Maryland

Per the Maryland Office of the Attorney General: Attorney General Brown today joined a coalition of 19 Attorneys General in filing filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a class-action case, Hunter v US Department of Education, supporting arguments that a 2020 rule adopted towards the end of the previous federal administration is invalid. Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools, requires that schools act to prevent discrimination and harassment on campus.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of students opposing the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) implementation of a new regulation governing Title IX’s religious exemption from antidiscrimination laws. The new regulation significantly weakened protections from discrimination on religious grounds. When Congress enacted Title IX, it included a narrow exemption for schools controlled by religious institutions that have tenets incompatible with Title IX. However, during the previous administration, the DOE used administrative rulemaking to vastly expand this narrow religious exemption.

Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore this week hosted the U.S. Climate Alliance Secretariat for a meeting at the State House in Annapolis. During the meeting, the governor and the alliance discussed the Moore-Miller administration’s action to combat climate change and the path toward reaching Maryland’s ambitious climate goals.

“I see the climate crisis in our neighborhoods every day—it’s why we’re working to supercharge clean energy manufacturing and why we’re working to make our communities more resilient,” said Gov. Moore. “We must do all we can, and we must do it in partnership, to ensure a cleaner, greener Maryland–now and for future generations.”

The coalition submitted the brief in Nebraska v. Su, a case challenging the increase in minimum wage requirements for federal contract workers. The coalition argues that both the president and the Department of Labor acted well within their authority when implementing the policies to ensure federal contract workers are paid fair living wages. In addition, the coalition argues that the minimum wage increase is fully supported by practical evidence and is consistent with state and local experiences in raising the minimum wage for contractors.

“Hard-working federal contractors shouldn’t be left behind in the movement toward fair, living wages for all. It’s time that the federal government pays its contractors what they deserve and what is fair,” said Attorney General Brown. “Higher wages increase equity among workers, reduce poverty, and help ease income inequality. This proposed increase is good for workers and their families, good for business, and good for the economy.”

Per the Maryland State Police: The Maryland State Police urge motorists to stay safe during the Labor Day weekend and avoid impaired, distracted and aggressive driving.

State troopers from all 23 barracks will conduct saturation patrols throughout the holiday weekend as part of the “No DUI Friday” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiative. Enforcement is bolstered by funds from the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office.

With summer being a popular time for teens to get driver’s licenses and an average of eight teens dying every day from motor vehicle injuries, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst States for Teen Drivers, with Maryland coming in ranked as the 8th best state for teen drivers– including a number 1 ranking in two sub-categories (seen below).

In order to determine the safest and least costly driving environments for U.S. teenagers, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of teen driver fatalities to the average cost of car repairs to the presence of impaired-driving laws.

Governor Wes Moore and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller released the following statements  on Saturday, August 26, commemorating Women’s Equality Day: 

Governor Wes Moore: “Today, 103 years after American women secured the right to vote, we celebrate women’s equality and acknowledge all of the obstacles they’ve overcome. We recognize the importance of equality for all.