Maryland

Advocates renew press to change how legislative vacancies are filled – Maryland Matters

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2 years ago

January 31, 2024

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Advocates renew press to change how legislative vacancies are filled – Maryland Matters

The House of Delegates from the gallery. File Photo by Bruce DePuyt.

Maryland lawmakers this session are again targeting the process by which vacancies in the General Assembly are filled.

Changing the system has been a goal of good government groups including the Maryland Public Interest Group and Common Cause Maryland for several years. Those changes have failed even as the public grows irritated with how appointments are made to fill open seats.

Proponents say the current system ignores voters and must go.

“We’d be joining 28 other states who have figured out how to handle special elections,” said Emily Scarr, director of Maryland Public Interest Research Group. “I’m confident we can figure it out.”

The Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee Tuesday held hearings on two bills that take a crack at changing how vacant legislative seats would be filled in the future.

An October poll conducted by Annapolis-based Gonzales Research and Media Services for Common Cause Maryland and the Maryland PIRG found that 85% of those surveyed favor a special election to fill vacant seats.

Changing the process has the backing of Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City).

There are 188 legislators in the Maryland General Assembly.

Of those now serving in the House and Senate, nearly a quarter were appointed to fill a vacancy.

Many of those who are appointed go on to be elected later. Some were appointed to the House and later appointed to fill another vacancy in the Senate.

Under current law, when a vacancy arises, the central committee of the party that held the seat interviews candidates and recommends a replacement to the governor.

The governor typically — but not always — appoints that candidate to the open seat.

Senate Bill 140, sponsored by Sen. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard and Anne Arundel) would impose rules on how central committees fill future vacancies.

Lam has worked in previous years on bills that would create a special election process for filling vacancies. Those bills passed in the Senate but failed in the House.

“I still believe we need to include special elections in the vacancy process. I also believe that in the meantime, we should ensure the current process is as transparent as possible,” Lam said.

Lam’s bill would require public notice of vacancies and the application and interview process. Candidate interviews and central committee votes would be required to be open to the public. Members of the central committee who apply for the opening must recuse themselves from the vote.

None of the changes carry a cost for the state or local government to implement.

An identical bill is filled in the House.

If passed, the law would take effect later this year.

Senate Bill 29, sponsored by Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee Vice Chair Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery), would replace the current process with a special election.

“I believe that whenever possible, the voters should pick their representatives,” Kagan said.

Under her bill, if the vacancy occurs within the first three years of the term, voters in the district would fill a vacancy through a mail-in special primary and general election.

If the vacancy occurs within the fourth year, central committees would name an initial replacement. That replacement would then have to run for election in the state’s primary election just a few weeks after the legislative session ends.

Kagan’s bill amends the Maryland Constitution. It would require a three-fifths vote in both chambers and approval of voters in November. If approved, the changes would take effect in 2026

If approved, the changes would cost the state an additional $150,000 to conduct a special primary and general election. Local government expenditures for the same elections would increase by about $260,000, according to estimates by legislative analysts.

Scarr said it is “the cost of having a democracy. People have to vote for who represents them. It’s a fundamental thing and if we’re not spending money to ensure that right, what are we doing?”

The bill has the support of Maryland PIRG, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters of Maryland.

“This bill gets us so much closer to our goal of enfranchising voters,” said Nikki Tyree, executive director of the state chapter of the League of Women Voters

Kagan said she planned to offer two amendments.

One deals with what she called a “domino effect” — where a resignation in the Senate results in the appointment of a state delegate thus creating a second vacancy. In those instances, a special election would only be held for the first vacant seat leaving the appointment to the House of Delegates to stand without voter input.

Such a scenario “is too complicated,” Kagan said.

“Instead of a domino, we’re clear there is one special election,” she said. The second opening would be filled by the central committee.

Kagan’s second amendment would exempt interim appointments made in the fourth year from the prohibition on fundraising during session that applies to other lawmakers. Kagan said fundraising would be allowed during a small window near the end of the 90-day legislative session.

“I have a big problem with these folks being able to raise money during session,” said Sen. Ron Watson (D-Prince George’s) who was a delegate when was appointed in 2021 to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of then Sen. Doug Peters. “I think that’s extremely problematic.”

Kagan said those interim appointments would be “disadvantaged” if they could not raise money for an election

Ferguson, who leads the Senate, expressed concerns about the costs of special elections.

“I think cost is a huge issue and I think that’s going to be a big driver of where the committee lands,” he said. “Doing a brand-new mail-in election each time just brings a lot of new costs into the system. Also, unfortunately, leads to a bit of confusion because of the waterfall effect of vacancies, a vacant Senate seat gets replaced by a delegate. That means you have one election for the senator, one election for the delegate in the same district. All of a sudden you could have three elections all in the same year and create some confusion and you have to run three elections which has a real cost to it.”

Ferguson said the same outcome could be achieved by using “existing elections.”

The House is considering a third option sponsored by Del. Linda Foley (D-Montgomery), who herself was appointed in 2021 to fill a vacancy created by the departure of then-Del. Kathleen Dumais for a judgeship.

That bill would allow central committees to continue to fill vacancies. Appointments made in the first two years would face voters for ratification in the presidential election. In the second two years of the term, the appointment would have the option of running in the state election.

That bill is scheduled for a Feb. 6 hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee.

Kagan acknowledged a preference among other lawmakers for the Foley bill. She told her committee she is also drafting a third amendment that would gut her bill and conform it to Foley’s HB 412.

“In my personal opinion it’s not as little d democratic,” said Kagan. “It doesn’t get the voters engaged frequently enough or often enough early enough. It does move the needle. It’s better than our current law and it does allow some voter engagement in a four-year term.”

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Maryland

Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

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1 hour ago

March 4, 2026

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Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Maryland man and his California accomplice both pled guilty to drug trafficking charges involving the concealment of drugs within auto parts at a repair shop, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Authorities reported that Norville Clarke, 56, of Clarksburg, Maryland, and Daniel Cruz, 39, of Los Angeles, California, were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

In 2023, an investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization that was transporting and distributing large quantities of cocaine from California to Maryland.

The investigation began after police seized a parcel containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine that was mailed from Los Angeles with an intended delivery to Clarke’s auto-repair shop in District Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Gwynn Oak man sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for passport fraud, ID theft

During the investigation, Cruz was linked to the narcotics in the parcel, as well as to its source, authorities reported.

In January 2024, postal inspectors, along with other investigators, identified a freight shipment from Los Angeles intended for delivery at Clarke’s auto-repair shop, and officials said surveillance footage showed Cruz dropping off that shipment at a shipping company in California.

After that, authorities observed Cruz traveling to Maryland to track the shipment’s delivery.

Cruz and Clarke were then seen by investigators meeting at the auto-repair shop several days after the shipment occurred.

Investigators tracked the fright shipment to Dulles, Virginia, where authorities executed a search warrant and recovered two automobile transmissions inside, as well as 20 one-kilogram bricks secreted in both transmissions.

Officials reported that laboratory forensic tests confirmed that the bricks were over 16 kilograms of cocaine.

A search warrant was then also executed for Clarke’s District Heights auto-repair shop, Clarke’s Clarksburg residence, and Cruz’s hotel room in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Baltimore man sentenced to over 10 years for gun, ammunition possession as felon

At the auto repair shop, officials recovered 502.4 grams of cocaine, and then at Clarke’s residence, officers found two-kilogram bricks of cocaine and $45,730 in cash.

Furthermore, investigators later found another nine historical freight shipments that resembled the original shipment containing cocaine, which Cruz sent to Clarke’s auto repair shop.

In plea agreements, officials said both defendants agreed to have been involved in possessing around 22 kilograms of cocaine in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Both also face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum life in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release

Cruz’s sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, at 1 p.m., and the sentencing for Clarke is scheduled for Friday, July 24, at 10 a.m.

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Maryland

‘Born to be resilient’; Maryland native living in Israel watches war unfold

Published

13 hours ago

March 4, 2026

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‘Born to be resilient’; Maryland native living in Israel watches war unfold

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — The State Department is securing military planes and charter flights for Americans to return home from the Middle East, officials announced Tuesday.

More than 9,000 people have left over the past few days, including 3,000 from Israel, according to a press release.

However, some Americans are staying put. That includes one young woman who is now living through her second war abroad.

ALSO READ | Middle East expert says uncertain future in Iran could be just as dangerous

“It’s a big decision to move across the world,” Rachel Cone said. She spoke with 7News’ Lianna Golden via Zoom from her home near Jerusalem.

The 28-year-old from Darnestown wasn’t afraid to leave the life she always knew.

“I grew up on a small farm in Montgomery County,” Cone said. “I spent my whole life there, the youngest of four kids, spent most of my life riding horses all around the DMV.”

Soon after college, she found her calling.

I decided to fulfill that dream, really live a Jewish life in the Jewish homeland.

Cone moved to Israel only six months before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. So when she heard the sirens go off on Saturday morning after the joint attack on Iran, waking up to an emergency alert on her phone, she knew what was coming next.

“It was saying like, hey, this is your warning. The attack is starting. Go make sure you’re in your safe space.”

She says the sirens sound very often.

“A lot, a lot. I don’t know how many; there’s been a lot,” Cone explained.

The DMV native said she’s learned to stay calm in chaos, even when others are afraid.

Today I had to go to the grocery store. It wasn’t like I was doing anything crazy. There’s a siren – OK, all of a sudden you have a bunch of people all together, a bunch of strangers, and yeah, some people panic. Some people are calm. Some stranger you’ve never met is telling everyone hey it’s okay, calm down… Living in Israel teaches you a lot about resilience. The people here who have grown up their whole life here, they’re just born to be resilient.

It’s a resilience she sends back home.

“When you live in a war zone, every parent is concerned, even more so when they’re not here. I’m always sending my family pictures of like, hey, I’m still going outside, like I’m still seeing the sun. I’m not locked inside, like it’s OK. Everything is OK,” Cone said.

As the conflict continues, she prays for harmony while uncertainty grows.

“We want to see people of every faith, obviously living the life that they wanna live and not succumbing to any sort of terror,” Cone said. “Let’s work towards peace, and let’s try to see that happen. This is a start for sure.”

Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, said American citizens should call 1-202-501-4444 for assistance with departure options.

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Maryland

Top 25 Maryland Boys High School Basketball State Rankings – March 3, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

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With a chance to make history, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the new No. 1 team in the High School on SI Maryland boys basketball Top 25 rankings.

The Cougars (30-10) will try for a second straight Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) Tournament championship Wednesday evening against Saint Frances Academy at Loyola University of Maryland. No team has won the BCL tourney and the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference titles in back-to-back seasons.

The MIAA, whose membership includes most of the private and parochial schools in the Baltimore metro area, started in 1995 following the dissolution of the Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA). The MSA governed athletic competition for Baltimore public and private and parochial schools before the public schools left to join the Maryland state public athletic association (MPSSAA) in 1992.

Saint Frances, last week’s No. 1 which lost to Mount Carmel in the MIAA A final, is No. 2. DeMatha Catholic, Mount Saint Joseph and Springdale Prep round out the Top 5.

The second 5 includes Charles Herbert Flowers, Mount Zion Prep Academy, Bishop McNamara, Georgetown Prep and Archbishop Spalding. Lackey, which won the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference title last week, returns to poll at No. 21.

In addition to the BCL Tournament finale, the Maryland Private Schools State Tournament continues with the Division A semifinals Tuesday at DeMatha with Bishop McNamara taking on Springdale Prep, and DeMatha playing defending champ and No. 17 Clinton Grace Christian School.

No. 16 Takoma Academy plays Saint James School in a Division B semifinal. The state public playoffs continue with region semifinal and final competition.

Here’s this week’s High School on SI Maryland boys basketball Top 25:

Previous rank: No. 3

Record: 30-10

The Cougars defeated No. 4 Mount Saint Joseph, 59-40, in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals and Saint Mary’s in the quarterfinals (53-46) after a 69-67 overtime victory over then-No. 1 Saint Frances Academy in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) A Conference final at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Previous rank: No. 1

Record: 35-7

The Panthers defeated then-No. 13 Archbishop Spalding, 61-58, in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals and Loyola Blakefield in the quarterfinals (74-57), after a loss to then-No. 3 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the MIAA A Conference title game.

Previous rank: No. 2

Record: 22-9

The Stags defeated then-No. 9 Glenelg Country School, 63-50, in the Maryland Private School State Tournament Division A quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 4

Record: 31-7

The Gaels lost then-No. 3 Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals after a 80-66 win over Calvert Hall College in the quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOURNAMENT & MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 6

Record: 26-5

The Lions defeated No. 7 Mount Zion Prep Academy, 67-63, in the Maryland Private School State Division A semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 8

Record: 21-0

The Jaguars defeated Largo, 62-57, in the Prince George’s County championship game.

Previous rank: No. 7

Record: 19-6

The Warriors lost to then-No. 6 Springdale Prep in the Maryland Private School State Division A quarterfinals

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 12

Record: 14-19

The Mustangs defeated then-No. 5 Georgetown Prep, 59-53, in the Maryland Private Schools State Division A quarterfinals and Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School in the opening round.

Previous rank: No. 5

Record: 17-9

The Little Hoyas lost to then-No. 12 Bishop McNamara in the Maryland Private School State Tournament Division A quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – INTERSTATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPION & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 13

Record: 20-14

The Cavaliers lost to then-No. 1 Saint Frances Academy in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament semifinals after a 74-53 win over then-No. 10 John Carroll School in the quarterfinals.

SEASON COMPLETE – BALTIMORE CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOURNAMENT & MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 9

Record: 17-10

The Dragons lost to then-No. 2 DeMatha Catholic in the quarterfinals of the Maryland Private School State Division A tournament after an 81-77 opening round win over then-No. 15 Our Lady of Good Counsel.

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 14

Record: 23-1

The Mustangs defeated Severn Run, 72-49, in the Maryland Class 4A East Region I semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 16

Record: 20-3

The Bengals defeated Springbrook, 85-66, in the Maryland Class 4A North Region II semifinals after beating Walt Whitman, 67-55, in the Montgomery County championship game.

Previous rank: No. 17

Record: 20-2

The Colonels defeated Rockville, 74-61, in the Maryland Class 3A West Region II semifinals.

Previous rank: No. 19

Record: 21-3

The Knights defeated Northeast, 73-61, in the Maryland Class 3A East Region I semifinals and Edmondson-Westside, 66-58, in the Baltimore City final.

Previous rank: No. 18

Record: 26-7

The Tigers defeated Hebrew Academy, 88-33, in the Maryland Private School State Division B quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 24

Record: 27-18

The Eagles defeated then-No. 11 Bullis School, 56-48, in the Maryland Private School State Division A quarterfinals.

Previous rank: No. 10

Record: 22-10

The Patriots lost to then-No. 13 Archbishop Spalding in the quarterfinals of the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament.

Previous rank: No. 13

Record: 20-10

The Bulldogs lost to then-No. 24 Clinton Grace Christian School in the Maryland Private Schools State Division A quarterfinals after defeating then-No. 22 Riverdale Baptist School in the first round.

SEASON COMPLETE – INTERSTATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 15

Record: 15-14

The Falcons lost to No. 9 Glenelg Country School in the opening round of the Maryland Private School State Tournament.

WASHINGTON CATHOLIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT DIVISION A PARTIPICANT

Previous rank: Not ranked

Record: 20-3

The Chargers defeated Maurice J. McDonough, 61-46, in the Maryland Class 2A South Region II semifinals and then-No. 20 Great Mills, 62-59, in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) championship game.

Previous rank: No. 20

Record: 21-3

The Hornets defeated Saint Charles, 70-54, in the Maryland Class 3A South Region II semifinals, and lost to Lackey in the SMAC title game.

Previous rank: No. 21

Record: 16-14

SEASON COMPLETE – METRO PRIVATE SCHOOL CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALIST

Previous rank: No. 22

Record: 15-11

The Crusaders lost to then-No. 11 Bullis School in the opening round of the Maryland Private School State tournament.

SEASON COMPLETE – METRO PRIVATE SCHOOL CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALIST & MARYLAND PRIVATE SCHOOL STATE TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANT

Previous rank: No. 23

Record: 21-10

The Mustangs won the Maryland Christian School Tournament championship, defeating The Heritage Academy, 65-53, in the final, and King’s Christian Academy in the semifinals (65-59).

SEASON COMPLETE – MARYLAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION

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