Maryland is having a successful recovery from new unemployment claims, with last week’s claims lower than in the same week in 2019, according to WalletHub’s updated rankings for the “States Whose Unemployment Claims Are Recovering the Quickest.” WalletHub, a personal finance website, provided a few key stats related to unemployment claims in Maryland:
Key Stats:
ANNAPOLIS, MD–Governor Larry Hogan today announced the opening of the second application round for Project Restore, an economic recovery initiative that provides financial incentives for small businesses and commercial developers to revitalize vacant retail and commercial space.
Through Project Restore, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development will administer $25 million in rental and operational grants to new and expanding Maryland small businesses to assist with startup costs and incentivize commercial investment in vacant spaces. Launched last year by Governor Hogan, Project Restore has already assisted more than 350 Maryland businesses.
“Prioritized by our budget, this record 60% increase in funding will help police officers and the communities they serve in every jurisdiction in Maryland,” said Governor Hogan. “We will continue to do everything in our power to support law enforcement and to provide our men and women in uniform with the tools they need to keep Marylanders safe.”
SAPP funding is used for a wide range of resources, including officer salaries and wages, officer equipment, technology upgrades, investigative tools, operating expenses, contractual services, vehicle operation and maintenance costs, and other supplies and materials. Funds will be distributed based on a formula derived through jurisdictional population, the number of police officers in an agency, and the total jurisdictional taxable income. Legislation passed during the 2022 legislative session required use of Uniform Crime Report violent crime statistics to distribute increased funding for FY23.
From Friday, July 1st, through Monday, July 4th, police arrested 95 impaired drivers during regular road patrols throughout the state and a joint DUI saturation patrol focused on Route 50. The full-time drunk driving enforcement team of troopers known as the State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort, or S.P.I.D.R.E. team, funded by the Maryland Highway Safety Office also worked the initiative.
Troopers worked saturation patrols on I-695 in Baltimore County, I-70 in Howard County and I-495 in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. In total, police issued 1,396 citations and warnings in these four counties during the initiative.
“Over the course of my administration, I have consistently supported the right of law-abiding citizens to own and carry firearms, while enacting responsible and common sense measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.
“Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a provision in New York law pertaining to handgun permitting that is virtually indistinguishable from Maryland law. In light of the ruling and to ensure compliance with the Constitution, I am directing the Maryland State Police to immediately suspend utilization of the ‘good and substantial reason’ standard when reviewing applications for Wear and Carry Permits. It would be unconstitutional to continue enforcing this provision in state law. There is no impact on other permitting requirements and protocols.
In addition to the minimum wage increase, several new laws are in effect as of July 1st, 2022 in the state of Maryland. These new laws affect sales, taxes, schools, abortion rights, and hunting. They can be seen below, courtesy of Fox 5 DC (link shows new laws in D.C. and Virginia as well):
Sales
Together with Maryland Secretary of State John C. Wobensmith and representatives from Maryland State Police and the Annapolis YWCA, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (GOCPYVS) hosted a roundtable discussion about combating domestic violence and human trafficking, in addition to sharing victim support strategies.
“Comprehensive crime prevention and victim support are critical to reducing incidents of heinous crimes like domestic violence and human trafficking,” said Governor Hogan. “We are honored to share our progress and best practices with this delegation, in the hope that through these conversations, we can help those impacted by these crimes not only here in Maryland, but anywhere in the world.”
“Election judges play an important role in the democratic process, and state employees have always stepped up to serve,” said Governor Hogan. “For this election cycle, we are expanding our recruitment efforts to include the primary election, and extending these leave incentives to our contractual employees. It is important for local election boards to get people signed up and trained quickly once they express interest.”
The Department of Budget and Management has posted and distributed this information to state agencies.
Gas station/convenience store Sheetz has announced that it will be lowering the price of unleaded gas to $3.99 per gallon, now through July 4. $3.99 a gallon for Unleaded 88 and $3.49 a gallon for E85.
The closest Sheetz locations to Montgomery County are in Frederick, MD and Sterling, VA. Sheetz is famous for it’s made-to-order food items that are available 24/7. Sheetz’s closest competition is Royal Farms, which opened its first MoCo location in Gaithersburg earlier this year, and Wawa. Back in March, Becraft Antiques at 405 S Frederick Ave (across from Gaithersburg High School) was demolished to make room for an upcoming Wawa.
“It has now been four years since we lost five members of the Capital Gazette in a horrific act of violence on a day we will never forget,” said Governor Hogan. “We honor their memory, pray for their loved ones and colleagues, and commemorate the enduring values that they upheld with their tireless dedication and professionalism.”
“Abortion care is healthcare. Period. We stand together, as our states’ chief law officers, to proudly say that we will not back down in the fight to protect the rights of pregnant people in our states and across the country. While the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision reverses nearly half a century of legal precedent and undermines the rights of people across the United States, we’re joining together to reaffirm our commitment to supporting and expanding access to abortion care nationwide.
“While this is a perilous moment for our nation, it is a moment that calls for action. Our promise to our residents is simple: We’ll never stop defending your rights. Regardless of the decision in Dobbs, broad access to abortion remains protected in states that recognize reproductive freedom, such as ours. We refuse to go back to the days of politicians trying to tell people what to do with their bodies. When it comes to abortion care, it’s your body and your right to choose. Nobody else gets to make those decisions.