Superintendent Mark T. Bedell wrote in聽聽to the school community that the confidentiality section of the school district鈥檚 鈥淪afe and Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ+ Students鈥� was revised. In addition, the district is in compliance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Bedell wrote the policy clarifies that parents will have the right to inspect and review all parts of their child鈥檚 education record.

The amended policy comes after America First Legal of Washington, D.C., filed a聽聽July 8 in U.S. District Court of Maryland against the county schools on behalf of two parents, labeled John and Jane Doe with a daughter in high school, who alleged that the district secretly facilitated their minor child鈥檚 social 鈥済ender transition鈥� at school without their notice or consent.

According to the complaint, the school district began in 2019 to adopt policies that include a guidance document for staff 鈥渢o conceal gender identity information from parents of high school students.鈥�

The complaint states the parents 鈥渨ant to educate [their daughter] according to their religious beliefs that God creates each person as male or female, that sex is based on biology rather than internal self-perception, and that sex cannot be altered. Moreover, the Does want to control how decisions are made for [their daughter] concerning these fundamentally important issues. Multiple AACPS personnel have referred to [their daughter] using a male name at school and in school documents without informing the Does or securing their consent.鈥�

Less than three weeks later on July 27, the U.S.聽聽Student Privacy Policy Office and the U.S. Department of Justice鈥檚 Civil Rights Division announced they were taking enforcement action against Anne Arundel County after the district classified a student鈥檚 gender identity as 鈥渃onfidential medical information鈥� that couldn鈥檛 be shared with parents.

鈥淪chool districts that hide information from parents are violating federal law,鈥� Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement at the time.聽鈥淔ERPA is not optional, and any districts that attempt to bypass or distort its requirements should expect immediate federal action.

According to various聽, local school officials didn鈥檛 receive any formal notice or correspondence and 鈥渃arefully review it and respond through the appropriate process.鈥�

On Wednesday, the Anne Arundel superintendent wrote that the聽聽was amended to now read:

鈥淭he Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of parents/guardians and students by generally prohibiting schools that receive federal education funding from disclosing personally identifiable information from a student鈥檚 education records without the parent鈥檚/guardian鈥檚 consent, except in limited circumstances.鈥�

It continues: 鈥淣othing in this regulation shall be construed to limit or otherwise interfere with parents鈥�/guardians鈥� rights under FERPA, including the right to inspect and review their student鈥檚 complete education record. Under FERPA, education records generally include all records, files, documents, and other materials maintained by AACPS that contain information directly related to a student. Board of Education of Anne Arundel County Policy JH and Administrative Regulation JH-RA 鈥� Student Records 鈥� govern student records at AACPS.鈥�

鈥淎s made clear by these amendments, no policy, guideline, or practice may limit or otherwise interfere with parental rights under FERPA, and this includes any information maintained in education records that relates to gender identity, transgender status, sexual orientation, preferred name, or preferred pronouns,鈥� Bedell wrote.

The first day of school in Anne Arundel County is Monday.

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The lawsuit, filed in Dorchester County, is the second by filed by Republicans aiming to block the proposed amendment. It鈥檚 not immediately clear, however, who is footing the bill for the costs of the latest suit, which one lawmaker said could be 鈥渃onsiderable.鈥�

The proposed amendment passed earlier this month would set new standards for how Maryland draws its eight congressional districts. The latest suit, filed last week, focuses in part on claims that the proposed amendment undercuts key portions of the Maryland Declaration of Rights.

鈥淚t makes the strongest argument and, I think, the winning argument,鈥� said Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore and Carroll).

West is one of five Republicans who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in Dorchester County. Others include Lindsay Wheatley, a member of the Dorchester County Republican Central Committee; Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R-Lower Shore); Del. Chris Adams and Sen Johnny Mautz, Republicans who represent the Middle Shore.

Carozza did not respond to a request for comment.

West, an attorney, said the case was likely filed in Dorchester County because attorneys were 鈥渢rying to find a judge they thought would give it [the case] a fair shake.鈥�

Mautz, in an interview, said he believed the case was filed in Dorchester because of how it affects the Eastern Shore, which makes up a large portion of the 1st Congressional District.

鈥淚 think this was the only option for the Eastern Shore,鈥� Mautz, who is also an attorney, said. 鈥淚 think everyone wanted to have the case heard in the area most affected. It鈥檚 an extra layer of assurance.鈥�

An attorney representing the state election board has filed a motion to have the case moved to Annapolis where an earlier lawsuit on the same constitutional amendment is scheduled for an Aug. 25 hearing.

Mautz, who acknowledged some similarities in the two cases, said the focus of the case filed in Dorchester is unique and relates to the approach some Senate Republicans took during what he described as an abbreviated debate.

鈥淚t all happened so fast,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t laid the groundwork for these multiple cases.鈥�

The constitutional amendment passed this month is an extension of a year-long effort by Democratic officials to have the state join the scrum of red and blue states engaged in hyper-partisan midcycle congressional redistricting battles.

That effort was derailed in February when the Senate iced legislation that redrew Maryland鈥檚 eight congressional districts. The new maps would have increased the chances of Democrats controlling all eight seats. Right now, the party controls seven.

The map legislation was blocked by Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) who argued at the time that a new map could result in a Republican court challenge and ultimately more Republicans in congress.

Ferguson said he was concerned about a 2022 ruling by Judge Lynne Battaglia. Her decision struck down a 2021 congressional map. Battaglia applied a portion of the state constitution that requires districts be compact, contiguous and mindful of jurisdictional and geographic boundaries 鈥� language that had always been applied only to legislative districts, not congressional districts.

It was considered a novel ruling. Ferguson saw it as an impediment to new maps and potentially one that could open up new litigation on the 2022 compromise map that resulted. That compromise changed a map that favored Democrats in all eight of Maryland鈥檚 congressional districts and led to the current 7-1 Democratic-Republican split.

The constitutional amendment passed this month would ask voters to approve a change that would make clear that compact and contiguous requirements apply only to state legislative districts.

West said the change would end protections in the state鈥檚 250-year-old bill of rights and 鈥渟trip away all criteria鈥� that a court could use to determine the legality of a congressional map.

Without a legal standard, the court would have 鈥渘o choice but to dismiss any such challenges,鈥� he said, adding that Democratic lawmakers, who hold super majorities in the House and Senate, could pass 鈥渨hatever crazy gerrymander it wants with no way for the citizens or the courts of Maryland to push back鈥� in the future.

The lawsuit in Dorchester County was filed Aug. 10 by an Annapolis-based attorney. It now includes five lawyers from BakerHostetler.

The firm has advised Republicans in other states on redistricting efforts and legal battles. It was also hired as聽聽five years ago as that state engaged in redistricting. The resulting map was the start of a series of legal challenges and redistricting efforts that ended this year in the Louisiana v. Callais decision that upended the voting rights act and made it illegal to use race as a determining factor when redrawing congressional district lines.

The latest Maryland lawsuit follows a line of questioning West used during a hearing on聽聽and in his floor remarks during the recent special session that approved the proposed amendment.

鈥淚t鈥檚 totally misleading as to what is happening,鈥� West said.

West, who is not a member of the Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Committee, was allowed to join the joint House and Senate Committee hearing on the bill and question sponsors.

He later proposed an amendment changing the wording of the ballot question mandated by the bill to include references to portions of the Declaration of Rights that West said would be overturned by the new law should it be enacted.

The lawsuit filed last week is similar to one filed on Aug. 6. That challenge was filed by members of the Maryland Freedom Caucus and Senate Republican Caucus leaders.

Plaintiffs in that case are represented by the Oversight Project, an offshoot of the conversative Heritage Foundation and a plaintiff in the first GOP lawsuit. In聽聽announcing its participation in the earlier suit, the Oversight Project claimed that it got involved because a win for the ballot measure would lead to a Maryland congressional delegation 鈥渇illed by open border zealots who will put illegal aliens before the American people.鈥�

Both lawsuits challenge the process by which the amendment was passed and sent to voters. In particular, the lawsuits question the legality of language added to the bill that allows the state to sidestep a July 1 deadline for ballot questions. Both also challenge an amendment that removes requirements of a law that went into effect this year requiring simple language to explain each question presented to voters.

Maryland State Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis, in an email, declined to comment on the new case. Two weeks ago, DeMarinis said the board would push for an expedited hearing in the original lawsuit. The board must certify its ballots by Aug. 31.

The state board of elections has asked that the new lawsuit be moved to Annapolis so the two cases can be heard together, but attorneys for the Dorchester County plaintiffs are opposing that move.

Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore), a plaintiff in the case filed Aug. 6, said he believed the attorneys representing the Dorchester plaintiffs are part of an effort backed by the Maryland Republican Party. Similarly, Mautz said it was his 鈥渦nderstanding鈥� that the lawsuit was backed by the party.

The party is chaired by Nicole Beus Harris, wife of Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st), a seven-term member who is the only Republican in the state鈥檚 eight-member House delegation.

In an emailed response to questions, Harris, the party chairwoman, said the state part 鈥渉as been in communication with the plaintiffs of the case filed in Dorchester County. It is not the MDGOP鈥檚 case.鈥�

鈥淒orchester County was selected because the plaintiffs are predominately from the Eastern Shore and they have the right to have their concerns heard on the Eastern Shore,鈥� she said in the statement.

West denied knowledge of who was paying the law firm.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know and I really don鈥檛 care,鈥� West said. 鈥淚 care 鈥攂ut not so deeply that I would want to pay the legal fees.鈥�

West said he believed 鈥渢he legal bill is going to be considerable.鈥�

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The decision issued Friday morning related to three challenges to the tax by Apple, Google and Peacock TV, a streaming service.

In its ruling, the court orders the state to refund the taxes collected plus interest. A spokesperson for the Office of the Comptroller said the office was reviewing the ruling.

The law has been the subject of multiple state and federal court challenges since it was enacted.

Portions of the law were struck down last year as a聽聽by a federal appeals court.

罢丑别听聽targets big tech firms including Apple, Meta, and Google.

Under the law, companies reporting gross global annual revenue of at least $100 million are subject to a 2.5% levy. The tax increases in increments of 2.5% to a maximum rate of 10% levied against companies reporting more than $15 billion in gross global revenue.

The state could collect as much as $250 million annually from the digital ad tax, according to a聽. The funds are earmarked for the state鈥檚 education reform program.

In October, the comptroller鈥檚 office reported it had collected more than $400 million related to the tax.

Money collected from the tax was supposed to offset costs of the ever expensive Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future education program. Costs for that program are responsible for driving billions of dollars in projected state structural budget gaps. Next year, the state will have to tame a more than $3 billion projected gap as more expensive parts of the program come online.

A spokesperson for Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore), a sponsor of the 2021 bill, was not immediately available for comment.

But Doug Mayer, president of Americans for Digital Opportunity, hailed the decision.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 ruling validates what every person with the most basic understanding of tax law has been saying for over six years 鈥� digital advertising taxes are illegal on multiple levels,鈥� Mayer said. 鈥淚f elected officials really want to increase revenue, they should be empowering entrepreneurs, not concocting illegal taxes that stifle much of what is powering so much of the economy.鈥�

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鈥淭he residents of Howard County have made it clear that we do not want this facility in our community,鈥� Liz Kato with IndivisibleHoCoMD said in a written statement Tuesday. 鈥淲e will continue to work with our elected officials and other local community organizations to make sure that the Elkridge detention center does not become another base for lawlessness and violence.鈥�

聽by U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson ruled that the project developer, Genesis Strategic One LLC, faced irreparable harm if the county was allowed to continued blocking the project, which has pushed the company toward bankruptcy. He ordered the county to let work continue on the project while the case proceeds.

The ruling comes months after county officials revoked permits that had been granted to Genesis to convert an office building in Elkridge into a facility for federal immigration enforcement. The county approved the project in 2025, but reversed that decision in February.

At the time, County Executive Calvin Ball and others said the permit was approved in error and did not give adequate time for public comment. County officials said the project 鈥� to convert the building into offices for Department of Homeland Security employees that would include temporary holding cells and a shower for detainees 鈥� failed to give notice and was impermissibly close to schools, parks and shopping centers.

The Howard County Council rushed through emergency legislation in less than a week in February that specified that only 鈥渁 government agency is eligible to make application, obtain, or hold a permit鈥� to build a facility with holding cells, not a private contractor.

Genesis sued in March, arguing that the county had interfered with federal authority and that the county law banning privately-owned detention facilities was unconstitutional.

Abelson on Monday enjoined the county鈥檚 revocation of the permit for the property, ruling that Genesis鈥檚 argument had a likelihood of success and that the company would face irreparable harm without an injunction.

鈥淕enesis alleges that the construction on the Elkridge Property required a significant upfront investment, with over $21 million spent to date,鈥� Abelson wrote. 鈥淲ith construction suspended following the County鈥檚 revocation of the permits, Genesis is currently accruing interest of approximately $5,000 each day 鈥� and is unable to collect the monthly rent of approximately $132,000 it would be receiving from the federal government had it been able to turn over the building in March as planned.

鈥淭hese damages are linked to the need for a preliminary injunction as the lack of a permit is the only impediment to Genesis finishing construction and turning the property over to the federal government, which would then start paying rent for its use,鈥� he continues. 鈥淕enesis also contends that its bankers have refused to lend funds to Genesis for any other properties until the Elkridge Property is turned over to the federal government and that bankruptcy is now a possibility for them.鈥�

County officials said the reaction from constituents was immediate.

鈥淲e鈥檝e heard from residents over the last 24 hours about this,鈥� Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Anne Arundel and Howard) said Tuesday. 鈥淟ots of residents in Howard County are angry at this development and wondering what can be done with this.鈥�

Lam said called the ruling a disappointing development that 鈥渞uns counter to what the community wants.鈥� He expects that county officials are looking at any available legal option to continue to push back against the construction of the immigration facility.

A county spokesperson said in an email Tuesday that the county 鈥渄oes not comment on pending litigation.鈥�

Federal officials did not comment on Abelson鈥檚 ruling in their response.

鈥淚s it really news that when a federal agency hires more personnel that they need more space?鈥� a DHS spokesperson said in an email Tuesday. 鈥淭hanks to the Big Beautiful Bill, we have an additional 12,000 ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] officers and agents on the ground across the country. That鈥檚 a 120% increase in our workforce.鈥�

Lam argues that community input should matter to federal officials and that the proposed facility 鈥渕akes it more difficult for residents to feel more comfortable in their communities.鈥�

鈥淯nfortunately, it鈥檚 kind of where we鈥檙e stuck at right now,鈥� he said.

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The number of heat-related deaths soared in July, with 43 deaths reported just last month, according to a Wednesday update to the state鈥檚 weather-related illness聽. Fatalities could continue to climb with weeks remaining in the 2026 heat season that runs from May through September.

Maryland Health Secretary Meena Seshamani and the health department urge Marylanders to check in on vulnerable neighbors and loved ones for the remainder of the summer, while staying cool and hydrating to avoid future health emergencies.

鈥淲ith each tragic loss, the Secretary and Department extend our condolences to the loved ones of these individuals,鈥� Seshamani said in a written statement Thursday. 鈥淲e continue to work with Marylanders on steps they can take to guard against overheating, including visiting a local cooling center and checking on older individuals and people with chronic diseases who are particularly vulnerable to heat.鈥�

The Wednesday update to the state鈥檚 data dashboard shows that along with the 50 fatalities, there have been 1,300 trips taken to urgent care or the emergency room for heat-related illnesses and around 1,260 calls for emergency medical services.

The 50 fatalities reported so far surpasses the previous record from 2012, when 46 people died due to heat-related illness. That year, a July storm disrupted the power and air conditioning to many Maryland homes for days just as a heat wave hit. Some of those outages lasted more than a week, according to聽.

Heat-related deaths have been on an upward trend in Maryland since 2022, when five heat-related deaths were reported for the summer.

Certain populations, such as elderly residents, are vulnerable to heat-related illness and fatalities. Among the 50 people who died this summer, 62% were aged 65 and older. Meanwhile, people aged 45 to 64 account for 28% of heat-related deaths. The department reports at least one child aged 4 or younger also died due to heat-related illness this year.

State health officials urge Marylanders to check on their elderly neighbors as the summer continues. Drivers should also check to make sure that children and pets are not left in the car during the summer, as temperatures inside vehicles can climb quickly and become dangerous or fatal.

On hot days, the department reminds Marylanders to drink plenty of fluids and urges folks to avoid alcohol, caffeine and overly sweetened beverages. Those in need of a cool location can contact their local health departments or call 211 to find the nearest聽.

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Legislation setting redistricting standards in Maryland could land in court before it lands on a ballot for voters this fall.

The Senate Tuesday gave final approval to聽聽the constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would override a 2022 court ruling that some Democrats said hamstrung efforts to redraw the state鈥檚 eight congressional districts. Republicans said the bill will result in the loss of the only congressional seat held by a member of their party.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to try to get this into the court as soon as we possibly can to try to put any type of delay that we can,鈥� said Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore).

Hershey and Senate Minority Whip Sen. Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) said time is of the essence: The measure has to be to state elections officials Wednesday to make the November ballot.

鈥淭his was done at the last minute,鈥� Hershey said Tuesday. 鈥淭hey have to have this ballot language on Aug. 5, which is tomorrow.鈥�

Amendments to the state constitution have to pass by a three-fifths majority of both legislative chambers, and do not require the signature of the governor, but Gov. Wes Moore (D), a supporter of midcycle congressional redistricting, is scheduled to hold a bill signing ceremony anyway Wednesday.

鈥淚 continue to believe that our country needs national redistricting reform,鈥� Moore said in a statement praising lawmakers鈥� passage of the bill. 鈥淏ut until that happens, inaction is not an option. Maryland will not be caught flat-footed while Republicans engage in political redlining that guts decades of progress that the generations before us fought for.

鈥淏y passing this constitutional amendment, the General Assembly has ensured that Maryland remains committed to being part of that conversation 鈥� and that the final decision will rest where it belongs: with the people of Maryland,鈥� his statement said.

Republicans claim that a provision in the bill passed Tuesday sidesteps a law passed this year that requires constitutional amendments to be simple and to be submitted at the start of July for public review and comment on before being put on the ballot. They also say the bill creates a scenario where future congressional redistricting maps could not be challenged in federal or most state courts.

But Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said that鈥檚 鈥渏ust patently not the case.鈥�

鈥淲hat it does is keeps existing law whole in that it says that the U.S. Constitution and federal laws are what apply to congressional maps, which is how it had been for hundreds of years in Maryland until a single court case challenged that certainty,鈥� said聽Ferguson, who voted for the bill Tuesday after blocking a similar effort earlier this year.

Asked on Tuesday about the potential for legal challenges to the ballot question, House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D- Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel) demurred.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 control and tell you whether there鈥檚 going to be a potential legal challenge,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said. 鈥淲e did this because it was needed.鈥�

She said she believes there is strong evidence that rules for redistricting in the Maryland Constitution were intended only for General Assembly elections.

鈥淚t has never included Congress. It鈥檚 not mentioned anywhere,鈥� Pe帽a-Melnyk said in a news conference after the House passed the bill early Tuesday.

If voters choose to approve the amendment, it gives Maryland the option to decide whether it will enter the national redistricting fray next year, said House Majority Leader David Moon (D- Montgomery).

鈥淲e鈥檒l see what the voters say. Some time after that, you鈥檙e going to see additional states beginning to conduct mid-decade redistricting, including maybe states like Indiana that took a pass on it last time,鈥� Moon said. 鈥淎s we in Maryland sit here watching those other states engage in mid-decade redistricting, we will now have the flexibility, in the same posture as those states, to decide how we want to respond.鈥�

Asked what happens if voters reject the ballot question, Pe帽a-Melnyk said simply,聽鈥淭hey say no. The voters, they have spoken.鈥�

Predictions of an impending lawsuit 鈥� the Republican leaders made it clear they were not behind it 鈥� came after two long days of partisan floor fights. The outcome was never in doubt, as Democrats hold supermajorities in both the House and Senate.

Republicans could do little but lean on procedure and a flurry of amendments 鈥� all rejected or ruled out of order.

The final 32-13 Senate vote came hours after the House voted 96-38 Tuesday morning for the bill. It capped a yearlong effort by some Democrats, including Moore and others, who wanted to respond to a flurry of hyperpartisan redistricting touched off by President Donald Trump, when he pushed Texas to redraw congressional maps ahead of midterm elections.

Democratic and Republic states joined in, but Maryland ultimately did not. The issue pitted Moore against Ferguson, who blocked an effort to pass new maps earlier this year.

In doing so, Ferguson cited a 2022 decision by Judge Lynne Battaglia that struck down a 2021 congressional map. Battaglia applied a portion of the state constitution that requires districts be compact, contiguous and mindful of jurisdictional and geographic boundaries 鈥� language that had always been applied only to legislative districts, not congressional districts.

It was considered a novel ruling. Ferguson saw it as an impediment to new maps and potentially one that could open up new litigation on the 2022 compromise map that resulted. That compromise changed a map that favored Democrats in all eight of Maryland鈥檚 congressional districts to the current 7-1 split, in which Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) is the state鈥檚 only GOP representative.

During floor debate Tuesday afternoon, Democrats argued that the Battaglia decision was meaningless 鈥� a reversal of concerns from earlier this year.

Harris was in Ocean City, not Annapolis, as state lawmakers took steps that could ultimately defeat him, unobtrusively watching the weigh-ins at the White Marlin Tournament.

Targeting Harris will require a new map, something some hoped to see during the special session. The bill that passed does not contain a new map.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an important first step to allow us to really look at whether we can rebalance Congress later on,鈥� said Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Howard and Anne Arundel), an early advocate of midcycle redistricting. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still more work to be done on this issue. This issue is not going away, and it will continue to grow as a concern as we approach 2028.鈥�

If approved by voters in November, the legislature could take up new congressional districts as early as January.

鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of information between here and there, and I and I don鈥檛 think I would come in predisposed,鈥� Ferguson told reporters after the vote. 鈥淲hat I know is that this was started by the White House and added on by a Republican Supreme Court that has radically undermined the norms of American democracy, and so Maryland has to be in a position of strength and certainty, when we act, should we act.鈥�

Ferguson at times has questioned whether there would be enough votes in the Senate to pass new maps. Lam believes Tuesday鈥檚 vote is a positive sign.

鈥淚 think if you got the bill up there on the board, the votes would be there,鈥� Lam said. 鈥淭he question is: Is there enough support amongst the body and in leadership to get the bill up there? And if you get the bill on the board, the votes will be there to pass it. It鈥檚 an interesting kind of dynamic where it鈥檚 not the board itself that is the determinative step. It鈥檚 getting it up there. I think if you get it up there, the votes will be there.鈥�

鈥� Josh Kurtz and Maryland Matters reporter Christine Condon contributed to this report.

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It comes after against hyperscale data centers in Calvert County鈥檚 primary election on June 23.

The three county commissioners who previously voted against a pause on data centers were all ousted in their primaries by candidates who took issue with the trajectory of data center development in the county thus far. The commission president and vice president, Todd Ireland (R) and Mark C. Cox Sr. (R), both lost their races, as did commissioner Earl F. 鈥淏uddy鈥� Hance (R).

The Amazon proposal was for 鈥渕ultiple data center campuses鈥� at Calvert Cliffs, covering 2.4 million square feet, according to a planning document published on the Calvert County government website. The company submitted to Calvert in early May.

鈥淐alvert County Government remains committed to transparency and will continue to provide updates on significant development proposals and application activity,鈥� read Tuesday鈥檚 news release. 鈥淜eeping residents informed through accurate, timely and accessible communication remains a priority.鈥�

On Aug. 18, the county will host a public meeting to consider a 鈥渢emporary six-month moratorium on site plan approvals for data center development projects,鈥� according to another issued Tuesday.

鈥淭he proposed ordinance would establish a temporary moratorium to allow time to review and adopt regulations and zoning ordinance text amendments related to data centers and heavy industrial use conditions, and to complete any necessary studies or analysis,鈥� the news release reads.

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Calvert Cliffs owner Constellation argued in a statement that although AWS has withdrawn its plans, 鈥渢he opportunity continues in Maryland and Calvert County to create jobs, grow the economy and support in-state federal agencies through investment in digital infrastructure.鈥�

鈥淎ll of this can be done responsibly while protecting and expanding the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center, Maryland鈥檚 largest source of clean, reliable energy. Constellation looks forward to continuing to work with the county and state on this opportunity,鈥� read the statement.

In addition to the proposal for a data center on the Calvert Cliffs site in Lusby, another company, called Natelli Holdings, has also close by. That facility, if built, would be located along Route 4 near Calvert Cliffs State Park, as well as an existing landfill, wastewater treatment facility and county-owned gun range.

The electoral result in Calvert was perhaps the of data centers鈥� growing impact on local politics, though voters in Frederick County also ousted their council chair, Brad Young, after the council voted to expand an existing data center zone in Adamstown, while restricting data centers in other parts of the county.

After the election, Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater enacted, via executive order, a pause on data center development through the end of the year. In a statement, Fitzwater said that during the pause, county officials hope to educate voters about data centers and the zoning change during a series of public meetings. But county leaders still plan to move forward with the data center campus, currently planned at 2,500 acres.

In other counties in Maryland, the pauses, or moratoriums, are longer-term. Prince George鈥檚 County currently has the longest ban, a two-year hold that was enacted in July.

Melissa Emmal, a resident who started an online petition calling for a data center moratorium in Calvert County, said Amazon鈥檚 withdrawal is 鈥渁 welcome development.鈥� But the company could still resubmit a proposal, she noted. And the news 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 change what we鈥檙e asking for,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e continuing to gather signatures on the petition and asking the community to show up strong on August 18 in support of the moratorium. We need the time for the appropriate studies and zoning changes before any of these projects move forward,鈥� read a statement from Emmal, whose Change.org petition has attracted over 10,000 signatures.

In a joint statement, board members for Save Lusby Inc. 鈥� a local nonprofit that opposes what it sees as excessive development in the area 鈥� also called on the county government to take further steps.

鈥淲e look forward to hearing what the current and future County Commissioners will enact with Moratoriums and Zoning Ordinances to ensure the preservation of our unique county is met with community involvement and thorough research,鈥� read a statement from the board.

According to a news release issued last month by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), nearly currently lives under some kind of data center moratorium.

Many of the state鈥檚 most populous counties have adopted measures, including Montgomery, Prince George鈥檚, Baltimore County and Baltimore City. Harford County enacted a ban with no time limit.

Smaller and more rural jurisdictions have also adopted one-year pauses, including Queen Anne鈥檚 County on the Eastern Shore and Washington County in Western Maryland.

鈥淕rassroots outrage from across the state has made it clear that a moratorium is the most reasonable course of action that can be taken right now,鈥� said Brittany Baker, Maryland director at CCAN Action Fund. 鈥淭he playing field has quickly shifted in the last few months, which is why I expect the Maryland General Assembly will likely take a serious look at statewide moratorium bills during the 2027 session.鈥�

is part of States 小萝莉影视room, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.

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The state鈥檚聽聽reported 31 deaths in July, which started off with a major heatwave and several 100-degree days. Those deaths pushed this year鈥檚 total past the 36 recorded in all of last year, and were second only to the 46 heat-related deaths recorded in 2012.

Dr. Omoyemi Adebayo, an emergency medicine physician and chairman of emergency medicine at University of Maryland Baltimore-Washington Medical Center, said it is crucial to focus on ways to prevent heat stroke 鈥渨ell before you even step outside.鈥�

鈥淵ou have to make sure that you are hydrating your body appropriately if you鈥檙e planning to be outside for extended periods of time,鈥� Adebayo said. 鈥淢ake sure you have the appropriate clothing and have a plan for keeping yourself hydrated and being able to take breaks as much as needed.鈥�

The health department updates its weather-related illness dashboard every Wednesday, with this week鈥檚 data including totals through July 25. Because the dashboard reports death counts only when they are confirmed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, some cases may still be pending.

The dashboard also showed that this summer, there have been 1,627 total visits to emergency rooms or urgent care facilities for heat-related illness and another 1,242 calls to emergency medical services for heat issues.

Adebayo said older adults and children are often more susceptible to heat-related illness compared to healthy middle-aged adults. Of heat-related deaths reported this season, 61% occurred in people 65 and older, while 32% were people between 45 and 64 and 8% were among people 18 to 44.

According to Adebayo, both older and younger populations are more sensitive to high temperatures. However, as many elderly people live alone, they may not have someone to check in on them and be able to help them if they are having a health crisis.

Shawn Dennison, the program manager at the Office of Public Health Preparedness from the Frederick County Health Department, said the county鈥檚 two heat-related deaths earlier this month prompted the department to look into ways to better support older adults in the community.

The department works with other county agencies to connect isolated older adults with support services to prevent similar occurrences, he said.

Adebayo said symptoms of heat-related illness can fall into two categories: heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include heavy sweating, nausea, dizziness, headache and muscle cramps, according to Adebayo. When people begin experiencing more 鈥渞ed flag鈥� symptoms, like fainting, shortness of breath or confusion, it is time to consider seeking medical care, he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for people to know that heat exhaustion is really your body鈥檚 kind of early warning sign before you progress to heat stroke, which is really when things can get dangerous very quickly,鈥� Adebayo said.

He said it is crucial to call emergency services if a person is showing signs of changes to their mental status, such as confusion, aren鈥檛 acting like themselves or are having trouble speaking.

If someone arrives in the emergency room with symptoms of heatstroke, medical staff鈥檚 priority is getting a patient鈥檚 body temperature down, Adebayo said. This can be done in several different ways, including using ice packs, fans, misting fans, cooling blankets and, in extreme situations, submerging patients in ice.

Delaying treatment for heat stroke can lead to seizures, cause permanent brain damage, and in extreme cases, can cause death, according to Adebayo.

鈥淢any people look forward to the summertime as a time to gather with family and friends, get some extra vitamin D from the sun and I don鈥檛 want to scare people away from enjoying the outdoors,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aryland has a lot to offer, and people should be able to do that, as long as they do it smartly.鈥�

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Those are among the rules released Wednesday by legislative leaders ahead of the Aug. 3-5 special session, where lawmakers will consider adding a question to the November ballot asking voters whether they would like to change Maryland鈥檚 procedure for congressional redistricting.

The short session will feature a joint hearing by House and Senate election committees at noon Monday in Annapolis. Anyone can submit written testimony but only 50 witnesses will be allowed to speak 鈥� virtually or in person 鈥� and they will be limited to two minutes each.

Marylanders looking to testify Monday must sign up on the General Assembly website between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday, by first making a 鈥淢yMGA鈥� account on the site, according to an聽聽Wednesday. If more than 50 people sign up to speak, the committee chairs will decide who gets the microphone.

Legislative leaders posted identical聽听补苍诲听聽of the redistricting bill Wednesday that included language for a potential ballot question.

If approved, the question would essentially overturn a 2022 decision from a Maryland judge that required congressional districts to be 鈥渃ompact, contiguous and mindful of jurisdictional and geographic boundaries.鈥� The measure, if passed, would clarify that this requirement only applies to General Assembly districts, and it would send Maryland鈥檚 districts directly to the state Supreme Court for legal review.

No redistricting changes could take effect before the 2028 election.

In a statement Wednesday, Republican leaders in the General Assembly took issue with the 50-person limit, and argued that details about the redistricting proposal had been scant before Wednesday鈥檚 release.

鈥淲e are very concerned with the significant limitations on witnesses, and the reality that any bill hearing is obviously intended to be a brief and meaningless formality,鈥� said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany). 鈥淭he people of Maryland deserve better.鈥�

Heather Mizeur, a spokesperson for House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel), said the 50-person limit is typical procedure for General Assembly committees, though the limit is rarely reached. After the limit, committee staff members often use a random number generator to select those who will testify, Mizeur said.

Pe帽a-Melnyk and Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) have聽聽on subjects besides redistricting. They directed legislative staffers not to draft bills that do not focus on the subject, to the chagrin of Republican members, who were aiming to introduce several bills focused on affordability issues.

In their statement, Republicans also expressed concern that聽聽appeared on the General Assembly website, scheduled for Monday鈥檚 hearing. The bill, Democratic leaders say, would merely eliminate an issue that would cause a separate question 鈥� about collective bargaining for state employees 鈥� to appear twice on the November ballot.

鈥淭he Democratic majority is making the rules up as they go along,鈥� said Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey (R-Upper Shore). 鈥淚t is important to note that their exceptions to these rules will still do nothing to ease the struggle for the people they represent.

A map聽聽this past legislative session, which stalled in the Senate, would have connected the red Eastern Shore to blue Annapolis, bridging the Chesapeake Bay. If a map similar to that one is ultimately enacted, it鈥檚 possible that enough Democratic voters would be added to flip the firmly GOP district, currently represented by Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) 鈥� Maryland鈥檚 only Republican representative in Congress.

Maryland Republicans have attacked the redistricting push as an effort to eliminate the only representation in Congress for Maryland Republicans. But Maryland Democrats, who control both chambers in the General Assembly, say they are only responding to congressional redistricting in red states, pushed by President Donald Trump (R) to redraw their districts before the next Census in order to benefit the GOP during this year鈥檚 midterm elections.

Though Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) campaigned hard for redistricting, and a map sailed through the House of Delegates, the idea did not reach the Senate floor. Ferguson was a staunch opponent, arguing that the redistricting plan was legally perilous.

He cited a 2022 decision by Judge Lynne Battaglia that overturned the legislature鈥檚 2021 map, on the grounds that it did not comply with the 鈥渃ompact and contiguous鈥� requirement. Prior to her ruling, the requirement was believed only to apply to General Assembly districts, not congressional districts.

But Ferguson聽聽in late April, shortly after the legislature adjourned, following the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, in which it said that congressional districts drawn to consider race were unconstitutional. Ferguson felt that decision 鈥済utted the Voting Rights Act.鈥�

鈥淢aryland must respond as the ground shifts under us,鈥� Ferguson said in a statement at the time, signaling his intent to evaluate a special session on the topic for the first time.

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The purchase keeps those properties out of the hands of Churchill Downs Inc., the owners of the Kentucky Derby, who announced plans this spring to buy rights to those races from 1/ST Maryland LLC for that amount. But聽 1/ST鈥檚 previous deal with Maryland gave the state the right to match any offer for the sale of rights to those races, which the state said in June it would do.

State officials were quick to note Thursday that no tax dollars will be used for the purchase. Funds for the deal will come from notes issued by the Maryland Economic Development Corp. (MEDCO). which will be repaid with funds generated by the two races.

In a statement released by the goveror鈥檚 office, MEDCO CEO Tom Sadowski says the organization is 鈥減roud to have had the opportunity to conceive and execute a financial transaction that secures ownership of the Preakness and Black-eyed Susan IP and cements the success of horse racing in Maryland for generations to come.鈥�

By buying the Preakness, the state not only guarantees that the race remains in Maryland, but it ends regular licensing fee payments to 1/ST Racing, that would have risen over time.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) said in the statement that horse racing is 鈥渁 cornerstone of Maryland鈥檚 history, culture and economy,鈥� which is why it鈥檚 important to own the rights to the Preakness.

鈥淲ith this final acquisition we are not only leveraging the Preakness鈥檚 iconic status and uplifting our horse racing industry, we are revitalizing the communities that directly benefit from the economic opportunities of the race,鈥� Moore鈥檚 statement said.

The Preakness is the second leg of racing鈥檚 storied Triple Crown, which begins in May with the Kentucky Derby and ends five weeks later with the Belmont Stakes.

The state鈥檚 purchase of intellectual property rights to the two races is the latest in a string of investments in the horse racing industry. The Maryland Stadium Authority owns Pimlico, the historic track where the Preakness has been run for more than a century, and it is spending about $400 million for a complete teardown and rebuild of the facility, which is going on now.

The state is also in the process of buying the only other thoroughbred track in the state, Laurel Park, which hosted this year鈥檚 Preakness while Pimlico is under construction. Plans call for Laurel Park to be converted to a state-owned training facility.

The state also owns Shamrock Farms in Carroll County, which it had planned to turn into the state training facility, but it abandoned those plans recently when it encountered financial and logistical problems with the site. It is currently deciding what to do with that property.

As the owner of the Preakness and Black-Eyed Susan, the state will be responsible for running those races every year. All other racing days will be run by the Maryland Jockey Club, a nonprofit established under state law.

The state said in its announcement that the Maryland Jockey Club has secured partnerships with Oak View Group for sponsorship growth and KO Productions for event production. It also said that while it owns the intellectual property rights to the races, the state 鈥渞emains open to identifying areas of mutual interest with Churchill Downs and other industry partners to benefit the broader Triple Crown and the sport of horseracing.鈥�

鈥淲ith all assets now residing with the State, we will work closely with the Maryland, Baltimore and Park Heights business communities to showcase the Preakness on the national stage,鈥� said Bill Knauf, president and general Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club, in the statement.

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The salary deadline is part of the state鈥檚 multiyear, multibillion-dollar education reform plan known as the Blueprint for Maryland鈥檚 Future. It鈥檚 also a mandate for which there is little wiggle room for local districts: At a legislative hearing in March, an official with the Accountability and Implementation Board, which oversees the Blueprint, said the July 1 date was firm and there was no waiver.

But some local school officials said it wasn鈥檛 easy to meet that July 1 deadline.

Denise Sopa, chief financial officer for Cecil County Public Schools, said in an email Tuesday that a first-year, 10-month teacher will receive a starting salary of $60,086 for the 2026-27 school year. But 鈥渋n order to meet the state requirement and balance the budget in general, we needed to reduce 104 positions,鈥� she said, including 60 teachers, 30 support staff and 14 administrators.

Jodi Colman, assistant superintendent for academics and student services in Dorchester County, said some restructuring had to be done to hit the salary mark and balance the system鈥檚 2026-27 budget. One of the results: an increase in classes sizes 鈥� possibly from 18 to 22 鈥� because the school system wasn鈥檛 able to fund as many teacher positions.

Colman said Dorchester schools, which have about 4,500 students, also had to resort to a reduction in force聽鈥渋n order to make sure we were funding the classroom positions because we wanted to have the least impact on the schools as possible.鈥�

Colman acknowledged the work on this year鈥檚 budget 鈥渨as difficult. We don鈥檛 have a lot of extras around here.鈥�

But legislators who support the Blueprint, such as Del. Jessica Feldmark (D-Howard), said Friday the salary increase is an investment that helps not only the education profession, but also the students.

鈥淲ithin the context of whatever budget challenges we鈥檙e facing, we have to remember that this is about investing in our children and in our future, investing in the future of our workforce, our economy, our democracy, and that investment is something we have to take seriously,鈥� said Feldmark, vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

鈥淚f we want to have great schools, we need to be able to recruit and retain great educators, and recognizing their value and paying them a fair salary is a critical piece of that,鈥� she said.

When AIB Executive Director Rachel Hise told a聽聽in March that there would be no waivers on the minimum salary requirement, just half of the state鈥檚 24 school districts met the threshold: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George鈥檚, St. Mary鈥檚 and Washington counties. Starting salaries for those systems ranged from $60,000 even in Allegany and Carroll counties to $64,591 in Montgomery.

Since then, officials with Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Queen Anne鈥檚 and Talbot counties said they have met the minimum salary requirement. The remaining counties either did not respond or said they are still working on it.

One of the penalties for failing to hit the deadline is that the AIB can withhold a certain amount of funding from a district until the $60,000 salary gets approved.

At least one school district continues to work on it: Somerset County, which had the state鈥檚 highest percentage of people living in poverty, at 20.3% in 2025, according to the聽.

Somerset schools remain in negotiations with their bargaining units, Superintendent W. David Bromwell said in an email Thursday. Bromwell said the district is aware of the $60,000 minimum salary requirement.

鈥淎ny budgetary item/mandate, can be difficult to complete for any MD Public School system, especially the smaller districts,鈥� he wrote in his email.

Somerset officials have time on their side because they鈥檒l have until Sept. 1 to send an attestation to the AIB to confirm the $60,000 minimum teacher salary has been met. That must also be done by all other school districts.

While some school systems struggled, or continue to struggle, officials in Frederick County said it was simply a matter of doing what had to be done.

鈥淚t was a requirement under the law. We did it. I hope everybody else did the same,鈥� said Sarah Sirgo, chief of staff for Frederick County Public Schools.

Other school districts may have focused on the challenge to work on their budgets this year due to the salary mandate, but聽 Sirgo said she and her colleagues in Frederick don鈥檛 view it that way.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not like, 鈥極h well, if we鈥檙e going to pay teachers more, we can鈥檛 do X, Y, or Z,鈥欌�� said Sirgo, who also serves as the district鈥檚 Blueprint coordinator. 鈥淲hen we build our budget, we have our strategic plan. We make sure that our budget is advancing the goals that we鈥檙e after.鈥�

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The authority Tuesday issued a request for qualifications, or RFQ, from prospective contractors on the major part of the replacement project: construction of the main span bridge and of marine approaches of the bridge, which will straddle the shipping channel into the Port of Baltimore.

鈥淢aryland is working expeditiously to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge and this step is the first major milestone in assembling our construction team,鈥� said Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson, who acts as chair of the MdTA board, in a statement from the authority.

According to an MdTA news release, the request for qualifications starts a 鈥渢wo-step, competitive, sealed proposal process to select a design-build team for the contract.鈥� After reviewing the RFQs, authority staff will compile a shortlist of contractors, who will be invited to submit bids in response to a request for proposals, or RFP.

Under the schedule set by the authority, the field of candidates will be winnowed to a shortlist this fall, and the winner will be selected from those bidders, and a notice to proceed, will be issued by summer 2027.

It鈥檚 a continuation of the ambitious schedule to replace the bridge, which collapsed into the Patapsco River when it was hit in the early morning hours of March 26, 2024.

The shipping channel was cleared of debris from the collapse 鈥� and the Port of Baltimore reopened to ship traffic 鈥� within weeks and demolition of the old bridge remnants began not long thereafter. During a tour of the site this week, Gov. Wes Moore (D) recommitted to finishing the project and having the bridge reopened to traffic by 2030.

In the rush to start work on the bridge, initial estimates came in around $1.7 billion. But as they studied the project, officials came to realize that was a gross underestimate. The state now believes replacement of the Key Bridge will cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, and some have suggested it could be higher than that.

Faced with the higher costs, the state dropped Kiewit Infrastructure, the company that has done the first phase of the project, completing demolition of the old bridge and driving piles for the new one. The state also decided to split the remaining tasks into separate contracts, in hopes of keeping costs contained.

Even though they have parted ways, Kiewit will continue working on site through the end of the year, as it wraps up work on the first phase of the project.

鈥淭his is a significant milestone to get the largest procurement for this project out for qualifications in just over 60 days since announcing the project will be split into four contracts,鈥� MdTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner. 鈥淧rogress continues on the rebuild with permanent piles being driven into the riverbed daily laying the foundation of the future bridge while concurrently advancing through the procurement process on these construction contracts.鈥�

The project currently going out for RFQs will be the first, and the largest, of four remaining contracts on the bridge. MdTA also expects to issue contracts for聽demolition of the remaining structures over water and miscellaneous marine work; construction of the land approach to the bridge from the south; and construction of the northern land approach.

The contract that is currently being put out for RFQs will complete the new bridge鈥檚 signature span, marine approaches and systems to protect the new structure from collisions like the one that destroyed the old bridge, killing six workers in the process. The MdTA announcement said the main span bridge and marine approaches contract includes:

• construction of a cable-stayed bridge with a 1,665-foot main span and a total length of 3,365 feet, with a minimum 230-foot clearance over the federal navigation channel;
• two concrete pylons reaching an elevation of 602 feet;
• a vessel collision protection system at the main pylon piers;
• approximately 660 feet of south-approach bridge over water; and
• approximately 1,560 feet of north-approach bridge over water.

Kiewit will continue working on-site while the next contract procurement is underway. Permanent foundation piles are being installed, the MdTA said, along with the over-water work platform known as a trestle.

The authority owns and operates all of Maryland鈥檚 toll tunnels, bridges and turnpikes. For more information about the Key Bridge project, visit聽.

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House and Senate leaders had already agreed on an Aug. 3-5 special session to pass legislation that will set legal standards for how the state鈥檚 eight congressional districts are drawn. Moore鈥檚 July 17 executive order represents a necessary legal formality.

A spokesperson for Moore said the governor鈥檚 office did not publicize the order as it was viewed as 鈥減erfunctory.鈥�

The General Assembly can petition itself back into special session, but that requires a majority of both the House and Senate to sign a petition. More common is when the governor calls a special session by executive order.

Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Annapolis and take up an amendment to the Maryland Constitution that gets around a 2022 decision by Judge Lynne Battaglia. That ruling struck down a 2021 congressional map, citing language in the state constitution that requires districts be compact, contiguous and mindful of jurisdictional and geographic boundaries. Before her ruling, the compact and contiguous language had always been interpreted to only apply to General Assembly districts, not congressional districts.

The decision, while not a precedent, was a novel interpretation of the state constitution. It also represented a hurdle to midcycle redistricting to Senate President Bill Ferguson (D).

Moore, in his executive order, wrote that the session would be to amend the constitution to 鈥渞eaffirm that the provisions which govern the requirements of our state legislative districts do not apply to Maryland鈥檚 congressional districts.鈥�

Exact language of the bill lawmakers will take up in the August session is not yet public, but any changes approved in the special session would not have an effect before the 2028 elections. It is not expected that a new map, like the one passed by the House earlier this year, will be part of the special session effort.

Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel) sent a letter to delegates and senators in which they prohibited any bill not related to redistricting from being drafted or introduced.

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Gov. Wes Moore (D), current and former members of the state鈥檚 congressional delegation and state transportation officials took Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) on a boat tour of the site, where work continues even though the state parted ways this spring with the current contractor over projected costs.

Capito, the chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Womack, the chair of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, were generally supportive of the project, despite what Capito called 鈥渆ye-popping鈥� costs on the multibillion-dollar project.

鈥淲e have to have a transparent process,鈥� Capito after the boat tour. 鈥淚 want to see why these costs have ballooned and what are the performance measures that are built in 鈥� because now, the whole country is paying for this.鈥�

The bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River when it was struck in the early morning hours of March 26, 2024, by a fully loaded container ship leaving the Port of Baltimore, killing six workers who were on the bridge at the time and severing a major East Coast highway route.

In the weeks immediately following the collapse, state officials estimated that replacing the bridge would cost about $1.7 billion. Then-President Joe Biden pledged that the federal government would pay the full cost of replacement, a promise that was made law in late 2024 in legislation passed by Congress.

Since then, however, the state鈥檚 official cost estimate has grown to be between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion 鈥� and some unofficial estimates have suggested it might be much higher.

The state this spring with Kiewit Infrastructure over price disagreements on the job going forward. Kiewit was involved in expedited planning on a replacement bridge, removal of the old bridge structures and placement of piles for a new bridge, and it will continue that work through the end of this year. But state officials are seeking new contractors for subsequent phases of the project.

State officials have blamed a number of pressures for the higher costs, but say the chief culprit are the modern safety measures that were not a part of the original bridge鈥檚 1970s-era design, but have to be built in today to prevent another tragedy like the 2024 collapse from happening.

鈥淚f you look at the fact that this next bridge that we鈥檙e building, it is going to have additional safety precautions and mechanisms that were not there when聽 features鈥� that were not there when the bridge was originally built, Moore said Monday.

鈥淚t will have to be larger, because it has to accommodate larger ships,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淪o I know when people say. 鈥楾hat鈥檚 ambitious, to say you鈥檙e going to build a bridge that鈥檚 safer and bigger, and build it faster than was done before,鈥� the answer is, it is ambitious.鈥�

Moore pointed to the work done so far and speed at which crews cleared the shipping channel in and out of the port 鈥� in weeks instead of months 鈥� and said he is confident the project can still be finished by 2030.

Moore said Capito and Womack have been 鈥渨ith us every step of the way.鈥�

鈥淭hey were here walking with us after the initial tragedy,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is not an introduction to either of these two.鈥�

Both Capito and Womack remained supportive of the project, with Capito noting the 89,000 people who crossed the bridge daily and Womack noting that some of the steel used in the project came from an Arkansas foundry.

鈥淭his is not a shirts-and-skins issue. This is not a blue/red issue,鈥� Womack said. 鈥淭his is a national issue and the sooner we can get this thing built, and they鈥檙e track record is pretty good right now, when you consider the speed at which a lot of these things are happening,聽 this is going to be open in record time and everybody鈥檚 going to benefit, particularly the nation.鈥�

Capito said that permitting reform that is working through Congress will be key to dealing with projects like the Key Bridge as the nation continues to grapple with aging infrastructure. For member of Congress it has been a case of 鈥渓essons learned鈥� with the bridge, she said.

One of the lessons already learned, Capito said, is 鈥淢aybe don鈥檛 put an estimate out until you鈥檙e really sure what the estimate might be.鈥�

is part of States 小萝莉影视room, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.

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In a joint letter to delegates and senators Monday, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Joseline Pe帽a-Melnyk (D-Prince George鈥檚 and Anne Arundel) made it clear that when they gather next month for a special session on a constitutional amendment on drawing the state鈥檚 congressional districts boundaries, no other subjects will be taken up.

Ferguson and Pe帽a-Melnyk said they have 鈥渄irected the Department of Legislative Services to accept bill drafting requests for the 鈥� special session only if they relate to the purpose for which the General Assembly is being reconvened: consideration of legislation concerning redistricting standards.鈥�

The mandate 鈥� a departure from past special sessions 鈥� effectively blocks House and Senate Republicans, who were planning to request bills be drafted focusing on affordability issues.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want us bringing up these issues that are important to average, everyday Marylanders,鈥� said Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore). 鈥淚t feels very targeted toward Republicans and another way they are trying to take our voices away.鈥�

Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Annapolis Aug. 3-5 to take up a bill to amend Maryland Constitution to get around a 2022 decision by Judge Lynne Battaglia. That ruling struck down a 2021 congressional map, citing language in the state constitution that requires districts be compact, contiguous and mindful of jurisdictional and geographic boundaries. Before her ruling, the compact and contiguous language had always been interpreted to only apply to General Assembly districts.

The Battaglia decision was cited as the reason the Senate did not take up midcycle redistricting this year. But if her opinion is removed, lawmakers could more easily redraw that state鈥檚 eight congressional districts in a way that makes it easier for a Democrat to be elected in the one Maryland district held by a Republican, Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st).

The House attempted to graft redistricting language onto another bill to amend the state constitution sponsored by Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) during the 2026 session. Kagan鈥檚 original bill would have set new requirements for special elections to fill vacant House and Senate seats during the first two years of the term.

Ferguson, who had blocked a congressional redistricting bill that included a new map, bottled up the amended Kagan bill when it was returned by the House.

Legislative leaders over the summer talked about the possibility of bringing Kagan鈥檚 special election bill back in special session, passing it along with the congressional district standards bill. The two congressional amendments could then be presented to voters in November. Delaying Kagan鈥檚 bill again until 2027 means voters would not see the amendment before 2028 and, if approved, it would not take effect until 2030. The first special election could not be held before 2032.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of interest in having us finally pass that during special session, but as you saw, the focus is going to be fairly narrow,鈥� Kagan said in a phone interview from Iowa, where she is attending a national Scrabble tournament 鈥� the senator is a nationally ranked player.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 dead,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think conversations are ongoing.鈥�

Kagan said she understands why the presiding officers might have decided why it was necessary to impose such limits.

鈥淚 think the fact that we鈥檙e on a deadline and that it鈥檚 in the middle of summer vacations might make people a little impatient or even a little bit cranky, and so there鈥檚 not a great deal of interest in spending more time in Annapolis debating than is necessary,鈥� she said.

鈥淓very new agenda item could extend our time in session. I think most people are willing to show up and are to willing to debate, willing to vote, but I don鈥檛 think they want to do too much more time than is seen as absolutely necessary,鈥� Kagan said.

Another potential concern is how the limited issue mandate affects attempts to clean up a potential problem created by the passage of identical House and Senate bills reforming arbitration for state employees. The proposals, which amend the state constitution, would both appear on the ballot unless lawmakers to find a way to condenses the two questions into one.

鈥淭hose bills don鈥檛 have anything to do with congressional redistricting,鈥� Hershey said. 鈥淚 would stand up and oppose it.鈥�

Legislators will also have to consider overriding five vetoes by Gov. Wes Moore (D). Typically, vetoes issued by a governor in the fourth year of a term stand because lawmakers cannot take them up in the next term. But with the legislature returning once more before a new General Assembly is seated, they鈥檒l have the opportunity to override Moore.

In previous special sessions, presiding officers would announce their intent to limit the focus of work done. Lawmakers could request introduce legislation, but those bills typically would be sent to a Rules Committee.

In Monday鈥檚 letter, the presiding officers explained their decision 鈥渆stablishes one consistent standard鈥� and keeps the legislature focused on one issue during the short session.

鈥淭he Maryland Constitution authorizes each chamber to determine its own proceedings, and State law places DLS [the Department of Legislative Services] under the direction of the presiding officers,鈥� Ferguson鈥檚 and Pe帽a-Melnyk鈥檚 letter said.

Republicans were expected to file a number of bills focusing on utility costs, a gas tax holiday, lowering the costs of vehicle registration fees and other affordability issues.

鈥淭hose are the issues we feel are important to Marylanders, not congressional redistricting,鈥� Hershey said.

Also likely was a Republican sponsored bill seeking to restore $125 million in cuts made to self-directed care for persons with developmental disabilities.

鈥淲e recognize that affordability, energy costs, and other issues facing Marylanders remain important, and the Maryland General Assembly took meaningful steps to address many of those concerns during the 2026 session,鈥� the presiding officers wrote, adding lawmakers can 鈥渄evelop and submit legislation on those matters for the 2027 regular session.鈥�

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