Maryland labor officials released a report Tuesday concluding that Latina women here earn $1.8 million less in their lifetimes compared with White men doing the same work, one of the largest such earning gaps in the country.
Maryland
Women in Maryland earn 86 cents on the dollar. Latinas have it worse.
In Maryland, women earn 86 cents on the dollar compared with men, according to averaged data from 2018-2022, the report found. The state has a smaller gap overall than the rest of the nation, but a larger one for women of color. For every dollar a White man makes in Maryland, a Latina earns 50 cents and a Black woman earns 56 cents.
Over the course of a career, the gaps compound into more than $1 million less for women of color, compared with what a White man would earn. For Latinas, that’s the fourth worst gap in the country, the report said.
“That’s a lot of money,” said Gabriela Lemus, executive director for advocacy group Maryland Latinos Unidos. “That could make an enormous difference over a Latina’s lifetime, her family’s and her ability … to retire with dignity. It’s the difference between making sure her children have access to what they need and her own needs as she ages out of the workforce.”
The report cited several reasons for the overall pay gap, including a lack of affordable child care, pay secrecy and “occupational overcrowding,” where there is an overrepresentation of certain demographic groups in a single industry.
Democratic women who gathered at the Equal Pay Day event Tuesday promoted a bill that is designed to lessen the gap by requiring that all employers include a pay range in job postings.
The legislation is poised to pass the Maryland Senate as soon as this week, a milestone not reached by prior versions of the bill.
It builds on a prior 2020 law that forbids employers from asking about salary histories and requires them to provide applicants with a job’s salary range upon request. Maryland’s Equal Pay for Equal Work law already forbids gender pay discrimination.
But this year’s bill only advanced after senators struck provisions that would allow people to file lawsuits for violations of the posting law, instead leaving it up to state authorities to investigate. The Maryland Department of Labor estimated that roughly 120 alleged violations would be lodged each year.
“It’s a form of discrimination that thrives when people lack information about the economic value of the work they’re trying to do. And that’s why the salary transparency legislation is so important,” said state Sen. Ariana B. Kelly (D-Montgomery), who co-sponsored the bill. Del. Jennifer White (D-Baltimore County), who sponsored the House version, said the transparency will not fully close the gender gap but “this creates a more equal playing field.”
About a half-dozen states and several major cities, including D.C., have similar pay transparency laws on the books.
“This is an issue of basic fairness, and this is an issue of economic strength,” Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller (D) said during an event at the Maryland State House, where she noted the long slog toward equality. “You can be sure it is extremely frustrating. But I think everyone in this room, including the tremendous women behind me, know that progress oftentimes is incremental, right?”
Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
Related
Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
Why a fire blanket is a must-have for every kitchen
Learn how a fire blanket can smother flames safely and protect your home from grease fires.
A dog jumping onto a kitchen counter accidentally turned on a toaster and ignited nearby combustibles, sparking a fire that killed three pets inside a Belcamp, Maryland, home, according to multiple reports, citing local fire officials.
The blaze broke out July 10 while the unidentified family was away, prompting neighbors to rescue two dogs before fire crews arrived, WBAL‑TV and Fox 45 reported.
The Abingdon Fire Company responded at 5:35 p.m. ET to the home and brought the fire under control in about 20 minutes, according to the fire station’s Facebook post. There were no human injuries, but investigators reported extensive fire, soot, smoke and water damage throughout the single‑family home, Fox 45 reported.
Ring home security video captured the moments before the fire. Investigators said the footage showed one of the family’s dogs climbing onto the counter and pawing at items near the toaster, helping deputy state fire marshals determine the fire’s point of origin and ultimately rule its cause as accidental.
Three pets – a dog named Dakota and two unidentified cats – died in the blaze, according to Fox 45. Two other dogs, Bo and Addie, were rescued by neighbors. The family’s bearded dragon survived after spending 24 hours in critical care, officials said.
Neighbors rescue two dogs from burning home
Fire officials said Bo was the dog seen on video inadvertently turning on the toaster. The appliance ignited nearby materials, allowing the fire to spread rapidly through the kitchen before crews arrived.
Neighbors who saw smoke coming from the home reached Bo and Addie before conditions worsened.
Officials detail damage to home
Officials estimated the home sustained about $150,000 in structural damage and roughly $50,000 in damage to its contents, though some assessments place the total loss closer to $200,000, Fox 45 reported. Firefighters prevented the blaze from spreading to neighboring properties, but the interior of the home was heavily damaged.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
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