Md. closes legislation session; Area bank toughens remote work stance

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Here's a local news roundup to start your Tuesday.

Maryland closes the book on General Assembly

Maryland's 90-day legislative session ended yesterday, and now a slate of bills, including a $63 billion budget, heads to Gov. Wes Moore 's desk for his signature. Out of 2,275 considered bills, only a handful won approval, Baltimore Banner reports. Among them; an increase in the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour, new gun use restrictions, a requirement for the state to repay stolen benefits, reproductive health care protections, education funding and more. Legislators also approved a new framework for the recreational cannabis industry that will go live on July 1 (or sooner for some license holders), and the POWER Act, which expands the state's offshore wind infrastructure.

The real estate billionaire with ties to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

A new report from ProPublica dives into the 20-year relationship between Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow, the Chair and former CEO of Crow Holdings and son of Dallas real estate developer Trammell Crow. The article details lavish vacations on private yachts, jets and remote retreats that Thomas was invited to join — and failed to disclose. In a statement, Crow described his "hospitality" as something he willing extended to "our many other dear friends," and not something Thomas asked for. In a statement after the article's publication, Thomas characterized the trips similarly as "family trips" among "dearest friends" and defended why he did not disclose them. Notably, Trammell Crow Company , the development company Harlan Crow's father founded and he briefly worked for, does have a presence in Greater Baltimore. The company has a growing footprint in Elkton where it is building an industrial project called Elkton Commerce Center.

ICYMI: Greater Baltimore's 2023 Leaders in Diversity

Yesterday, the Baltimore Business Journal unveiled the winners of this year's Leaders in Diversity Award. This year we're recognizing 12 individuals who have demonstrated a deep understanding of the value of inclusivity and its mission to support individuals across the spectrum of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disabilities. The awardees will be honored at an in-person event on Thursday, June 8 at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, where the BBJ will also host a series of speakers.

Biden ends coronavirus national emergency

More than three years after it was enacted by former President Trump, the coronavirus national emergency was formally put to rest Monday when President Biden signed a resolution. The coronavirus has killed more than a million people in the U.S., Washington Post reports. Biden had originally told Congress he would end the health emergency in May, but House Republicans used the Congressional Review Act to speed up the process. The Act allows Congress to overturn rules by federal agencies with a majority vote. House Democrats voted against it. With the end of the emergency period, millions are poised to lose their Medicaid coverage, and many already have.

Maryland sees record tax revenue from sports gambling in March

What's the impact of March Madness on sports betting in Maryland? The state made more tax revenue from sports gambling in March than the previous three months combined. The $5.3 million in March tax revenue is nearly 90% higher than the February figure of $2.8 million and more than any month since mobile gaming started in the state in November. The increase is also attributable to sportsbooks pulling back on the promotional bets they initially offered gamers.

Virginia bank takes tougher stance on work from home policy

Capital One Financial Corp. is telling all its employees they will be required to be in their offices Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting May 2 — very different guidance than what the bank's employees got a few months ago when they were gently encouraged to return three days a week. The McLean, Virginia-based bank fully opened its offices for hybrid work in September, but did not make in-person work mandatory. As a high-profile employer in the D.C. area, Capital One 's move could influence other companies to do the same, Washington Business Journal writes.

Baltimore youth enrichment program nears end of multimillion-dollar project

Baltimore's St. Francis Neighborhood Center is about the enter the final phase of its years-long, multimillion-dollar capital expansion project, an effort that will roughly triple the number of people the center serves on a regular basis, according to a release. The organization, which is also celebrating its 60th anniversary next month, is focused on ending generational poverty in the city's Reservoir Hill and Penn North neighborhoods through holistic intervention programs. The Center currently serves about 500 people annually and aims to increase that number with the expansion that includes a new multipurpose facility and more classrooms. Both the project's final phase and the organization's anniversary will be celebrated at a spring gala on May 5.

Good read: What does thriving look like for Black middle-class Baltimoreans?

Last night I came across the latest installment of Thriving, a year-long storytelling initiative from Technical.ly aimed at sharing the lived experiences of residents in cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and more to understand what it takes to succeed in the face of life's everyday obstacles. This piece profiles five successful Black Baltimoreans who are fighting endemic racism, crime and dysfunction for the next generation. Some of the profilees are familiar faces for BBJ readers, including author D. Watkins and entrepreneur Dr. Tammira Lucas .

This newsletter was written by Carley Milligan, Digital Editor at the Baltimore Business Journal. I can be reached at [email protected].?