REBUILT Zine

Every Drive Is Now a Record. Maryland Hasn’t Reckoned With What That Means. Lee Schmidt and Crystal Arrington, whose cars were tracked extensively by Norfolk's automated license plate readers, challenged this surveillance as a Fourth Amendment violation. After a federal ruling upheld the city’s practices, a recent Supreme Court decision weakened Norfolk's defense. Maryland's automated license plate reader laws face scrutiny in light of these developments.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/15/maryland-license-plate-surveillance-fourth-amendment/

Maryland’s Roads Rank Among the Worst in the Country. Here’s What the Data Says Is Actually Wrong With Them. Maryland ranks among the worst states for driving conditions, with significant issues in urban road maintenance and high driving costs. Despite substantial spending, management inefficiencies, and documented audit findings reveal a troubling decline in road quality during recent administrations. Poor outcomes stem from mismanaged funds rather than insufficient revenue.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/14/maryland-roads-rank-worst-data-sha-audit/

Maryland’s Road Money Is Locked Up By Law — And Nobody’s Fixing It Maryland's transportation funding issues predate current officials and risk worsening by 2028 if not addressed. Despite a high proportion of drivers, local road funding remains inequitable due to legislative inaction, leading to significant future shortfalls. Recent attempts to secure funding for local governments and transit projects have stalled in the state legislature, highlighting a persistent crisis.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/14/maryland-road-funding-fiscal-2028-cliff/

Hungry, but Not Thirsty: Wes Moore’s Full-Term Pledge Has a Schedule Problem Maryland Governor Wes Moore is campaigning for reelection while simultaneously engaging in activities that suggest presidential aspirations. Despite a past commitment to serve a full term, his recent statements have become increasingly ambiguous. As he barnstorms key states, voters question the sincerity of his full-term pledge against a backdrop of potential 2028 ambitions.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/13/wes-moore-full-term-pledge-presidential-schedule/

Maryland’s Hidden Bill: A Supreme Court Ruling Just Told Annapolis to Find the Money It Never Set Aside A June 23 ruling from Maryland's Supreme Court dismissed a childhood abuse claim but emphasized the state's failure to establish a funding mechanism for such claims. Over 12,000 actions have been filed since the Child Victims Act was passed in 2023, potentially costing billions, yet legislative action remains elusive.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/13/maryland-child-victims-act-sturm-budget-liability/

Paying Twice: The Federal Deal Costing Maryland Ratepayers Hundreds Of Millions For Two Anne Arundel Power Plants Baltimore Gas and Electric customers are experiencing inflated costs for two coal-and-oil plants in Maryland, with charges approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that are 86 percent higher than calculated by its own staff. Ratepayers are effectively being charged twice, leading to significant increases in utility bills....

Maryland’s Gaming Regulators Let the Casino Lobby Write Their Homework. Would We Say the Same If It Were Oil and Gas? In April 2025, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency received a draft letter from the American Gaming Association urging action against sports prediction markets. Subsequently, the agency's letter to the CFTC matched the draft closely, raising concerns about its independence. In contrast, the Attorney General's office filed a detailed legal brief. This highlights disparities in regulatory practices and emphasizes the need for independent evaluations by state agencies.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/12/maryland-gaming-regulators-casino-lobby-letter-cftc/

A Citizen Child Unlocks Food Benefits for an Undocumented Household — And That’s the Law, Not a Loophole A U.S. citizen child in an undocumented household can access food benefits like SNAP and Maryland SUN Bucks without their parent's immigration status impacting eligibility. This legal provision, established in the 1996 welfare reform, ensures citizen children's rights are protected. However, data on mixed-status households receiving benefits is not tracked.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/11/citizen-child-snap-maryland-sun-bucks-mixed-status-households/

Texas Lost Its Dream Act in Court. Maryland’s Voters Already Defended Its Own. A divided Fifth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday that federal law preempts Texas's in-state tuition policy for undocumented students.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/11/texas-lost-its-dream-act-in-court-marylands-voters-already-defended-its-own/

Maryland Built a Legal Wall Against ICE Surveillance Data. Is Anyone Checking If It Holds? Maryland has embraced automated license plate readers (ALPR) with minimal public backlash, contrasting with Virginia's intense scrutiny over similar technology. While Maryland has implemented laws to protect data from federal immigration enforcement, concerns remain about the use and oversight of these systems, highlighting an underlying tension between public safety and privacy....

Maryland’s Economy Isn’t Growing. The Numbers Say Something Sharper. Maryland's economy shows a mixed picture, with job growth primarily in the health care sector, while other sectors have declined. The state has also seen a drop in its ranking for affordability, falling significantly in recent years. Tax increases have coincided with rising living costs, further complicating the state's economic landscape.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/10/maryland-economy-job-growth-affordability-analysis/

DOJ Sues Maryland Over Community Trust Act — Second Federal Challenge in Six Weeks The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Maryland and Attorney General Anthony Brown, aiming to block the state's Community Trust Act, which it claims violates federal immigration law. This suit follows similar actions against other states, highlighting a broader conflict over immigration enforcement policies and state autonomy.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/10/doj-sues-maryland-community-trust-act/

Bates Says Maryland’s Juvenile System Is “Broken.” The Cases He’s Pointing To Show Why He’s Not Alone. Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates says Maryland's juvenile justice system is "broken," pointing to a series of violent cases as lawmakers prepare to implement sweeping changes to how young offenders are prosecuted this fall.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/10/bates-maryland-juvenile-justice-system-broken/

Maryland Democrats Already Ran This Play — Just One Level Down the Ballot Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk assert that the upcoming special session addresses a changed legal landscape rather than political motives. Senate Republicans criticize this, citing previous partisan redistricting efforts that favored Democrats. Historical context from the 2021-22 redistricting reveals a pattern of gerrymandering in Maryland, complicating political narratives surrounding the current congressional redistricting efforts.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/09/maryland-democrats-legislative-redistricting-playbook/

Bouchat Fires Off at Leadership as the Redistricting Session He Predicted Finally Arrives Christopher Eric Bouchat argues that Maryland's redistricting system is flawed and that his party, the Republicans, lack the commitment to reform it. Despite proposing various amendments, he claims these have been ignored. With a special session on redistricting scheduled, he critiques the limited scope of proposed changes and asserts the need for a citizen-led reform approach.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/09/bouchat-redistricting-special-session-gop-leadership/

Annapolis Doesn’t Pay to Play. Marylanders Do. Maryland families face multiple financial pressures, including a unique property tax structure, automatic gas tax increases, and heavy state investments in a failing horse racing industry. Meanwhile, significant cuts to funding for developmental disabilities highlight the state's prioritization of certain interests over widespread public needs. The situation reflects systemic budgetary inequities.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/08/annapolis-doesnt-pay-to-play-marylanders-do/

Maryland Sets Aug. 3-5 Special Session on Redistricting — But the Dates Conflict with the State’s Own Ballot Deadline Maryland's General Assembly is set for a special session from August 3-5 to discuss a constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting standards. However, the session's timeline conflicts with the state's deadline for certifying ballot questions for the November election, raising concerns about the proposal's viability. Legislative details are pending.... https://mdbaynews.com/2026/07/07/maryland-special-session-redistricting-ballot-deadline/