EDITOR'S NOTE: While this list is extensive, it is not complete and will continue to be updated. Know of any legislation that's not on this list? Let us know here.
- Maryland, which began its legislative session on Jan. 9, also is making education funding one of its top priorities. During the 90-day session, lawmakers will attempt to figure out how to come up with the $4 billion in reforms laid out in recommendations by the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education, a body created by legislation in 2016 that includes expanding early-childhood education, increasing teacher pay and spending more on special education.
- Republican Gov. Larry Hogan initially wasn’t thrilled about the heavy price tag, but his $46.6 billion budget proposal majorly commits to education, with $6.9 billion in total spending. Among those funds is more than $438 million in school construction money and $30 million for school safety measures.
- Lawmakers are also weighing a proposal that would legalize sports betting, which, at a surface level, has nothing to do with education. But House Speaker Michael Busch, a Democrat, brought forward the idea with intentions to raise even more money for education.
- One issue before lawmakers concerns legislation passed in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, shooting last February. The “red flag” law allows individuals including law enforcement officers, certain family members and mental health professionals to request that a person’s guns be temporarily confiscated if they feel the individual poses a safety risk. Members of the House of Delegates were briefed on how this law is being implemented, which could potentially lead to future discussions.
