Gov. Wes Moore (D) issued the first vetoes of his administration on Friday. He allowed several others to take effect without his signature. File photo by Bryan P. Sears.
Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Friday issued the first vetoes of his young administration and also allowed 10 bills to become law without his signature — including a measure that addresses traffic stops when the odor of cannabis is present and fines for smoking marijuana in public.
“This is the last action” by the governor on bills passed during the recent General Assembly session, according to a spokesperson for Moore, Carter Elliott IV.
Only one of the governor’s three vetoes actually sends a piece of legislation back to the drawing board; the other two were versions of bills he had previously signed, meaning “it is not necessary for me to sign” the companion legislation, Moore said in veto messages to legislative leaders.
The cannabis bill, sponsored by Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-Montgomery), prohibits a law enforcement officer from stopping and searching a vehicle or motorist solely on the basis of cannabis odor and also places restrictions on searches. The bill also addresses fines for possession of marijuana.
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This was the legislation that was being voted on on the House floor during the final minutes of the General Assembly session, which Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) pushed through even though several Republicans sought to delay the process by explaining their vote. Jones’ unwillingness to let them speak led to an unprecedented outburst on the House floor by Del. Nicholaus R. Kipke (R-Anne Arundel), a former House minority leader. Several Republicans walked off the floor at that point, and Jones gaveled the 90-day session to a close.
The cannabis bill will take effect on July 1 — the same day a regulated recreational cannabis marketplace opens in Maryland.
The other bills that will become law without Moore’s signature are:
HB 131, sponsored by Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery), which repeals the crime of unnatural or perverted sexual practice, and SB 54, the companion bill from Sen. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard);
HB 239, from Del. Jeffrie E. Long Jr. (D-Prince George’s), which establishes an Accessory Dwelling Unit Policy Task Force in the state, and SB 382, the companion bill from Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City);
HB 371, from Del. Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City), that sets new thresholds for indemnity mortgage transactions that are exempt from the state recordation tax;
HB 701, from Kipke, which sets pay scales for the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission and lays out guidelines for setting pay scales in the Offices of the Comptroller, Treasurer, and Attorney General;
SB 545, from Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s), addressing the hours when towed vehicles can be recovered;
SB 610, from Washington, which establishes requirements for virtual education programs;
SB 691, from Sen. Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery), which applies the state’s sales and use tax to home amenity rentals
Moore’s office did not immediately explain why he chose to let the bills become law without his signature.
Moore vetoed House Bill 472 and Senate Bill 217. The identical bills proposed changes to how the Maryland Transportation Administration awards commuter bus contracts.
Under state law, the agency has a number of options in the bidding process. Currently, MTA uses an invitation for bid process. Lawmakers wanted to move to a sealed bid process.
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The legislature passed the bills over the objection of the MTA. The agency expressed concerns that the proposed mandate would result in decreased competition. In a letter of opposition, the agency said less competition would add as much as 15% to the cost of the commuter bus contracts, or about $42 million over a five-year period.
The estimate did not include potential increases caused by inflation.
Moore, in his veto message, said such a change would be time consuming and potentially more expensive and set an unwanted precedent.
“As we work in partnership with the legislature at the task of rebuilding state government, one of my administration’s key goals has been to make the procurement process more efficient, transparent, and fair,” Moore wrote. “In particular, my administration is working to ensure that small business owners and minority- and women-owned businesses have equitable opportunities to compete for and receive procurement awards.”
Moore issued an executive order in January requiring state agencies to report on the progress in meeting goals for hiring minority- and women-owned businesses.
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Moore has already signed versions of the two other bills he vetoed Friday.
One, SB 144, from Sen. Brian J. Feldman (D-Montgomery), would have required the state to set energy savings performance targets for subsidized low-income housing. But Moore already signed the companion bill, HB 169, sponsored by Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-Montgomery).
Similarly, Moore on Friday vetoed HB 557, a bill from the Carroll County House delegation setting bond limits for county government, but he had already signed its cross-file from the Senate delegation.
One teen shot another during a dispute in a Maryland high school bathroom Friday in what authorities called an isolated incident.
The victim, a 15-year-old student at Joppatowne High School, was in serious condition after being airlifted to a hospital, the Harford County Public Schools said in a news release, citing information it received from the county sheriff’s department.
A 16-year-old student whom police identified as the shooter fled shortly afterward but was caught minutes later nearby, according to the news release. Officials said no information would be released immediately about the weapon, which had not been recovered.
The state’s attorney has said the suspect will be charged, the release said, citing Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler.
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Shortly after the shooting, the sheriff’s office asked people to avoid the area, but emphasized that the confrontation was an “isolated incident, not an active shooter.” A parent-student reunification center was established at a nearby church. More than 100 personnel responded to the high school about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore, Gahler said.
The fight happened two days after a shooter whom authorities identified as a 14-year-old student killed four people at a high school outside Atlanta. Wednesday’s attack renewed debate about safe storage laws for guns and had parents wondering how to talk to their children about school shootings and trauma.
Michigan State football heads out east looking to open Big Ten play with a big-time victory.
The Spartans will play at Maryland on Saturday afternoon in their first conference game of the year. Michigan State enters this matchup with a 1-0 record on the year following last week’s win over Florida Atlantic. Maryland is also 1-0 thus far on the season, picking up a blowout non-conference win over UConn last week.
Maryland enters this game as a more than touchdown favorite depending on the sports book. The Terps have won the last two meetings between these two schools.
Below are the details for Saturday’s matchup between the Spartans and Terps:
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Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET on September 7
Location: SECU Stadium (College Park, Md.)
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)
Listen: Spartan Media Network or MSUSpartans.com
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