Maryland is bracing for a wave of significant changes as 430 new laws take effect on Oct. 1, including a steep increase in speed camera fines that will now be based on speed, with tickets ranging from $50 for 12-15 mph over the limit to $425 for 40 mph or more over. Other notable laws address various issues, but the state is also grappling with the decommissioning of its Air National Guard's 21 planes, ending over a century of air missions. The U.S. Air Force announced the decision 18 months ago, shifting the guard's focus to ground-based cybersecurity. This move has left the guard without aircraft, effectively wiping out future air missions, as reported by The Washington Post.
Governor Wes Moore (D) has promised to address issues raised by recent audits critical of his executive agencies, though he noted that problems predate his tenure. Meanwhile, the Maryland Democratic Party is calling on former Governor Larry Hogan to denounce social media posts from a shadowy group targeting Moore. In Cambridge, a $13 million waterfront project has languished for seven years, producing little more than a concrete slab and promenade, according to The Baltimore Sun.
President Donald Trump's targeting of political enemies has put Maryland's U.S. attorney in the spotlight, as two of Trump's targets—Senator Adam Schiff and former national security adviser John Bolton—live in Maryland. Trump has called for their imprisonment, though neither has been charged. The Legislative Black Caucus inspected neglected graves of boys who died at the old House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children in Cheltenham, highlighting the stark contrast with the adjacent pristine veterans cemetery. Marc Schindler, former assistant secretary of the state Department of Juvenile Services, led the tour and explained how he and former Secretary Vincent Schiraldi discovered the record of the facility decades ago, as noted by The Baltimore Banner.
Maryland coffee shops are wrestling with eye-opening prices, as U.S. coffee prices were nearly 21% higher in August than a year earlier, driven partly by new tariffs on coffee exporters. Senator Chris Van Hollen has surprised colleagues with a push against what he calls 'wimpy politics,' criticizing top Democrats for not endorsing a democratic socialist candidate for New York mayor. The state's Big Tree Program is celebrating its centennial with a contest offering $500 for finding the biggest tree in state forests. In Annapolis, Jared Littmann won the Democratic primary for mayor with a 2-to-1 lead over Councilwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles, and will face Republican Bob O'Shea in the general election. Sinclair Broadcast Group has begun preempting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on its ABC stations, including WJLA, which broadcasts into large swaths of Maryland.
