Maryland

Maryland Legislature: Please allow your terminally ill constituents to die peacefully

Published

2 years ago

February 9, 2024

Maryland Legislature: Please allow your terminally ill constituents to die peacefully

As the Maryland General Assembly convenes for its 2024 Session, it will consider passage of The End-of-Life Option Act (The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shane E. Pendergrass Act).[1] By passing the Act, Maryland would join 10 other states and Washington, D.C. in allowing a physician to assist those with terminal illnesses by easing the pain of dying.

Medical aid in dying gives terminally ill, mentally capable adults with six months or fewer to live the option to request a doctor’s prescription for medication that they can decide to take in their final weeks or days to end unbearable suffering and die peacefully in their sleep.

It is a difficult topic to discuss, and one that must be approached with compassion for people who are dealing with the final stages of illnesses that may cause them considerable suffering.

Polling shows that Americans have clarity on the issue, and the peace in passing it may allow should they experience a terminal illness that inflicts extreme suffering in their final days. 67% of voters nationwide said if they “had an incurable, terminal illness, still had a sound mind, had less than six months to live, and… met the legal requirements,” they “would want the option of medical aid in dying.” Support is even higher in Maryland, 71%, and rises to 74% when voters learn Washington D.C. and other states have the option.[1]

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Though the conversation is hard, proactively discussing this issue publicly and privately is important, because it demystifies a topic that may otherwise be considered taboo. By talking about suffering, and the opportunity to maintain decision-making autonomy in the midst of terminal illness, terminally ill adults, their doctors, and their loved ones engage in more frequent, full conversations that improve end-of-life care overall, and create better utilization of hospice and palliative care.

Simply having the option of medical aid in dying is also reported to decrease fears and feelings of powerlessness that individuals with terminal illnesses often report, enabling them to live their final days as fully as possible, and on their own terms.

Ultimately, the issue is about autonomy and the opportunity for terminally ill adults to make their own decisions about the end-of-life care options that are right for them, proactively, and in consultation with their doctors and loved ones. The legislation before the General Assembly creates a thoughtful, compassionate framework within which these difficult conversations can take place. Its passage would be an important step forward for the terminally ill, and their ability to die peacefully and avoid needless suffering in their final days.

Paid for by Compassion & Choices Action Network

www.CompassionAndChoices.org/Maryland

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[1] Maryland General Assembly. Available at: mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0403

[2] Maryland Voters Support Medical Aid in Dying, Source: Gonzales Research & Media Services, January 2023. Available at: bit.ly/MD2023PollMedicalAidInDying

*Disclaimer: This content was paid for by an advertiser. The Baltimore Banner’s newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content. To find out more, please contact advertising@thebaltimorebanner.com.

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Maryland

Attempted traffic stop leads to arrest of Maryland man wanted for kidnapping

Published

6 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Attempted traffic stop leads to arrest of Maryland man wanted for kidnapping

Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) announced the arrest of a man wanted for kidnapping on Thursday afternoon.

Suba Washington Jr., 27, of Williamsport, Maryland, was apprehended in Frederick after an attempted traffic stop early Thursday morning, according to deputies.

The pursuit

When officers tried to pull over a Hyundai Elantra in the 7300 block of Crestwood Blvd., the driver, later identified as Washington, refused to stop.

Deputies were later notified that Washington was wanted on charges of kidnapping, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment in Washington County, Maryland.

As Washington fled northbound on Route 85, he struck a car near Crestwood Blvd. and Buckeystown Pike; however, the driver of the vehicle was unharmed as the suspect continued onto northbound I-270 and then westbound I-70.

Washington’s tires were eventually flattened after deputies deployed stop sticks near the Middletown exit.

Though the pursuit still wasn’t over, as the vehicle managed to cross over into Washington County, where the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and Maryland State Police (MSP) aided in apprehension.

Washington was taken into custody after his vehicle approached the Route 40 exit, coming to a full stop on the highway.

The charges

A 17-year-old in the passenger seat was found with Washington during the pursuit. The teenager was released to WSCO.

According to FCSO, Washington Jr. was taken to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center and charged with numerous traffic citations, including reckless driving, negligent driving, and two counts of attempting to elude law enforcement.

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Maryland

Maryland to launch study on economic impacts of climate change

Published

18 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Maryland to launch study on economic impacts of climate change

Maryland will launch a study to analyze the economic impacts of climate change to determine the costs associated with storm damage and health outcomes.

The move is part of the Moore-Miller administration’s strategic approach to investing in a clean energy economy and modernizing the state’s energy infrastructure.

“While the federal government has spent the past year rolling back climate protections and driving up energy costs, Maryland is taking a responsible step toward understanding the true price tag of climate change,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. “This study will give us a clear, data-driven look at the real burden taxpayers are shouldering as climate change drives more extreme and costly weather events.”

The RENEW Act Study will be funded by investments and state sources, including $30,000 from philanthropic funding and $470,000 from the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, to assess the burden that Marylanders are paying due to intense weather events and environmental shifts.

Marylanders on climate change

The announcement comes months after Maryland lawmakers opposed a proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to recind its 2009 endangerment finding, which determined that greenhouse gases were a danger to public health.

Lawmakers raised concerns that the move would mean engine and vehicle manufacturers would not be required to measure, control or report greenhouse gas emissions. They also raised concerns that the decision could impact climate change and harm local communities.

The EPA said it intended to retain regulations for pollutant and toxic air measurement and standards. In September, the agency initiated the formal process to reconsider the finding.

In March, a Johns Hopkins University poll found that nearly 73% of surveyed Baltimore City and County residents were concerned that climate change would affect them.

According to the study, city residents were more concerned about personal harm from climate change than county residents. However, county residents expected to see higher costs in the next five years due to climate change.

About 70% of Baltimore area residents believe climate change will increase costs for homeowners and businesses in the next five years, the study found.

An April report ranked the Washington/Baltimore/Arlington region as the 36th worst in the country and second worst in the mid-Atlantic region for ozone smog. The report graded Baltimore County an “F” for ozone smog.

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