Maryland

New laws in Virginia, Maryland, DC going into effect July 1: gun control, cat declawing, child marriages

Published

6 months ago

June 28, 2024

New laws in Virginia, Maryland, DC going into effect July 1: gun control, cat declawing, child marriages

Starting July 1, residents in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., will see significant changes as a range of new laws come into effect.

These laws, signed by Governors Glenn Youngkin and Wes Moore, cover various issues from banning cat declawing and child marriages to prohibiting auto sears and cracking down on ticket price scams.

Additionally, D.C. will implement the highest minimum wage in the country, aiming to ensure fair wages for all workers.

Virginia laws going into effect July 1

In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed 777 bills this session.

July 1 brings with it a ban on declawing cats, a ban on child marriages, and prohibits legacy admissions at public higher education institutes.

There is also new legislation that bans “auto sears” — also known as Glock switches.

Those are devices that can convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon that is able to rapidly fire a full magazine of bullets.

Delegate Michael Jones sponsored HB-22 – one of only two gun laws passed by the governor.

“It’s not your average gun owner who is going to have these, it’s people who are out there trying to hurt innocent people, innocent bystanders,” Jones said. “It’s going to keep us safe and make our streets a little safer.”

Maryland laws going into effect July 1

BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 23: Maryland Governor Wes Moore speaks during a campaign event for Angela Alsobrook’s run for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat at Monument City Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 23, 2023.(Amanda Andrade-Rhoade

Moving into Maryland, Governor Wes Moore signed 1,049 bills into law.

Some changes you will see come July 1 include a ban on vaping in indoor spaces, public transportation, and workplaces, as well as alcohol delivery being allowed from permitted businesses.

And Maryland is cracking down on those wild ticket prices we have seen for concerts and shows lately – becoming the first state in the country to fine resellers and platforms that offer “speculative” tickets – tickets they don’t even own but sell anyway, driving up prices for everyone.

This was Maryland State Senator Dawn Gile’s bill.

She said it is in response to outrage from consumers, and she hopes it changes people’s perspectives on what it means to buy tickets.

“People have just become accustomed that this is what they have to do – pay these astronomical ticket prices to see a show but that’s not the way it should be,” Gile said. “There’s deception in the marketplace, there’s a manipulation in the marketplace of these prices and we can have a fair marketplace.”

Another one going into effect in Maryland on July 1 is called Nick’s Law – which calls for stricter boating rules and punishments when it comes to boating under the influence.

It’s named after Nick Barton, a 21-year-old college lacrosse player who was killed in a boating accident in June 2022 by someone who was drinking.

His mom, Marie Barton, has been fighting to make Maryland waterways safer ever since.

“After I lost Nick, I started looking into everything and I could not believe the law – or the lack of laws, I should say,” Barton said.

Nick’s Law prohibits a person from operating a vessel for two years if they are convicted of boating under the influence and five years if it results in death

“It also gives DNR a database which they have never had before to be able to track these boaters that aren’t supposed to be on the water,” Barton explained.

DC laws going into effect July 1

Muriel Bowser, mayor of the District of Columbia, during an interview in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. This summer Bowser and DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said they were united in opposition to a federal measure overhauling poli

The minimum wage is increasing in the District of Columbia on July 1, to $17.50 per hour for non-tipped workers, the highest in the United States.

The DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) sent FOX 5 the following statement.

“Mayor Bowser’s commitment to creating more pathways to the middle class remains a priority.

Starting July 1, the District’s minimum wage will increase to $17.50 per hour for non-tipped workers and $10.00 per hour for tipped employees.

This adjustment is crucial for ensuring workers receive fair wages and our employers comply with D.C. wage laws.

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Maryland

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. William & Mary preview

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball vs. William & Mary preview

No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball is back in action Thursday morning for its annual “Field Trip Day” in College Park.

Xfinity Center will have upwards of 15,000 local school children from 80 schools in the venue to see the Terps take on William & Mary.

“Hopefully the energy will help us,” head coach Brenda Frese said. “I want to soak it all up, the energy is going to be electric in the building. I want to feel that and it’s going to be a great game.”

Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m. on Big Ten Plus in what’s sure to be a raucous atmosphere in College Park.

William & Mary Tribe (3-7, 0-0 CAA)

2023-24 record: 15-14, 12-6 CAA

Head coach Erin Dickerson Davis is in her third season with William & Mary and has led the Tribe to impressive conference records, albeit poor nonconference showings.

William & Mary faces easily its toughest opponent of the season in No. 8 Maryland on Thursday, but no-conference play hasn’t been kind to the Tribe thus far.

Last season, the Tribe turned things around during CAA play and may do the same this year. However, William & Mary’s résumé thus far isn’t great, even in its wins. The Tribe have three victories on the season: Division II Chowan, 5-6 McNeese State and 1-12 South Carolina State.

Players to watch

Bella Nascimento, senior guard, 5-foot-8, No. 5 — Nascimento is in her second season with the Tribe after transferring from Manhattan. She is a prolific scorer, leading the team with 12.6 points per game this season.

Cassidy Geddes, sophomore guard, 5-foot-7, No. 1 — Geddes is in her second season with William & Mary and is averaging 7.7 points for the Tribe this year. She has started every game her sophomore season, but her scoring average has taken a dip after she averaged 9.9 points last season.

Kayla Beckwith, graduate student center, 6-foot-1, No. 3 — Beckwith is in her fifth season with William & Mary and is a Laurel, Maryland, native. This season, she’s averaging 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds. A long-time member of the Tribe, she’s finally getting her chance to shine as a starter this season.

Strength

Sharing the rock. William & Mary has 134 assists as a team in 10 games this season. That averages out to 13.4 assists per game, while its opponents only average 12.7 assists per game. The Tribe are fifth-best in the CAA in assists per game.

Weakness

Defending the 3-ball. Opponents are 36.5% from beyond the arc against William & Mary this season, while the Tribe are shooting just 24.4% from distance.

Three things to watch

1. The long break’s effect on Maryland’s start. It will be 12 days between contests for Maryland, which will be interesting to see how it effects the team’s start Thursday.

”I think it’s always our intention to come out to a great start,” Frese said. “Hopefully the energy in the building will allow us to do that.”

2. Last nonranked nonconference game. Thursday is Maryland’s second-to-last nonconference game and its last until the Claretta Scott King Classic against No. 6 Texas on Jan. 20. This is the final time Maryland will face a low-major opponent in the regular season.

“[The Terps] know what’s coming out ahead with the conference play, especially having their taste of a game already under their belt,” Frese said. “They’re highly competitive, and they love to win and don’t want to lose. So I think that’s the exciting thing, knowing just how competitive the conference is going to be.”

3. Morning electricity. It is not common that any sport plays an 11 a.m. game on a Thursday, but the Terps have a good reason to do it against William & Mary. The Terps will welcome in around 80 different local schools to support the team and usher in the holiday break.

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Maryland

Mass shooting in Towson, Maryland leaves 1 dead and 9 injured

Published

11 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Mass shooting in Towson, Maryland leaves 1 dead and 9 injured

The incident happened at around 7:15 p.m., when officers responded to the 8500 block of Loch Raven Blvd following multiple reports of a shooting, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said.

“This is an incident that is shocking, particularly for those of us in Baltimore County,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said. “These types of incidents are really unheard of here, so it really shocks the conscience.”

The first officer to arrive on the scene found a vehicle on its side that had caught fire, Mccullough said.

The Baltimore County Fire Department was called to the scene, where they put out the fire, treated victims and transported them to a hospital, said Baltimore County Fire Department Chief Joseph Dixon.

BCPD believes the shooting was a targeted incident and there is no threat to the public.

BCPD is currently investigating and is asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact them.

The Baltimore County Fire Department and the Baltimore Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also on the scene assisting police.

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