"Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced Monday that Maryland would end its mask requirements for state buildings. Hogan cited declining COVID-19 cases in the state to justify the move, calling on the State Board of Education to end masking requirements for children in public schools. The masking requirements will end Feb. 22 for state workers and visitors in all state-owned and leased buildings. Unvaccinated individuals will still be encouraged to wear masks in those spaces, but it will not be mandated.

“A growing number of medical professionals, parents, and bipartisan state officials throughout the nation are calling for an end to school mask requirements,” Hogan said. “In light of dramatic improvements to our health metrics and the widespread availability of vaccines, I am calling on you to take action to rescind this policy.”

The board is set to meet on Feb. 22 and plans to discuss the mask mandate. In a letter responding to Hogan, the board said it is "optimistic" about COVID-19 data in the state. It also said local boards of education could lift the mask mandate for their schools if their county has a vaccination rate over 80%."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/hogan-ends-mask-mandate-in-state-buildings

"Fearing the U.S. Supreme Court could eventually overturn or weaken the nearly 50-year-old abortion ruling of Roe v. Wade, top female lawmakers in Maryland are proposing legislation to strengthen a woman’s right to choose. The specific proposals would expand health care licenses for professionals to conduct abortions and ensure women of color and low-income communities receive financial assistance through Medicaid or other insurances to cover abortions. A third proposal seeks to amend the state constitution regarding the “right to reproductive liberty” to prohibit the state from infringing on that right “unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.” If this bill passed before the 90-day session ends in April, then it would go before voters on ballots for the November general election. Currently, Maryland law makes the procedure legal.

According to a September 2019 report from the Guttmacher Institute, which has an office in northwest D.C., about 71% of Maryland counties had no abortion providers in 2017. In the neighboring states of West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania, the figures stood at 98%, 93% and 85%, respectively."

https://www.washingtoninformer.com/maryland-lawmakers-push-bills-to-bolster-abortion-rights/