October 3, 2024

Fall is officially here! The Ravens are back in action and the 2024 General Election is just a few short weeks away. It is hard to overstate the importance of this election, from the choice of who will lead our country over the next four years, to control of the United States Senate, and House of Representatives.  

Marylanders statewide will also be asked to vote on Question 1, which would amend the State constitution to guarantee “every person … the fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” including the ability to “prevent, continue or end one’s own pregnancy” without government interference.

The Maryland State Board of Elections recently completed the installation of 286 ballot drop boxes across the State. Mail-in ballots can be requested online or by mail by October 29 through the Maryland State Board of Elections website. Mail-in ballots must be placed in a ballot drop box or postmarked by 8:00 p.m. on November 5.

I am proud that Maryland is leading the way in empowering young voters. Nearly two-thirds of our 18-year-olds are now registered to vote, setting a high bar nationwide. This success comes from forward-thinking policies that help more youth participate in our democracy. Let’s keep the progress going. If you’re eligible, make sure you're registered. Visit https://elections.maryland.gov/voter_registration/ to register today.

Six months ago, we awoke to the horrific collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, costing  six workers their lives and disrupting one of the nation’s busiest ports. Earlier this month, several entities, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and State of Maryland, filed lawsuits to hold the owners of the Dali accountable. 

The DOJ filed a $100 million civil suit against the ship’s owners, Grace Ocean Limited and Synergy Marine, to recoup the cost of recovery and cleanup necessary to reopen the Fort McHenry channel. The DOJ suit also seeks punitive damages to compensate for the removal of the ship and the remnants of the Key Bridge. The lawsuit alleges the corporations prioritized profits over safety by allowing a dangerously unseaworthy vessel into U.S. waters, knowing it was compromised by a 'jury-rigged' and improperly maintained electrical system. U.S. Deputy Associate Attorney General Ben Mizer called the incident "senseless and wholly preventable," accusing the companies of negligence and mismanagement that resulted in the death of six workers. 

Similarly, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced that the State is also filing suit, seeking to recover the costs of replacing the bridge. Damages could easily run in the billions of dollars. Early estimates place the cost of replacing the bridge at $1.7 billion. Additionally, Maryland hopes to recover the costs of cleanup operations, lost taxes and tolls, attorneys fees and other damages.

The Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates met last week and revised its forecast for the State’s budget outlook over the next few years. The State’s revenues are now projected to increase by a modest $88 million for the current fiscal year, and with a further increase of 0.9% in the next fiscal year. 

Moderate growth is growth, and Maryland's economy is moving in the right direction. The Bureau of Revenue Estimates' revenue projections reaffirm the Senate's focus on the need to continue growing our economy to the benefit of all Marylanders while remaining competitive regionally and nationally. Further, these projections will give the legislature's Spending Affordability Committee a better economic picture to set budget and policy priorities ahead of the 2025 Session.

On Tuesday, I joined Governor Moore, Mayor Scott, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day, and Baltimore City House Delegation Chair, Delegate Stephanie Smith, for a new Executive Order signing aimed at addressing the vacant housing crisis in Baltimore City. The announcement comes at a crucial moment.

These past few years have truly been like no other, and the State must lead as we work with the city to continue reducing vacancies. Just this year, we directed a record $50 million to assist Baltimore City in reducing vacant and blighted buildings. I am grateful to my elected partners and community partners like BUILD and the Greater Baltimore Committee for helping build a Baltimore with more green space, a rehabilitated building stock, and increased home ownership opportunities.

The recent criminal incidents by young people in Southeast Baltimore have left our community shaken. Most notable was the violent robbery last week on the 200 block of South Madeira Street in the 46th Legislative District’s Butchers Hill neighborhood.

I am grateful that the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) successfully apprehended two of the assailants, an 18-year-old and 15-year-old. At the same time, the subsequent release of the 15-year-old by the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) is incredibly concerning and reminiscent of what occurred last year just off of Patterson Park Avenue. That incident was a large part of the impetus for the legislation passed in the 2024 Legislative Session to overhaul our juvenile justice system to ensure greater accountability and rehabilitation services for young people engaging in dangerous behavior.

Delegates Clippinger, Lewis, Edelson and I are in direct contact with DJS Secretary Schiraldi, BPD Commissioner Worley, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Bates, and community leaders. The most important thing we can do right now is identify the point(s) of failure in processes and procedures that allowed the 15-year-old to be released to a guardian. That inexplicable action sows community distrust, and does nothing to enhance public safety or rehabilitate the young person involved. We must ensure the reforms passed earlier this year are implemented with fidelity and accountability that changes behavior.

With that priority in mind, I was glad to see DJS announce a change in its detention policies on Tuesday. Those reforms include:

1. Ensuring that all youth who are referred to the department after being accused of a violent felony and who are not detained will be placed on electronic monitoring prior to their initial court appearance;
2. Mandating that all young people who are already on electronic monitoring and are charged with a violent felony will be detained; and
3. Two new support programs for justice-involved youth and their families to enhance rehabilitation efforts, including the Community Assistance for the Release Eligible and Detention Diversion Advocacy programs.

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) released a draft air permit for the CSX Coal Terminal in Curtis Bay following a study that demonstrated putative coal dust was leaving the facility and entering the surrounding community. My office was in consistent communication with MDE throughout this stage of the permit renewal process to ensure the neighborhood’s health and environmental concerns were taken into account within the full extent of the law.

Although federal law preempts anything the State could attempt to deny the permit renewal, including the passage of new legislation, the draft permit requires a perimeter enclosure around the facility to prevent coal dust from leaving. Moreover, CSX will be required to install an enhanced mechanical system to apply water to incoming rail cars carrying coal. A public review and comment meeting regarding the draft permit will take place at 6:00 p.m. on October 10 at the Curtis Bay Recreation Center (1630 Filbert St).

The need for these permit conditions were emphasized recently, when a significant amount of coal dust was released during track cleaning at the CSX Curtis Bay Community. The plume of dust makes clear the facility failed to take necessary precautions to prevent the release, such as applying water to hold particles in place rather than allowing them to be picked up by winds and dispersed. Thankfully, MDE responded immediately and made direct contact with CSX. MDE issued a “notice of violation” against the company, saying that CSX failed to take “reasonable precautions to prevent particulate matter from becoming airborne.”

We will work to make available additional resources aimed at improving the health and environment in Curtis Bay. As MDE moves forward with evaluating and implementing the Advanced Clean Trucks Program regulations, we anticipate further reductions in particulate matter and improved conditions for residents in Brooklyn-Curtis Bay.

In 2022, the Maryland General Assembly set the most aggressive emissions reduction goals in the nation. The Climate Solutions Now Act addresses carbon emission reduction, energy efficiency, environmental justice, and the electrification of transportation. Since then, Governor Moore signed an Executive Order pledging the State to meet a 100% clean energy standard by 2035.

The Maryland Energy Administration is finalizing a report that will detail recommendations for how the State can meet its clean energy goals by 2035.  It is clear that we must broaden our consideration of clean energy sources, including nuclear energy. Currently, the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Southern Maryland generates about 40% of the energy produced in Maryland — all of it carbon-free. More than 80% of the clean energy generated in the state comes from the nuclear plant.

As Maryland is forced to import more energy from surrounding states due to consumption increasing at the same time as coal plants go offline, it is vital that we bring on new sources of clean energy as efficiently and safely as possible.

It was a pleasure to speak at the Service Coordination, Inc. (SCI) leadership meeting last month. SCI provides transformative quality case management services and advocacy for more than 16,000 individuals of all ages with disabilities, medically complex needs, and older adults across  Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

Orioles owner and native Baltimorean David Rubenstein recently announced that he will  donate $1.5 million to the Jewish Museum of Maryland in Baltimore.  The generous contribution will help modernize the primary public space of the building that connects to galleries, an audio/video production studio and a library. The Jewish Museum of Maryland was established with the mission to connect people with Jewish experiences and preserve Maryland’s Jewish heritage.

The Maryland State Arts Council's traditional arts program, Maryland Traditions, is accepting submissions for the 2025 Heritage Award program. The program seeks nominees for people, places, and traditions in Maryland that have demonstrated long-term achievement in the traditional arts.

The Mount Vernon Place Conservancy was awarded the National Park Service’s “Save America’s Treasures” grant, a prestigious and highly competitive honor awarded under the NPS’s Historical Preservation Fund.  In partnership with the City of Baltimore, the $750,000 grant will be used for the revitalization of the North and South Squares on the Charles Street corridor, which is a main artery of the city and a National Scenic Byway.

Federal Hill’s Ammoora landed on The New York Times’ latest list of best restaurants in the country. The fine dining spot was among the 50 restaurants included on The 2024 Restaurant List, a compendium of the Times food team’s “favorite places in America right now." The menu spans the cuisine of the Levant, a historical geographic area that includes Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq.

Maryland will join the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Direct File online tool for the 2025 filing season, enabling taxpayers to prepare and file their taxes electronically and free of charge. Direct File was established in response to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act requiring the IRS to explore the feasibility of a public online filing service. This eliminates the middlemen and the expense of tax preparation, particularly for low and moderate-income Marylanders.

A new report shows Maryland collected more than $22.3 million in cannabis sales tax revenue between April and June – a 52% increase over receipts of the prior three months. This expanding market brings new jobs and financial opportunities, particularly to areas that are marginalized and left behind by a changing economy.

If there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to contact my office via email, bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us, or by phone, 410-841-3600.