Baltimore’s New Public Safety Agency Arrives Amid Fraud Fallout, a Records Fight and a Council Shake-Up
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Mayor Brandon Scott and City Council President Zeke Cohen announced legislation Monday to...
Tag: Annapolis Watch
Moore Administration Orders Two Dozen Agencies to Model 10% Budget Cuts as Deficit Deepens
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews State agencies across Maryland have been ordered to show how they would absorb cuts they...
Maryland Reacts to Maduro Capture: Applause From the Right, Outrage From Van Hollen, Silence From the Top
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews The January 3, 2026 U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolás...
To Advocates of Ranked-Choice Voting: A Respectful Case for Caution in Maryland
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Advocates of ranked-choice voting (RCV) deserve credit for engaging seriously with a real...
Ranked-Choice Voting in Maryland: Disenfranchisement, Complexity, and a Reform That Solves the Wrong Problem
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews As Maryland lawmakers once again debate changes to how elections are conducted,...
Where Maryland Is Ripe for Fraud Investigations in 2026
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews As Maryland heads into 2026 facing structural budget deficits, heightened federal scrutiny,...
Maryland’s Federal Job Shock Is a Warning—Not Just a Headline
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s loss of nearly 15,000 federal jobs in 2025 should not be dismissed as a...
Election Integrity in Maryland: Clean Rolls, Clear Rules, and the Road to 2026
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews As Maryland heads into a high-stakes 2026 election cycle, election integrity has emerged as...
Is 2026 the Year of the Maryland Republican? GOP Faces a Make-or-Break Test
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews For Maryland Republicans, 2026 is shaping up to be more than just another uphill election...
Larry Hogan’s Blueprint—and Whether Republicans Can Reuse It in 2026
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In a state where Democrats enjoy a roughly 2-to-1 registration advantage, the modern...
Maryland’s 2026 Test: One-Party Rule Meets Voter Reality
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews As Maryland heads toward the 2026 gubernatorial election and a pivotal legislative session,...
The Cracks Inside Maryland’s Democratic Supermajority Are Showing
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews By late December 2025, the most revealing political story in Maryland was not a Republican...
Climate Advocates Reload for 2026, Setting Up Maryland’s Next Energy Showdown
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews After a bruising 2025 legislative session, Maryland’s environmental groups are entering...
Moore’s Energy Order: Serious Problem, Incremental Fixes, Big Questions Left Unanswered
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews By any measure, Maryland’s energy situation has crossed from inconvenience into warning...
Top 5 Biggest Scandals and News Stories to Rock Maryland in 2025
By Michael Phillips | Maryland Bay News Maryland entered 2025 riding its familiar reputation as a deep-blue state with...
Can Maryland Afford a 3% Flat Tax?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — Annapolis Watch By the time any major tax proposal reaches a hearing room in Annapolis,...
Message Architecture: How to Build a Maryland Message That Wins
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — Annapolis Watch Most Maryland campaigns fail for one simple reason:they confuse...
Maryland Launches New Small Business Data Platform — Innovation Meets Budget Reality
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews On December 17, 2025, Governor Wes Moore announced the launch of the Maryland Community...
Bouchat Builds an Unlikely Coalition: Prefiled Bills Reveal Bipartisan Support — and Annapolis Blind Spots
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — Annapolis Watch The Maryland General Assembly hasn’t gaveled in yet, but the early...
Would Maryland’s Economy Grow Faster Under a 3% Flat Tax?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Debates about tax reform often focus on fairness or fiscal balance. But for many...
Gov. Moore Announces Two New Judicial Appointments — Critics Say Maryland Still Lacks Transparency in How Judges Are Chosen
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has announced two new judicial appointments—one to the Anne...
Adrienne Jones Steps Down: End of an Era — and a Chance to Rethink Annapolis’ One-Party Rule
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, a Democrat who has shaped state politics for...
Riley Welcomes DOJ Lawsuit Against Maryland Elections Board, Says Case Highlights Need for Transparency
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Republican congressional candidate Cheryl Riley is applauding the Trump administration’s...
Tina Peters and the Future of Election Oversight: Why Her Case Still Matters for Maryland in 2025
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In the national media, the saga of former Mesa County, Colorado, Clerk Tina Peters is often...
Maryland’s Coming Retirement & Revenue Crisis
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland is approaching a demographic turning point — one that will reshape the state’s...
Maryland Once Had Equal County Representation. Should It Again?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews For most of Maryland’s history, every county had a meaningful and equal voice in...
The Maryland Voter Map: Who Actually Decides Elections?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Most candidates talk about “the voters” as if Maryland is a single, unified political...
Why Working-Class Marylanders Lose the Most Under the Current System
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s tax code is often described as “progressive,” “fair,” or...
Maryland’s Illegal Senior Care Homes Are Still Operating in Plain Sight — And the State Still Won’t Prosecute Them
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — Annapolis Watch Two and a half years after Maryland lawmakers “cracked down” on...
How Maryland’s Tax Code Became a Playground for Lobbyists
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s tax code did not become complicated by accident. It became complicated because...
The Fair Representation Act Could Reshape Maryland Elections — and Hand Republicans Seats Democrats Have Locked Away for Years
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews – Annapolis Watch A national election-reform proposal backed for years by Rep. Jamie...
How to Launch a Maryland Campaign the Right Way
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — Annapolis Watch Launching a political campaign in Maryland is deceptively simple....
Top 5 Political Issues in Maryland Entering the 2026 Election Season
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — Annapolis Watch As 2025 draws to a close, Maryland politics stand at an inflection...
What’s Actually in the 3% Flat Tax Plan? A Detailed Breakdown of Delegate Bouchat’s Proposal
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In Part 1 of the Maryland at 3% series, we outlined why Maryland’s fiscal environment has...
Maryland at a Crossroads: Why Tax Reform Is Back on the Table in 2026
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland enters the 2026 legislative session facing a problem state leaders have quietly...