Rachel Baye

Baltimore, Washington, D.C.

Reporter/Editor for @WYPR881FM. I tweet mostly about Maryland politics and government, Baltimore, and my dogs. Send tips to [email protected].

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Articles

Maryland fails to protect young inmates in adult jails

1 week ago | npr.org | Rachel Baye

In adult jails across Maryland, minors spend up to 23 hours a day in isolation, go without schooling, and in some cases avoid showering for fear of being raped. Some are also forced to spend more than a year in adult jail before a judge considers their case. There are federal standards to protect youth from conditions like these. But in recent years Maryland has violated the criteria more frequently than any other state.
New Baltimore Sheriff unit will police areas around city bars, liquor stores

2 weeks ago | wypr.org | Rachel Baye

The Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office and the city’s liquor board are entering into a new partnership to police areas around liquor stores, bars and other businesses with liquor licenses. The change is the result of legislation Gov. Wes Moore signed into law this month. The partnership takes the form of a new “Neighborhood Services Unit” in the Sheriff’s Office.
Maryland governor allows bill regulating advanced-pay apps to become law

3 weeks ago | wypr.org | Rachel Baye

Maryland is set to regulate earned wage access services, making them more accessible to residents, after Gov. Wes Moore said this week in a letter to House Speaker Adrienne Jones that he will allow a bill the General Assembly passed to become law without his signature.
New Maryland law attempts to reduce racism in home appraisals

3 weeks ago | baltimorefishbowl.com | Rachel Baye

One of the hundreds of bills Gov. Wes Moore has signed into law this month attempts to reduce discrimination in real estate appraisals by making a relatively small change: eliminating the bachelor’s degree requirement from certain types of appraiser licenses. A report released earlier this year by the Abell Foundation found evidence of “systematic” discrimination that leads to under-valued homes in predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Baltimore region.
Maryland governor signs new taxes, energy bills

3 weeks ago | wypr.org | Rachel Baye

Gov. Wes Moore signed 240 bills into law Tuesday, including the state’s $67 billion budget, two bills designed to reduce energy costs for ratepayers, and more than $1 million in new taxes. The budget was a major source of controversy throughout the 90 days of the legislative session that ended in April, owing to a $3 billion structural deficit lawmakers had to close. The new taxes were part of lawmakers’ answer to that problem.
New Maryland law attempts to reduce racism in home appraisals

3 weeks ago | wypr.org | Rachel Baye

One of the hundreds of bills Gov. Wes Moore has signed into law this month attempts to reduce discrimination in real estate appraisals by making a relatively small change: eliminating the bachelor’s degree requirement from certain types of appraiser licenses. A report released earlier this year by the Abell Foundation found evidence of “systematic” discrimination that leads to under-valued homes in predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Baltimore region.
36 in-custody deaths in Maryland should have been ruled homicides, audit finds

1 month ago | wypr.org | Rachel Baye

Thirty-six deaths in police custody in Maryland should have been ruled homicides, according to an independent audit released Thursday of the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General launched the audit after former Maryland Chief Medical Examiner David Fowler testified in 2021 that the cause of George Floyd’s death should be classified as “undetermined.” Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was later convicted of Floyd’s murder.
Maryland leaders call on private sector to fill gap left by federal AmeriCorps cuts

1 month ago | wypr.org | Rachel Baye

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson is calling on the private sector to fill the gap left when the Trump Administration began dismantling AmeriCorps last week. Standing on Thursday at the home of the Digital Harbor Foundation, one of the organizations that lost AmeriCorps funding, Ferguson thanked Baltimore Gas and Electric and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership for being among the first to contribute when the cuts were announced.
Moore signs bill altering Maryland’s ‘Blueprint’ education law

1 month ago | wypr.org | Rachel Baye

Among the 183 bills Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed into law Tuesday was one tweaking the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s sweeping education reform law. Before signing it, Moore praised aspects of the bill designed to recruit and train teachers. Among these is a new grant program that provides up to $2,000 to out-of-state licensed teachers willing to relocate to Maryland and a plan to launch a nationwide teacher recruitment campaign.
Maryland could lose millions from canceled FEMA program

1 month ago | baltimorefishbowl.com | Rachel Baye

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced this month that it is cancelling a popular grant program that provides hundreds of millions of dollars each year to states for projects designed to protect local communities from the effects of natural disasters. FEMA abruptly announced the change to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, grant program on April 4, just two weeks before the deadline to apply for the latest round of funds.