Jones said his effort could increase pay for as many as 4,500 commercial security guards in the city.

“Bill 25-0116… sets one clear standard for pay and benefits for men and women who guard Baltimore’s largest commercial buildings,” he said. “It ensures that fair compensation reflects the values of the service that they provide.”

According to Jones, most commercial security officers in the city are paid about $15.80 per hour, while the “federal benchmark for similar work” is $18.29 per hour — a difference that can decide whether workers keep up on their bills or fall behind.

City Council President Zeke Cohen said public safety employees “should not be paid a poverty wage,” prompting applause from those in council chambers.

“The reality is that, like so many cities across the United States, we have a shortage of police officer, and oftentimes these folks are stepping in the gap,” Cohen said. “And so we need to honor the work that they do in this building and across our city by paying them a decent wage.”

Cohen was an initial sponsor of Jones’ bill alongside Councilmen Zac Blanchard, Ryan Dorsey and Paris Gray. Antonio Glover, Phylicia Porter and Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer were the other council members who signed on Monday.

The bill was referred to the council’s Labor and Workforce committee for a hearing, which is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m.

Barksdale remembered

Toward the end of Monday’s meeting, council members remembered Anthony Barksdale, Baltimore’s deputy mayor of public safety, who died suddenly last week at age 53. Several memorial services are being held in Barksdale’s honor this week, though his cause of death has not yet been made public.

Councilwoman Danielle McCray, a District 2 Democrat, said Barksdale was the one person most responsible for Baltimore’s recent decline in homicides and other violent crimes.

“A lot of people have attempted to take credit for the downward trend in our crime rates, and I wanted to make sure that people understand that Deputy Mayor Barksdale and his team, they are the reason why our crime is down,” McCray said.

Cohen said Barksdale was “always behind the scenes, but he was extremely effective.”

“I’ll just say on a personal note, I remember when I had an issue with safety in my district a couple of years ago, I called him up and told him about it,” Cohen said of Barksdale, referring to his time as a District 1 councilman. “He didn’t get defensive; he didn’t deflect… He saw what he saw and he said, ‘Councilman, you’re right,’ and he changed up his strategy as a result.”

Councilman Mark Conway said Barksdale’s work with Baltimore’s CitiStat program helped shape his approach to making policy decisions based on data.

“It’s a huge loss for us. My heart goes out to his family and all the people that were close to him,” Conway said. “I’ll make sure that I continue to keep his family in my prayers.”

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.

The Department of Agriculture, which administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP, announced the move in a memo Saturday night, threatening financial penalties on states that do not “undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.”

Trump admin tells states to “undo” food stamp benefits: “To the extent States sent full SNAP payment files for November 2025, this was unauthorized. Accordingly, States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025.“ pic.twitter.com/1RkjN1G5FA

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 9, 2025

SNAP provides federal food aid to more than 40 million Americans, but has been leveraged by Trump and Republicans as they hope to force Democrats into voting for the GOP plan to reopen the government.

Some states began issuing full November SNAP benefits on Friday, after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide the funds. But this order was temporarily blocked Friday night by the Supreme Court, as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson paused the requirement to distribute full SNAP payments until a Massachusetts appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause.

During a television appearance Sunday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his state would not wait to find out whether SNAP funds will be available to residents trying to buy food.

“I have also authorized $62 million to go towards SNAP to make sure that SNAP is not going to be interrupted for the people of Maryland for as long as we can, despite the fact that we are waiting for the President of the United States to finally do his job,” Moore said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “We are watching the president, who is literally breaking the law so people can starve, but we’re not going to sit there and tolerate it in our state.”

The Democratic governor issued an executive order Nov. 3 to release $62 million in food aid funding, which will be paid out on Tuesday. These funds provide about $93 for each of Maryland’s 668,162 SNAP recipients, which is roughly half of the state’s typical $184 monthly benefit.

The funds also supplemented an additional $10 million emergency assistance investment previously allocated to food banks, faith-based organizations, school pantries and mobile food units to support Maryland families.

About a quarter of Baltimore City residents are enrolled in SNAP, more than anywhere else in Maryland. More than 20% of residents in Somerset, Dorchester and Allegany counties also receive SNAP benefits, highlighting the challenge of food insecurity in Maryland’s rural areas.

Shutdown latest

Before a rare Sunday Senate session between Republican and Democratic lawmakers, GOP Senate Majority Leader John Thune said a deal is “coming together” to end the federal shutdown. Thune did not guarantee the potential agreement would end the standoff, which has now lasted 40 days.

Republicans — who need five more Democratic votes to reopen the government because of the Senate’s 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster — are working to present a legislative package that would reopen the government in January while funding several parts of the government throughout 2026. Trump has called on Republicans to eliminate the filibuster and pass a continuing resolution with a simple majority vote of 51 senators, but Thune has refused.

Republicans’ initial effort in September sought to maintain funding levels in Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” through Nov. 21, a deadline that is fast approaching with few signs of clear progress. Democrats have voted against this proposal more than a dozen times while trying to frame the shutdown as a battle over Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year and could lead to increased health care premiums for millions of Americans if not extended.

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.

According to EclipseFunerals.com, public viewings for Barksdale will be held Monday and Tuesday at Sol Levinson Funeral Home in Pikesville. These services are scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on both days.

Barksdale’s funeral will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday at New Shiloh Baptist Church and will be followed by a homegoing service. Barksdale will be interred with full police honors at Arbutus Memorial Park, where a graveside service is scheduled for 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to the website.

Barksdale died Nov. 6 at age 53. Though no cause of death has been disclosed, Barksdale long struggled with heart issues and his 2014 retirement from the police department was preceded by a lengthy period of medical leave.

Baltimore leaders from Mayor Brandon Scott to City Council President Zeke Cohen remembered Barksdale as a pioneer of public safety who made major contributions to the city’s violent crime declines in the late 2000s and early 2010s, as well as ongoing reductions since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tonight, I’m heartbroken to announce the passing of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Anthony Barksdale.

Tony was a true public servant, a good man, and my brother in the work to build a safer Baltimore. His legacy and impact will forever live on. pic.twitter.com/Cz9yCv3ZBx

— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) November 7, 2025

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.

Maryland OneStop data shows the three groups — Baltimore Safe Haven, Charm City Care Connection Inc., and Penn North Recovery — have a registration status of “delinquent,” meaning they have not satisfied all Maryland Secretary of State requirements for nonprofits to solicit funds. These requirements include completing an annual financial review or audit, and paying an annual fee of up to $300 based on the amount of charitable contributions, with late penalties starting at $25 per month, according to the Secretary of State’s website.

The registration status of a fourth group, We Our Us, was labeled “not current” on the online portal on Thursday, a status separate from delinquent and not directly suggesting noncompliance. The group is expected to receive $1 million from the city’s $80.5 million settlement with Walgreens over the course of several years, based on grant agreements signed by nonprofits receiving funds from the Opioid Restitution Fund.

While financial information since the end of fiscal 2024 was not accessible via Maryland OneStop for any of the three delinquent nonprofits, the groups’ Form 990 tax filings show some executives took home healthy paydays — both in salary and bonus compensation. Baltimore Safe Haven and Charm City Care Connections each received more money from opioid settlements than they reported in total revenue for any recent years, the filings show.

Baltimore Safe Haven, an LGBTQ+ community support group, is expected to receive $3 million from the city’s $152 million settlement with Cardinal Health over several years. They reported $1.91 million in revenue for tax year 2023, of which $175,248 went to Executive Director Iya Dammons. Another $725,558 went to “other salaries and wages” while the group reported a net income of just $12,525, according to the filings.

Charm City Care Connection, a drug outreach group, is expected to receive $5 million of a $45 million settlement with Allergan from April 2025 to June 2027. They reported nearly $1.65 million in revenue for tax year 2023, of which its two executive directors took home a combined $116,780 in salaries, plus $110,614 in bonus compensation. Another $644,712 went to other employee salaries, and the group reported a net income loss of $97,248 for tax year 2023.

Penn North Recovery, which is also known as Maryland Community Health Initiatives Inc., is expected to receive $3 million from Baltimore’s $80 million settlement with Teva over the next several years. Its 2024 tax filings show the group had nearly $5.42 million in revenue, of which President and CEO William Brooks received $162,342. Brooks and other executives received $145,184 in combined additional compensation, while nearly $2.5 million went to other salaries and wages.

Penn North Recovery did not respond to The Sun’s request for comment, while Baltimore Safe Haven declined to comment. A representative for Charm City Care Connection referred questions to Bakari Atiba, the group’s director of community engagement and external affairs, who did not respond further.

In a statement to The Sun, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s office said the city “employed several best practices for grant administrations,” such as requiring groups to complete a risk assessment. No additional funds are currently earmarked for the three delinquent groups “beyond the funding that has already been designated to them in the previously negotiated settlements,” according to the statement.

“All grantees are required to adhere to monitoring activities including monthly performance and status reports, periodic site visits, document reviews, performance meetings, and corrective actions if needed to ensure adherence with the terms of the grant agreement,” the statement reads.

But taxpayer advocate David Williams told The Sun that the findings suggest more “accountability and extreme oversight” is needed to ensure the influx of opioid settlement funds to Baltimore does not become a “wasted opportunity.”

“If you are a nonprofit, and if you are not in good standing with the state, you should never have access to any taxpayer money or any settlement money, full stop,” said Williams, president of the D.C.-based Taxpayers’ Protection Alliance. “…That’s got to be the first consideration, and there shouldn’t even be a second question after that.”

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com. 

Writing on X as Democrats swept major elections across the country Tuesday night, Ferguson celebrated his party’s victories by claiming Democrats “don’t need to rig the system” — a clear nod to his opposition to drawing new congressional maps in Maryland. The Senate president was responding to another post that read in part: “Tonight is such a blowout so far that I wonder if it gives some [Republicans] pause about redistricting in states that are still pondering it.”

“Tonight’s resounding Democratic victory shows we don’t need to rig the system to win,” Ferguson wrote. “When we provide a better vision about the future — lower costs, better services, and real solutions to protect against [President Donald] Trump — voters overwhelmingly choose our leadership.”

L. Louise Lucas, President pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, clapped back by implying Ferguson’s opposition to redistricting means he is not truly standing up to Trump.

“Get our victory in Virginia out of your mouth while you echo MAGA talking points,” Lucas wrote on Wednesday. “Grow a pair and stand up to this President. This is just embarassing.”

Get our victory in Virginia out of your mouth while you echo MAGA talking points. Grow a pair and stand up to this President. This is just embarassing. https://t.co/iV2eHL6nI0

— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) November 5, 2025

Lucas was alluding to the victory of Democrat Abigail Spanberger, who beat Republican Winsome Earle-Sears decisively in Tuesday’s Virginia gubernatorial election. Spanberger’s win and the down-ballot races that solidified Democratic majorities in the state’s General Assembly mean that redistricting efforts to benefit Democrats in Virginia could move ahead early next year. Of the state’s 11 current congressional districts, six lean Democratic and five lean Republican, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.

Ferguson didn’t respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Earlier this week, Gov. Wes Moore launched a redistricting commission that could eliminate Maryland’s only Republican-leaning House seat, meaning the state could see its House delegation increase from a 7-1 Democratic majority to 8-0. Ferguson has argued that revisiting congressional boundaries could expose Maryland’s current map to new legal challenges and possibly lead to court-ordered revisions that would be less favorable to Democrats.

Democrats elsewhere around the country have sought to respond to Trump’s efforts to secure more Republican seats ahead of the 2026 midterms, which began with Texas Republicans passing a map with five more GOP-leaning districts.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who betting markets consider a likely 2028 presidential candidate — responded to Trump-backed efforts in Texas with Proposition 50, a ballot measure California voters passed to give the state five more Democratic seats.

Former Maryland Govs. Larry Hogan and Bob Ehrlich, both Republicans, also weighed in on the state’s redistricting efforts.

Hogan described Moore’s redistricting push as “an effort to satisfy national Democrats” and accused his successor of having “national ambitions.” Moore has publicly said he will not run for president in 2028 and committed to serving a second full term if re-elected next year, but he continues to be mentioned among the list of potential Democratic presidential nominees.

In an X post Thursday morning, Ehrlich argued Democrats’ framing of redistricting as a way to “protect democracy” was “pretty rich.”

“In blue Maryland, the dominant (progressive) wing of the Democratic Party pledges to contest/capture every last seat in the legislature AND contest/capture the lone remaining GOP seat in the Congressional delegation,” Ehrlich wrote. “This is done in the name of ‘protecting democracy.’ Pretty rich.”

In blue Maryland, the dominant (progressive) wing of the Democratic Party pledges to contest/capture every last seat in the legislature AND contest/capture the lone remaining GOP seat in the Congressional delegation. This is done in the name of “protecting democracy.” Pretty rich

— Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (@Bob_Ehrlich) November 6, 2025

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com. 

Since 1900, the Baltimore Board of Estimates has governed major spending decisions and procurement issues in the city. It has been criticized as a rubber stamp for Mayor Brandon Scott, who sits on the board and directly appoints two of its four other members — but not Cohen, who chairs its meetings from a minority position.

During a news conference Wednesday, Cohen said there’s “rarely a day that someone doesn’t complain” to him about the Board of Estimates because of the mayor’s de facto control, or the fact that other cities no longer have such governing bodies. The council president was clear that he was not calling for the board to be eliminated and declined to propose an alternative system when asked by The Baltimore Sun, but said he wanted more public input on the issue.

“I do not want to prescribe any one idea about how we should reform the Board of Estimates, but what I will say is that I think there’s an opportunity for Baltimore to be really creative,” Cohen said. “To look at best practices from across the country and to think strategically about what kind of spending board we want to have, or should we just eliminate the spending board. Again, I’m not gonna provide my opinion.”

Cohen, Scott and several Baltimore City Council members all expressed willingness earlier this year to reform or eliminate the Board of Estimates. The mayor told The Sun in January that he welcomed reforms to make “sure that we’re operating in the 21st century government.”

The rest of Wednesday’s news conference focused on Cohen’s decision to convene the Charter Review Special Committee, which will seek public input on reforming or amending Baltimore’s main governing document, the City Charter. Besides Cohen, the committee includes council members Ryan Dorsey as chair and John Bullock as vice chair, as well as Jermaine Jones and Odette Ramos as members.

Dorsey described the lengthy City Charter as “full of things that should never have been put into it.” Asked by The Sun to name specifics, Dorsey suggested city agencies could be established by ordinance rather than spelled out in the charter — a move he said would give both City Council and the mayor’s office more governing flexibility.

“I think it’s important to just have a framework of what is actually required of a charter,” Dorsey said. “It basically doesn’t have to have anything in it other than the establishment of your basic governing structure, right?”

With public input and the impending 2026 midterm and 2028 presidential elections, Dorsey said he looks at the committee as a way to create “opportunities for progress” — perhaps suggesting that any proposals to come out of the committee could turn into ballot questions for voters.

“The work of this new committee is both about refining the shape of government to work the way everyday people expect it should, and about the people who are elected to lead the city taking seriously the responsibility to steward the city toward greater success,” Dorsey said, calling the City Charter “the people’s document.”

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.

Presented to the Baltimore Board of Estimates by City Auditor Josh Pasch, the audit found that the city has 176 “virtual net meter” accounts, which it uses to pay BGE for the energy consumption of various city-owned assets. As Pasch explained: “The BGE component with the virtual net meter is if there’s not enough energy coming from Perryman [Generating Station in Harford County], then BGE backfills that energy to make sure there’s no shortfall.”

The audit revealed $1,156,898 in total disputed charges across the 176 accounts, of which 22 had received credits of more than $10,000, accounting for nearly half of the total amount of disputed charges. One account has a $13,000 credit balance with just a $21 monthly charge, meaning it could take the city 54 years to recoup under the current system, Pasch said.

According to Pasch, the problem is caused by the city’s involvement in the Baltimore Regional Cooperative Purchasing Committee, which procurement officers use to leverage buying power for commodities and utilities. He instead recommended that DGS and BGE establish a direct agreement to reimburse the city directly rather than using BGE credits under the committee structure, which makes it “hard to secure the best rates.”

“Our recommendation is that DGS work with BGE to basically put together an agreement to reimburse the city rather than giving credits so that we can get the money back in a reasonable amount of time,” Pasch said.

The audit also found that some agencies’ limited participation with DGS among city agencies makes it harder to verify who owns assets in the city, meaning the city could be unnecessarily paying energy bills for assets it does not own. Pasch said this is because DGS lacks the power to compel other agencies to validate the assets they own via EnergyCAP, an energy software portal.

DGS requested validation for 745 total assets from 12 other city agencies, but received responses for just 317 assets from six agencies, or about 43% of requests sought, according to the audit.

DGS Chief of Energy Julia Kalloz responded that DGS is ironing out the communication between agencies that also contributed to the loose documentation of assets.

“Say a parking lot used to be [owned by] Parking Authority, then it was switched to a private entity and the communication didn’t happen to get the system updated,” Kalloz said. “… So what we’re trying to do with EnergyCAP, with our new processes, is making sure that agencies every year at least… verify their known assets, and then at any point they can access their list of accounts and cost centers.”

Kalloz later added that prior to fiscal 2024, DGS was able to review bills for usage but lacked a system to easily flag errors. The addition of its Internal Service Fund has since improved this process and provided more consistency city-wide, Kalloz said.

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.

Totaling $112,974,114, the package of “retroactive appropriations” remained unchanged from the initial authorization by the Board of Estimates last month. Roughly three-quarters of the total came from the city’s police and fire departments, which continue to struggle with widespread employee overtime driven by staffing shortages but have made progress, Baltimore Budget Director Laura Larsen repeated Tuesday.

“These actions will ensure that general fund agencies that ended the year with a deficit are in balance at the close of the fiscal year, which is required under the city’s charter,” Larsen said, noting the scope of projected deficits was narrowed by tighter fiscal controls, as well as surplus income and property tax revenues, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 this spring.

The agencies receiving appropriations are:

• Baltimore City Fire Department, $38,520,093. Deficit caused by overtime, staffing costs, and contractual EMS services.
• Baltimore City Law Department: $81,393. Deficit caused by contractual spending.
• Liquor License Board: $454,415. Deficit caused by office lease costs, use of privately leased vehicles and overtime.
• Baltimore City Public Schools, $12,911,344. Deficit caused by the city’s contribution to the development agreement for City Spring Elementary/Middle School.
• Baltimore Police Department: $47,492,889. Deficit caused by overtime and staffing costs.
• Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, $5,630,976. Deficit caused by overtime and unbudgeted contractual costs.
• Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, $3,425,454. Deficit caused by overtime, fleet costs, and various contractual and supply spending.
• Baltimore City Department of Transportation, $4,457,580. Deficit caused by higher-than-expected snow removal costs.

All five members of the council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee — chair Danielle McCray, vice chair Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer, Sharon Green Middleton, Paris Gray and Antonio Glover — voted to advance the appropriations for consideration by the entire council at its Nov. 10 meeting.

Streetlight issues

The votes came after some back and forth between Schleifer and Department of Transportation (DOT) representatives about the funding of streetlights in the city.

Schleifer, who represents Northwest Baltimore, said he and other council members were told “that every streetlight in the entire city was going to be replaced,” which he said never came to fruition because of “trouble finding vendors.”

“So, now that you guys are seeking another $4.5 million [in retroactive appropriations], I think it’s important for, at least for me, to understand what we’re getting for $23 million in street lighting if you have no streetlights,” Schleifer said, referring to DOT’s $21.9 million overall budget for streetlight services.

A legislative affairs employee for the agency responded to Schleifer that he would “follow up with that,” prompting the councilman to mutter: “He didn’t answer the question.”

Larsen interjected by explaining that DOT’s $21.9 million streetlight budget includes $6.8 million in rental costs for light poles — which are shared with Baltimore Gas and Electric — $6.6 million for utility costs, $2.9 million in personnel costs, $2.5 million for maintenance costs, and $804,000 for “materials and supplies” involved in the administration of lease and utility payments for the lights.

Later, Schleifer pressed DOT Director Veronica McBeth on how much of the remaining “floating” funds were budgeted for new streetlights, including the LED bulbs he had thought would replace older streetlights. McBeth responded that there is a citywide “backlog” on ordering LEDs and other materials due to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

“There is likely a lot higher volume of other light fixtures throughout the city [besides] LEDs, so we have the capacity to change other lights within the city,” McBeth said.

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.

The move comes less than a week after Bill Ferguson, the Democratic state Senate president, announced his opposition to drawing new congressional maps. Moore’s move marks an escalation in the battle between Ferguson and the governor ahead of a possible special legislative session to forge ahead with new maps designed to break up Maryland’s single Republican-leaning congressional district.

According to a news release from Moore’s office, the commission will “organize public hearings, solicit public feedback and make recommendations to the governor and Maryland General Assembly to improve our current map and ensure Maryland has fair Congressional maps.”

The commission will be made up of five members, three of whom are appointed by Moore: Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, who will serve as chair, former Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, another Democrat, and Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss, who is listed as non-partisan. Ferguson and Democratic House Speaker Adrienne Jones or their designees will also serve on the panel. Jones announced Tuesday that she will appoint Del. C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat, as her designee to the commission.

“My commitment has been clear from day one — we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” Moore said in the news release. “This commission will ensure the people are heard. I thank those who have raised their hands to lead this process, and I am confident in their ability to gather the views and perspectives of a broad range of voices throughout the state.”

Moore, Alsobrooks and other Maryland Democrats — especially in the state House — have considered mid-cycle redistricting as a response to GOP efforts in Texas, Indiana and other states to redraw congressional maps in their favor. Alsobrooks said in the release that she was “proud to chair the commission” because of threats to democracy posed by President Donald Trump’s push for aggressive mid-cycle redistricting in red states.

“We have a President that treats our democracy with utter contempt. We have a Republican Party that is trying to rig the rules in response to their terrible polling,” Alsobrooks said. “Let me be clear: Maryland deserves a fair map that represents the will of the people.”

But Ferguson and his Democratic allies in the state Senate worry that drawing new maps could lead to court challenges in Maryland, which Independent Voter News has already ranked as the country’s second-most gerrymandered state, behind only North Carolina.

In a statement Tuesday, Ferguson said the Senate would engage with the commission if its goal “is to hear directly from Marylanders.” He described the effort to eliminate GOP representation as an “unbalanced risk-reward calculation.”

“Marylanders’ voices remain central to this process, and these public meetings will provide an opportunity for voters to hear about the unique legal barriers in Maryland — barriers that could unintentionally give Donald Trump another one or two of Maryland’s congressional seats should this effort backfire in our courts,” the Senate president wrote.

My statement regarding Governor Moore's announcement creating a mid-cycle redistricting commission in Maryland:

If the goal of the commission is to hear directly from Marylanders, the Senate will participate in a process which includes in-person listening sessions in each of… pic.twitter.com/wkHnzb8EI3

— Bill Ferguson (@SenBillFerg) November 4, 2025

Republicans oppose commission

Republicans in both houses of the General Assembly oppose any proposal that could cost Rep. Andy Harris, the only GOP member of Maryland’s congressional delegation, his seat.

In a phone interview with The Baltimore Sun, Harris slammed Moore’s use of the phrase “fair maps,” arguing that truly fair representation in Maryland would include more Republican representation. He described Ferguson as the “one voice of reason” and said the Senate president understands the legal risks posed by overt partisan gerrymandering.

“This is not a bipartisan commission. It’s a completely partisan commission… that will attempt to draw an 8-0 congressional map and risk ending up in court,” Harris told The Sun. “It will end up in court, with a judge drawing two or maybe even three Republican [districts].”

Maryland House Minority Leader Jason Buckel and House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy described the commission as “a bogus and rigged effort to keep pushing to gerrymander Maryland — already one of the most gerrymandered states in America — to eliminate all Republican voices from representing our citizens, even from regions where they are the clear majority.

State Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey and Minority Whip Justin Ready struck a similar tone in a joint statement, saying that Alsobrooks should be “ashamed” to be serving on the commission instead of focusing on more traditional U.S. Senate duties.

“As Maryland’s junior U.S. Senator, she should be in Washington doing her job — working to reopen the federal government and serve the people she was elected to represent — instead of spending her time leading a political commission to cement Democratic dominance,” Hershey and Ready said. “Her priorities could not be clearer, nor more misplaced.”

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com.

From a news conference inside Penn North Metro Station, Scott said the city would partner with the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and Maryland Peer Advisory Council (MPAC) to install boxes containing naloxone in all metro stations by Friday. It comes after the surrounding neighborhood saw three mass overdoses in a three-month period this year.

“As a part of our city-wide Overdose Response Strategic Plan, my team has been working to make sure that naloxone is readily accessible, and that as many residents as possible know how to use it,” Scott said, referring to the harm reduction initiative that seeks to reduce overdose deaths by 40% by 2040.

MPAC President Tiffinee Scott said the naloxone boxes include video instructions in both English and Spanish. Scott, who has no relation to the mayor, will lead the organization responsible for maintaining the boxes.

“It has naloxone blocks on the inside and also PPE — personal protective equipment — for individuals if they decide they want to be a responder,” she said.

MTA President Holly Arnold said her agency will work with local nonprofits to train station workers on how to operate the boxes. The MTA did not immediately respond to The Baltimore Sun’s request to provide a list of nonprofits that will be called on for this training.

Arnold also said the MTA plans to install naloxone boxes at Light Rail and bus stations.

Sara Whaley, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Overdose Response, said the boxes will be funded through the city’s settlements with opioid manufacturers via the Opioid Restitution Fund. She emphasized the need for “low-barrier” access to life-saving treatments.

“When we talk about making these kinds of harm reduction resources and services low-barrier, that’s exactly what we mean and what we’re doing here,” Whaley said. “We’re removing any obstacle that may make things difficult and making them easy and available.”

Mayor Scott’s office did not initially respond to The Baltimore Sun’s request for how much in Opioid Restitution Fund money will be spent to install naloxone boxes across the city.

A later statement from the mayor’s office explained that MPAC received $2 million from Baltimore’s opioid settlement with Walgreens, of which a grant agreement signed last month established that “roughly 16%” — about $320,000 — will go toward MPAC’s “Baltimore Goes Purple” initiative. As of Tuesday, a website for Baltimore Goes Purple had not been registered with an active domain.

A later statement from the mayor’s office reads: “MPAC was a named recipient in the City’s settlement with Walgreens, where it was awarded $2 million. Last month the City signed a grant agreement with MPAC that will manage the allocation of their settlement award over the course of four years. The funding for the Baltimore Goes Purple Initiative accounts for roughly 16% of their total grant agreement.”

The backdrop of the announcement in Penn North, a neighborhood that saw three mass overdoses between July and October, was not lost on officials who spoke on Monday.

“In this neighborhood, we see the gravity of the overdose crisis front and center, but we also see the power of community, the power of residents who continue to show up for one another,” Mayor Scott said. “We see community leaders, city staff and volunteers alike coming together with one mission: Save as many lives as possible.”

More than 40 people were hospitalized across the three Penn North mass overdoses on July 10, July 18, and Oct. 8. City leaders responded by leaning heavily into harm reduction, a strategy which seeks to “meet people where they are” and keep drug addicts alive rather than arrest or force them into treatment.

District 4 City Councilman Mark Conway, who has made multiple recent appearances in Penn North as he runs for Congress on a public safety platform against Rep. Kweisi Mfume, said putting Naloxone in metro stations is “a great idea and important first step, but far from complete.”

“We have a number of public facilities we can ensure have access to it, and my bill before the council now would require the city to do so,” Conway said Monday in a statement to The Baltimore Sun, referring to his naloxone and buprenorphine, which will receive City Council hearings on Wednesday. These bills would require health officials to update the council on the city’s compliance with naloxone availability in public buildings and allow EMS technicians to administer a similar opioid medicine to people experiencing overdoses, respectively.

Scott noted Monday that naloxone is already available at some city facilities, such as the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and described the boxes as a way to “spread the wealth” for communities disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis.

City Councilman James Torrence, who represents the Penn North area, attended the news conference in his district. He told The Sun Monday that many of those who use drugs in the neighborhood do not live there, meaning a broader public effort is needed to address the issue.

“I think this is where we make intentionality about making sure that in public spaces, in non-traditional spaces, that we’re providing opportunities for people to not only protect themselves and save lives, but also make more awareness about substance use disorders,” Torrence said in a phone interview.

Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, who represents a Southwest Baltimore district where residents have complained about harm reduction policies emboldening drug addicts, and State Del. Melissa Wells also attended the news conference. Neither could be reached for comment Monday.

This story was updated to include financial information about naloxone boxes from Mayor Brandon Scott’s office.

Have a news tip? Contact Carson Swick at cswick@baltsun.com, or Chevall Pryce at cpryce@baltsun.com.