July 23, 2024

President Biden will go down in history as one of our country's most influential leaders over the last half-century. His announcement on Sunday to step back is a testament to his character and love of country. I am reminded of President Washington’s address, delivered from the Maryland State House in Annapolis, in which his voluntary relinquishment of power set the precedent for democracies around the world. President Biden’s decision over the weekend echoes that selflessness.

President Biden’s passing of the baton to a new generation of leaders should make all of us grateful and embodies what it truly means to put America first. His legacy, already written, will note how he departed with grace at a pivotal moment in our history. As the Democratic leader and President of the Senate of Maryland, I could not be prouder to have served alongside the Biden administration these past four years. Thank you, President Biden.

Major League Baseball’s All-Star game has always signaled the mid-point of summer to me. And, with five Oriole players on the roster, last week’s game was even more fun to watch. The Birds sit at the top of the American League East, promising exciting weeks ahead as Baltimore welcomes devoted fans braving the heat to celebrate and cheer on our hometown boys of summer. There is nothing that bonds our City and State together more than a winning season at Camden Yards.

This summer has brought record-breaking heat across our area, including during the Fourth of July, and this week’s temperatures are finally cooling off. Although the heat has not kept fans from celebrating the O’s, we must all be mindful to protect those who work on our  behalf outdoors, as well as the elderly, those without air conditioning, and those who have no homes in which to retreat from life-threatening temperatures.

The  Baltimore City Health Department issues Code Red Excessive Heat Days to ensure that cooling centers across the City are made available to anyone needing respite from the heat. Residents are also encouraged to visit Enoch Pratt Free Library branches during normal business hours as an option to seek relief from the heat. If you are unsure of whether a Code Red Alert is in effect, please call 311 for a list of cooling center locations, safety tips, and information about warning signs for heat-related illness. As always, please check in on your elderly and vulnerable neighbors.

Last month, Governor Moore announced that the newly imagined Red Line Transit Project will be constructed as a light-rail system that runs across the east-west corridor of Baltimore - from the Woodlawn area of Baltimore County and West Baltimore communities, to Downtown Baltimore, the Inner Harbor East, Fells Point, Canton, ending at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. 

A Johns Hopkins University study found that one in three Baltimoreans do not own a car and one in five residents commutes on public transit. This long-awaited transportation project will link high-poverty neighborhoods to regional job centers, educational opportunities, health care facilities, museums, parks, and other City offerings.  The Red Line project is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs and generate billions of dollars of economic growth.

Former-Governor Hogan canceled the project in 2015 in favor of a rail system linking Washington, D.C. to the Maryland suburbs. The State had already spent $300 million before the Governor canceled the project, requiring Maryland to return $900 million back to the federal government.

The Maryland Department of Human Services announced the launch of Maryland SUN Bucks, a program providing families with $120 per eligible child for groceries during the summer. This initiative ensures that students across Maryland have access to healthy, nutritious food.

Benefits are automatically applied for families receiving SNAP, with an online application available for others in need. This program is one of the largest investments Maryland has made to help feed our children during the summer months.

It has been a busy summer in the Fightin’ 46th! I was excited to join Raheem last month for the grand opening of the Cherry Hill Eagles Youth Development Center. In 2019, Raheem had a brilliant vision for a space where youth can feel a sense of belonging and truly be themselves. I am thankful to have watched him turn this vision into reality, and I know this is only the beginning. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!

Also last month, the South Baltimore 7 Coalition (SB7) opened its new headquarters at 205 E. Patapsco Ave. in Brooklyn. SB7 works to empower and support the South Baltimore area through the distribution of funding, community projects, and other initiatives aimed at improving quality of life. I’m honored to have been able to help make the vision for this new headquarters a reality through funding appropriated by the Maryland General Assembly. SB7’s efforts are critical to the future of South Baltimore, and I look forward to the impactful work the organization will be enabled to carry out through their new facility.

Riverside Park held a ribbon-cutting in June to unveil Phase I of renovations to this beloved and storied park. Delegates Clippinger, Lewis, Edelson, and I worked hard to help fund the ambitious project, which includes a renovated outdoor basketball court; stand-alone pickleball court; an irrigated, regulation-sized softball diamond; and multipurpose fields. Additionally, the athletic fields now have ADA accessible walkways and terraced bleacher seating. Stay tuned for Phase II of the project!

Maryland has shown remarkable resilience and unity as we work to recover from the tragedy that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year. Hundreds of individuals have worked tirelessly to clear the wreckage and fully restore operations at the Port of Baltimore, showcasing the strength and determination of Maryland. This collective effort marked a huge step forward in our recovery, and recently the recovery process reached another milestone.

Proposals from bridge design companies for the replacement Francis Scott Key Bridge have been submitted and the next stage in the recovery process has begun. The Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) is pursuing a hybrid design-build process, which allows planning and construction to occur simultaneously and aims to expedite the rebuilding effort. This innovative approach will ensure that we rebuild the bridge efficiently and effectively, minimizing disruptions and accelerating the timeline for completion. 

I look forward to working with federal partners to ensure the continued commitment of federal funds for the rebuilding effort. The goal is to open all four lanes of the new bridge by October 2028. Together, with collaboration of state, local, and federal authorities, we will overcome this challenge and emerge stronger.

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is launching a new program with the Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention nonprofit, to improve care for LGBTQ+ youth. Maryland is the first State to offer the pilot program.

The Trevor Train the Trainer pilot program combines elements of both Ally Training and CARE Training. Ally Training provides a basic framework for understanding LGBTQIA+ identities and the unique challenges young people face. It includes information about common terminology and encourages participants to explore their biases, build knowledge, and develop empathy. CARE Training (Connect, Accept, Respond, Empower) focuses on suicide prevention and mental health for LGBTQIA+ young people, including the environmental stressors that contribute to a heightened risk of suicide.

Maryland will be able to access more than $267 million in federal funds to help expand broadband access across the State, after federal officials recently approved the State’s plan to do so. The money is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment plan, which is designed to help state and local governments bring high-speed internet service to remote or underserved areas. In Maryland, the funding will be used to provide internet access for about 21,000 unserved homes and 9,000 underserved communities.

Little Donna’s of Fells Point was acknowledged by The New York Times as one of the best pizza places in the United States. Owner Robbie Tutlewski was cited for “channeling a lifetime of experience through his pizzeria.” The article identified 22 pizza shops from rural Iowa to Alaska to Southern California.

Maryland will receive more than $21 million from four federal infrastructure grants thanks to the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program. The Maryland projects that will receive the federal funding include $15.5 million to revitalize Hanover Street in Baltimore City and $4.69 million for a multimodal access project at the Reisterstown Plaza Metro Station in Baltimore City.

The Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation’s headquarters has relocated from State Center to the Candler Building located at 700 East Pratt Street in Baltimore’s Central Business District. The Department’s new walk-in customer service counter, located at 123 Market Place, will be open for all customers in the coming weeks.

The Biden-Harris administration is awarding nearly $2 billion in grants to help restart or expand electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly sites owned by General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Volvo and other carmakers in eight states, including Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The U.S. Department of Energy will issue grants totaling $1.7 billion to create or retain thousands of union jobs and support auto-based communities that have long driven the U.S. economy.

Baltimore area schools are joining districts around the nation to rein in pervasive interruptions and behavioral challenges caused by students’ cellphone use in class. Policies banning cellphones at school or limiting phone access during class time have been increasingly implemented across the country.

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.