By Ruth Ann Norton and Anne Havemann Norton is the president and CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative. Havemann is general counsel for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Earlier this fall, Gov. Wes Moore (D) joined 24 governors across the U.S. to make a bold climate commitment: to quadruple the number of heat pump installations across the territories, delivering 4 million heat pumps by 2030. This little-known electric equipment, which can both heat and cool homes for a fraction of the energy, can be a tool to catapult Maryland toward its climate goals, help save households money ..read more

Maryland needs to grow its population as part of an effort to grow its economy and pull itself out of a budgetary morass, according to one economist. That message comes just weeks before lawmakers head to Annapolis next month facing a series of difficult budgetary decisions as federal pandemic aid dries up. A state economy over-dependent on jobs tied to the federal government is not firing on all cylinders as some employers, including state government, struggle to fill open positions, said Daraius Irani, an economist at Towson University. “I would argue the only way we can do this successfully ..read more

Maryland and its 24 major local jurisdictions employ thousands of correctional officers to oversee, manage and try to maintain order in jails, prisons and other facilities. Notably missing in some county jails: windows. That’s because they aren’t required to install them in areas where employees work, said Amanda Tondin, a Talbot County correctional officer and a programs coordinator at the county jail. However, she said, a small window placed high is required for jail cells. “I use my screensaver” to project light in work area, she said in a brief interview Thursday. Tondin joined other corre ..read more

Declining mental health among young people is an ongoing issue, as lawmakers, workplaces and even local schools look for solutions to help kids and adolescents who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and thoughts of suicide. But the issue is multifaceted, according to Sara DiLeonardo, behavioral clinical strategist with Cigna Healthcare, who spoke at the Maryland Association of Counties winter conference in Cambridge. The conversation, hosted by Cigna, focused on how workplaces should plan to accommodate the mental health needs of Maryland’s Gen Z population, defined as those aged 11 to 2 ..read more

Gov. Wes Moore (D) told a gathering of county leaders still reeling from news of deep cuts in transportation projects that he backs the proposal, describing it as hard medicine. For two days, officials from around the state have grumbled about $3.3 billion in cuts including deep reductions to highway user revenues, the primary source of local road repair funding for counties. “I know that our trust is being tested,” Moore said during a dinner speech at the Maryland Association of Counties winter conference in Cambridge. “I believe the course we’ve taken is the right one.” Moore’s speech also i ..read more

With the Maryland Department of the Environment set to release a final recommendation in a matter of days on what the state needs to do to meet its ambitious climate goals, a coalition of environmental organizations, advocacy groups and community leaders has written to Gov. Wes Moore (D), urging his administration to adopt the most aggressive strategy possible. They are calling their lobbying effort “get it done by ’31.” This summer, the Department of the Environment issued a preliminary “climate pathway” report, looking at policy options to hit the state’s climate reduction and clean energy m ..read more

A day after a public announcement to cut more than $3 billion in transportation projects, county officials are pushing for answers and a way to avert the gutting of local road and transit priorities. Leaders from the state’s 24 major political subdivisions arrived in Cambridge for the annual Maryland Association of Counties winter conference with more questions than answers and a growing sense of frustration. “I think we’re all sharing the same concerns, and the hope now is that we can forge a consensus about what those solutions are,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski (D), the ..read more

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the challenges of public health and the transmission of infectious diseases to the forefront of Maryland policy over the last few years. Now, local health officials say that rising temperatures and other symptoms of climate change may usher in the “next pandemic.” At the Maryland Association of Counties winter conference, being held in Cambridge, local health officers urged county officials to proactively prepare for future major outbreaks by mitigating the effects of climate change. “The next pandemic — given the globalization of diseases, and understand the fact ..read more

The Maryland Association of Counties began its winter conference Wednesday assessing policies on climate change, transportation and parks and recreation. The organization also known as “MACo” needed two parts to discuss juvenile justice reform at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Hotel in Cambridge. A one-hour discussion focused on how new laws, specifically Juvenile Justice Reform and Child Interrogation Protection Act bills passed last year, are working so far. Laurel Police Chief Russell Hamill said the child interrogation reform has created “unintended consequences” and liability for office ..read more

The House Judiciary Committee held its third briefing on juvenile justice reform Tuesday, this time with representatives from a national policy organization, a local judge and six nonprofit organizations that work with troubled youth. The committee organized briefings in the fall to assess juvenile reforms as some lawmakers and community leaders said crime has increased, especially among youth. According to a report from the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services that was released in September, non-fatal shootings for youth ages 18 and younger rose from 41 in 2013 to 171 in 2022 on a fairly ..read more