Losers (so far)

Voting Rights Act (House Bill 1104 and Senate Bill 878):

Baltimore Democratic Del. Stephanie Smith’s plan to fill in the gaps after the gutting of the federal Civil Rights-era Voting Rights Act is coming up short this session. The bills would specifically prohibit voter intimidation or attempts to interfere with voting, and would have required certain jurisdictions to get preapproval before enacting new local voting rules. It was one of the heftier bills introduced this year and was a firsttime bill, two factors that probably contributed to it not passing either chamber yet and likely being off the table this year.

YES Act (House Bill 96 and Senate Bill 93):

The Youth Equity and Safety, or “YES Act,” would end the practice of automatically trying children in adult court for certain crimes. Instead, each kid facing charges would enter the justice system through a juvenile court. If a judge deemed the charges severe enough, they could approve a prosecutor’s petition to send the case to adult court. The bill, sponsored by Baltimore Sen. Jill P. Carter and Del. Charlotte Crutchfield of Montgomery County, was heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in February and the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month. So far, neither committee has voted to bring the bill to the floor.

529 reform (House Bill 1290 and Senate Bill 959): Bills to reform and move the state college tuition savings agency under the state treasurer’s office have not yet emerged from either chamber, though lawmakers have vowed to move the bills before the end of the session.

Maximum sentences for gun possession (House Bill 481 and Senate Bill 889):

Initiated by Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, the bills would raise the maximum sentence for illegal possession of a gun from three years to five years. The plan has faced pushback from advocates who say research shows maximum sentences are not effective deterrents to gun crimes. The bills have not advanced past House or Senate committees.