Maryland Bay News

09/15/2026

NEWS: Maryland Republicans are hammering Gov. Wes Moore and Annapolis Democrats over the state’s worsening affordability and budget problems, arguing that blaming Donald Trump is an attempt to dodge responsibility for policies made in Maryland.

Del. Matt Morgan points to the state’s roughly $3 billion budget hole, about $2 billion in new taxes and fees, rising utility costs and Moody’s credit downgrade as evidence that Maryland’s problems are homegrown.

His message is straightforward: Democrats control Annapolis, they made the spending and policy decisions, and Maryland families are now paying the price.

With voters heading to the polls in November, Republicans are trying to make the choice as simple as possible: if you don’t like the bills, the taxes or the deficits, change the people running the state.

09/15/2026

NEWS: Maryland Senate Republicans are pushing Gov. Wes Moore to opt Maryland into a new federal Education Freedom Scholarship program, arguing families are being left on the sidelines while other states move ahead.

Their legislation, SB 329/HB 455, would require the Maryland State Department of Education to certify eligible scholarship-granting organizations and submit them to the U.S. Treasury so donors could qualify for the federal tax credit. The scholarships could then help families with expenses such as tuition, tutoring and school supplies.

Republicans are framing it as a school-choice opportunity that Annapolis Democrats are resisting. One caveat: saying it comes at “zero cost” to Maryland taxpayers is a little too broad. The state’s own fiscal note estimates roughly $99,700 in Maryland general-fund administrative costs in FY 2027, rising in later years, even though the scholarship funding itself would come through the federal tax-credit structure rather than a large new state appropriation.

The political contrast is pretty clear: Republicans want Maryland families to have another path to education funding; Democratic leadership has so far declined to opt in. With parents already dealing with tuition, tutoring and school-supply costs, expect this to become another 2026 fight over who gets to control education dollars.

09/15/2026

NEWS: The Maryland Republican Party is hammering Gov. Wes Moore and Annapolis Democrats over the state’s worsening budget outlook, arguing that years of spending growth have left taxpayers staring at another round of painful choices.

The attack comes after budget officials told state agencies to prepare for cuts as Maryland faces a multibillion-dollar structural gap. Republicans say they warned early in Moore’s term that spending needed to be restrained and are now pointing to the deficit as proof that the current path was unsustainable.

Democrats will argue that the shortfall reflects slower revenue growth, rising costs and major obligations already built into state law. Republicans are making a simpler political case: Maryland spent too much when times were better, and now taxpayers may be asked to cover the difference.

With agency cuts, tax increases and fee hikes all part of the broader budget conversation, the GOP is clearly trying to make “you pay more, government still comes up short” one of its central messages heading into November.

09/15/2026

Behind the Records Fight: What Baltimore City Says About Its Own Watchdog

Baltimore's Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cu***ng faces criticism from the city administration over alleged overreach and improper access to sensitive records. An appellate ruling favored Cu***ng procedurally but did not resolve the fundamental dispute. Tensions escalated after a controversial social media post led to ethics complaints, stirring ongoing legal battles and proposed reforms from Mayor Scott's administration....

https://mdbaynews.com/2026/09/15/baltimore-inspector-general-records-fight-city-hall-cumming/

Baltimore's fight with Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cu***ng goes beyond records access, encompassing allegations of overreach, an ethics complaint and the SideStep fraud investigation.

09/15/2026

NEWS: Another wave of properties tied to embattled Baltimore developer Brandon Chasen is headed to foreclosure auction this month as his real-estate empire continues to unravel.

The Baltimore Business Journal reports 10 former Chasen properties are slated for auction, including seven multifamily and office buildings in Mount Vernon and Midtown-Belvedere totaling more than 100 units.

This follows earlier trouble across Chasen’s portfolio, including six former properties that failed to sell at foreclosure auction in June and a lender’s allegation last month that Chasen used falsified bank statements in connection with a loan.

So this is no longer one troubled project. A significant chunk of a once-fast-growing Baltimore development portfolio is now being pushed through foreclosure, property by property.

09/15/2026

NEWS: Republican Fitzgerald Mofor, running for Maryland House of Delegates in District 9A, is leaning hard into an affordability-and-services message as he campaigns in Howard and Montgomery counties.

After spending what he says was 32 hours at the Damascus Fair, Mofor returned to door-knocking in River Hill and argued that Marylanders are paying more in taxes and fees while receiving less in return.

His pitch is centered on three issues: tax relief, lower utility costs, and better school infrastructure, including concerns about aging HVAC and sewage systems. He is also tying those problems directly to Democratic leadership in Annapolis.

That gives Republicans a simple 2026 message in suburban districts like 9A: if taxes keep rising, voters should at least be getting better services. Mofor is arguing they aren’t.

09/15/2026

NEWS: Maryland Sen. J.B. Jennings says he will reintroduce legislation next session requiring inspectors general to get access to the public records they are supposed to audit, citing the ongoing fight in Howard County.

Jennings’ 2026 bill, SB 991, would have required a records custodian to allow an inspector general created under state or local law to inspect public records under specified circumstances, while still restricting redisclosure of protected information. The measure was cross-filed as HB 1620 but never advanced beyond first reading in the Senate Rules Committee.

Now Jennings says he plans to bring it back after Howard County’s first inspector general spent months fighting for access to county records.

That gives the issue a clear statewide angle: if Maryland creates independent watchdog offices, lawmakers may now have to spell out that government agencies cannot simply deny those watchdogs the records they need to do their jobs.

09/15/2026

Baltimore’s New Public Safety Agency Arrives Amid Fraud Fallout, a Records Fight and a Council Shake-Up

Baltimore officials announced the creation of a new Department of Neighborhood Safety, merging the troubled Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). The change aims to improve civilian responses to non-violent 911 calls, amidst ongoing scrutiny over MONSE's financial issues and a fraud finding. Funding and accountability concerns remain unaddressed....

https://mdbaynews.com/2026/09/14/baltimore-neighborhood-safety-monse-fraud-records-fight/

Baltimore plans a new Department of Neighborhood Safety as MONSE faces fraud fallout, an inspector-general records fight and a City Council shake-up.

09/15/2026

EDITORIAL: Maryland Didn’t Need a Reparations Commission. It Especially Doesn’t Need This One.

Maryland's Reparations Commission is forming five years after its inception, but its expansion raises questions about priorities amid a looming $1.56 billion budget shortfall. Critics argue that the commission lacks clarity on eligibility and compensation, diverting attention from pressing immediate needs. The fiscal situation complicates the pursuit of reparations, suggesting potential missteps....

https://mdbaynews.com/2026/09/14/maryland-reparations-commission-editorial-budget-expansion/

MDBayNews Editorial examines Maryland’s expanded Reparations Commission, its budget-bill rewrite, delayed deadlines and the state’s worsening fiscal outlook.

09/15/2026

Maryland’s Reparations Commission Is Taking Shape. It’s Also a Different Commission Than Lawmakers Passed.

The Maryland Reparations Commission, authorized 17 months ago, is finally convening with five of six appointments made by Governor Wes Moore. While the commission has expanded to 28 members, including various appointees, it faces delays in filling key seats. The commission will examine the impact of slavery and discrimination in Maryland....

https://mdbaynews.com/2026/09/14/maryland-reparations-commission-expanded-delayed-budget-bill/

Maryland's Reparations Commission is finally taking shape, but lawmakers quietly expanded the panel and delayed its reports through the 2026 budget reconciliation act.