% of abortions were acquired through telehealth services in 2025, according to the data.

Abortion advocates say some providers in Maryland will prescribe and send abortion medications like mifepristone through the mail to residents in other states who are unable to get them otherwise. It鈥檚 not clear how much mifepristone is sent out of Maryland into states with more restrictive abortion bans, but Alexandre says that the state鈥檚 lax telehealth requirements put women at risk.

鈥淵ou have males buying this and forcing women to take it, or women will take it past the age of gestation that are safe for ingesting this pill,鈥� Alexandre said. 鈥淲hat this law that Louisiana has passed, and ultimately what the court is going to review, is saying whether or not you should put these safety protocols in place to ensure that the dangers of this pill are fully addressed and that women are offered the protection that they need.鈥�

Abortion providers like Nelson with Planned Parenthood are continuing to provide telehealth care to Marylanders, as she said the organization does not send mifepristone out of state.

But behind the scenes, staff with Planned Parenthood and other abortion advocacy groups are preparing for what may happen if the Supreme Court takes up the Louisiana case.

鈥淲e鈥檙e super glad that the recent stay does temporarily restore access to medication abortions by telehealth,鈥� Nelson said, 鈥淏ut with the chaos and the confusion, with the back and forth between rulings does have an impact on those who are seeking sexual and reproductive health care.鈥�

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The Legislative Policy Committee, in a May 4 letter to the authority, also imposed a 45-day delay while it reviews the proposed purchase of the track, which is supposed to be transformed into a state-of-the-art training facility.

The pause will not affect the May 16 running of the 151st Preakness Stakes, which is being run at Laurel Park while the race鈥檚 traditional home, Pimlico in Baltimore, is being razed and rebuilt.

But the聽, made up of House and Senate leaders, want to take a closer look at the long-term plans for Laurel Park 鈥渢o get a full accounting of the dollars that have gone out and plan for the dollars ahead,鈥� Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Wednesday.

鈥淎s budgets get tighter, every dollar has to be scrutinized even further. And so I think the legislature has an interest in really understanding the full game plan of where we are headed to make sure that we鈥檙e getting the best value for public investment,鈥� Ferguson told Maryland Matters after a campaign event in Baltimore.

The authority announced two weeks ago that it reached a $48.5 million deal to buy the facility from 1/ST Maryland LLC. Officials framed it as a deal that would save the state $50 million over the costs of converting a Carroll County farm into the state鈥檚 training facility.

After buying Shamrock Farms for $4.5 million in August, it was determined that the cost of turning the 328-acre property into the training center the state wanted would be excessive and environmentally problematic.

Ferguson said that the recommendation to buy Shamrock Farms 鈥渃ame to us after what we believed was sufficient, due diligence, clearly was not sufficient, and what happened in that purchase was not just a mistake 鈥� it feels like it sent the state backwards. I think there are a lot of concerns and questions about the purchase overall.鈥�

Ferguson said in hindsight he wishes the state had not purchased Shamrock Farms.

鈥淣ow we have to figure out what we can do to mitigate the damage of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淐an the state afford the purchase of a second property to mitigate the issues with Shamrock, because it鈥檚 not usable.鈥�

The deals are the latest twist in the state鈥檚 ongoing efforts to preserve a horseracing industry in Maryland, which supporters like聽Gov. Wes Moore (D) claim provides nearly 30,000 jobs and $3 billion in economic activity for the state.

Even so, racing has struggled for decades in Maryland. The decaying Pimlico Race Course, home of the second leg of racing鈥檚 Triple Crown, became a symbol of the industry鈥檚 decline.

鈥淚t just seems like other than the Preakness, it just doesn鈥檛 seem to have the support, you know, from the public at large, to survive,鈥� state Treasurer Dereck Davis (D) said Wednesday. 鈥淏ut this isn鈥檛 football and this isn鈥檛 baseball or basketball. Those are really, whether we want to admit it or not, those are the pasttimes in America and here in Maryland.鈥�

In 2024, lawmakers passed legislation meant to give another 鈥� perhaps final 鈥� chance to horse racing with the so-called Pimlico Plus Plan, which consolidated thoroughbred racing in the state. Tracks owned by the Stronach Family and 1/ST would close, with the exception of Pimlico, effectively making the state government the operator of thoroughbred racing in Maryland.

鈥淚 think there are generalized concerns about the long-term stability of the industry,鈥� said Ferguson, adding that the state has been in the business 鈥渇or decades. 鈥� I think that鈥檚 been a challenge that we keep navigating over and over again.鈥�

The 2024 plan called for Pimlico to be razed and replaced by a modern facility overseen by a state-created Maryland Thoroughbred Race Track Operating Authority, which would also oversee planned enhancements for the surrounding Park Heights community.

The state would finance the purchase of a property to create a state-of-the-art training facility. When all was said and done, there would be 120 racing days at Pimlico.

Within a year of passing the Pimlico Plus legislation, cracks in the plan began to show. The legislature decommissioned the race track authority and divided its work between the stadium authority, to oversee construction of a new Pimlico and the training facility, and the Maryland Economic Development Corp., to oversee economic development around the track, including a possible hotel and parking garage.

The agreement also included an 鈥渆xclusive and perpetual license鈥� to the state for rights to the Preakness for an initial 10 years, starting this July. The deal automatically extends in five-year increments unless terminated by the state. Under that deal, the state agreed to pay 1/ST a $3 million base fee that increases by 2% annually, as well as 2% of the handle from races.

The Stronach Family and 1/ST agreed under the deal to put the Woodlawn Vase trophy, awarded to the winner of the Preakness, on permanent loan to the state. The vase, valued at an estimated $7 million, is considered one of the most valuable in sports.

But two weeks ago, 1/ST announced an $85 million deal with Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, for the intellectual property rights to the Preakness and Black-eyed Susan stakes and all associated trademarks and memorabilia. The agreement remains subject to the state鈥檚 earlier licensing deal.

The legislators鈥� letter is focused on the sudden shift from Shamrock Farms to Laurel Park for a training facility, a proposal taht 鈥渋s less expensive maybe intuitively appealing, [but] no estimates or timelines have been provided.鈥�

鈥淎lthough MSA [the stadium authority] asserts that Laurel Park is a more suitable project, not much is known about the costs associated with construction of a facility at Shamrock Farm or Laurel Park,鈥� said the two-page letter, a copy of which was obtained by Maryland Matters. 鈥淢SA has not provided detailed cost estimates for construction or environmental mitigation at either location. MSA has also not disclosed its plan for Shamrock Farm if Laurel Park is purchased.鈥�

Stadium authority officials pledged at the time to 鈥渆ngage in collaborative conversations鈥� with Carroll County government officials on possible future uses for Shamrock Farms. But no details were provided.

A stadium authority spokesperson was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

The existence of the lawmakers鈥� letter became public during a discussion at Wednesday鈥檚 Board of Public Works meeting of a聽聽for outdoor LED boards, food service and laundry equipment for the Pimlico. Davis, a member of the board, said that 鈥渁t some point 鈥e have to get it [the horseracing industry] to sink or swim.鈥�

鈥淐an it survive? We can鈥檛 keep pouring massive amounts of dollars into this industry for the third weekend in May,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I know, I know the conversations about year-round, but that鈥檚 not really working, which is why we鈥檙e here.鈥�

The contract is the seventh since October 2024 to come before the board, which has approved nearly $184 million for the project.

Davis said the continued expense of underwriting the flagging horseracing industry will take resources from other areas.

鈥淲hat are we forgoing in terms of the difference we can make in our communities?鈥� he asked. 鈥淭hese kinds of dollars will make a difference 鈥� and a lasting difference.鈥�

Davis supported the measure but his comments underlined a growing frustration held by some over the continued costs.

鈥淚f you have to come back here in another year or two, or whatever, with another proposal or another way to bring it along 鈥� I think we鈥檙e going to have to have a serious conversation about what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淚s this the right approach or is this a commitment we want to keep on making, despite the fact that maybe we already know what the outcome is going to be.鈥�

– Maryland Matters reporter Christine Condon contributed to this story.

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鈥淧erhaps it鈥檚 a bit of tragic poetry that, in the midst of an affordability crisis, that even the cost of running to represent the people of Maryland鈥檚 Fifth Congressional District is too high,鈥� Williams said in a聽聽post Tuesday afternoon.

鈥淚 believe in earnest that I remain the best candidate to fight and work for Marylanders in Washington, to speak truth to power, and to be a tireless progressive voice for women, immigrants, and marginalized communities,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淎las, the reality is that winning this fight would require resources that this campaign simply doesn鈥檛 have, and keeping pace with our opponents鈥� spending is an impossible hurdle to clear.鈥�

The timing of the announcement also means that Williams, an attorney with the firm Rees Broome in Tysons Corner, Virginia, will lose her seat in the House of Delegates in January, since the deadline for her to file for reelection to that seat passed in February.

Williams does not plan to endorse any of the 23 Democrats remaining in the race to succeed Hoyer, who is stepping down after 45 years.

One of those candidates is fellow Prince George鈥檚 County Democratic Del. Adrian Boafo, who became the candidate to beat after he was聽聽in January.

David Karol, an associate professor of government and politics at University of Maryland, College Park, said Boafo 鈥渋s probably favored鈥� based on the money he has 鈥� he reported having聽聽as of March 31, according to his Federal Election Commission report 鈥� and major endorsements, from Hoyer and both the national and state聽.

Karol聽 said 鈥渋t鈥檚 possible鈥� a few more candidates decide to drop out of the race as early voting in the primary election approaches, from June 11-18. Election Day is for the primary is June 23.

鈥淚n a crowded field, it鈥檚 hard to get attention and break through,鈥� Karol said. 鈥淪ome candidates will feel like there鈥檚 no point to sticking it out to the end with several weeks to go. They would spend more money at a time they don鈥檛 see a realistic path.鈥�

The other two candidates to pay attention to, Karol said, are former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and businesswoman Quincy Bareebe. Dunn has raised more than $2 million and Bareebe has self-funded most of her $3 million campaign.

But there is no shortage of other candidates. Besides Boafo, other elected officials in the race are聽Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles), Prince George鈥檚 County Councilmember Wala Blegay and Charles County Commission President Reuben Collins II.

In addition to Dunn and Bareebe, other Democrats in the race are former Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Mark Arness, Ellis Colvin, Elldwnia 鈥淓lla鈥� English, Terry Antonio Jackson II, Harry Jarin, Walter Kirkland, Jerry Lightfoot, Heather Luper, James Makle Jr., Leigha Messick, Keith Salkowski, Kenneth Simons, Alexis Solis, Tracy Starr, Dave Sundberg and Harold Tolbert.

There are also three Republicans in that primary race 鈥� Chris Chaffee, Bryan DuVal and Michelle Talkington 鈥� and three independents who plan to run in the November general election 鈥� Mildred Marie Hall, Jonathan Burruss and Brian Jordan.

But the Democratic nominee will be a strong favorite in the 5th District, where registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a more than 2-to-1 ratio in 2024. The he includes the three Southern Maryland counties of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary鈥檚 with portions of Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel counties.

鈥淭he primary is going to choose the next Congress member in that district,鈥� Karol said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no path for a Republican in that district. The Democratic primary is the ball game.鈥�

鈥楥ourageous leader鈥�

Williams was appointed to the House from legislative District 22 in December 2019 to replace former Del. Tawanna Gaines (D), who resigned earlier that month. Williams was elected to the seat in 2022 and has earned praise for several pieces of legislation she sponsored this year.

That included the bill to ban so-called 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement agencies and the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed that bill into law during the first month of the 90-day legislative session.

It was the second year for her聽聽which died in the last minutes of the 2025 legislative session.

Also this year, Williams served as lead sponsor of聽聽to prohibit law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, from wearing face coverings when working in the state. That will was a response to ICE sweeps around the country by masked agents often without identification. Her bill did not advance beyond a House committee, but the聽聽sponsored by Sen. Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George鈥檚) did pass and is expected to be signed by the governor this month.

Williams has served as the chair of the Prince George鈥檚 County House delegation since 2024.

With the departure of Williams and Del. Anne Healy (D), who isn鈥檛 seeking reelection after more than 35 years in the House, Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George鈥檚) is the only current District 22 lawmaker who will return in January, if he is reelected this fall.

鈥淚t鈥檚 bittersweet,鈥� Martinez, 30, said of the departuers of both Williams and Healy. 鈥淏oth of them have really shown what leadership looks like for our district.鈥�

Martinez called Williams a 鈥渃ourageous leader.鈥�

鈥淚 am just really proud in her time that she has 鈥� been able to cement herself in the law and been able to really put her stamp on shaping policy and ensuring that our values are not just something that we speak, but what we live, and that鈥檚 the work she has done,鈥� he said.

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The work was authorized by passage of one of several school system-backed bills passed in the just-ended General Assembly session, the state Board of Education was told Tuesday. School officials called it a 鈥渧ery successful year鈥� for schools in the legislature, which they attributed in part to greater involvement in Annapolis by State Superintendent Carey Wright, Board President Joshua Michael and other department officials.

鈥淭his is not easy work. It鈥檚 time consuming,鈥� Wright said Tuesday.

HB 1582 gives the department the flexibility to possibly get rid of the current school rating system. It is not among the more than 350 bills signed into law so far by the governor, including more than 200 on Tuesday.

Tim Guy, assistant state superintendent of assessment and accountability, said the change in revamping the rating system will modernize it and ensure it matches the work being done now, such as the Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future education reform plan.

Guy said the Accountability Advisory Committee, which earlier recommended eliminating , would reconvene to assess what system to incorporate on how to rate schools and student achievement. The goal would be to present a proposal for public comment later this year and submit a document early next year to the U.S. Department of Education.

If that gets approved, then hopefully a new rating system would be ready for the 2027-28 school year 鈥渂ased on 2026-27 data,鈥� he said in an interview during a break in the meeting. The board met at the Anne Arundel County Public Schools board meeting room Tuesday because of HVAC work being done on the state Department of Education building in Baltimore. where the board normally meets.

The department-requested bill, sponsored by House Ways and Means Chair Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Montgomery), adds a couple of other school quality indicators to assess accountability in the schools. Those include school staffing measures that make sure schools have adequate personnel, and completion of a 鈥渨ell-rounded curriculum鈥� that doesn鈥檛 simply focus on reading, writing and arithmetic.

The bill also requires the department to provide an update by July 1, 2027, to the board and the General Assembly 鈥渙n final school quality and student success metrics鈥� that include analyses of how those measures correlate with student poverty trends.

The bill, which would take effect July 1, is expected to be signed into law by the governor in one of the two remaining bill-signing sessions next month.

Other measures

Some of the other education-related measures approved by the legislature include sponsored by Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) on a request from the Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future Accountability and Implementation Board, known as the AIB. It has not yet been signed into law.

The bill made minor revisions to the Blueprint education reform plan, such as extending the 鈥渉old harmless鈥� provision to fund programs for multilingual learners, students in poverty and those in special education through fiscal 2028. That provision protects those students from any per pupil funding cuts that come along.

The bill, which would take effect July 1, also extends the time for a teacher who wants to become a principal to receive National Board Certification, from July 1, 2029, to July 1, 2034.

Another provision in the bill deals with dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take college courses locally with the tuition paid by their school district. The bill extends authority of the AIB and the state Board of Education, 鈥渋n consultation with local school systems,鈥� from fiscal 2027 to fiscal 2030 and may limit the number and types of courses a student can take at a local college.

Two other bills highlighted 鈥� and 鈥� would require applicants in direct contact with children in a childcare facility to submit to 鈥渃riminal history record checks.鈥�

The bills, sponsored by Sen. Shaneka Henson (D-Anne Arundel) and Del. April Miller (R-Frederick), also require the department to establish a centralizing background check unit to process and manage records for all childcare workers by June 30, 2027. Laurel Cratsley, executive director of government affairs, said record checks are currently done at 13 regional offices across the state.

The bills also allow the department to appoint a deputy state superintendent to specifically focus on early childhood education.

To help decrease staffing shortages at early childcare centers, the bills provide a probationary employment period for those applying for the first time to work as a childcare teacher in a center that serves children at least 2 years old. The current law is a preschool or center with children who are 3 years old.

The bills, which have yet to be signed, go into effect Oct. 1.

鈥楽uccessful year鈥�

Wright and other state school officials were a bit more involved in this year鈥檚 legislative session than in the past.

According to a breakdown of written testimony, about 174 total letters on legislation were submitted by department officials, about a 40% increase from last year. The department categorized the letters in four areas and compared them to last year. There were:

• 66 letters of support, a 94% increase;
• 27 letters of opposition, a 42% increase;
• 19 letters of support with amendments, a 36% increase; and
• 62 letters of information, a 5% increase.

Besides Wright and Michael traveling to Annapolis, department staff including Cratsley, Stefan Redding Lallinger, chief policy officer; Yvonne Harper, legislative liaison; and Maddie Houck, an education policy analyst, were involved this year.

Michael said all departmental bills were approved this year, which rarely happens.

鈥淲e leaned in. We engaged. That is a big deal,鈥� he said. 鈥淰ery successful year in terms of legislation. Now we have to do the work.鈥�

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Kanaiyah鈥檚 Laws named in memory of Kanaiyah Ward, a 16-year-old who died in a Baltimore hotel while in state custody last September from an apparent overdose of diphenhydramine, an over-the-counter allergy medicine.聽聽is one of several measures that aim to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

鈥淜anaiyah should be here today. What happened to her was a tragedy. What happened to Kanaiyah was unacceptable,鈥� Moore said during the bill-signing ceremony in the State House. 鈥淓very child in our care deserves the same standard of care that any one of us would expect and hope for our children.鈥�

It was one of more than 200 bills signed Tuesday,听 the second bill signing ceremony after the 2026 legislative session, with two more scheduled. Bills ranged from immigration protections to administrative improvements for Medicaid waiver recipients with developmental disabilities to a voting rights measure that passed in the literal last minutes of the legislative session.

Sponsors and supporters were on hand for each bill. For Kanaiyah鈥檚 Law, that was her grandfather, Michael Ward, and mother, Brooke Ward, who sniffled and held back tears during the governor鈥檚 comments on her daughter. After the signing, Moore presented two official signing pens to Brooke and Michael Ward, the first of dozens he would hand over to various bill supporters Tuesday.

After Kanaiyah鈥檚 death, the Department of Human Services instituted a new policy prohibiting the placement of foster children in unauthorized settings, like hotels and hospitals, overflow solutions that had been used by the state when it could not immediately find a foster placement. One of the several bipartisan foster care bills signed Tuesday,听codifies that policy.

Kanaiyah鈥檚 Law creates a new State Foster Youth Ombudsman in Human Services to serve as a neutral voice for youth in out-of-home placements. The new ombudsman will also investigate complaints made by foster kids and otherwise ensure that children in the state鈥檚 care are in safe and healthy locations.

The bill also creates a Guardian Assistance Program to help relative caregivers to become permanent legal guardians of foster kids that have been placed in their homes by removing financial barriers.

Voting rights, pricing protections, migrant safeguards, more

Among the other bills signed into law yesterday was one to prohibit the practice of changing groceries prices to be from shopper to shopper, based on a person鈥檚 personal data, what聽聽refers to as 鈥渄ynamic pricing.鈥�

鈥淎t a time when our people are being squeezed by the cost of everything 鈥� especially groceries,鈥� Moore said, 鈥渁t a time when technology can predict what we need, when we need it, when we鈥檒l pay for it, and when we鈥檒l pay more for it 鈥� Maryland is not just pushing back, Maryland is pushing forward.鈥�

The legislation was a priority measure for Moore as well as Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel).

Moore also signed a series of bills focused on boosting protections for immigrants who may interact with federal immigration enforcement. Those bills require聽,听聽and other 鈥渟ensitive鈥� locations to create and adhere to policies on how staff should operate if there are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on the premises.

Ferguson said that those new laws will help protect Marylanders from some of the more 鈥渋nsidious immigration enforcement activities.鈥�

鈥淭hose campaigns have been intentionally built around instilling fear in communities,鈥� he said. 鈥淪chool personnel should not be used as ICE immigration officers, nor should they be able to share information with ICE about a child or parent.鈥�

One bill that almost didn鈥檛 pass in time to make it to the governor鈥檚 desk for approval was聽, the Voting Rights Act of 2026, given final approval in the House during the last five minutes of the last night of the session, amid a cacophony of opposition from Republicans who believed House rules were were being ignored to rush the bill through.

Ultimately, the bill passed just before the session ended at 11:59 p.m. on April 13, which Pe帽a-Melnyk noted several times during her comments Tuesday. SB 255 allows the attorney general or a resident to a county or local government based on 鈥減olarized voting.鈥� It also pushes to ensure county and municipal elections don鈥檛 dilute voter strength based on voters鈥� race, color or sexual orientation, among other characteristics. Because it鈥檚 an emergency measure, the bill became law immediately.

鈥淎t a time when the foundations of our democracy are being tested across the country, we are strengthening our right to vote,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said. 鈥淭hat little bill that could, I tell you. As I was up there with five minutes, I thought 鈥業 could not let it die on my watch,鈥� because there was so much at stake.鈥�

The legislation discussed at the bill signing ceremony only scratched the surface of the hundreds of bills signed into law Tuesday.

Moore also signed聽聽that will allow chicken farmers to begin constructing new chicken houses even if the general permit covering the industry has expired. The issue arose this year, when the Maryland Department of the Environment was late to reissue the permit, and any new construction was halted. Late last week, MDE issued the new permit, which will likely resolve the issue once it takes effect on May 8. But the bill will have an impact if the permit ever lapses again, so poultry industry groups still wanted to see it signed.

Also signed was聽聽to make it easier for people with developmental disabilities to hang on to their Medicaid waiver coverage if there are administrative errors on their annual reapplication process, an issue the community has been wrestling with for over a year.

In addition, the governor also signed聽to create a database that will help Marylanders on federal food assistance and Medicaid adhere to upcoming work requirements ushered in by the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress last year.

鈥淭hey may not all make the headlines, like the popular bills, but they are so important,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said. 鈥淭hey reflect the kind of steady, thoughtful work that keeps Maryland moving forward through our focus on affordability, accountability and opportunity.鈥�

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