State Roundup: Senate Democratic leaders introduce Covid policy package
State House in snow (Photo by Matt Proud)
SENATE DEM LEADERS INTRODUCE COVID POLICY PACKAGE: Senate Democratic leaders Wednesday outlined the framework of a legislative package aimed at addressing a myriad of challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the proposals are currently before the General Assembly. They include establishing a public health job corps made up of unemployed Marylanders that would be put to work performing COVID-related tasks such as contact tracing, improving vaccine distribution metrics and expanding of telehealth services and testing and contact tracing operations, among others, writes Bryan Renbaum for Maryland Reporter.
State Roundup: Sun to be sold to nonprofit; Van Hollen, state lawmakers urge action on housing crisis
SUN SET TO RETURN TO LOCAL HANDS: Returning The Baltimore Sun to Maryland hands, the state’s largest newspaper and its affiliates are poised to be acquired by a nonprofit formed by businessman and philanthropist Stewart Bainum Jr. that would operate the media organization for the benefit of the community. The sale would be part of a $630 million deal announced late Tuesday for Alden Global Capital to acquire full control of Tribune Publishing, Christopher Dinsmore of the Sun reports.
WHO IS STEWART BAINUM? The Baltimore Sun is poised to be acquired by a nonprofit founded last month by Stewart Bainum Jr., a Montgomery County-raised business owner who has also been active in Maryland politics and philanthropy, John O’Connor of the Sun reports. The acquisition would include The Sun, The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, the Carroll County Times and other community newspapers in the Ba
State Roundup: Hogan signs $1.2 billion relief bill; funds target hard hit Marylanders, businesses
It was a bipartisan thumbs up at Monday s signing of the $1.2 billion relief package. From left: At the desk were Senate President Bill Ferguson, Gov. Larry Hogan and House Speaker Adrienne Jones. Behind them, from left, were House Minority Leader Nic Kipke, House Majority Leader Eric Luedtke, Senate Budget & Tax Chair Guy Guzzone and Senate Minority Leader Bryan Simonaire. Governor s Office photo
HOGAN SIGNS $1.2B RELIEF ACT: When Gov. Larry Hogan put pen to paper on Monday afternoon and signed the RELIEF Act into law, he triggered a series of maneuvers that will enable hundreds of thousands of state residents to get stimulus payments and many businesses to get tax breaks, Pamela Wood of the Sun reports.
State Roundup: Maryland speeds up vaccination timeline, but for many health care workers, 2nd doses prove elusive
State House in snow (Photo by Matt Proud)
STATE SPEEDS UP VACCINE TIMELINE BUT 2
nd DOSES ELUSIVE: Maryland is speeding up its vaccination timeline, following the lead of other states and recommendations from federal officials as the surge of deaths and hospitalizations in the U.S. associated with COVID-19 continues. As of Monday, hospitalized people with certain medical conditions placing them at greater risk of a severe COVID-19 case are eligible for vaccination, McKenna Oxenden and Hallie Miller report in the Sun.
Hospitals across the state are reporting difficulties in getting enough vaccines to provide second doses to health care workers in the highest priority categories, according to state officials. The news comes as federal officials in the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House COVID-19 Response Team advised states Monday to not withh
Over 2,400 people got vaccinated at Howard Community College Saturday. MarylandReporter.com photo
COVID VARIANT FOUND IN MARYLAND: The new, highly transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has emerged in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Saturday, marking the second state to report a confirmed case of the mutated virus, report Derek Hawkins, Miriam Berger and Meryl Kornfield for the Post.
STATE LAUNCHES GoVAX CAMPAIGN: Pointing to a brighter future with fans at Baltimore Orioles games, backyard cookouts and family visits, community and political leaders launched Maryland’s “GoVAX” campaign Friday to convince people to get the coronavirus vaccine, Emily Opilo and Pamela Wood report in the Sun.