The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a Maryland law giving police the right to collect DNA from people arrested for – but not convicted of – violent crimes. Lots of news on the 2014 Governor’s race: Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown officially teams up with Howard County Executive Ken Ulman in a bid for the Democratic nomination; Harford County Executive David Craig launches his bid for the GOP nomination; former Republican Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele says he’s “looking into” getting into the race. Baltimore’s City Council has unanimously approved a bill requiring companies that win large city contracts to hire more than half their new workers from within the city. And a new FBI reports says the Baltimore had the 6th highest murder rate in America among cities with populations greater than 100k. And more…
DNA Collection Decision: The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a narrow 5-4 decision upholding a Maryland law that gives police the right to collect DNA from people arrested for but not convicted of serious crimes.The Daily Times reports that case focused on a Maryland man who was arrested on an assault charge in 2009; cops took a sample swab from him, and his DNA turned up a hit on a cold rape case. Opponents say that taking DNA amounts to an unreasonable search; in writing the majority opinion, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said DNA collection is similar to taking fingerprints. The court had allowed Maryland police to continue to collect DNA from people arrested for violent crimes while it considered the case… and the Baltimore Sun notes that the General Assembly recently killed a sunset clause on the DNA collection law, allowing it to remain in effect indefinitely.
2014 Governor’s Race: Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown now has a complete ticket as he tries to become the state's next governor. At an event in Columbia yesterday morning, the Democrat formally announced that he’s picked Howard County Executive Ken Ulman to be his running mate in 2014… and Brown called on his supporters to help his campaign. Also yesterday, Republican Harford County Executive David Craig formally launched his own gubernatorial bid. The WYPR News Team has more on those announcements here. The race for the GOP nomination will get even more crowded tomorrow, when Delegate Ron George is set to launch his own gubernatorial campaign. And it could get more crowded still later this year; on MSNBC yesterday, former Republican Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele said he was “looking at” getting in the race; the Washington Post reports that Steele says a final decision could wait until the end of the year.
Baltimore’s Local Hiring Mandate: The Baltimore City Council yesterday voted unanimously to approve what’s been called a local hiring mandate; the bill would require companies that win large city contracts fill a majority of the jobs created by those contracts with city residents. WYPR's Kenneth Burns has the story here. The city's legal advisors have said that the measure is unconstitutional, but a spokesperson for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake tells the Baltimore Sun that she’ll let bill become law, but without her signature.
Baltimore’s Murder Rate: Baltimore City’s murder rate was among the highest in the nation last year, according to a new report from the FBI. The bureau reports that Baltimore had 219 homicides in 2012… that’s a rate of about 35 murders per 100-thousand people.The Baltimore Sun reports that the rate was the sixth highest in the nation, among cities with populations of 100-thousand or more. For large cities of half-a-million or more people, Baltimore was #2, behind only Detroit.
Police Target Commercial Vehicles: Maryland State Police are launching an enforcement effort targeting unsafe commercial vehicles today. Roadcheck 2013 is a multi-day operation focusing on the safety of buses, trucks and other commercial vehicles. The Washington Post reports that State Police and their commercial enforcement division will be working in teams, conducting inspections to make sure all state and federal safety regulations are being followed.
Ticket Fees: Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes is introducing legislation to limit service fees charged by ticket agencies.Stokes tells the Baltimore Sun that the bill will protect consumers from what he calls "outrageous" fees charged by ticket sellers or resellers, and limit the amount of fees a venue may charge for its services.
Rosedale Train Derailment: The truck driver who had been injured in last week’s train derailment in Rosedale has been released from the hospital. The Baltimore Sun reports that 50-year-old John Alban Jr. was discharged from the Maryland Shock Trauma Center on Sunday, where he’d been in serious condition since last Tuesday’s crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation of the train derailment.
Erika Brannock Returns Home: The Towson preschool teacher who was badly injured in the Boston marathon bombings is finally home. Erika Brannock was standing near the finish line of the marathon when the bombs exploded on April 15th, and her left leg had to be amputated below the knee. The Baltimore Sun reports that more than a dozen of Brannock's friends and family were at BWI Airport yesterday when she arrived from Boston on a private medical jet. A fund has been established to help pay for her costly medical care at TheBrannockFund.org.
Baltimore Baseball: the Orioles are in Texas today, to kick off a three game series with the Houston Astros tonight.