Latest news with #GovWesMoore
CBS News
04-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland is increasing energy assistance benefits, Gov. Moore announces
Eligible Marylanders will start seeing increased energy assistance benefits, Gov. Wes Moore announced on Thursday. The energy assistance program, through the Maryland Department of Human Services Office of Home Energy Programs, will assist families as energy rates continue to increase. Gov. Moore says the assistance program is in response to residents saying these rates are getting out of hand. "At a time when the federal government is passing dangerous, heartless legislation to cut assistance for working families, we are standing in the breach," Gov. Moore said. "Not a day goes by without me hearing from Marylanders calling for support tackling the rising cost of energy we see nationwide. Today, we extend a hand to them as a critical part of our work to make Maryland more affordable. We will not waver in our work to protect our people and leave no one behind." Who is eligible and how to apply A household receiving between $130 and $575 in electric benefits last year will now receive between $250 and $1,000, and a household receiving between $150 and $301 in gas benefits last year will now receive between $300 and $550 in Fiscal Year 2026, the governor's office said. Residents that are already receiving the following benefits are automatically eligible: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Supplemental Security Income (SSI); Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and Income-Based Veterans Affairs Benefits. New applications for energy assistance are now available. Marylanders who are not automatically eligible are invited to apply at "With rising temperatures and soaring energy costs, too many Marylanders are worried about keeping their homes safe and liveable year-round," said Maryland Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López. "We will do all we can to step up and support families who must choose between buying groceries and paying their electricity bills." Push to stop BGE's multi-year rate hike On Thursday, Baltimore City leaders pushed Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) to end its multi-year rate hikes and pipeline program. Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen joined labor union leaders and advocates to deliver petitions to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) and BGE. BGE raised its rates on January 1, 2025, increasing the average residential gas bill by 9% and the electric bill by 7%. During the winter, Maryland households reported some of their highest gas bills ever. BGE's Operation Pipeline program aims to upgrade hundreds of miles of natural gas pipes and equipment across Maryland by replacing cast iron and bare steel pipes with new, more durable materials. The company argued that the rising bills are due to weather, demand, and state fees, not the company's rate plan. BGE Spokesperson Nick Alexopoulos said, "Getting rid of the multi-year plan process does not provide rate relief. We still need to make those investments in the system for our customers and for our communities." Cohen said 7,221 Baltimore residents signed the postcard petitions calling for a stop to the plan. "This is what it looks like when thousands of Baltimoreans lift their voices up together to say enough is enough," Cohen said Thursday, while holding a bag of the petitions. BGE would not take petitions As Cohen tried to deliver the petitions to BGE, a representative for the company said they would not take them and instead called out Cohen for refusing to meet with the company's president. "You actually had an opportunity this week to pass them directly to Tamla had you taken her meeting, so we were disappointed you refused to meet with her face-to-face to have this type of conversation," the company representative said during the exchange. "These, we can't accept for security purposes; these do have to be mailed in." Cohen said he did not want to meet with CEO Tamla Olivier unless BGE came with a plan to support residents. "It is about them making a decision to come with rate relief," Cohen said.
CBS News
03-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
8 heat-related deaths reported in Maryland during dangerous heat wave
Maryland saw 8 heat-related deaths during a dangerous heat wave, according to the Maryland Department of Health. According to the MDH's report, which covers the week of June 22 to June 28, there were 472 emergency department and urgent care visits combined. Heat-Related Illness ED/UC Visits Maryland Department of Health The 18–44 age group made the most emergency visits, followed by the 65+ age group. Six of the individuals who died due to heat illness were 65 or older. Region three, which includes Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll, Harford, and Howard counties, saw the highest number of visits (197). Dangerous heat wave Baltimore City was among multiple Maryland counties that declared extreme heat alerts and opened cooling centers. The WJZ First Alert Weather team issued Alert Days through June 25 due to the dangerous temperatures. Meanwhile, Gov. Wes Moore activated Maryland's State of Preparedness protocol. While normal temperatures in June for the region are typically in the upper 80s, we saw temperatures approach 100 degrees, before cooler weather returned. On June 22, the second day of the Baltimore AFRAM festival in Druid Hill Park, the heat index reached 100 degrees. Staying safe in extreme heat Heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the United States There are multiple ways to stay cool in extreme heat. Loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothing is recommended to help stay cool, according to the CDC. Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and overly sweetened drinks is also suggested. You should also avoid direct sunlight and stay in the shade when possible. Heat exhaustion and heat illness typically present with symptoms like dizziness, muscle cramps, thirst, profuse sweating, nausea, and fatigue, according to the National Weather Service. If you experience these signs, you should move to a cooler area, loosen clothing, and sip cool water. If symptoms still persist, seek medical help, as heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University regents approve fiscal 2026 budget that cuts spending, raises tuition and fees
The "M Circle" on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. (Photo by Sam Gauntt/Maryland Matters) The University System of Maryland's Board of Regents voted Friday to approve a fiscal 2026 budget that is 7% smaller than last year's allocation, as well as tuition increases of up to 5% and fee hikes up to 10%. The almost $8 billion budget, already approved by Gov. Wes Moore and the General Assembly, will trim operating costs while aiming to increase revenue to make up for $155 million in reduced funding. These reductions follow an almost 4% cut to the University System last year. 'At this extraordinary time, our universities must make some difficult decisions as they close their budget gaps,' University System Chancellor Jay Perman said Friday. On Thursday, Perman took the unusual step of sending a video message to more than 40,000 faculty and staff members across the system, apologizing for the coming budget cuts but telling staff to brace for them. He replayed that video for the board on Friday. While university administrators will first seek to generate new revenue and will protect employees from cuts as much as possible, the 'sheer size of the cut we're absorbing means that, for some universities, personnel actions cannot be taken off the table,' Perman said in the video. At their previous meeting in May, the regents approved a resolution that allows presidents of individual campuses to implement furloughs and temporary salary reductions as part of their budget plans. Universities told they should brace for the coming year's 7% budget cut Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Ellen Herbst said 60% of the system's operating costs are personnel-related. Two-thirds of the system's employees are funded by state support, Herbst said, while about a quarter are funded by federal grants and contracts. She said though universities are looking to low-impact actions to address personnel costs first, such as eliminating vacancies and allowing 'natural attrition' to reduce payrolls, those actions alone may not be enough. 'We will take these actions with great care, but we will need to take some further actions,' Herbst said. 'We cannot address the shortfall in state funding without addressing personnel costs.' Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland Council 3, which represents more than 6,000 University System employees, said the union and system need to work together to defend their shared values and protect employees as they face 'very real and critical threats.' Moran said the system must evaluate its use of costly vendors, reduce reliance on contractual employees, and listen to feedback from staff on how things can be better run. 'All of these things can be done before deciding to make devastating cuts to your personnel, especially those on the front lines,' he said. Katherine Wasdin, a representative of the University of Maryland, College Park's American Association of University Professors chapter, expressed the importance of shared governance as the system makes its budget decisions. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'Faculty and university senates must be involved in making these difficult budgetary decisions, as well as in how to respond to changing federal policies on education and research,' Wasdin, an associate professor of classics, said. 'It is thus imperative that all parts of the USM system promote the involvement of faculty in university management, rather than trying to thwart it.' Under the budget plan, the University System will receive 29% of its funding from state appropriations, while 27% will come from tuition and fees. The next largest contribution comes from restricted funds, which consist mostly of federal contracts and grants, and will cover about 24% of the budget. In addition to the reduction in state funding, the system estimates that the federal government's significant cuts to research grants and contracts could cost up to $150 million across its campuses, Herbst said. To increase revenue to offset the losses in funding, tuition will increase across the system by 2-4% for in-state residents. The University of Maryland, College Park will see the highest increase at 4%, while the rest will see increases of 3% or less. Tuition for nonresident undergrads will increase by 5% at Towson and UMBC, and 2% at the system's other institutions. Regents committee calls for OK of $69 million for time to pull back spun-off businesses Student fees, such as housing, dining and parking, will see bigger increases. Housing will see increases from 2% at Towson to 10% at Bowie State University, while board fee increases range from 2.2% at Salisbury University to 10.5% at College Park. Bowie State University and the College Park campus will also raise parking fees by 3.8% and 5%, respectively. The regents also voted Friday to approve extending the University of Maryland Global Campus's contract with UMGC Ventures, the university's former in-house information technology services unit which it turned into an independent business. The online university will spend $69 million on the 18-month contract extension while it works to reintegrate Ventures and AccelerEd, a subsidiary of Ventures, back into the university. The reintegration comes after an August 2024 audit from the state's Office of Legislative Audits that found the spin-offs were too costly and appeared to bypass the school's normal procedures. Herbst said that staff across the University System are continuously drawing up contingency plans for budget scenarios they could face later in the year, such as lower-than-expected enrollment, further federal funding cuts or change to eligibility for federal financial aid. Pell Grants, the system's largest source of financial aid, covered more than $204 million in aid for about 45,000 students in fiscal 2024. More than 58,000 students in total received some form of federal student aid, Herbst added, and any significant eligibility changes could potentially impact enrollment numbers. 'All we know for sure about budgets is they're simply a plan, and then the year starts and we have to actually manage,' she said. 'This year will probably prove to be more challenging than many.'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Embattled DJS Secretary Vincent Schiraldi steps down
Maryland Department of Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent N. Schiraldi in a file photo from January 2024. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters) Vincent Schiraldi, whose two years as secretary of the troubled Maryland Department of Juvenile Services were marked by heavy criticism from some state lawmakers, resigned Monday. Critics called the move long overdue but Schiraldi, 66, said in an interview Monday evening that he's pleased with the work he and his team did under the leadership of Gov. Wes Moore (D). 'It was a real honor working with Gov. Moore,' he said. 'I wish him luck as he continues to drive down crime and improve outcomes for young people. His efforts to abolish childhood poverty will reap benefits, not only for kids, but also they'll improve crime rates even further than they already are.' Moore announced Schiraldi's replacement will be Besty Fox Tolentino, who will assume the acting secretary position Wednesday. She currently works as managing director of juvenile and young adult justice initiatives at The Roca Impact Institute, a nonprofit based in Chelsea, Massachusetts. 'We knew when we took office that the Department of Juveniles Services was one of the most troubled in all of State government. We need to continue to move fast and diligently in order to turn it around,' Moore said in a statement. 'I am pleased that Betsy Fox Tolentino has raised her hand to serve and will lead the department during the next critical phase of this work,' his statement said. 'Her focus on safety for all communities is defined by executional excellence, accountability for justice-involved youth, support for the staff who serve them, and sturdy grounding in the law is exactly what we need at this moment.' Before working at The Roca Institure, Fox Tolentino worked in juvenile services in Maryland as deputy secretary of community operations, a position created by the General Assembly in 2021. Juvenile Services secretary grilled on agency's performance by Senate committee 'I am thankful for Secretary Schiraldi's service to Maryland while leading an organization that shapes the lives of our young people who need support. I wish him well in his next endeavors,' Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said in a statement. 'I also want to congratulate Betsy Tolentino on her nomination as secretary. Ms. Tolentino's experience in successful operations at the Department of Juvenile Services will be important to the next phase of the work for the agency.' Senate Republicans believe Schiraldi's departure is 'long overdue,' saying in a written statement that under Schiraldi's leadership, 'a broken system became a public safety liability.' 'He presided over widespread failures: violent juveniles released with no real supervision, repeated contract mismanagement, dangerous missteps in ankle monitoring, and frontline staff left to fend for themselves,' Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) said in the statement. Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll) criticized Moore for not removing him sooner, saying that while the change in leadership is welcome, it 'doesn't erase the damage already done under Schiraldi—or the fact that the Governor stood by while this department fell deeper into crisis.' The Senate Republicans that the department Schiraldi leaves behind 'remains in disarray,' and that disfunction at the agency are 'deeply embedded in a culture of mismanagement and denial.' 'Removing Schiraldi is just step one,' Hershey added. 'We need a full overhaul of the department — new leadership, real operational experience, a commitment to public safety, and above all, accountability.' The juvenile services department has been mired in controversies under Schiraldi. Most recently, the agency was the subject of a lengthy report from state auditors who said the department failed to consistently ensure that criminal background checks were completed for every contractor working at state juvenile detention centers and treatment facilities. This oversight allowed a state contractor for the department to work directly with children through this year, despite a 2021 assault conviction, according to a May report from the Office of Legislative Audits. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Schiraldi's department also came under fire over last year over inadequate communications involving the transfer of a student who was charged with serious criminal offenses. Last year, the Maryland State Board of Education had to issue an emergency rule requiring that school leaders notify other schools of such cases, after a student in Howard County was arrested in connection with an October murder. Howard County education officials said that they were not notified that the student in question had also had been charged in another county and was under Department of Juvenile Services supervision before he enrolled in their county. The General Assembly's Joint Republican Caucus had called for Schiraldi's removal following that incident. Moore stood by Schiraldi then, saying that the secretary understood the vision of the administration when it came to accountability and opportunities for Maryland's youth. Schiraldi said when some lawmakers speak loudly against some criminal justice reform measures, 'watch out.' 'I think when you hear some politicians thumping their chests and breathing fire … that's when bad policy happens, and that's when lots and lots and lots of young Black men get incarcerated,' he said. 'That is the story of mass incarceration, and if we're not careful, we will relive that history.' Schiraldi has highlighted several accomplishments during his tenure with the agency such as the creation of the Thrive Academy. The program that began in 2023 in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to provide community-based, gun-violence prevention programs for youth at the highest risk of being a victim or perpetrator of gun violence. By July 1 of last year, it had expanded to 300 youths statewide. Maryland schools must now share information on students charged with serious crimes In terms of staffing, Schiraldi told the Senate committee in January the job vacancy rate at the department decreased from 16% when he arrived to 11% during that time. Schiraldi spent several decades in criminal justice and youth reform. He was director of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services in Washington, D.C.; a senior criminal justice adviser to former New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (D); a leader of the New York City Department of Corrections during which he tried to close the notorious Rikers Island jail complex and end solitary confinement; and senior researcher at the Columbia School of Social Work. 'Vinny Schiraldi brought decades of experience and innovative thinking to the task of running the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services,' Moore's statement said. 'He put immense energy and effort into his work and moved important new efforts forward – to include the award-winning Thrive Academy – and we thank him for his service.' Schiraldi, who said his work extends 45 years, plans to relax this summer fishing and hiking with his wife in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. He declined to say what his plans are in the fall, but he isn't going to retire. 'Folks have been knocking on my door,' he said. 'I got a lot of things that I'm considering, but I haven't made any commitments to people yet, so I can't announce it. I'll be fighting mass incarceration again like I always have.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Baltimore weather: Memorial Day weekend forecast is mostly sunny
May 24—Mostly sunny conditions are in the forecast for the Memorial Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies, with the temperature reaching around 72 and winds blowing 8 to 14 mph, gusting up to 23 mph. Saturday evening should be clear, with a low around 53. [Get the latest weathercast from FOX45 News] Related Articles — Artscape 2025: Here's what to know about Baltimore arts festival — Transcript: Read Kermit the Frog's University of Maryland commencement speech — Liberatore's restaurant to open in Ocean City, and Lib's Grill in Towson and Sykesville — Maryland Democratic lawmakers describe communications breakdown with Gov. Wes Moore The sun should continue to shine into Sunday with a high near 75. Sunday night is expected to be mostly cloudy with a low around 57. Memorial Day on Monday is predicted to be mostly sunny with a high near 77 and an overnight low around 59. Rain could move into the area early Tuesday, with showers starting around 2 a.m. and continuing in the forecast through at least Thursday.
