Big News/New Legislation/ Community Meetings
Big News/New Legislation/ Community Meetings
County Council introduces and passes new bills
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The Latest
We published two stories.
Janna Parker Discusses Poverty, Inequality, & The Basic Income
The Summer Crime Initiative Hangs On The Assumption That A Violent Wave Is Coming
I started The Intersection Magazine to bring another independent media outlet to Prince George’s County. The Intersection’s reporting is driven by a desire to build something that centers community voices, and residents’ solutions to local problems.
Janna Parker is a native of Prince George’s County. When you read her words, understand them through the lens of a concerned citizen. In terms of the summer crime initiative — though it isn’t specifically about one community member — I have attended enough community meetings about crime to include residents’ concerns. Some residents want more community activities for youth and more community centers in low-income neighborhoods. Not all residents in Prince George’s County believe police will solve the problem of violent crime. In fact, it has been reported that “police departments don’t solve serious or violent crimes with any regularity, and in fact, spend very little time on crime control.”
New & Passed Legislation
Back in April, the county council passed CB-010-2023. Here is the purpose of the bill.
Bill: AN ACT CONCERNING PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY OPEN DATA for the purpose of requiring the County to make certain public data sets available through a web portal prominently displayed on the internet; requiring the County to maintain technical standards for publishing public data sets; requiring the County Executive or their Designee to enhance the County Open Data Portal and develop an Open Data Plan; and generally relating to general provisions.
BackgroundThis bill will require the county to make public data sets available on a single web portal by requiring that the County develop technical standards for publishing; requiring the CAO to develop an implentation plan; and generally relating to general provisions.
Bill: CB-070-2023
Council members Krystal Oriadha, Edward P. Burroughs, Wala Blegay, Eric C. Olson introduced CB-070-2023 on July 5. It seeks to apply the Cannabis Reform Act of 2023, passed in the state legislature, to the county.
Background: In 2023, the Maryland General Assembly enacted the Cannabis Reform Act of 2023. The CRA permits the sale of recreational cannabis thereby no longer limiting the sale of cannabis to medicinal purposes only, while also preventing cannabis consumption by our youth. The County Council seeks to assist the overall goals of the CRA while also stimulating economic growth in the County. This bill will amend the Prince George's County Code to comply with the CRA, thereby removing the medical requirement for the sale of cannabis. This bill will also: limit the sale of cannabis to the IH zone only; increase the mandatory set back of the R-A, R-E, R-L, R-R, R-S, R-80, or R-55 Zones from 300 feet to 2,500 feet; and increase the mandatory set back from all MNCPP properties, various child care centers, and schools from 500 to 2,500 feet.
Bill: CB-072-2023
Council member Mel Franklin introduced a bill CB-072-2023 on July 11. The has not been passed. Here is what it aims to achieve:
AN ACT CONCERNING PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY CHIPS ACT OF 2023 for the purpose of establishing an incentive program for the manufacture, research and development of semiconductors in Prince George’s County, known as the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (“CHIPS”) Act for Prince George’s County’s workforce and economy.
Community News
District 4 Bowie Senior Meet and Greet Events
Join Prince George's County Council Member Ingrid Watson for a series of District 4 Bowie Senior Meet and Greet events in July 2023.
Senior residents are encouraged to register for one of the following events:
Friday, July 21, 2023
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Pin Oak Senior Buidling, 1st Floor
16010 Excalibur Road
Bowie, MD 20716
To RSVP, contact:
Chantise Davis
pinoak@hrehllc.com
(301) 464-6830
News
Alsobrooks’ campaign says she raised $1.7 million in the first seven weeks
Excerpt: Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) raised $1.73 million in her first seven weeks as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
That’s according to a memo on the “State of the Maryland Senate Race” that her campaign manager, Dave Chase, began circulating to “interested parties” on Wednesday. Maryland Matters obtained a copy of the memo on Wednesday evening.
“Her qualifications, experience and profile combined with her popularity and strength in a key county, give her structural advantages in a statewide race that no other candidate enjoys,” the campaign argues in the memo.
Cannabis Officially Legalized in Maryland
Excerpt: Recreational cannabis became legal in Maryland on July 1, with most adults now eligible to purchase cannabis in flower, concentrate and edibles at dispensaries with just their state ID. Prior to July 1, only those with medical licenses were able to purchase at dispensaries.
In 2014, cannabis possession in small amounts became a civil offense. Over 226,000 charges and convictions relating to cannabis possession have been recorded in Maryland’s district and circuit courts since cannabis possession was made a civil offense in 2014.
At Mary and Main, a Black-owned dispensary in Prince George’s, customers lined up to buy and learn about cannabis from Hope Wiseman. The Capitol Heights business is one of the few Black-owned cannabis businesses set to benefit from the law change. You can even order online from them, provided you meet the legal requirements. All available dispensaries are listed here by the Maryland Cannabis Administration.
Affirmative Action is Overturned...Now What?
Karen Hunter and Dr. Gregg Carr discuss the aftermath of the Supreme Court Ruling overturning affirmative action.
Black Men Are Shifting the Mental Health Narrative
Excerpt: Men are told to be tough. If they cry, they are labeled as crybabies. Black men are expected not to express their feelings. But what happens when this cycle of toxic masculinity prevents Black men from getting mental health help?
According to the American Psychological Association, only 26.4% of Black and Hispanic men between the ages of 18 to 44 who experienced daily feelings of depression or anxiety accessed mental health services.
Federal health insurance website lags in voter registration assistance, Democrats charge
Excerpt: A group of U.S. Senate Democrats is pressing the Biden administration to make it easier for the millions of Americans who sign up each year for health insurance through a federal website to register to vote.
The lawmakers, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote in a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra Tuesday that HHS has made “important progress” toward fulfilling the goals of a 2021 executive order issued by President Joe Biden, which aimed to spur federal agencies to offer voter registration opportunities.
Chesapeake's underwater grasses expanded 12% in 2022 but remain far from goal
Excerpt: The Chesapeake Bay’s underwater meadows continued to expand in 2022, aided in part by cooler temperatures that prompted a resurgence of heat-sensitive beds in parts of the lower Bay.
It was the second straight year underwater grass beds expanded after losing 42% of their acreage following a protracted period of heavy rain in late 2018 and early 2019 that left the Bay awash in water-clouding sediment and algae blooms.
“It was a good year,” said Chris Patrick, director of the submerged aquatic vegetation monitoring and restoration program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, who oversees the annual aerial survey.
Excerpt: Lori Morrow says for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan to work effectively, schools must ensure students receive the mental health services they need.
Morrow, the mother of two children and education advocate from Prince George’s County, said school-based health centers should be created and staffed with mental health professionals accessible for students and their families, especially in rural and underserved communities.