At the start of April, the hunger-relief nonprofit Maryland Food Bank noticed that there was a significant uptick in online traffic and web searches of Marylanders looking for places to secure food for their families. Carmen Del Guercio, CEO and president of the food bank, says that the organization noticed a 300% increase in activity on their website at the start of April compared to the first half of March, and he suspects that part of the interest is due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the early morning of March 26. “Given that there was such a significant increase in ove ..read more

Political lieutenants to Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) have insisted in recent days that Moore was going to boost his effort to promote Alsobrooks’ Senate candidacy, and here’s further evidence: He’s appearing in a new radio spot ahead of the May 14 Democratic primary. The 60-second ad opens with jaunty music as Moore introduces himself and says, “Let me tell you why I’m supporting Angela Alsobrooks for U.S. Senate.” He ticks off some of his policy victories, and adds, “Angela Alsobrooks has been a partner every step of the way. Raised ..read more

She’s staying put. The interim title will be removed from Carey Wright’s name after the Maryland Board of Education’s unanimous vote Wednesday to make her the permanent state superintendent of public schools. Wright began as interim superintendent Oct. 23, replacing Mohammed Choudhury, who resigned days prior to become senior adviser for the state school board with a base salary of $310,000 until his contract expires June 30. Wright, a Maryland native who received a $350,000 salary that was prorated for the remainder of her term until June 30, led several initiatives during her half-year leadi ..read more

U.S. Supreme Court justices spent two hours Wednesday debating whether a federal law about emergency treatment encompasses abortion care even in states with strict abortion bans, with no clear indication of how they may ultimately rule. A decision could come as soon as the end of June to decide whether Idaho’s near-total abortion ban means doctors who might need to terminate a pregnancy during a health emergency would be protected from prosecution under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, a federal law that requires hospitals to treat patients who come to an emergency ro ..read more

Eight state legislators are running in congressional primaries in three separate districts this spring. Maryland Matters has been checking in with all of them to discuss how they are balancing their legislative work with the imperative to be out on the campaign trail, along with the issues they are emphasizing in the General Assembly and on the campaign trail. This is the last installment of our series. We’re continuing to cover these congressional races as we get closer to the May 14 primaries. How many state lawmakers can claim to have grown up in the shadow of the State House? Del. Mark S ..read more

With Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) scheduled to sign more than 200 bills into law Thursday, the state’s leader continues to receive letters and verbal pleas to veto certain legislation the General Assembly approved this year. The House Republican Caucus has asked Moore to veto House Bill 947 – Gun Industry Accountability Act – which would give the Office of the Attorney General and the 24 local state’s attorneys authority to sue firearms manufacturers and gun dealers. The bill isn’t listed as part of Thursday’s bill signing ceremony. The legislation sponsored by Del. N. Scott Phillips (D-Ba ..read more

The U.S. Department of Labor Tuesday announced a final rule that means millions of salaried workers who are employed in the executive, administrative or professional industries will become eligible for overtime pay. The rule will affect roughly 4 million workers in the first year of implementation and will be broken into two checkpoints. The first will be on July 1, with an impact on 1 million workers, and another on Jan. 1, 2025, affecting 3 million workers, Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman said on a call with reporters previewing the regulation. On July 1, the agency will ..read more

An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or if it should turn inward amid rising global conflict. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a news conference before the vote that he believed the strong support showed the GOP had “turned the corner on the isolationist movement.” McConnell also rebuked former F ..read more

A Cecil County delegate says assault charges filed against him last week by his adult son are unfounded and were “inappropriately filed.” Del. Kevin B. Hornberger (R-Cecil) is facing a second-degree assault charge filed last week by his adult son, Adam Hornberger. The charges, filed through a Cecil County District Court commissioner, are now under review by that county’s state’s attorney for possible prosecution. Del. Kevin Hornberger (R-Cecil). Photo by Danielle E. Gaines. “I love my son with all my heart. I would do anything to help rectify this situation and repair our family, and I belie ..read more

Attorneys representing the Maryland State Board of Elections are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges voter roll irregularities and other election law violations in the state. Two groups — Maryland Election Integrity LLC and Missouri-based United Sovereign Americans — filed suit in March against the state board for maintaining inaccurate voter registration lists and violating federal election law. Earlier this month, the groups asked U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher to issue an injunction against the state that could derail the May 14 primary and possibly th ..read more