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Labor Secretary Raises Concerns About Solvency Of State Unemployment Fund

July 9, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Maryland’s unemployment insurance trust fund faces potential solvency issues that could worsen in the wake of massive federal employee layoffs or a recession, lawmakers were told Tuesday.

Labor Secretary Portia Wu told members of the Joint Committee on Unemployment Oversight that the state’s insurance trust fund of $2 billion currently meets federal solvency requirements. But she said that picture could change dramatically with new analysis reflecting economic downturns and unemployment levels that more closely reflect rates during those times.

“Claims levels are at historic lows right now because of the incredibly low unemployment rate,” Wu told the panel. “But again, as I was saying, we don’t anticipate that will continue.”

Wu’s comments included concerns about the potential for a massive displacement of federal workers under President Donald Trump (R). Some early state projections anticipate as many as 29,000 workers could lose their jobs as Trump culls federal agencies and employees.

The briefing came just hours before the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a lower court injunction that had been blocking Trump administration plans to slash federal payrolls.

Tuesday’s briefing was the first in what is expected to be a series of committee meetings leading to the 2026 legislative session.

Sen. Ben Kramer and Del. Lorig Charkoudian, Montgomery County Democrats who co-chair the panel, have sponsored identical bills to modernize the fund. This was the third year such legislation has been proposed. The meetings during the interim are a prelude to a fourth effort next year that could result in updated benefits and potentially changes — even increases — in assessments on employers.

“I think the whole purpose of our getting together and starting to meet now and have this conversation is so that we have a better handle on what’s happening,” Kramer said. “I mean, some of the slides are a little bit scary, and they’re getting my attention.”

Charkoudian worried that abrupt changes in the surcharges on employers that could hit at the same time as an economic downturn that displaces workers.

“So, we talk about how do we fix the roof when the sun’s shining?” Charkoudian asked.

Even if anticipated economic downturns do not occur, Wu said the growing number of workers who are becoming eligible for the maximum weekly benefit is stressing the system to the point where the fund could fall below federal guidelines sometime between 2026 and 2027.

Currently, employers in Maryland pay taxes into the account — $26 per employee with a taxable wage base of $8,500. The rate has remained unchanged since 1992. Unemployed workers can receive a maximum weekly benefit of $430, an amount that has not changed since 2010.

Over time, market changes, inflation and a rising minimum wage have increased wages to the point where workers whose jobs might have earned benefits on the low end of the fund’s scale are moving closer to the maximum benefit.

“What’s happening is everyone is moving towards the ceiling of benefits, but that same thing isn’t necessarily happening to revenue,” Wu said. “So that’s where you start seeing a gap and eventually solvency problems.”

Inflation has also outpaced benefits: A dollar of benefits in 2010 went 24% farther than in 2025, Wu said, while average rents have grown by 30% over roughly the same period.

Mike O’Halloran, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said other factors also play a role, and an increase in what businesses pay into the fund would be yet another state-imposed burden.

“Certainly, as legislators, you all are very well aware that some of the costs that businesses have taken,” he said. “Since 2015 … paid sick and safe leave, paid family and medical leave insurance, which has yet to come on board. So, I think when you’re talking about purchasing power, it’s also important to include some of those dynamics that employers are facing since they’re the ones that are funding the trust fund.”

Charkoudian said during the briefing that new rates of $35-$50 per employee might have to be considered. Analysis from Wu’s department — the agency took no public position on any changes — included scenarios that raised the wage base to $15,000 in addition to changes in surcharges.

“I think we all appreciate and value our business and businesses in the state and ensuring their viability,” Kramer said. “But we’re also weighing it against what we’re looking at that’s being forecast, the solvency of the fund.

“I think engaging in this scenario with this body, we’re beginning the conversation,” he said. “So when we do get into session, we have a better handle of where we might want to go and how we do want to address it, keeping in mind all the checks and balances that are important to all of us.”

The unemployment rate in Maryland stood at 3.2% in May. That is higher than the 1.9% in June 2023 but still below the state’s 30-year average of about 5%.

Wu said the unemployment rate is key.

One analysis by the department projects the fund will fall below federal solvency guidelines by 2027 if the state moves back to its average unemployment rate and no changes are made to benefits or taxes levied on employers that feed the fund, Wu said.

An economic downturn, massive number of displaced workers, or a Great Recession scenario would hasten the pace at which the system becomes insolvent.

“We’ve been fortunate that it’s [unemployment] been so low, but I don’t think we can realistically count on it staying below 4% the way it has been, and even if it were to increase to the historical averages, that can create pressure on a fund,” she said.

by Bryan P. Sears, Maryland Matters
July 9, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

US House Passes Massive Tax Break and Spending Cut Bill, Sending it to Trump – Maryland Matters

July 5, 2025 by Maryland Matters 1 Comment

The U.S. Capitol as lawmakers worked into the night on the "big beautiful bill" on July 2, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans cleared the “big, beautiful bill” for President Donald Trump’s signature Thursday, marking an end to the painstaking months-long negotiations that began just after voters gave the GOP unified control of Washington during last year’s elections.

The final 218-214 vote on the expansive tax and spending cuts package marked a significant victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who were able to unify centrist and far-right members of the party against long odds and narrow majorities.

But the legislation’s real-world impacts include millions of Americans expected to lose access to Medicaid through new requirements and slashed spending, and state governments taking on a share of costs for a key nutrition program for low-income families. If voters oppose Republicans at the ballot box in return, it could mean the GOP loses the House during next year’s midterm elections.

In the end just two Republicans in the House and three in the Senate opposed the measure, which the Senate approved earlier in the week with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Trump posted on social media numerous times in the days leading up to the vote, thanking supportive Republicans who were praising the bill during interviews and threatening to back primary challenges against GOP lawmakers who stood in the way of passage.

“Largest Tax Cuts in History and a Booming Economy vs. Biggest Tax Increase in History, and a Failed Economy,” Trump posted just after midnight when it wasn’t yet clear the bill would pass. “What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!”

Trump told reporters while on his way to Iowa for an event that he would sign the bill at 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday, with military aircraft flying over the White House and Republican lawmakers in attendance.

Johnson said during a floor speech the legislation is a direct result of the November elections, when voters gave the GOP control of the House, Senate and the White House.

“That election was decisive. It was a bellwether. It was a time for choosing,” Johnson said. “And I tell you what — the American people chose, overwhelmingly, they chose the Republican Party.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters inside the Capitol building in Washington., D.C., on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

“We’ve had spirited debates, we’ve had months of deliberation and now we are finally ready to fulfill our promise to the American people,” Johnson said.

Republicans were spurred to write the tax provisions in the legislation to avoid a cliff at the end of the year, created by the party’s 2017 tax law. But the legislation holds dozens of other provisions as well, spanning border security, defense, energy production, health care and higher education aid.

The bill raises the country’s debt limit by $5 trillion, a staggering figure that many fiscal hawks would have once balked at, but is enough to get Republicans past the midterm elections before they’ll have to negotiate another deal to raise the country’s borrowing limit.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s latest analysis of the measure projects it would add $3.4 trillion to deficits during the next decade compared to current law.

Jeffries: “It guts Medicaid’

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called the health care provisions “reckless” during a speech that lasted nearly nine hours, forcing the vote to take place in the afternoon rather than early morning, and said the “bill represents the largest cut to health care in American history.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., set a record for the length of a floor speech on July 3, 2025, while speaking against Republicans' reconciliation package. (Screenshot from House webcast)

“Almost $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid,” Jeffries said. “This runs directly contrary to what President Trump indicated in January, which was that he was going to love and cherish Medicaid. Nothing about this bill loves and cherishes Medicaid. It guts Medicaid.”

The speech broke the eight-hour-and-32-minute record that then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., set in 2021 when he sought to delay Democrats from passing a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. House leaders are allowed to exceed normal speaking limits through a privilege called the “magic minute.”

The nonpartisan health research organization KFF’s analysis of the package shows it would reduce federal spending on Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion during the next decade and lead to 11.8 million people becoming uninsured.

Republicans made numerous changes to the state-federal health program for lower income people and some people with disabilities, including a requirement that some enrollees work, participate in community service, or attend an educational program for at least 80 hours a month.

Medicaid patients will no longer be able to have their care covered at Planned Parenthood for routine appointments, like annual physicals and cancer screenings, for one year. Congress has barred federal taxpayer dollars from going to abortions with limited exceptions for decades, but the new provision will block all Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood, likely leading some of its clinics to close.

Overnight drama

House passage followed several frenzied days on Capitol Hill as congressional leaders and Trump sought to sway holdouts to their side ahead of a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.

The Senate, and then later the House, held overnight sessions followed by dramatic votes where several Republicans, who said publicly they didn’t actually like the bill, voted to approve it anyway.

GOP leaders didn’t have much room for error amid a narrow 53-seat Senate majority and a 220-212 advantage in the House. That delicate balance hovered in the background during the last several months, as talks over dozens of policy changes and spending cuts in the bill appeared deadlocked.

Any modifications meant to bring on board far-right members of the party had to be weighed against the policy goals of centrist lawmakers, who are most at risk of losing their seats during next year’s elections.

The House passed its first version of the bill following a 215-214 vote in May, sending the legislation to the Senate, where Republicans in that chamber spent several weeks deciding which policies they could support and which they wanted to remove or rework.

The measure changed substantially to comply with the complex rules for moving a budget reconciliation bill through the upper chamber. GOP leaders chose to use that process, instead of moving the package through the regular legislative pathway, to avoid having to negotiate with Democrats to get past the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.

In the end nearly every one of the 273 Republicans in Congress approved the behemoth 870-page bill.

Maine’s Susan Collins, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and North Carolina’s Thom Tillis voted against it in the Senate and Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie opposed passage in the House.

Fitzpatrick wrote in a statement that while he voted to approve the House’s original version of the bill, he couldn’t support changes made in the Senate.

“I voted to strengthen Medicaid protections, to permanently extend middle class tax cuts, for enhanced small business tax relief, and for historic investments in our border security and our military.” Fitzpatrick wrote. “However, it was the Senate’s amendments to Medicaid, in addition to several other Senate provisions, that altered the analysis for our PA-1 community.”

Massie posted on social media that he couldn’t vote for the measure because it would exacerbate the country’s annual deficit.

“Although there were some conservative wins in the budget reconciliation bill (OBBBA), I voted No on final passage because it will significantly increase U.S. budget deficits in the near term, negatively impacting all Americans through sustained inflation and high interest rates,” Massie wrote.

GOP holdouts delay passage

Floor debate on the bill in the House, which began around 3:30 a.m. Eastern Thursday and lasted 11 hours, was along party lines, with Democrats voicing strong opposition to changes in the package and GOP lawmakers arguing it puts the country on a better path.

GOP leaders didn’t originally plan to begin debate in the middle of the night while most of the country slept, but were forced to after holdouts refused to give their votes to a procedural step.

When the House did finally adopt the rule, Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick was the sole member of his party to vote against moving onto floor debate and a final passage vote.

Fitzpatrick had posted on social media earlier in the day that he wanted Trump “to address my serious concern regarding reports the United States is withholding critical defense material pledged to Ukraine.”

“Ukrainian forces are not only safeguarding their homeland—they are holding the front line of freedom itself,” he wrote. “There can be no half-measures in the defense of liberty. We must, as we always have, stand for peace through strength.”

Tax breaks and so much more

House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., made significant promises to middle-class Americans during floor debate about the tax provisions in the bill that many voters will be watching for in the months ahead.

“Households making under $100,000 will see a 12% tax cut compared to what they pay today. The average family of four will see nearly 11,000 more in their pockets each year,” Smith said. “Real wages for workers will rise by as much as $7,200 a year. A waitress working for tips will keep an extra $1,300, a lineman working overtime after a storm will keep an extra $1,400.”

Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Richard Neal, ranking member on the tax writing panel, said the legislation’s benefits skew largely toward the very wealthy.

“If you made a million dollars last year, you’re going to make a plus of $96,000 in the next tax filing season,” Neal said. “If you made under $50,000 last year, you’re going to get 68 cents a day in terms of your tax relief.”

The extension of the 2017 tax law would predominantly benefit high-income earners. The top 1% would receive a tax cut three times the size of those with incomes in the bottom 60% of after-tax income, according to analysis from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Some other tax incentives that critics say skew toward wealthier families include a $1,000 deposit from the federal government for babies born between 2024 and 2028, known as a “Trump account.” The program would track a stock index and gain interest accordingly and families with disposable income could contribute additional funding.

And while Republicans included an extension of the child tax credit to $2,200 per child, it requires the parents to have a Social Security number to claim the tax credit.

The bill will give the president more than $170 billion to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations of people in the country without permanent legal status. The package would give the Department of Homeland Security $45 billion for the detention of immigrants and give its immigration enforcement arm another $30 billion to hire up to 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Food aid, higher education

The legislation will overhaul federal loans for higher education and how states pay for food assistance that roughly 42 million low-income people rely on, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

The bill would cap federal graduate loans to $100,000 per borrower and $200,000 per borrower who is attending law school or medical school. It would also cap the ParentPLUS loans to $65,000.

Under the SNAP changes, the package would require states to shoulder more of the burden in food assistance. Currently, the federal government covers 100% of the cost. The legislation tightens eligibility for SNAP, requiring parents with children aged 6 and older to meet the work requirements when they were previously exempt.

Current estimates from CBO show that changes in federal nutrition programs including SNAP would reduce federal spending by roughly $186 billion over 10 years.

The GOP megabill cuts clean energy tax credits and claws back some of the funding in former president Joe Biden’s signature climate bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act.

Some of those cuts to clean energy tax credits include terminating at the end of September a nearly $8,000 rebate for the purchase of an electric vehicle, ending a tax credit by December for energy efficient home upgrades such as solar roof panels and heat pumps.

The package rescinds funds to help local governments and states adopt zero emission standards, and eliminates environmental justice block grants that communities used to address health impacts due to environmental pollution, among other things.

In Maryland, Harris relents, Democrats dig in

From Maryland Matters

Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st), the chair of the House Freedom Caucus, who vowed as recently as Wednesday to delay a vote on the budget reconciliation bill in order to negotiate a compromise somewhere between the House and Senate versions, wound up voting for the unamended Senate version Thursday.

That version of the bill gave conservatives pause earlier in the week, both because of its price tag and because the Senate had removed provisions limiting spending on renewable energy programs and Medicaid funding of family planning services and gender-affirming care, among others.

Without giving details, Harris said the caucus was able to make the bill better “at every stage.” He told the Baltimore Sun that his change of heart came after the White House agreed to address many caucus concerns about the Senate bill through executive action, after the bill passed. He said it was up to the administration to decide what those changes would be and that “it’s on their timetable.”

Other members of the Freedom Caucus and their allies echoed Harris, claiming credit for what they saw as the successes in the bill, while asserting that they had been able to secure “meaningful commitments” from the White House to restore the restrictions on domestic programs.

There were no changes to the bottom line on the bill, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates could add $3.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.

The rest of the Maryland delegation joined 212 Democrats and two Republicans to oppose the measure. Democrats in the delegation and beyond attacked what Gov. Wes Moore (D) called a “direct and heartless assault on the American people.”

Many called the One, Big Beautiful Bill the “big, ugly bill.” Maryland Democratic Party Chair Steuart Pittman said there is nothing beautiful about the bill that he said would “blow a hole in state and local budgets,” putting government services at risk.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th) said the “disastrous bill” would throw “17 million Americans off their health care coverage and millions of Americans off their SNAP food benefits.” Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-2nd) called it a “real-life nightmare for working families written into law.” Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-3rd) accused Republican leadership of rushing a vote on the massive bill for President Donald Trump, “all so he can have a photo op on the Fourth of July.”

Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) said in a statement that she was “deeply disheartened and outraged” by the vote.

“We are supposed to care for the sick and the elderly, but Trump’s bill will make them suffer longer,” Jones’ statement said. “We are supposed to feed the hungry, but Trump’s bill will leave them without a meal. We are supposed to make life more affordable, but Trump’s bill will raise costs for all Marylanders.”

Trump is expected to sign the bill at 5 p.m. Friday.

by Jennifer Shutt and Ariana Figueroa, Maryland Matters
July 3, 2025

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Buyout Offers, Hiring Freeze Coming for State Government Amid Budget Crunch

June 25, 2025 by Maryland Matters 1 Comment

The Moore administration plans to slash about $121 million from the state’s personnel budget through a combination of buyouts to state employees, a hiring freeze and elimination of at least 150 vacant positions, officials said Tuesday.

The measures were announced in a “Dear colleagues” letter from Gov. Wes Moore (D) to state employees that was sent at noon Tuesday.

“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 in an interview with Maryland Matters 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,” Harris said.

As recently as two weeks ago, the administration was looking at layoffs of current workers as part of the budget-cutting mix, an administration official said at the time. But Harris said Tuesday that they were ultimately able to stop short of actual layoffs.

Even so, the measures will hamper Moore’s goal of growing the state workforce. When he took office in 2023, Moore pledged to rebuild state government, including by filling 5,000 positions left vacant by his predecessor, Gov. Larry Hogan (R). And Moore has recently pushed state agencies to hire former federal workers in search of new jobs amid the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures.

As of the end of May, there were about 4,800 vacancies in all state agencies, a 9.3% vacancy rate, according to Raquel Coombs, a spokesperson for the Department of Budget and Management.

The administration’s plan excludes the University System of Maryland, which previously announced cuts. Also excluded from the hiring freeze are the state’s “24/7” facilities, such as prisons, hospitals and juvenile facilities, as well as sworn state troopers, Harris said. Administration officials said they’re still crafting the buy-out plan and choosing which vacant positions to eliminate, but those same positions are likely to be excluded.

As part of Tuesday’s announcement, the administration is also pushing state agencies to come up with “creative” cost-cutting solutions, Harris said. That includes “in-sourcing” contracted jobs and consolidating physical facilities, to the extent possible, he said.

Harris said that non-union employees, including those in the governor’s office, will not receive planned salary increases, such as merit raises and step increases. But they will receive a 1% cost-of-living increase in July.

Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 3 — which represents more than 26,000 state employees — said the state’s ongoing issues with “chronic understaffing, dangerous working conditions, and unsustainable workloads” must be taken into account as the final decisions are made on cuts.

“While it’s clear our state must navigate tough and volatile times, any solutions cannot come at the cost of providing quality state services,” Moran said in a statement Tuesday.

He said the union will push for cost-saving measures that “prioritize our state services and the workers who make them happen.”

“That includes eliminating costly contracts, in-sourcing services where needed, addressing other inefficiencies, and closing corporate tax loopholes to raise much-needed state revenue,” Moran wrote.

Del. Ben Barnes (D- Anne Arundel and Prince George’s), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was pleased to see the governor take a path that did not include cuts of current staff.

“I’m very happy to see that there will not be furloughs or layoffs, as they’re not warranted or necessary given our current fiscal picture,” Barnes said.

Sen. Guy Guzzone (D- Howard), chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, hailed the governor’s move as “very reasonable and logical.” It should achieve the $121 million in needed cuts, but Guzzone warned that further cuts at the federal level could force state officials back to the drawing board.

“We don’t know what else may come along — what other shoe might drop,” Guzzone said. “But I think it’s important to keep a level head and make reasonable decisions along the way. And I think this was a reasonable decision by the governor.”

Barnes said that, based on data from the Department of Legislative Services, he believes the $121 million in savings could be achieved solely by slashing vacant positions.

“Anything beyond that would be additional actions the governor was taking,” Barnes said.

Barnes said the state has reached a solid fiscal position, citing the state’s triple-A bond ratings this year from Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.

Critically, though, Maryland lost its treasured triple-A bond rating this year from Moody’s, the third major bond rating agency, which also downgraded half a dozen other state borrowing programs.

Republican legislative leaders criticized the Moore administration for not enacting the hiring freeze sooner, even as the state’s financial woes became clear.

“Back in February, I questioned the wisdom of expanding state government while facing a $2.8 billion deficit. I said then, and I repeat now: when you’re in a hole, you need to stop digging,” wrote Sen. J.B. Jennings (Baltimore and Harford) in a statement. “The decision to finally enact a hiring freeze and reduce vacant positions is the right one — but it should have happened months ago, before the situation became more urgent.”

Jennings and other Republicans called for the freeze as early as February, in response to Moore’s budget proposal. But Moore administration officials had balked at taking such a step.

“Let’s be honest: this is the Moore Administration quietly admitting that Senate Republicans were right,” said Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) in a statement.

Moore’s “Dear colleagues” letter said the hiring freeze will begin July 1. Harris said it is likely to last at least through the fiscal year.

The precise terms for voluntary separation agreements are likely to be released in the coming weeks, Harris said, adding that the administration does not yet have a goal for a number of buyouts.

“We want to drive as much adoption as we can, but there’s no specific target,” Harris said.

The administration is planning to bring a list of vacant positions to the Board of Public Works for elimination around September.

“We want to make it so that the public does not feel these changes,” Harris said. “We certainly are aware of a large universe of savings there, but we’re going to be really careful and intentional this summer, as we work through this to achieve as many savings as we can responsibly.”

by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters
June 24, 2025

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

State Officials Urge People to Stay Vigilant, Use Caution Amid ‘Hazardous Heat Wave’

June 24, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Gov. Wes Moore (D) called for a state of preparedness Monday amid a “hazardous heat wave” rolling across the country that threatens to raise the heat index in Maryland into the triple digits this week.

State officials are warning Marylanders to take the threat of the rising temperatures seriously.

“We ask that all Marylanders do their part to stay vigilant, stay hydrated, and stay in cool locations as much as possible,” Moore said in a statement Monday. “This State of Preparedness will ensure that Maryland is coordinated and poised to protect our people in anticipation of extreme heat and humidity.”

As of Monday evening, the National Weather Service reported that Maryland faces an extreme heat warning through Wednesday, with a heat index of up to 110 during the hottest parts of the day.

“Many Marylanders are at risk for heat-related illness during extreme heat like we are experiencing this week,” Maryland Health Secretary Meena Seshamani said in a written statement.

There’s already been one heat-related death in Maryland, which came before the current heat wave hit. The health department provides only a range of data on victims, but it appears that the first heat death of the year was a female from Montgomery County between the ages of 0-17, whose death occurred before last week’s heat-related illness surveillance report was filed last Wednesday.

In recent years, the first deaths of the season have typically been males in their 40s and 50s. Last year, a total 26 people died from heat-related illnesses, the highest death toll since 2018.

As a precaution, Moore’s state of prseparedness order directs the Department of Emergency Management to coordinate state agencies to prepare for potential impacts from hazards or threats, without calling for a state of emergency.

This is also the first year that new state heat safety standards will be in place on worksites, requiring longer and more frequent breaks when the heat index reaches above 90 and 100 degrees. Employers are also expected to provide ample shade and other methods of cooling down for employees working outside and in hot conditions.

State officials hope the new standards will help reduce death and emergency room visits due to heat-related illnesses.

There have already been 164 emergency room and urgent care visits due to heat-related illnesses, according to latest weekly report from the health department.

The department has urged Marylanders to check up on vulnerable family members and on neighbors who are more susceptible to severe heat illnesses.

“Marylanders are advised to never leave children in a car,” the department said last week. “Always check twice to ensure that a vehicle is empty. Even on a 70-degree day, within half an hour, the temperature inside the vehicle can climb to over 100 degrees.”

The department reminds Marylanders to drink plenty of fluids to help cope with the hot weather and urges folks to avoid alcohol, caffeine and overly sweetened beverages. Officials also encourage wearing sunscreen and staying in the shade when possible. Those in need of a cool location can contact their local health departments or call 211 to find the nearest cooling center.

“Remember to check on those who are particularly vulnerable to this weather — including young children, senior citizens, and people with chronic diseases,” Seshamani said. “Be sure that they have the resources they need to stay comfortable and safe, or help them locate one of the dozens of local cooling centers available.”

by Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
June 24, 2025

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Logging Plan for Eastern Shore Forest Stirs Pushback from Residents

June 24, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

A piece of tape dangles from a tree alongside the Blue Bike Trail in the Pocomoke State Forest. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is planning to cut patches of trees along the trail, stirring resistance from local conservationists. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters)

Driving down Route 113 between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City, the trailhead for the Blue Bike Trail is easy to miss.

There aren’t any signs or hiking blazes, but nestled in the woods is a grassy parking area and the beginning of a 0.7-mile walking trail in the Pocomoke State Forest.

The trail may be short in length and unassuming from the roadside. Still, a commercial logging plan proposed by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources has brought the lesser-known trail into the limelight.

The department plans to cut patches of trees from a 45-acre tract beside the trail. But a group of naturalists, birders and other community members are fighting the plan, arguing that the tract represents a rare mature forest on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, with a host of benefits to people and wildlife.

As Joan Maloof, a Berlin-based conservationist who founded the nonprofit Old Growth Forest Network, studied the plan for 2025, the land in Pocomoke State Forest stood out.

“This particular one: It’s 97 years old, and it sounds like it has some big trees, mixed species,” she thought to herself. “I want to go check it out.”

The plot was established in 1927, though DNR says the trees are varying ages. Some were planted after clearing. Some grew naturally. But walking through the forest, Maloof saw something unique.

“I go check it out, and I realize: ‘Oh, my God, this is such a beautiful forest, and it’s right on a recreational trail,’” said Maloof, who is also an emeritus professor of environmental studies and biology at Salisbury University.

Maloof spearheaded an effort to send comments to DNR, pushing for two areas, totaling about 69 acres, to be removed from the logging plan, which designated some 1,700 acres for cutting and thinning.

Joan Maloof, who founded the nonprofit Old Growth Forest Network, stands along the “Blue Bike Trail” in Pocomoke State Forest. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters)

The state issues logging plans each year for its state forest acreage. And with any cut, the department strives for balance, including between the needs of the ecosystem and the desire to support the local logging industry, said State Forester Anne Hairston-Strang. The department believes the cut in Pocomoke achieves that balance, she said.

“We want to save the bay. We keep a lot of our land rural,” Hairston-Strang said. “Want to keep our land rural? We need a viable rural economy, and so [there’s] this balance between our ecology, the social impacts for jobs and the economic impacts, where we’re using, what the land grows.”

The pushback about the Blue Bike Trail seems to have caught the state’s attention. The area is still on DNR’s list to be logged this year, but the state is slow-walking the cut.

“We’re not rushing into any harvest,” Hairston-Strang said. “We’re going to talk to people. If it needs to go through the work plan process again, it can. We’re not rolling any machines in.”

At the very beginning of the Blue Bike Trail, rows and rows of thin, and therefore relatively unremarkable, loblolly pines dominate the landscape on either side.

But then, the forest transforms into something altogether different. Thicker trees begin to crop up beside the trail: oaks, sassafras, beeches and more.

That’s about where hikers see the first strand of pink tape encircling a tree trunk, delineating the beginning of the proposed logging area.

“I immediately recognized that it was a special tract of forest,” said Bronwyn Betz, a Berlin resident who is also opposed to the cut. “And I know from hiking around here that sometimes that’s not the case. Sometimes you get a lot of pine, and it’s just not as ecologically valuable.”

DNR notes that the Pocomoke State Forest includes several designated “Old Growth Ecosystem Management Areas,” totaling 4,623 acres. In those places, DNR is aiming to nurture the forest and avoid cutting, with the goal of eventually bringing the tracts into “old growth” status. Five additional acres of the state forest are already considered old-growth.

The area proposed for cutting, which DNR calls the “Tarr tract,” is not in either of those designated areas, Hairston-Strang said.

“We don’t want to just provide mature habitat. We have a big commitment to it. We like our old growth. We like our big trees,” Hairston-Strang said. “We’re just looking to provide some of the other end of the age spectrum, too, because we really are seeing habitat declines.”

A wooden stake sits alongside the “Blue Bike Trail” in the Pocomoke State Forest. The Department of Natural Resources is planning to cut patches of trees along the trail. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters)

A goal behind the cut is stimulating the growth of the understory, Hairston-Strang said, growing an additional habitat type in the Pocomoke forest. That’s part of the reason why DNR selected patches of the Tarr tract for cutting.

“If we just select a tree here and there, you’re probably not going to generate the kind of light levels that will really cause that understory response,” she said. “Some people will walk up to this and say, ‘Oh, it’s a clear-cut.’ And they don’t see the careful retention of some individual trees.”

Even if it is not a clear-cut, Maloof argues that the tree removal will do too much harm to the overall ecosystem — and to the public’s enjoyment of it.

“That’s not good enough. We want you to just not. It’s only 45 acres,” Maloof said. “Please listen to the people.”

She fears that DNR ceded too much to the logging industry, which may have sought to log more of the thicker trees, as opposed to the thinner loblolly pines.

DNR argues that it follows best practices for cuts. Maryland State Forests are also certified as sustainably managed through Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Hairston-Strang said.

“We pay for people to come out and criticize us every year, and we do both office and field audits, so they’re out in the field and looking at sites,” Hairston-Strang said.

The department is hoping creating clearings in the forest could also attract more deer and turkeys, since the area is a hunting location that allows disabled hunters to shoot from their vehicles using the trail, Hairston-Strang said. And that it will reduce fuel for potential wildfires.

Dave Wilson, an Eastern Shore birder who also serves on Maryland’s Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays, said he’s walked the trail since the 1990s.

“It was always really good for forest interior-dwelling species — songbirds that require large contiguous areas of woods,” said Wilson, who recently sold his 30-year-old birding trip company called Delmarva Birding Weekend.

That includes black-and-white warblers, scarlet tanagers, prothonotary warblers and more, Wilson said. But he’s also spotted other species, such as red-shouldered hawks and Eastern screech owls. He worries that if patches of trees are removed from the area, destroying certain nesting habitats, many of the beloved bird species wouldn’t return.

Wilson said that he considers the Tarr tract one of the few pieces of state-managed land on the Lower Shore that presents a good opportunity for birding.

“Most of what they manage, they just cut every 30 or 40 years for loblolly pine monoculture, and there’s really nothing living in there,” Wilson said. “It’s like a cornfield from a biodiversity standpoint, and there’s thousands of acres of that. And one of the reasons we’re up in arms about this — is because we feel like that needs to change.”

Betz said the Pocomoke State Forest is something of a “hidden gem,” compared to the more well-known Ocean City-adjacent hiking trails, such as those on Assateague Island, which hosts both state park and national park land.

She first visited the trail after it appeared on the logging plan, and quickly decided it was worth fighting for. Bright white mountain laurels bloomed among a diverse array of trees, creating a rare environment.

“I know they say they’re going to selectively cut, but when you have these beautiful mountain laurel shrubs and different things — damage is going to happen to things, no matter what they say,” Betz said.

She brought a group of young 4-H students to the trail, and a few of the students penned letters pushing back against the cut, she said.

“Many of us have grown up camping, hiking and biking in these woods. We do not want this beautiful trail to be logged,” wrote her 15-year-old son, Ewan. “There are many species that will lose their homes if this plan is not stopped.”

Betz said she hopes that DNR will not only opt against cutting along the trail, but put up signage along the roadside, so that the trail gets more use from local residents and visitors alike.

“I had a hard time finding it — and then I had a hard time finding it a second time,” she said.

Betz said she understands the desire to uplift local logging companies and mills. But the trail also has an economic value as-is, thanks to the ecotourism it’s capable of attracting — and already attracts, she said.

“You really can’t put a dollar amount on it,” Betz said. “It actually probably brings in way more money than people would think.”

Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources is planning to cut patches of trees along the Blue Bike Trail in Pocomoke State Forest, stirring resistance from local conservationists. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters)

by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters
June 23, 2025

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UMd Medical System Sues Medicaid Insurer for $15 Million in Unpaid Services

June 18, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

The University of Maryland Medical System is suing a Maryland Medicaid insurer that it claims “unlawfully” denied $15 million in claims for medical care delivered in UMMS emergency rooms over the last three years.

The complaint alleges that Maryland Physicians Care MCO broke legal and contractual obligations by denying payment not as “a reasonable disagreement over medical judgment” but in a “broad, bad-faith refusal to acknowledge the realities of patient care, driven by a pursuit of enhanced profitability.”

The suit, filed Monday in Baltimore City Circuit Court, asks the court to declare that Maryland Physicians Care wrongfully denied claims for certain emergency care and to make it pay the $15 million the medical system believes it is owed. UMMS also wants the court to prohibit the managed care organization’s use of its current automatic claims approval system.

Maryland Physicians Care CEO Jason Rottman said the company believes it has acted lawfully, and it “strongly disputes the University of Maryland Medical System’s unfounded characterizations.”

“We have worked in good faith to address these concerns with the University of Maryland Medical System and have engaged in dialogue to seek resolution,” Rottman said in a statement Monday.

Maryland Physicians Care is one of nine Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) in Maryland. Medicaid MCOs receive federal and state tax dollars to cover medical care for those who qualify for Medicaid, including in emergency rooms.

Health systems such as UMMS are supposed to be reimbursed for medical services provided in emergency situations under certain circumstances. But the lawsuit claims that Maryland Physicians Care has unlawfully denied claims that should have been covered.

Federal law uses the “prudent layperson” rule to determine whether or not a claim in an emergency setting is covered. That means that if a person with an average knowledge of health and medicine went to an emergency room because they reasonably believed their symptoms required immediate medical attention, insurers should pay hospitals for that care, regardless of the outcome.

But UMMS alleges that Maryland Physicians Care instead relies on its internal system, called the “Sudden and Serious” list, that automatically approves or denies claims based on diagnosis. The list’s definition of what qualifies as an emergency is more narrow than the prudent layperson standard, the suit says.

It says MPC also regularly denies claims based on the entire medical record of the emergency visit, not the layperson’s initial assessment, which “intentionally ignores” the prudent layperson standard.

As a result,Maryland Physicians Care has improperly denied payment for medical care UMMS provided to more the 15,000 patients, resulting in $15 million in unpaid services, including interest, over the last three years, the lawsuit says.

The suit cites the case where a man was in recovery from a motor vehicle accident who experienced significant abdominal pain. The physician ordered a CT scan for the man’s chest and spine, but Maryland Physicians Care denied payment for the scans, saying the symptoms were not “acute” symptoms of sufficient severity to justify CT scans. UMMS appealed that decision, and a third-party review organization sided with the hospital system.

UMMS also claims that Maryland Physicians Care withheld payment for sustained hospital care, citing the case of a patient with multiple conditions – including a recent stroke, HIV, COVID-19 and sepsis – who was hospitalized for three months. Maryland Physicians Care denied coverage for portions of the hospital stay, “asserting—without any credible clinical basis—that the patient could have been safely discharged,” according to the complaint.

UMMS said denials extended to even “the most fragile newborns,” pointing to an infant born three months prematurely, who weighed about a pound and had been exposed to fentanyl and cocaine in utero. The infant had significant medical need due to “extreme respiratory distress, recurrent apnea, severe feeding intolerance, and numerous other comorbidities associated with extreme prematurity,” the suit said.

“It is hard to conceive of a patient more in need of, and deserving of, intense clinical intervention. And yet, MPC denied significant portions of her treatment—questioning the need for care even during the height of her clinical instability,” the complaint says.

But Rottman said Maryland Physicians Care adheres to state and federal laws for claims.

“Maryland Physicians Care … is committed to the highest standards of integrity and compliance in administering health benefits since 1997 on behalf of our partner, the Maryland Department of Health,” Rottman’s statement said.

“We strictly adhere to all state and federal rules and guidelines as our policies and procedures are regularly reviewed by the MD Department of Health as well as national accrediting bodies,” his statement said. “The rigorous reviews consistently confirm that we meet regulatory requirements.”

by Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
June 18, 2025

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University Regents Approve Fiscal 2026 Budget that Cuts Spending, Raises Tuition and Fees

June 17, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

The University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents voted Friday to approve a fiscal 2026 budget that is 7% smaller than last year’s allocation, as well as tuition increases of up to 5% and fee hikes up to 10%.

The almost $8 billion budget, already approved by Gov. Wes Moore and the General Assembly, will trim operating costs while aiming to increase revenue to make up for $155 million in reduced funding. These reductions follow an almost 4% cut to the University System last year.

“At this extraordinary time, our universities must make some difficult decisions as they close their budget gaps,” University System Chancellor Jay Perman said Friday.

On Thursday, Perman took the unusual step of sending a video message to more than 40,000 faculty and staff members across the system, apologizing for the coming budget cuts but telling staff to brace for them. He replayed that video for the board on Friday.

While university administrators will first seek to generate new revenue and will protect employees from cuts as much as possible, the “sheer size of the cut we’re absorbing means that, for some universities, personnel actions cannot be taken off the table,” Perman said in the video.

At their previous meeting in May, the regents approved a resolution that allows presidents of individual campuses to implement furloughs and temporary salary reductions as part of their budget plans.

Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Ellen Herbst said 60% of the system’s operating costs are personnel-related. Two-thirds of the system’s employees are funded by state support, Herbst said, while about a quarter are funded by federal grants and contracts.

She said though universities are looking to low-impact actions to address personnel costs first, such as eliminating vacancies and allowing “natural attrition” to reduce payrolls, those actions alone may not be enough.

“We will take these actions with great care, but we will need to take some further actions,” Herbst said. “We cannot address the shortfall in state funding without addressing personnel costs.”

Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland Council 3, which represents more than 6,000 University System employees, said the union and system need to work together to defend their shared values and protect employees as they face “very real and critical threats.” Moran said the system must evaluate its use of costly vendors, reduce reliance on contractual employees, and listen to feedback from staff on how things can be better run.

“All of these things can be done before deciding to make devastating cuts to your personnel, especially those on the front lines,” he said.

Katherine Wasdin, a representative of the University of Maryland, College Park’s American Association of University Professors chapter, expressed the importance of shared governance as the system makes its budget decisions.

“Faculty and university senates must be involved in making these difficult budgetary decisions, as well as in how to respond to changing federal policies on education and research,” Wasdin, an associate professor of classics, said. “It is thus imperative that all parts of the USM system promote the involvement of faculty in university management, rather than trying to thwart it.”

Under the budget plan, the University System will receive 29% of its funding from state appropriations, while 27% will come from tuition and fees. The next largest contribution comes from restricted funds, which consist mostly of federal contracts and grants, and will cover about 24% of the budget.

In addition to the reduction in state funding, the system estimates that the federal government’s significant cuts to research grants and contracts could cost up to $150 million across its campuses, Herbst said.

To increase revenue to offset the losses in funding, tuition will increase across the system by 2-4% for in-state residents. The University of Maryland, College Park will see the highest increase at 4%, while the rest will see increases of 3% or less.

Tuition for nonresident undergrads will increase by 5% at Towson and UMBC, and 2% at the system’s other institutions.

Student fees, such as housing, dining and parking, will see bigger increases. Housing will see increases from 2% at Towson to 10% at Bowie State University, while board fee increases range from 2.2% at Salisbury University to 10.5% at College Park.

Bowie State University and the College Park campus will also raise parking fees by 3.8% and 5%, respectively.

The regents also voted Friday to approve extending the University of Maryland Global Campus’s contract with UMGC Ventures, the university’s former in-house information technology services unit which it turned into an independent business.

The online university will spend $69 million on the 18-month contract extension while it works to reintegrate Ventures and AccelerEd, a subsidiary of Ventures, back into the university. The reintegration comes after an August 2024 audit from the state’s Office of Legislative Audits that found the spin-offs were too costly and appeared to bypass the school’s normal procedures.

Herbst said that staff across the University System are continuously drawing up contingency plans for budget scenarios they could face later in the year, such as lower-than-expected enrollment, further federal funding cuts or change to eligibility for federal financial aid.

Pell Grants, the system’s largest source of financial aid, covered more than $204 million in aid for about 45,000 students in fiscal 2024. More than 58,000 students in total received some form of federal student aid, Herbst added, and any significant eligibility changes could potentially impact enrollment numbers.

“All we know for sure about budgets is they’re simply a plan, and then the year starts and we have to actually manage,” she said. “This year will probably prove to be more challenging than many.”

by Sam Gauntt, Maryland Matters
June 13, 2025

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Amid High Energy Bills, Moore Touts $19 Million in Ratepayer Relief From Exelon

June 14, 2025 by Maryland Matters 1 Comment

Gov. Wes Moore (D), in Annapolis Thursday, touts a $19 million donation from Exelon to help low- and middle-income ratepayers hit by steadily rising power bills. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)

The parent company of BGE, Pepco and Delmarva Power will distribute $19 million to help its low- and middle-income customers in Maryland pay their bills, as rates continue to rise, it announced Thursday.

Exelon’s one-time donation to its Customer Relief Fund will be split between local nonprofits to actually distribute to customers in need. It’s part of a larger $50 million Exelon donation spread out between the states the company serves.

During an event Thursday at the Salvation Army of Annapolis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) cheered the Exelon program and added that he hopes to take future steps regarding climbing energy costs.

“This is not a final step, but it’s an important continuation of the work that we are doing to provide relief to Marylanders who need it the most,” Moore said. “Maryland is ready to lead the country in what it means to put our people first.”

Consumer advocates welcomed the announcement, but put it in perspective.

“It’s welcome news that the Exelon Corp. is donating $19 million to direct relief for Maryland ratepayers. But let’s not forget that Exelon and its subsidiaries have been driving affordability problems in the first place through relentless rate hikes,” said Emily Scarr, a senior advisor for the nonprofit Maryland PIRG, which advocates for ratepayers.

She argued that Exelon’s rate hikes, outpacing inflation, have led to “massive profits and unaffordable home heating and cooling.”

In a news release announcing the program, Exelon President and CEO Calvin Butler blamed the high energy bills on “increased supply costs.”

“The Customer Relief Fund, in addition to our existing year-round programs supporting customers with energy assistance, once again demonstrates Exelon’s commitment to our communities,” Butler’s statement said. “We continue to work with federal, state and local officials to develop long-term solutions that ensure customers affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.”

The moves come as Maryland ratepayers brace for the latest blow to their monthly utility bills.

In the coming months, customers will feel the effects of a record-setting energy capacity auction at PJM Interconnection, which operates the electricity grid serving Maryland, Washington D.C. and a dozen other states.

As a result of the auction, in the year beginning June 1, utilities and retail suppliers of energy will pay $14.7 billion for electric capacity, a jump from the $2.2 billion the previous year — which will flow down to consumers.

Some are blaming PJM for botching the auction by failing to accurately evaluate the amount of power already available, driging up costs. They also say its policies have constrained supply at a time of increasing demand, by preventing renewable energy from coming online quickly.

Moore, standing beside BGE and Pepco officials during his remarks, zeroed in on PJM.

“It is unacceptable that inefficient and outdated processes at PJM are leading to bill increases — not just in Maryland, but across all 13 states and D.C.,” he said.

But ratepayer advocates argue that utility companies, including Exelon, have contributed to the energy affordability crisis as well, in part because of overzealous infrastructure spending.

They point to the “distribution” charges on electric bills, which fund substations, poles, wires, trucks and other equipment for their local utility. Between 2010 and 2024, the distribution rates for Exelon utilities Delmarva Power and Pepco more than doubled, well outpacing the rate of inflation; by comparison, Potomac Edison rates increased with inflation, according to a June report from the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel.

Whatever the cause, prices keep rising, and customers keep falling farther behind: At BGE, for example, residential customers were recently $171 million in arrears, compared to $97 million just last June.

At Thursday’s event in Annapolis, BGE CEO Tamla Olivier said that addressing the high energy burden in Maryland will require participation from a number of stakeholders.

“We’re not going to be able to solve this as a utility, the state alone or competitive markets alone. It will take all of us together to make sure we are serving the needs of our customers,” Olivier said.

United Way of Central Maryland will administer $15 million of Exelon’s Customer Relief Fund for BGE customers, and the Salvation Army will administer $2.5 million for Pepco customers. Delmarva Power customers will receive $1.5 million, distributed by the Harford Community Action Agency, Shore UP! and the Salvation Army.

Eligibility requirements and distribution methods will differ from utility to utility, said Exelon’s news release, which encouraged customers to visit their local utility’s website for more details. It said eligible customers “may see as much as several hundred dollars in relief.”

Franklyn Baker, president and CEO of the United Way of Central Maryland, said energy bills have been a frequent source of calls to its 211 hotline for assistance with food, health care, rent or mortgage, utility or other bills, and child care.

“We continue to see a rise in the number of calls to 211 related to energy assistance,” Baker said. “And especially as summer heat intensifies everyday costs rise, and the cost of utilities will be a burden that many in our community will not be able to carry, including some — listen to this — who have never applied for assistance before.”

Maryland electric customers can expect to pay anywhere from an extra $4 to $18 a month, according to the Office of People’s Counsel report. It said SMECO customers will see increases starting June 1, while Pepco and Delmarva Power customers will see bills go up in August and Potomac Edison customers will get hit in their October bills.

The Exelon fund is not the only effort to shave costs for customers. The Maryland Public Service Commission recently ordered BGE to spread its costs increases over several months to blunt the impact.

And state lawmakers in the last legislative session tapped a renewable energy fund for $200 million, which will be used top give credit directly to ratepayers. The one-time payments are expected to average $80, split between a bill in the summer and another in the winter.

The rebate was part of a larger package of energy reforms, which also created a “fast-track” permit process at the PSC for new power generation and battery energy storage technology.

Moore, who who signed the bill in May, said that the newly announced $19 million “goes hand in hand” with the legislature’s rebate.

But in response to a question from a reporter, Moore said that lawmakers “didn’t go far enough” to incentivize new power generation, noting that a bill that his administration introduced, to boost nuclear power in the state, did not advance.

“We introduced legislation this year that would have allowed more nuclear into the state, that would have allowed nuclear to be seen as a clean energy source, which it is,” Moore said. “I’m proud of the work we did in partnership with the legislature, but I want to be crystal clear: It did not go far enough.”

by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters
June 13, 2025

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Chesapeake Bay Health Downgraded To a ‘C’ in This Year’s Report Card

June 12, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Heath Kelsey of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science speaks at the release of the 2025 Chesapeake Bay report card, which gave the estuary a “C” grade. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)

Last year’s weather didn’t treat the Chesapeake Bay too kindly, if you ask Bill Dennison. “It was too wet, and then it was too dry — and always too hot,” said Dennison, the vice president for science applications at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

Those conditions are part of the reason the bay got a “C” on this year’s UMCES report card, down from last year’s all-time high grade of “C+.”

“The crops didn’t have enough water, so they were not soaking up nutrients,” Dennison said at Tuesday’s release of the report card. “So when it did rain, there were excess nutrients washing into the bay.”

A number of factors contribute to the score, including measurements of aquatic grass growth, water clarity, and harmful nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, which run off from fertilizers and sewage treatment plants, among other sources. Excess nutrents spur the growth of algae, which suck oxygen from the water as they die, creating “dead zones” that kill off underwater life.

Though this year’s score dropped, Dennison and others were quick to point out that the overall trajectory of the bay is more positive. Of 15 bay regions identified in the report only one has seen a declining trend dating back to the 1980s: the Upper Eastern Shore, which includes the Chester River. Six regions are improving, including Baltimore’s Back and Patapsco rivers, and the rest are holding steady, said Heath Kelsey, director of the Integration and Application Network at UMCES.

Kelsey said the bay has faced “lots of development, lots of population moving in, lots more traffic and impervious surface — and climate change is adding to that, too. But nevertheless, over time, whatever we’re doing is making a difference.”

The view from the Annapolis Maritime Museum, which hosted Tuesday’s unveiling of the latest Chesapeake Bay report card. (Photo by Christine Condon/ Maryland Matters)

Yet bay states have fallen short of their 2014 pledges for nutrient reduction: By 2024, according to computer models, nitrogen reduction hit 59% of the goal and phosphorous reduction achieved 92% in the six states, plus Washington, D.C., in the bay watershed. They did meet other goals by that year, including reduced sediment runoff.

Early gains came, in part, from outfitting wastewater treatment plants with enhanced technology so they discharge fewer nutrients. But slowing pollution from what are known as “non-point” sources, such as stormwater runoff from cities and farm fields alike, has been more difficult.

The bay has also responded to the estimated reductions more slowly than expected. From 1985 to 1987, 26.5% of the bay’s tidal waters met water quality standards, according to ChesapeakeProgress, an online resource from the Chesapeake Bay Program. In the most recent assessment, between 2020 and 2022, 29.8% of the bay met those same standards. The numbers have declined steadily since a high point of 42.2% from 2015 to 2017.

A 2023 report from the Bay Program’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee laid out some reasons for the slow improvement. Computer modeling could be overestimating nutrient reductions, the report said. It also called for increased adoption of non-point pollution reduction measures, and urged governments to consider programs that reward farmers and other landowners based on the success of conservation practices, rather than awarding funds to implement a practice, regardless of the pollution-reduction outcome.

Officials have been drafting a revised bay agreement, with new goals for the states, that could be released for public comment next month, pending a vote from a Chesapeake Bay Program committee.

‘Chaos on the hour’

Meanwhile, cuts — some proposed and others realized — to federal agencies by the Trump administration are adding fresh uncertainty to bay restoration efforts.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), who appeared via video for Tuesday’s event, said Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin publicly assured him that cuts would not be proposed for the Chesapeake Bay Program, the EPA-led office that leads the bay cleanup effort.

It’s a change from Trump’s first administration, when the president repeatedly proposed cutting the Bay Program’s funding, or zeroing it out altogether, though he was denied by Congress.

“That’s good news, but we know that that’s not the only program important to the health of the bay, which is why we’ll push back against the administration’s efforts to cut other key environmental programs,” Van Hollen said.

Bill Dennison, of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, speaks at the release of the 2025 Chesapeake Bay report card. The bay got a “C” this year. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget would slash billions from the EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Agriculture, potentially hampering funding for improvements at sewage treatment plants, scientists that study bay wildlife and programs that assist farmers with conservation practices, according to a May news release from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

“It’s chaos on the hour,” Bay Foundation President and CEO Hilary Harp Falk said Tuesday. “We have seen some slightly positive news in the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program getting full funding in the president’s proposed budget, but what we’re also seeing is major cuts to NOAA and major cuts to USGS, including bedrock scientific programs.

“You can’t just pull half of those federal agencies out and expect to have results,” she said.

To Dennison, some of the biggest changes so far have been departures of senior USGS scientists, who focused on monitoring conditions in the bay watershed. Some of them opted for the early retirement plan offered by the administration in order to thin the federal bureaucracy, Dennison said.

At UMCES, officials are also concerned about Trump administration attempts to limit the amount of grant funding that universities can use for overhead, Dennison said.

“We’re doing a lot of the doomsday list-making,” he said, but added that the institution is also trying to keep a level head.

“I think it’s important not to freak out,” Dennison said. “Let’s keep our head down, doing good work. And then, when we’re really confronted with the challenge, we’ll deal with it. But for right now, what we hear is being proposed doesn’t often end up being the reality.”

Despite tough state budget conditions, Maryland officials are trying to plug holes left by the federal government, said Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz.

In remarks on Tuesday, Kurtz cited the recently passed Chesapeake Legacy Act, which will, in part, let DNR incorporate water quality data collected by community groups such as riverkeepers — potentially filling in gaps caused by federal cuts.

That bill may have been aided by its small price tag: It allocates about $500,000 for a new certification program for conservation-minded farmers.

Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz at the release of the 2025 Chesapeake Bay report card from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. (Photo by Christine Condon/Maryland Matters)

Kurtz also cited a 2024 law, the Whole Watershed Act, which funds targeted water quality assistance for five communities.

“Where there are things that we’re going to lose, I think we are well-positioned as a state because of the strength of the partnership, to be able to keep that scientific understanding going,” Kurtz said.

A bay restoration ‘enigma’

Dennison said scientists at UMCES have been zeroing in on the Upper Shore, the only region with a declining water quality trend in the center’s report card.

He said the problem is a bit of an “enigma” in an area where a solid number of farmers are using cover crops to prevent erosion between growing seasons, and a significant amount of nutrient-laden poultry litter from area chicken houses is trucked to the Western Shore instead of being spread as fertilizer to Eastern Shore farm fields.

Scientists have a few hypotheses, including that the Upper Shore’s flat elevatio could cause the slow groundwater circulation in the area, which could be delaying observations of progress.

“We’ve put into practice some of these things that we’re seeing positive responses to elsewhere, but they’re slower on the Eastern Shore because it’s such a flat [area with] poorly drained soils. It’s just taken a while for that to happen,” Dennison said.

He said the center will host a series of workshops on the Shore later this month, in collaboration with the Delmarva Land and Litter Collaborative, focused on environmental practices in chicken houses, bringing in farmers and poultry companies.

“We don’t really understand why it’s uniquely degraded, whereas everywhere else in the bay is holding steady or improving, so we’re trying to get at that, but we’re doing it in partnership with the farming community,” Dennison said.

by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters
June 10, 2025

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Embattled DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi Steps Down

June 11, 2025 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Vincent Schiraldi, whose two years as secretary of the troubled Maryland Department of Juvenile Services were marked by heavy criticism from some state lawmakers, resigned Monday.

Critics called the move long overdue but Schiraldi, 66, said in an interview Monday evening that he’s pleased with the work he and his team did under the leadership of Gov. Wes Moore (D).

“It was a real honor working with Gov. Moore,” he said. “I wish him luck as he continues to drive down crime and improve outcomes for young people. His efforts to abolish childhood poverty will reap benefits, not only for kids, but also they’ll improve crime rates even further than they already are.”

Moore announced Schiraldi’s replacement will be Besty Fox Tolentino, who will assume the acting secretary position Wednesday. She currently works as managing director of juvenile and young adult justice initiatives at The Roca Impact Institute, a nonprofit based in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

“We knew when we took office that the Department of Juveniles Services was one of the most troubled in all of State government. We need to continue to move fast and diligently in order to turn it around,” Moore said in a statement.

“I am pleased that Betsy Fox Tolentino has raised her hand to serve and will lead the department during the next critical phase of this work,” his statement said. “Her focus on safety for all communities is defined by executional excellence, accountability for justice-involved youth, support for the staff who serve them, and sturdy grounding in the law is exactly what we need at this moment.”

Before working at The Roca Institure, Fox Tolentino worked in juvenile services in Maryland as deputy secretary of community operations, a position created by the General Assembly in 2021.

“I am thankful for Secretary Schiraldi’s service to Maryland while leading an organization that shapes the lives of our young people who need support. I wish him well in his next endeavors,” Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said in a statement. “I also want to congratulate Betsy Tolentino on her nomination as secretary. Ms. Tolentino’s experience in successful operations at the Department of Juvenile Services will be important to the next phase of the work for the agency.”

‘Long overdue’

Senate Republicans believe Schiraldi’s departure is “long overdue,” saying in a written statement that under Schiraldi’s leadership, “a broken system became a public safety liability.”

“He presided over widespread failures: violent juveniles released with no real supervision, repeated contract mismanagement, dangerous missteps in ankle monitoring, and frontline staff left to fend for themselves,” Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) said in the statement.

Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) criticized Moore for not removing him sooner, saying that while the change in leadership is welcome, it “doesn’t erase the damage already done under Schiraldi—or the fact that the Governor stood by while this department fell deeper into crisis.”

The Senate Republicans that the department Schiraldi leaves behind “remains in disarray,” and that disfunction at the agency are “deeply embedded in a culture of mismanagement and denial.”

“Removing Schiraldi is just step one,” Hershey added. “We need a full overhaul of the department — new leadership, real operational experience, a commitment to public safety, and above all, accountability.”

The juvenile services department has been mired in controversies under Schiraldi. Most recently, the agency was the subject of a lengthy report from state auditors who said the department failed to consistently ensure that criminal background checks were completed for every contractor working at state juvenile detention centers and treatment facilities.

This oversight allowed a state contractor for the department to work directly with children through this year, despite a 2021 assault conviction, according to a May report from the Office of Legislative Audits.

Schiraldi’s department also came under fire over last year over inadequate communications involving the transfer of a student who was charged with serious criminal offenses.

Last year, the Maryland State Board of Education had to issue an emergency rule requiring that school leaders notify other schools of such cases, after a student in Howard County was arrested in connection with an October murder. Howard County education officials said that they were not notified that the student in question had also had been charged in another county and was under Department of Juvenile Services supervision before he enrolled in their county.

The General Assembly’s Joint Republican Caucus had called for Schiraldi’s removal following that incident. Moore stood by Schiraldi then, saying that the secretary understood the vision of the administration when it came to accountability and opportunities for Maryland’s youth.

Schiraldi said when some lawmakers speak loudly against some criminal justice reform measures, “watch out.”

“I think when you hear some politicians thumping their chests and breathing fire … that’s when bad policy happens, and that’s when lots and lots and lots of young Black men get incarcerated,” he said. “That is the story of mass incarceration, and if we’re not careful, we will relive that history.”

Fishing and hiking

Schiraldi has highlighted several accomplishments during his tenure with the agency such as the creation of the Thrive Academy. The program that began in 2023 in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to provide community-based, gun-violence prevention programs for youth at the highest risk of being a victim or perpetrator of gun violence.

By July 1 of last year, it had expanded to 300 youths statewide.

In terms of staffing, Schiraldi told the Senate committee in January the job vacancy rate at the department decreased from 16% when he arrived to 11% during that time.

Schiraldi spent several decades in criminal justice and youth reform. He was director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services in Washington, D.C.; a senior criminal justice adviser to former New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (D); a leader of the New York City Department of Corrections during which he tried to close the notorious Rikers Island jail complex and end solitary confinement; and senior researcher at the Columbia School of Social Work.

“Vinny Schiraldi brought decades of experience and innovative thinking to the task of running the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services,” Moore’s statement said. “He put immense energy and effort into his work and moved important new efforts forward – to include the award-winning Thrive Academy – and we thank him for his service.”

Schiraldi, who said his work extends 45 years, plans to relax this summer fishing and hiking with his wife in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. He declined to say what his plans are in the fall, but he isn’t going to retire.

“Folks have been knocking on my door,” he said. “I got a lot of things that I’m considering, but I haven’t made any commitments to people yet, so I can’t announce it. I’ll be fighting mass incarceration again like I always have.”

by William J. Ford and Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
June 9, 2025

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

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