Maryland

How Two States Resolved Problems with PrepMod’s Vaccine Management System

Virginia and Maryland both experienced issues with vaccine appointment link sharing. Virginia opted to develop its own vaccine management platform, while Maryland worked with the vendor.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram and Andrea Noble

States Consider 'Do-Over Years' for Students Affected by the Pandemic

Some policies allow students an extra year to participate in both academics and athletics, other measures focus entirely on sports.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Pandemic Drives Phone, Computer ‘Right-to-Repair’ Bills

Legislation in half the states would make it easier to fix phones and computers.

  • By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline

Maryland Created the Police Officers’ Bill of Rights. Now Lawmakers There Might Repeal It.

Passed in 1974, the statute grants broad workplace protections for officers accused of misconduct and has served as a blueprint for similar laws in more than a dozen other states.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Baltimore is Latest City to Cap Delivery App Fees Paid by Restaurants

Other cities have enacted similar policies, meant to help restaurants struggling during the pandemic. At least one delivery app company has responded with a new customer surcharge.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

One Republican Governor Reversed Course on a Mask Mandate. Others Are Still Resisting.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared an indefinite statewide mask mandate on Sunday as coronavirus cases continue to spike around the country, but other governors—including those in states hit hardest by the virus—haven't budged.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Maryland Receives $300,000 Grant to Investigate Lynchings

The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission received a $300,000 federal grant for their work that will “research and address the legacy of unsolved lynchings” in the state.

  • By Emma Coleman

New York City Principals Union Votes ‘No Confidence’ In Mayor Over Schools Plan

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS ROUNDUP | Twenty-one states report 10% or more Covid-19 increase… 1 million people have cast ballots early… Maryland man who threw house party gets a year in jail.

  • By Andrea Noble

States Sue EPA Over Chesapeake Bay Pollution Reduction Plans

A group of states say New York and Pennsylvania are not doing enough to reduce water pollution and arguing the federal government is letting them get away with it.

  • By Andrea Noble

Police ‘Pretext’ Traffic Stops Need to End, Some Lawmakers Say

Police stop and search Black motorists more often.

  • By Marsha Mercer, Stateline

Seven States Band Together to Purchase Rapid-Result Covid Tests

The compact, negotiated by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, aims to increase production of the tests, which can deliver results in less than a half hour.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

A Blueprint for How State Leaders Can Achieve Better Results

COMMENTARY | Data and evidence can help state policymakers make thoughtful decisions on public health, economics, equity and other issues.

  • By Jed Herrmann and Timothy Blute
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Know a Teen Who Needs a Summer Job? Covid-19 Response Is Hiring.

Officials in several states are expanding existing seasonal job programs to include new opportunities to help with government-led coronavirus response efforts.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

One State Offers Free Calls to Check on Seniors

The Maryland Department of Aging launched the program in January, but retooled and reemphasized it as coronavirus began to spread across the state.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Ready or Not, Schools Shift to Full-Time Virtual Learning

In many of the districts closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, school officials are trying to figure out how to connect students while they prepare online lesson plans.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

How I Finally Got a Coronavirus Test

After almost a week of illness and testing negative for flu, strep throat and mono, a reporter on Monday is tested for Covid-19.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Trump Promises Expansion of Coronavirus Testing As States Grapple With Outbreak

New York said Friday that a new federal approval will allow it to soon conduct more tests in a day than it has carried out to date.

  • By Bill Lucia

States Order Widespread School Closures to Blunt Coronavirus Spread

Across the country, governors are increasingly ordering school closures and bans on large gatherings as state and local governments work to slow community spread of the virus.

  • By Andrea Noble

Coronavirus Cases to Jump with Increase in Testing Capacity

Health officials said Monday that as testing shifts from public labs to commercial labs the number of coronavirus cases will increase. The insufficient testing capability has been a major criticism of the disease response.

  • By Andrea Noble

Coronavirus Quarantines Pose Tough Issues for State and Local Officials

Thousands of people across the country are being asked to self quarantine after being in close contact with people diagnosed with Covid-19.

  • By Bill Lucia and Laura Maggi

State Lawmakers Face Uphill Battles as They Seek to Tax More Services

Maryland is the latest state to consider such a proposal. What many experts regard as “good tax policy” is often a tough political sell.

  • By Bill Lucia