PGCPS Budget Workaround Bills Move to Senate for Confirmation
With Prince George’s County’s ongoing budget issues, local and state leaders have struggled to come up with ways to maximize existing revenues without cutting services or imposing new taxes. One proposed workaround with potentially serious implications for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) has gotten approval from the Prince George’s County delegation and is expected to pass the Senate.
Each county is required to invest in education, no less than was invested the previous year. With the new influx of education funds from the Blueprint for Education, tax revenues from telecommunications and energy will not be shifted to education as they had in previous years.
Sixty percent of county spending went to education last year, whereas 62% is expected to this year. The measures are expected to reduce investment into PGCPS by roughly $66 million next year, and roughly $81 million by 2029.
Delegate Andrea Fletcher Harrison (D-District 24) voted in favor of the budget changes, citing her previous experience on the County Council.
“I was on the county Council when the world crashed, basically, and county employees were furloughed,” said Harrison. “They had children in public schools. They were not getting checks, but the school system got money.”
We previously covered the PGCPS budget issues; read more here and here.
Initiative to End Poverty in Maryland
A group of state leaders, including Gov. Wes Moore (D), Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D), testified in support of the ENOUGH Act on Feb. 27. The ENOUGH Act is a bill aiming to increase state investment in low-income areas of the state by partnering with local stakeholders, including small businesses, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations.
“In Prince George’s County, we know that some of our communities are still plagued with poverty, unable to easily access grocery stores, and sometimes forced to balance food against other competing finances,” said Alsobrooks during the Feb. 27 press conference, held at Riverdale’s Latin American Youth Center.
ENOUGH stands for “Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households.”
If the legislation passes in Annapolis, this initiative would begin in the 2026 budget year.
In addition, Moore’s proposed budget would invest $15 million into the fund and the Governor’s Office for Children will evaluate the project and its potential impact.
“We live in one of the wealthiest states in the wealthiest nation on Earth. There is no reason why any Maryland child should be growing up at or below the poverty line,” said Miller.
Juvenile Justice Bill Passes House, Moves to Senate
The first comprehensive bill to implement changes to Maryland’s juvenile justice system passed through the Senate on Tuesday and awaits reconciliation to pass in the House. The bill passed 46-2, with Democratic Sens. Jill P. Carter and Charles Sydnor casting the sole dissenting votes.
This bill, if passed, will require that if a child aged 10 to 12 is referred to a prevention program, it must be managed by a law enforcement agency or local state’s attorney’s office, a local care team, or a community-based service provider. In addition, the legislation would require law enforcement who arrest youth to file a written report with the Department of Juvenile Services detailing whether the young person was referred to a program.
There are slight differences between the bills that must be fixed prior to passage, including the proposed requirements for the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform and Emerging and Best Practices’ membership. An amendment by Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R- District 38) that would have effectively nullified the Child Interrogation Protection Act was voted down on the floor.
There have been other proposed changes to Maryland’s juvenile justice system during this session. The Department of Juvenile Services testified in support of Sen. Cory V. McCray (D- District 45)’s proposed legislation to have DJS report all shootings involving juveniles under their supervision. Sen. Jill P. Carter proposed a bill (D- District 41) requiring reports for all crimes involving juveniles that result in death. McCray’s bill is possibly going to be included in an omnibus justice bill later this session, while Carter’s was specifically requested by the family of victim NyKayla Strawder, who was fatally shot in 2022.
Medical Aid in Dying Legislation Remains Unlikely to Pass
The controversial issue of medical aid in dying is facing hurdles to passage yet again this year, as it has for nearly a decade. Multiple members of the committee are undecided or haven’t publicly stated their stance, while Sen. Charles Sydnor (D-District 44) said he opposes the measure.
Senate President William Ferguson (D-District 46) and Judiciary Committee Chair Will C. Smith Jr. (D- District 20) indicated that the bill didn’t have enough support to make it out of committee and was unlikely to be brought forward for a vote.
“I told every member of this committee that on issues like this, it’s a vote of conscience,” Smith said on March 1. “It’s so personal. It’s such a tough issue. In order to come to me and say, ‘Hey, look, I’m expressing unreadiness, I cannot vote for this bill,’ I would honor that.”
Medical aid in dying is legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C., but many hold reservations based on their religion and ethics to the practice.
The bill was merely one Senate vote from passage in 2019, with then-Sen. Obie Patterson not voting and a 23-23 deadlock.
We previously reported on the medical aid in dying legislation; read more here.
