MOORE ANNOUNCES HIRING FREEZE, BUYOUTS TO ADDRESS BUDGET WOES: Gov. Wes Moore told Maryland state employees in an email Tuesday that they should brace for a hiring freeze, voluntary buyouts and reductions to the workforce to balance a state budget that has been heavily impacted by Trump administration spending cuts. Katie Mettler/The Washington Post.
- The letter suggests the efforts aim to fulfill a goal that lawmakers worked into the cash-strapped state budget earlier this year — to save $121 million in personnel costs by reducing some positions without forgoing raises for most state employees. They also represent a shift in approach for Moore, a Democrat who entered office in 2023 promising to fill thousands of positions left vacant by his predecessor. Carson Swick, Sam Janesch and Hannah Gaskill/The Baltimore Sun.
- “We are moving with care and intentionality to minimize impact on current employees and be transparent throughout the process,” Moore wrote in the letter. Moore Chief of Staff Fagan Harris said that state officials have been trying for weeks to come up with a plan to get the savings from the state’s general fund, in accordance with the fiscal 2026 budget that the governor signed in May. “It’s going to be all of these things that help us get to the number, ultimately,” he said. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
- The state budget, which was negotiated between Moore and lawmakers, cut the personnel budget by more than $100 million, but did not dictate how the governor would handle the cut. It also directed the state to abolish 150.5 vacant positions or new positions that hadn’t yet been filled. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
STATE BOE OKs GUIDELINES FOR SPECIAL ED STUDENTS; GUARDS AGAINST BOOK BANS: The Maryland State Board of Education unanimously accepted final recommendations of a 58-member Blueprint special education work group Tuesday aimed at ensuring students with disabilities aren’t forgotten in the state’s multibillion-dollar education reform plan. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
- Maryland’s school board on Tuesday approved changes in state regulations to align with a law that prevents removing books from school libraries without due process. The move adds another layer of protection for school library books in Maryland amid attempts by conservative activists to pull books they view as inappropriate. The change will go into effect after a regulatory review process. Kirsten Griffith/The Baltimore Banner.
MARYLAND JOINS TWO MORE SUITS AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: Maryland joined two more legal challenges to the Trump administration Tuesday, one to defend a specific minority business program and another to challenge a sweeping legal maneuver the White House has used to terminate billions in federal funding. Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters.
MOORE TOUCHES ON BUDGET, CRIME AT MML CONFERENCE: Gov. Wes Moore delivered his third keynote address as governor at the Maryland Municipal League Summer Conference in Ocean City on June 24, where he spoke about the state budget, federal actions and crime fighting. Keith Demko/Salisbury Daily Times.
OFFICIALS URGE BUSINESSES TO FOLLOW STATE GUIDES FOR WITHERING HEAT: As the heat index soars above 100 degrees in the Baltimore region this week, officials are urging workplaces to follow new state regulations for managing high-heat environments in the workplace to avoid heat-induced illness. “This is going to be potentially an increasing risk for workers on the job,” Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu said. “We want to help them comply, we all benefit from making sure that workplaces are safer.” Katherine Wilson/The Baltimore Sun.
STADIUM AUTHORITY AGREES TO POWER DOWN STADIUMS WHEN ASKED: Sometimes, including this very hot week, energy grid operators provide financial incentives for big users to power down. Among those users now will be Baltimore’s two pro sports stadiums. The Maryland Stadium Authority agreed this month to potentially reduce power when requested — and earn between $50,000 and $100,000 each time, according to authority spokesperson Rachelina Bonacci. Hayes Gardner/The Baltimore Banner.
TWO EX-GOVERNORS SHOW HOW TO DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE: Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan disagreed pretty sharply Tuesday with former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock over the use of force to respond to violent protests and the legality of the U.S. military raid Saturday on Iran. But their disagreement during a forum in Washington, D.C., was civil, polite even. There were no raised voices, no made-for-social-media putdowns. Just the sort of agreeable disagreement that both men said America needs more of. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
MFUME DROPS BID TO LEAD DEMS IN HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: Baltimore Democrat Rep. Kweisi Mfume withdrew his bid for a ranking-member seat on a powerful House committee Tuesday, after a preliminary vote signaled that he would not succeed. A Democratic steering committee had chosen California Rep. Robert Garcia as the party’s next pick to shepherd their policy positions the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
CARROLL COMMISH VIGLIOTTI FILES FOR 2nd TERM: Carroll County Commissioner Joe Vigliotti has filed to run for a second term in the June 2026 Republican primary election for District 1, which includes the City of Taneytown. Vigliotti said his passion for Carroll County is the driving force behind his decision to seek another four-year term. Sherry Greenfield/The Carroll County Times.
RESIDENTS URGE HOWARD COUNCIL TO DISCOURAGE FOSSIL FUELS IN NEW CONSTRUCTION: About 35 people sporting matching bright green T-shirts urged the Howard County Council to discourage the use of fossil fuels such as natural gas in new construction. The residents sat silently during the county’s work session on building code upgrades Monday in the George Howard Building, hoping their presence alone would move the council members toward change. April Santana/The Baltimore Sun.
