State government

Moore will give a speech to attendees of the Skoll World Forum in Oxford, England. He’ll highlight his service year option program and his commitment to service.

Del. Nic Kipke, an Anne Arundel County Republican who ground proceedings to a halt the night before as he hollered at House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, initially did not want to apologize for his actions. But after listening to the incident, he said that “things got heated” and he called Jones to offer an apology.

The Moore administration said the governor plans to sign the licensing and taxation bill, but did not answer if Moore still owns stock in a cannabis company or if he has set up a blind trust, as he promised before election.

Maryland lawmakers showed up to their final official day of work on Monday, a marathon of last-minute lawmaking as a midnight deadline to adjourn approached. Some wore seersucker suits, many stopped by State Circle parties and all were tired by the time it was all over.

Maryland leaders are setting a goal of increasing the amount of energy produced by offshore wind in the state to 8.5 gigawatts from roughly two gigawatts.

With roughly 10 minutes before the planned midnight adjournment, Speaker Adrienne A. Jones rejected the pleas of Republicans attempting to speak before a final vote on a bill prohibiting police officers from searching people based solely on the smell of cannabis.

As the dust settles on the annual lawmaking process, here are key measures that won approval and will be headed to the Democratic governor’s desk for consideration. He’ll have until May 30 to veto the bills, sign them into law or allow them to become law without his signature.

Over the past 89 days, Maryland lawmakers have protected access to abortion care, raised the minimum wage, fixed elections issues and gave survivors of child sexual abuse a greater ability to sue institutions that harbored abusers. But on the 90th and final day of their annual legislative session on Monday, state lawmakers still have a bit more work to do.

All 10 of the governor's bills he submitted to the General Assembly have passed or are close to passing in some fashion. He also got the vast majority of his nominees through the Maryland Senate confirmation process.

The sweeping legislation settled a host of commerce-related decisions — including the number and types of cannabis business licenses and the amount of sales tax businesses must charge — and built a framework for government oversight.

"I rise to stand with our colleagues in Tennessee. I rise to remind us of how delicate the fabric of this body is and how we must always work to defend and protect each other," Del. Jheanelle Wilkins said to her colleagues in the House of Delegates.

Gov. Wes Moore has one cabinet vacancy left to fill.

City officials voiced concern about the financial impact of ending tax sales after learning that Baltimore faced a $79 million increase in education spending — an unanticipated cost that Mayor Brandon Scott likened to a ”gut punch.”

As the General Assembly prepares to adjourn at midnight Monday, lawmakers are moving forward bills that restrict concealed carry permits and tighten rules to keep guns away from kids. They’re also giving last-minute consideration to a proposal from Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates to stiffen the penalty for illegally carrying a gun.

Michael Browning had served as manager of Maryland’s largest state park for three decades before he was arrested last fall.

The measure moves prosecution authority for fatal police encounters from local state’s attorneys to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. Gov. Wes Moore plans to sign the bill into law.

The cannabis reform bill making its way through the Maryland General Assembly attempts to alleviate some of the risk for banks by placing limitations on the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation, which regulates banking in the state.

Survivors of abuse by Baltimore Catholic Church personnel expressed relief that report was finally public, but some were disappointed so much information had been redacted.

The vote came under special circumstances, with lawmakers suspending the rules so they could fast-track the bill on the significant day.

The report identifies 158 priests — most of them already known — within the archdiocese accused of the “sexual abuse” and “physical torture” of more than 600 victims over the past 80 years. Investigators told the court there are likely hundreds more victims.