Ghost guns — untraceable firearms usually put together by someone using unassembled or homemade components — are already illegal in Maryland. Nonetheless, they’ve been used in some high profile crimes in Prince George’s County in recent years, including several that involve juveniles. Now, the Prince George’s County Council wants to give prosecutors a new tool that will go after those who help juveniles get their hands on one. The post Ghost guns are already illegal in Maryland. Sharing the tech and instructions behind them isn’t — for now appeared first on Center Maryland ..read more

The Brew has learned that Mayor Brandon Scott will tap a cabinet officer and veteran attorney to head the city’s response to the collapse and reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Dana P. Moore, currently the director of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights, will start Monday as Senior Advisor for Key Bridge Response and Recovery, aiding port workers, business owners and others, and coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Unified Command and private groups engaged in the recovery effort. The post Dana Moore to head Baltimore’s Key Bridge response and re ..read more

As 18 Democratic candidates in the 3rd congressional district prepare for their first forum in Annapolis Wednesday evening, a poll conducted recently for former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn shows him with a slight lead over state Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel). The poll comes just ahead of candidate forum scheduled for Wednesday at a church in the Eastport neighborhood of Annapolis — and while political professionals are still absorbing the candidates’ latest campaign finance statements, which were filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday. The post On eve of candi ..read more

As officials touted Maryland’s efforts over the past year to reduce work zone crashes, new reports from a federal probe of the crash that killed six highway workers on Interstate 695 have shed light on what happened last year on the Baltimore Beltway. The National Transportation Safety Board recently opened its public docket, releasing reports that say one of the drivers charged in the March 22, 2023, crash in Woodlawn claimed she had a seizure and blacked out during the collision at about 12:40 p.m. that day in a median construction zone. The post Maryland officials tout road worker safety p ..read more

Gov. Wes Moore was quick to declare victory on key legislation as the General Assembly adjourned its 2024 session this month amid a last-minute legislative frenzy. But, for advocates and environmentalists, the session was at best mediocre for the state’s lofty climate aspirations. Some fear late backroom interventions and compromises could upend the state’s ability to meet its statutory emissions-reduction and clean-energy targets. The post Maryland lawmakers took steps to achieve lofty climate aspirations. But did they go far enough? appeared first on Center Maryland ..read more

Gov. Wes Moore referenced lessons he learned as a U.S. Army soldier and talked of distinction between battle and war. Understanding the difference is key in the fight for freedoms, including women’s rights, he said in his keynote address at the 20th Annual Western Maryland Democratic Summit on Saturday at Rocky Gap Casino Resort. The post Women’s rights discussed at Western Maryland Democratic Summit appeared first on Center Maryland ..read more

Maryland has an open seat in the U.S. Senate up for election this year that’s drawing national attention, with control of the chamber hanging in the balance. That means there’s plenty of polling, as the candidates and other interested parties search for indications of which way voters will go. The Democratic front-runners are Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and U.S. Rep. David Trone. The post Alsobrooks releases internal poll showing Trone with smaller lead in US Senate race appeared first on Center Maryland ..read more

Baltimore voters overwhelmingly approve of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s response to the Key Bridge collapse and give high marks to President Joe Biden and Mayor Brandon Scott, according to a survey conducted by Goucher College Poll in partnership with The Baltimore Banner. Moore, a Democrat facing his highest-profile challenge since taking office in 2023, led daily briefings from the shore of the Patapsco carried live on national television. The post How city voters view elected leaders’ responses to the Key Bridge collapse appeared first on Center Maryland ..read more

Democrats from across the state will return to Rocky Gap Casino Resort for the 20th annual Western Maryland Democratic Summit on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The summit features appearances by Maryland’s Democratic Party leadership and elected officials; workshops and exhibits on topics of interest to activists, candidates and political junkies; and networking opportunities.   The post Western Maryland Democratic Summit set appeared first on Center Maryland ..read more

The Democratic race to become Baltimore City Council president is up for grabs about a month from primary day, according to a new survey from Goucher College Poll and The Baltimore Banner, as the race has tightened now that a third candidate is in the field. Twenty-seven percent of likely Democratic voters said that if the election were held today they would vote for Zeke Cohen, a sophomore councilman representing Southeast Baltimore. The post The race for City Council’s top spot is basically a three-way tie appeared first on Center Maryland ..read more