Maryland

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

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

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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

Lawmakers Push to Restore Waterway, Coastal Storm Assessment Funds

The Trump administration has proposed significant reductions to a program that funds cleanup in the Chesapeake Bay and stopped funding studies that seek to address threats posed by coastal storm-related flooding.

  • By Andrea Noble

Cities and Towns are Abandoning Glass Recycling. Can It Be Saved?

Glass is highly recyclable, but collection of the material through single-stream recycling programs is falling out of favor in many cities because of contamination problems and high costs.

  • By Andrea Noble

Ban or Regulate Kratom? State Lawmakers Weigh Approaches to Herbal Supplement

The American Kratom Association is lobbying lawmakers to adopt regulations that set ground rules for the supplement, which the FDA advises people not to consume, instead of joining six states that ban it as a controlled substance.

  • By Andrea Noble

Recycling Labels Don’t Reflect Reality for Local Governments

A local government official says the federal government could help by setting standards that make clear what plastics are recyclable.

  • By Andrea Noble

Ensuring That People Can Easily Understand the Ballot Measures They’re Voting On

A Maryland bill would set new guidelines for describing proposals put on the ballot in plain language.

  • By Bill Lucia