Maryland
What’s on Maryland lawmakers’ deadline day to-do list
Maryland lawmakers, like many of the rest of us, are motivated by deadlines, and a major one comes at midnight.
Monday is the 69th day of the General Assembly’s 90-day session. Known as Crossover Day, it’s the deadline for bills to pass one chamber — the Senate or the House of Delegates — and cross over to the other for the best chance of full passage.
This being politics, exceptions can always be made for a late-emerging, high-priority issue. But most bills that fail to make the crossover deadline will be left in the legislative dust for the year.
Senators and delegates have spent long hours in session over the past week, advancing hundreds of bills. During multiple hours’ worth of sessions Saturday, the House of Delegates churned through long lists of bills, fueled by pizza that was brought into the delegates lounge.
So which of the 2,653 bills and 16 resolutions are charging ahead, and which ones are hanging in the balance? Here’s a quick rundown.
Fighting federal immigration enforcement
Even though state lawmakers have limited ability to respond to ramped-up federal immigration enforcement, Democrats are floating seemingly every option possible.
They have already passed a law banning local jails from having formal cooperation agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gov. Wes Moore signed that law a month ago.
Since then, lawmakers have considered a raft of actions, though none has yet fully passed.
They include measures to protect noncitizens from enforcement at sensitive locations such as hospitals, prevent personal data from being used for enforcement, and require state and local law enforcement to document federal immigration enforcement.
Lawmakers also are considering bills to require local zoning approval for private detention facilities, and to set standards and oversight for conditions in those centers.
Attacking energy issues
The House of Delagates approved a bill on energy policy that cobbles together multiple ideas — including about $150 annual savings on electric bills — last week. It’s expected to be considered in the Senate after the crossover deadline.
The bill would also require data centers to submit plans showing how they would employ local labor and use battery storage to lessen their impact on the electric grid.
Senate Democratic leaders and Moore are on board with the plan, so the bill shouldn’t face trouble reaching final passage before the end of session.
The bill is called the Utility RELIEF Act, with RELIEF standing for Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families.
$70B budget moving forward
The Senate signed off on a roughly $70 billion state budget last week, sending it to the House of Delegates, where it will be debated this week.
There are no tax or fee increases in the budget, though it includes more than $1 billion of spending cuts and fund shifts to cover a gap between revenue coming in and anticipated spending.
Among the most difficult cuts is $127 million sliced from the Developmental Disabilities Administration, which is slightly less than the governor’s original proposal of a $150 million spending cut.
Senate President Bill Ferguson noted that this is the fastest the budget has moved — at least since the coronavirus pandemic-shortened session in 2020.
“This is something that we really wanted to make sure that we got the Senate product done early, so that we wouldn’t have this at the end of session,” said Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat. “So we could deal with all of the other issues.”
Criminal and juvenile justice reforms
Lawmakers have advanced a bill to ban the sale of Glock handguns and facsimiles because their trigger design allows them to be easily converted into machine guns.
And, on juvenile justice, they are working to reduce the list of crimes for which minors are automatically charged as adults.
Lawmakers are also advancing a version of a bill intended to push the state to carry out plans to build a prerelease and reentry center for incarcerated women. The version in the Senate removes a requirement to put the facility in Baltimore, raising concerns among some advocates.
Lawmakers have yet to vote on a bill that would reform the process through which people can seek criminal charges through a district court commissioner with no input from police or prosecutors. A Baltimore Banner investigation documented how the process can be easily abused.
Foster care improvements
The House of Delegates approved three bills Saturday aimed at improving the troubled foster care system, including creating a foster care ombudsman and banning the state from placing foster children in hotels or keeping them in hospitals when not medically necessary.
One of the bills is called Kanaiyah’s Law for Kanaiyah Ward, a 16-year-old girl who died by suicide last fall in a Baltimore hotel where she was supposed to receive one-on-one supervision.
House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk praised delegates for their unanimous votes on the bills.
“When you go home, each and every one of you has to feel proud of these three bills that just passed, because they are really important,” she said.
Governor’s priorities
Most of the Democratic governor’s priorities are moving forward in some fashion, including legislation to limit grocery stores from rapidly changing prices for different customers, facilitate housing construction around mass transit stops, promote economic development and set a process for the state health secretary to make vaccine recommendations.
Moore put forward a bill on energy policy, which is not moving, but he was involved in developing the larger energy bill.
Symbols and commemorations
The House of Delegates is moving forward with a bill to designate megadolon as the state shark.
Another bill is progressing in the House that would require the governor to proclaim January as Muslim American Heritage Month and May as Jewish American Heritage Month.
The House is also advancing legislation banning state and local governments from using Confederate names on government property such as streets, parks and buildings.
The Senate, meanwhile, passed a bill setting Jan. 13 as Korean American Day and another designating the Natural History Society of Maryland as the state’s natural sciences museum.
Redrawing congressional districts
A hot issue early in the session was whether to redraw Maryland’s congressional district boundaries to give Democrats a chance at a sweep of all eight seats in this fall’s election. The state currently has one Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Moore championed the plan, which sailed through the House of Delegates before stalling in the Senate. The proposed map has remained parked in the Senate Rules Committee, where it’s expected to stay.
Moore’s team floated the idea that it was working on a “Plan B” for redistricting — possibly pushing a new map for the 2028 election — but nothing has been put forward publicly.
Next steps
After the crossover deadline, lawmakers have three weeks to finalize the bills they intend to send to the governor. Each bill must be approved in the exact form by both the House and the Senate by midnight April 13, and the final days can be marked by wrangling over fine details.
If lawmakers fear Moore will veto any bills, they could present them to the governor early to give themselves time for veto override votes. Typically, veto overrides are taken up in the next scheduled legislative session. There is no session planned before the election.
:format(url)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/FX3DMTXIW5C73H5VELQTREZ6EI.jpg?w=400&resize=400,240&ssl=1 "Maryland doubles down on science of reading with new literacy plan")
:format(url)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/FX3DMTXIW5C73H5VELQTREZ6EI.jpg?w=80&resize=80,80&ssl=1 "Maryland doubles down on science of reading with new literacy plan")
11 Delaware restaurants earn 2026 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award
Eleven Delaware restaurants earned Wine Spectator honors that named them the best dining destinations for wine lovers.
When it comes to wineries, people residing in or visiting Sussex County have the most in-state options.
But though Delaware has few such destinations within its borders, a slew of wineries nearby across state lines provide easy access and opportunity for those seeking a relaxing atmosphere and perhaps some music and food to accompany their liquid delights from the vineyard.
Northern Delaware residents, especially those in the Newark area and suburbs north of Wilmington, are particularly fortunate because of the numerous options available in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and Cecil County, Maryland.
But Sussex County gets to lead off this list of local wineries, because nobody needs to leave the state to get there.
Salted Vines Vineyard
Adrian Mobilia’s vineyard roots go deep, stretching four generations back to Italy, and more recently to his family’s vineyard in northeastern Pennsylvania. He’s planting another legacy in Delaware, first at Fenwick Wine Cellars and now at Salted Vines in Frankford since 2016. The name stems from the winery’s location near the sea and bays, as salty ocean air wafts across the grapes.
Mobilia and his wife, Jessica, slowly plant their 26-acre plot in Frankford at an acre a year. So far, that includes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and Italian vermentino grapes, with chardonnay and pinot noir soon to follow.
A summer concert series is among the winery’s many attractions.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday: noon to 6 p.m.; Friday: noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday: noon to 7 p.m.
Address: 32512 Blackwater Road, Frankford, Delaware
Website: saltedvines.com
Twin Branch Winery
Twin Branch is the newest winery in Delaware, founded in 2023. But it already may be one of the most famous, after appearing on New Jersey psychic Theresa Caputo’s Lifetime show, “Raising Spirits.”
The vineyard planted its first grapes in 2013, but Twin Branch didn’t open to the public until April of 2023, hosting weddings and weekly live music and plenty of tasters.
Food trucks also stop by the vineyard to offer tasty bites alongside smooth wine, often with musical accompaniment.
Hours: Wednesday to Thursday: 3 to 9 p.m.; Friday to Saturday: noon to 9 p.m.; Sunday: noon to 6 p.m.
Address: 14756 Twin Branch Road, Milton, Delaware
Website: twinbranchwinery.com
Nassau Valley Vineyard
Delaware’s oldest active winery, tucked behind a mini-mall near car detailers and equipment stores, has the character of a sudden green oasis. The vineyards appear as if by surprise, a jumpscare of rusticity with picnic tables placed within shade-rows of trees.
Peg Raley and her father Bob Raley founded the vineyards in 1987 – planting chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot on a family farm outside Lewes. Decades later, the Raleys are the founding family of Delaware grapes.
Hours: Daily: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed Mondays in the off-season). Last call for tastings is 4:30 p.m.
Address: 32165 Winery Way, Lewes, Delaware
Website: nassauvalley.com
Harvest Ridge Winery
The winery, in a rural area along the Mason-Dixon line, straddles the Delaware/Maryland state line on the far western edge of Kent County.
“I always looked at it like Kevin Costner’s ‘Field of Dreams.’ Build it and they will come,” co-owner Chuck Nunan told Delaware Online/The News Journal in 2014.
He and his wife, Chris, founded Harvest Ridge Winery in November 2013, expanding their acreage in 2018 and adding a tasting room in Toughkemon, Pennsylvania, a short drive from Wilmington. Along the way, they founded what they claim is the first modern hard cider brand in Delaware, Rebel Seed.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday: noon to 5 p.m.; Friday to Saturday: noon to 8 p.m.
Address: 447 Westville Road, Marydel, Delaware
Website: harvestridge.wpenginepowered.com
Paradoxc Winery
Just four miles across the Delaware border, Paradoxc offers a particularly wide variety of indoor and outdoor settings, making it a year-round destination.
Especially appealing is the Meadow, bordered by grape vines, where there’s a musical stage and room for as many as 500 visitors on pleasant days. A large selection of reds, whites and specially designated sweets provide plenty of choices for wine drinkers.
Hours: Thursday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: 1833 Flint Hill Road, Landenberg, Pennsylvania.
Website: paradocx.com/
1723 Vineyards
This winery’s name is derived from its location having been chartered as New London Township in 1723, though subsequent re-mapping means it is now in Franklin Township.
More importantly, owners Sarah and Ben Cody’s winery is barely three miles across the Delaware border. They tout their cabernet franc, petit verdot and chambourcin reds and a “go-to” sauvignon blanc among the whites. But there are many tastes to sample, including rosé and sparkling wines.
The tasting room and patio afford views of the vineyards from which the grapes are grown that make those wines.
Hours: Thursday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.’; Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: 5 McMaster Blvd., Landenberg, Pennsylvania.
Website: 1723vineyards.com/
Penns Woods Winery
Founded in 2001 by Italian immigrant and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Gino Razzi, Penns Woods Winery opened its tasting room in 2006. In 2010, Razzi brought his daughter in to help grow the up-and-coming business.
As the winery took off, Razzi and a partner planted a second vineyard site in 2013, and in 2019, expanded to a third location.
Visitors can enjoy vineyard views, wine by the glass and bottle as well as local beer, cider and more in the family- (and dog-) friendly space. Live music is a staple and other events tied in with holidays or other happenings are frequent.
Tasting room hours: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: noon to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: noon to 7 p.m.
Address: 124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Website: pennswoodswinery.com
Chaddsford Winery
Sold recently to a Wilmington real estate developer and his family − who own the New Jersey-based White Horse Winery − Chaddsford Winery is one of Pennsylvania’s oldest and largest wineries.
It was founded in 1982 by innovative winemaker Eric Miller, a California native who once lived in Burgundy and made wine in upstate New York, and his wife, Lee Miller.
The Millers made European-style wines and were among the first locally to produce unoaked chardonnay and produce red wines from northern Italian varietals.
The couple retired and stepped away from the business in 2012. The winery’s most recent owners before last year’s sale were the Petrillo family of New York, who had worked with the Millers.
Among the attractions from May through September are Live on the Lawn outdoor concerts on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m.
Hours: Monday to Thursday: noon to 5 p.m.; Friday to Sunday: noon-6 p.m.
Address: 632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Website: chaddsford.com
Acadian Wine Company
Acadian Wine Company touts drinking wine as “a communal experience,” and certainly provides that opportunity at its picturesque, rural setting well off the main road.
Its tasting room is also adorned with paintings by local artists and offers outdoor seating and vineyard views. Visitors can choose from more than a dozen locally grown wine offerings.
Hours: Thursday 4 to 8 p.m.; Friday 2 to 8 p.m.; Saturday noon to 8 p.m. Sunday noon to 6 p.m; Monday to Wednesday by appointment.
Address: 553 S, Guernsey Road, West Grove, Pennsylvania.
Website: acadianwinecompany.com/
Vala Vineyards
Vala Vineyards is situated on seven hillside acres where both history and grapes emanate from the area’s verdant black mushroom soils.
The land has been owned by the same family since 1928 with the first grapes planted in 1999. Northern Italian and French wine varieties dot the menu’s earthy offerings of small-batch dry table wines.
Hours: Friday noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday to Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
Address: 8822 Gap Newport Pike #41, Avondale, Pennsylvania.
Website: valavineyards.com/
Wayvine Winery & Vineyard Farm
Wayvine’s rural setting in southern Chester County offers visitors vast views of fields covered with 14,000 vines that yield numerous varieties to sample. That can be done sitting outside while listening to musicians or inside the neighboring tasting room. A second tasting room in Kennett Square is also open.
Hours: Thursday 4 to 8 p.m.; Friday 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday noon to 8 p.m. Sunday noon to 6 p.m..
Address: 5150 Forge Road, Nottingham, Pennsylvania.
Website: wayvine.wine/
Casa Carmen Farm and Winery
This pleasant hillside setting is on property long-ago owned by William Penn. It is owned and operated now by brothers Enrique and Felipe Pallares, former polo players turned winemakers, and their families.
Visitors can choose from a large selection of red, white and sparkling wines as well as many vermouths that can be enjoyed with tapas, sandwiches and other food offerings.
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 4 to 8 p.m.; Friday 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturday noon to 9 p.m. Sunday noon to 6 p.m..
Address: 49 Camino Way, West Grove, Pennsylvania.
Website: casacarmenwines.com/
Dove Valley
Harry and Janet Hepbron’s 100-acre farm has produced a vast array of wines since the first vines were planted in 1998. They can be enjoyed on-site outside or in the shade of a large entertainment venue where bands regularly visit and themed festivals are frequently held, such as the Aug. 1 Caribbean Wine Splash.
Hours: Thursday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Address: 645 Harrington Road, Rising Sun, Maryland.
Website: dovevalleywine.com/
Bohemia Manor Winery
Bohemia Manor’s hilltop setting off Route 213 south of Chesapeake City offers spectacular views of the Bohemia River as it flows by. The 22 acres of vines have been producing wine since 2014.
Since 2024, visitors have been able to sample many selections at an on-site restaurant and bar with the option of luxury overnight stays also at the Manor House or Vintner’s Cottage.
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday Noon to 8 p.m.; Sunday Noon to 6 p.m.
Address: 237 Bohemia Manor Farm Lane, Chesapeake City, Maryland.
Website: bohemiamanorwine.com/
Staff reporter Isabel Hughes contributed to this story. Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
Maryland
Dog who called Maryland shelter home for 7 years finally adopted: “There wasn’t a dry eye in the house”
The SPCA of Anne Arundel County announced that their longest running shelter resident has been adopted. Kylo Jace found his forever home after living at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County for 7 years.
The SPCA said on their Facebook page thar Kylo is a dog who “takes many meetings with someone in order to fully trust them and feel comfortable enough to show his true silly, wonderful personality.”
Over the years, he had specific volunteers and staff who had earned his trust and would take turns walking and caring for him day after day, the shelter said.
Over the course of the past 7 months, the woman who adopted Kylo came to visit him twice a week and slowly, but surely, worked her way into his trusted inner circle.
The team at SPCA even worked to ensure Kylo was comfortable getting into his new owner’s car, doing home visits before the big day. On Sunday, he officially left the building that he has spent the past few years in for the final time.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and we truly are on Cloud 9 knowing he gets to spend the rest of his life loved for exactly who he is!” shelter staff said on social media.
Kylo’s adoption fee was fully paid for in memory of Jim Ehrig, a fan favorite of Kylo’s who passed away.
The SPCA hopes Kylo’s story will encourage more people to take a chance on a shelter dog.
Watch Tide to Table of Ocean City’s crew in action in Instagram reel
Instagram reel offers inside look at Tide to Table crew in action. Provided bby Jason Schwinabart, Vision Jet Media.
Vision Jet Media
The results are in for Delmarva Now’s reader poll of the best local ice cream shop on Maryland’s Lower Shore.
The 10 ice cream shops featured in the poll from the Ocean City, Salisbury and Berlin areas are often sought out by beachgoers with a sweet tooth during the hot summer months.
Get to know the winner and runner-up below.
Island Creamery voted best ice cream shop on Lower Shore
Island Creamery finished in first place with 47 votes, or 62.67% of the total, in Delmarva Now’s reader poll.
The creamery, named “Best Ice Cream Place in America” on July 7, 2023, for its use of fresh, quality ingredients and creativity, is best known for unique flavors such as Wallops Rocket Fuel and Rum Raisin.
It operates three locations across the Delmarva Peninsula: 120 N. Main St. in Berlin, 306 Dogwood Drive in Salisbury and 6243 Maddox Blvd. in Chincoteague, Virginia.
Dumser’s Dairyland secures second place in ice cream poll
Dumser’s Dairyland secured second place in Delmarva Now’s reader poll with 16 votes, or 21.33% of the total.
The family-owned business first opened in 1939 and offers a wide variety of fresh ice cream flavors, including coconut chocolate chip, butter pecan and mint Oreo.
Dumser’s Dairyland operates seven locations in Ocean City, including on the Boardwalk, in West Ocean City and along Coastal Highway. Some locations capture the look of a 1950s diner.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
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