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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to unveil new design for Baltimore's Key Bridge on Tuesday

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to unveil new design for Baltimore's Key Bridge on Tuesday

Yahoo04-02-2025

BALTIMORE — Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland Transportation Authority plan to unveil the new concept for the design of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Tradepoint Atlantic on Tuesday.
The new design marks is a 'significant milestone' in the multiyear project to restore the connection with the community, enhance safety and improve accessibility and economic growth, according to a news release.
Along with Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld and MTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner, Moore plans to host a news conference outlining the new developments at 11:30 a.m. at Tradepoint's Sparrows Point facility.
On March 26, 2024, the Dali container ship, which weighed more than 112,000 tons loaded with freight, experienced a reported power outage near the Baltimore bridge and smashed into one of its principal supporting piers around 1:30 a.m. The bridge crumbled in an instant, sending a crew of workers, who were repairing potholes on Interstate 695, tumbling into the frigid river below. Six highway construction workers were killed.
The Dali had just left the Port of Baltimore for an intended monthslong voyage to Sri Lanka.
Officials have pledged to hold those behind the ship accountable for the crash, depending on an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The independent federal agency is probing everything from what went wrong aboard the ship to the bridge's previous design.
The replacement bridge is expected to be completed by October 2028 and will cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, according to state officials. Congress has approved full funding for the project.
Construction crews on barges, drills, cranes, tugs and service vessels have begun drilling to collect soil samples and map subsurface waterways around the Key Bridge. Officials with the MTA said noise impacts and traffic disruptions will be minimal and will not significantly impact navigation on the Patapsco River.
Demolition of the remaining structure is slated to begin this spring with construction beginning shortly thereafter.
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Maryland uses new disaster recovery fund to support Allegany County after severe flooding
Maryland uses new disaster recovery fund to support Allegany County after severe flooding

CBS News

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  • CBS News

Maryland uses new disaster recovery fund to support Allegany County after severe flooding

Maryland to provide nearly $460k to help recovery in Allegany County after heavy rains, floods Maryland to provide nearly $460k to help recovery in Allegany County after heavy rains, floods Maryland to provide nearly $460k to help recovery in Allegany County after heavy rains, floods Maryland allocated $459,375 from its new Disaster Recovery Fund to support Allegany County after severe flooding in May. The flash flooding, brought on by severe storms on May 13, prompted Gov. Wes Moore to declare a State of Emergency, as buildings were damaged and nearly 200 people were rescued from schools. Following the incident, the governor also called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a damage assessment. Funding for western Maryland flooding The governor's office said data collected through damage assessments indicated that the recovery needs were beyond the capability of the county. Allegany County officials then requested help from the state's Disaster Recovery Fund. The Maryland Department of Emergency Management worked closely with county officials to provide the funding. The Disaster Recovery Fund, created under a Maryland law, is a form of state-assisted financing that is given to jurisdictions to provide essential help to households, local governments or businesses impacted by disasters, the governor's office said. The funds can be used to supplement needs like housing, repairs or property replacement. "Being the first of its kind in Maryland, the State Disaster Recovery Fund is providing critical support to the residents of Allegany County," said Maryland Department of Emergency Management Secretary Russell Strickland. "Financial assistance availability at crucial times like this is what strengthens our state's resilience and allows our communities to recover." Who is eligible for disaster recovery funding? Allegany and Garrett County residents and business owners can apply for disaster relief loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration Physical Loan program, the governor's office said. An outreach center at 103 1st Street in Westernport is assisting both counties. "In Maryland, we live mission-first, people always. These funds will help Marylanders get back on their feet in the wake of historic flooding," Gov. Moore said. "Our administration has taken a comprehensive approach to our recovery efforts – and we will continue to support our people, uplift our communities, and help Western Maryland bounce back." Find more information about disaster recovery funds HERE.

The United Kingdom's Cautionary Tale For Maryland Governor Wes Moore
The United Kingdom's Cautionary Tale For Maryland Governor Wes Moore

Forbes

time6 hours ago

  • Forbes

The United Kingdom's Cautionary Tale For Maryland Governor Wes Moore

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Joint filers with income between $600,001 and $1,200,000 and joint filers with income in excess of $1,200,000, will be subject to the new 6.25% and 6.5%, respectively.' 'Additional individual tax changes include a new 2% tax on capital gains over $350,000, and individual taxpayer itemized deductions are reduced by 7.5% of the excess of federal adjusted gross income over $100,000 for married individuals filing separately, or over $200,000 for all other filers,' the report added. In addition to the income tax hikes, the new Maryland budget also includes a provision allowing local officials to raise county income taxes from 3.20% to 3.30%. Even before recent developments in the U.K., Europe was already awash with examples of failed efforts to target the wealthy with higher taxes. 'The experiment with the wealth tax in Europe was a failure in many countries,' National Public Radio's Planet Money conceded in 2019. 'France's wealth tax contributed to the exodus of an estimated 42,000 millionaires between 2000 and 2012, among other problems,' prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to repeal the tax in 2019. 'In 1990, twelve countries in Europe had a wealth tax' Planet Money added. 'Today, there are only three: Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. According to reports by the OECD and others, there were some clear themes with the policy: it was expensive to administer, it was hard on people with lots of assets but little cash, it distorted saving and investment decisions, it pushed the rich and their money out of the taxing countries—and, perhaps worst of all, it didn't raise much revenue.' Governor Moore didn't need the new reminder from Europe about the negative unintended consequences that have followed previous attempts to target upper-income households with higher tax rates. Governor Moore's predecessor, Martin O'Malley (D-Md.), already provided such a cautionary tale. Then-Governor O'Malley (D) hiked Maryland's top income tax rate in 2007 to 6.25% temporarily for all household earnings above one million dollars. There were fewer Marylanders who reported earning more than one million dollars, however, in the years subsequent to O'Malley's soak-the-rich tax increase. In fact, a 2009 Wall Street Journal editorial reported that a third of Maryland's million dollar-plus earners had disappeared from the tax rolls in the year following Governor O'Malley's top rate hike. 'In 2008 roughly 3,000 million-dollar income tax returns were filed by the end of April,' the Wall Street Journal noted. A year later, however, that number had shrunk to 2,000, with the state comptroller's office calling it a 'substantial decline.' 'On those missing returns, the government collects 6.25% of nothing,' the Journal added. 'Instead of the state coffers gaining the extra $106 million the politicians predicted, millionaires paid $100 million less in taxes than they did last year — even at higher rates.' Other such cautionary tales have been documented recently. Stanford researchers, for example, found a similar trend following voter approval in 2012 of Proposition 30, which raised California's top marginal income tax rate. Governor Moore's staff, in addition to challenging the premise that the tax hikes enacted by Governor O'Malley chased millionaires out of Maryland, expressed confidence that the new state budget will put Maryland on a better path. 'After years of economic stagnation, it was clear Maryland had much to accomplish to undo the economic underperformance seen from 2017 to 2022,' noted Carter Elliott, senior press secretary for Governor Moore. 'During that time, Maryland's economy flatlined while the rest of the country grew.' 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Governors and lawmakers in Oklahoma and Mississippi, for example, enacted legislation this year that will completely phase out their state income taxes over time. The South Carolina House also passed legislation this spring to phase out their income tax, which the state Senate will take up in January. More recently, the Republicans who run the Ohio Senate will soon pass a new state budget that moves the state from two income tax brackets with a top rate of 3.5%, down to a single rate of 2.75%. 'There are 14 states that have a flat tax,' said Ohio Senate President Rob McColley (R), who many consider a top contender to be Ohio's next Lieutenant Governor. 'This budget maintains our commitment of reducing the tax burden on Ohioans over the last several General Assemblies.' 'These tax cuts further our pro-growth agenda that has been paying off for Ohio in the last few years,' Senate Finance Committee Chairman Brian Chavez (R) added. 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Maryland governor wants accountability in juvenile crime fight after DJS secretary's resignation
Maryland governor wants accountability in juvenile crime fight after DJS secretary's resignation

CBS News

timea day ago

  • CBS News

Maryland governor wants accountability in juvenile crime fight after DJS secretary's resignation

The embattled Maryland Secretary of Juvenile Services, Vincent Schiraldi, told WJZ he is leaving on his terms, despite Governor Wes Moore insisting he asked for the resignation. The move follows intense criticism of Schiraldi during his two years in office, with critics claiming his policies are too lenient on young and violent offenders. Schiraldi defends work Secretary Schiraldi defended his work in an interview with WJZ shortly after Monday night's surprise announcement from the governor's office that he would be leaving DJS. "Lots of stuff has gone in the right direction, and I thought it's probably a good time for this particular lightning rod to move on and let somebody else take it to the next level," Schiraldi said. Schiraldi said the barrage of criticism that he is too easy on juvenile offenders and failed to hold them accountable during his years on the job factored into his decision. "I've been under criticism since I started," Schiraldi said. "I think it sort of bears noting mass incarceration has been around almost five decades now, and there have been people who have gone up against it, who have pushed back and fought against what I think is very destructive and racially divisive and ineffective policy." Schiraldi added, "This is right out of the mass incarceration playbook: Lots of politicians thumping their chests and vilifying kids and saying we should lock more of them up, and that's what happened. None of that was a surprise." Moore addresses Schiraldi's departure Gov. Moore had a different take on how the departure unfolded. "I called for his resignation, and I'm happy about the direction that I think we are going to go in," the governor told WYPR's Midday with Tom Hall. Moore also spoke about his view of juvenile justice. "I think accountability means being able to use all assets at your disposal," Moore said. "So, if you're saying that accountability simply means a lecture, I think you're wrong. And I think if you're saying accountability means locking everyone up for everything, I also think you are wrong." Moore said, "True public safety means that you have to have the right combination of accountability for those who break the law, and you need to make sure that you focus on rehabilitation." DJS leadership replacement The governor tapped Betsy Fox Tolentino to take over DJS. She currently works for Roca, an organization WJZ has profiled that helps reach the most at-risk youth in Maryland. Tolentino previously worked in Maryland's Department of Juvenile Services Schiraldi said he recommended her for the position, but the governor insisted Tuesday, "She is my choice. I'm thankful that we have someone who is so talented who is coming on to be able to take on that role." Moore said he was "looking forward to the Senate nominations committee giving her a speedy confirmation." The critics Critics, including many Republicans in the General Assembly, told WJZ Investigates they want a change in direction at DJS, citing repeat, violent offenders going unpunished. "Someone who is 16- and 17-years-old, if they commit a violent crime, they should absolutely be held accountable. I certainly hope the acting secretary does not continue down that pathway [of Schiraldi]," Baltimore County Republican Delegate Ryan Nawrocki told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. Nawrocki said the resignation came as a surprise. "The governor definitely dug in on his confidence in Secretary Schiraldi, so I was definitely surprised by his resignation, but I certainly think it was long overdue," he said. "As you know, I have been calling for his resignation now for well over a year. The system is fundamentally broken at DJS, and I believe the only way to have a good pathway forward is to have new leadership at the top of that organization." The new secretary will still have to be confirmed by the state senate and faces tough questions from Republicans, including Senator William Folden, who was outspoken about Schiraldi's tenure. "He's been a colossal failure," Senator Folden told Hellgren. "He should never have been in that position, and for the governor to put him in that position and leave him in there for as long as he did, at least there's change coming." Folden added, "I applaud the governor for doing this. It's taken a long enough time, but at least the action has been taken now." High-profile incidents Last year, Schiraldi said he had no plans to step down after facing criticism over an incident in Howard County. Howard County Superintendent Bill Barnes said at the time he had no idea a 17-year-old student at Howard High faced attempted murder charges for a violent attack that left a victim paralyzed when he was placed in the school on an ankle monitor under the supervision of the state Department of Juvenile Services. The teen suspect was arrested and charged with the murder of a man last October in the parking lot of an office building in Columbia. Police said they took him into custody in school with a ghost gun that was loaded, had an extended magazine, and was modified to be an automatic weapon. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. Other incidents involving repeat, juvenile offenders have also been fodder for those who wanted Secretary Schiraldi gone. The secretary defended his record. "We need to start having a fact and data-based conversation and not just vilify young people with hyperbole. It doesn't serve the goals of public safety. It feeds fear, and it's contrary to the best practices in research," Schiraldi said. He told WJZ his last day on the job is June 20.

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