The Pew Charitable Trusts - State and Consumer Initiatives from Maryland

Safety Net Hospitals Won’t Be Docked in States That Don’t Expand Medicaid

Hospitals in non-expansion states feared they would be hit with bigger federal funding cuts than those in expansion states. HHS says that won’t happen – at least for the first two years.

Who Uses Online Voter Registration in Maryland?

A recent analysis of Maryland’s online voter registration system finds that new voters using the online system are slightly more likely to register as Republicans compared to those registering by paper.

After Years of Defeats, Immigrants Win Big State Victories in 2013

Arizona’s immigration crackdown is a fresh memory for many, but now many states are passing immigrant-friendly laws. Find out what is driving the change.

Maryland Repeals Death Penalty

Maryland has executed five people since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. But nobody else will be sentenced to death in the Old Line State.

Small Businesses Seek Relief from ACA Penalties

Big fines for small businesses are among the possible unintended consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision to make the Medicaid expansion optional for states.

Lawmakers Chew on Weighty Issues: ‘Whose shad fry is the best?’

Photo Slideshow: Lawmakers call time out to weigh delicious legislation.

States Rack Up Victories in Bids to Collect Online Sales Taxes

After more than a decade of trying, state officials think they may get to collect billions of dollars of taxes on online sales soon. Find out why.

After Expanding Coverage, Health Care Pioneer Seeks to Tame Costs

The Affordable Care Act will extend health care coverage to almost everybody. Now states are moving on to the next frontier in health care reform: containing costs. Once again, Massachusetts is taking the lead by putting its health care industry on an annual budget and requiring all insurers and medical providers to make detailed price lists available to the public.

Maryland Releases 2012 Elections Data

Maryland recently released its 2012 election administration and voting survey, becoming the first state to make its 2012 data available to the public online.

Maryland Repeals Death Penalty, Sixth State in Six Years

Maryland became the sixth state in as many years to repeal the death penalty. But the fate of the state’s five remaining death row inmates is up to Governor Martin O'Malley.

30 Cities: An Introductory Snapshot

Pew recently updated its 30-city snapshot interactive, with new data on population, home values, income and unemployment. Pew's American Cities Project focuses on the biggest city in the nation's 30 largest metro areas.

Supreme Court Considers Link between DNA and Privacy Rights

More than half the states allow police officers to collect DNA from criminal suspects before they are convicted of a crime, but a Maryland man is arguing that the practice is a violation of privacy.

Proposals Would Shift Utility Infrastructure Costs to Ratepayers

Electricity and gas bills could creep higher in several states, as lawmakers consider whether to allow utilities to charge customers upfront for upgrades to aging infrastructure.

Northeastern States To Drastically Cut Emissions Cap

Nine Northeastern states will drastically cut the region’s carbon cap under proposed changes to the region’s cap-and- trade program, they announced Thursday.

Gas Tax Loses Favor as Governors Look for New Transportation Money

In the search for more transportation money, governors and state lawmakers are largely avoiding one of the most obvious and straightforward funding sources: state gasoline taxes.

Maryland State of the State Address 2013

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- Jan. 30 -- Following is the prepared text of Governor Martin O'Malley's (D) 2013 State of the State Address:

Issue To Watch: Immigration

Long-bottled-up bills that address state policies on whether to offer in-state tuition to undocumented students could become law this year, because of changes in party control of legislative chambers and changes in federal policy.

Falling Short on Dental Sealants: Maryland

How well is Maryland protecting kids from tooth decay?

As Sandy Hook Students Return to School, Connecticut Governor to Launch Gun Violence Task Force

Still reeling from the elementary school massacre that shocked the nation, Connecticut has launched an expert panel that will study current policy and make recommendations on school safety, mental health and gun violence prevention, Governor Dan Malloy said Thursday.

The Impact of the Fiscal Cliff: Maryland

Federal and state finances are closely intertwined, and the fiscal cliff’s tax and spending provisions will have consequences for states.

After Sandy, Some Homeowners Spared from Costly Hurricane Deductibles

Governor Tom Corbett added Pennsylvania to the growing list of states — including Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and New York — where governors and insurance regulators have told insurers to spare homeowners from the costly deductibles after the superstorm whirled across the East Coast, causing heavy wind and flood damage to property and leaving millions without power.

The State of Voter Registration in the 2012 Election

This infographic discusses the partnership among Pew and seven states to launch the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a tool which helps securely compare voter records between states to better maintain voter records, save money, and streamline processes. Additionally, 13 states now offer online voter registration.

Could a Recount of Prisoners Affect Elections?

Four states now count prisoners at their last known home address rather than where they’re incarcerated. Could this affect election outcomes?

Online Voter Registration Now Offered in 13 States—Driving Thousands of New Registrants and Updates

Since July, California, Maryland, New York, and South Carolina have introduced online voter registration, bringing to 13 the number of states that currently offer this service. Increased use of online registration and new technologies adopted in these states has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of registered voters.

States Roll Out and Expand Online Voter Registration, Increase Efficiencies

In Nevada, new registrations jumped following a campaign to promote online registration, including television and radio ads, meetings with business leaders and students, and promotional outreach for National Voter Registration Day.

Still Risky: Checking Accounts in Maryland

Checking accounts, the most widely used financial product in America, contain hidden risks that can harm consumers. Nine of the 12 largest banks nationwide offer checking accounts in Maryland and hold 60 percent of all deposits in the state. Here’s what consumers in Maryland may be paying.

Changing Black Attitudes Could Boost Same-Sex Marriage in Maryland

In just the last year, attitudes of black voters toward same-sex marriage have shifted. The size of that shift could decide whether same-sex couples can marry in Maryland next year.

Historically Black Colleges Contemplate a More Diverse Future

This summer, two private HBCUs faced extinction. Public HBCUs are exploring new ways of operating to avoid the same fate.

Online Voter Registration

In August, New York became the 11^th state to roll out online voter registration, and the state’s citizens seem to be taking advantage. As of the 17^th of the month, approximately 1,000 applications had been submitted, and the early interest led to some brief capacity issues for the new website.

Courts Differ on Police Use of DNA

Taking DNA samples from suspects immediately upon arrest is an increasingly common law enforcement practice. But some courts have ruled it unconstitutional.

Maryland Defends Strict Gun Permit Process

Maryland officials defended their strict gun permit regulations Friday by asking a federal appeals court judge to block the effects of a lower court ruling that would have loosened the state’s restrictions on obtaining concealed-carry permits.

Voter Registration in Four States

A recent analysis from the Pew Center on the States reveals the massive challenge election officials face in processing registration forms right before a presidential election. Data from four states—Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia—clearly show that, every four years, election offices must deal with a huge spike in voter registration applications.

Voter Registration in Four States

Data from four states—Colorado, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia—show that election offices must deal with a huge spike in voter registration applications every four years.

The Cost of Voting Technology

Cost information on election administration is challenging to find. However, over the past decade election officials, academics, and advocates have made efforts to quantify the costs of one significant part of elections—voting technology.

Teach for America Alums Take Aim at State Office

Some alumni from the teaching program are making runs for state office. Many are facing opposition from teachers’ unions.

Widening Gap Update: Maryland

Maryland failed to pay its full annual pension contribution from2005 to 2010. The system was 64 percent funded in fiscal year 2010 and faced a $20 billion funding gap.

Maryland Casino Opens to Long Lines, Glitter and Controversy

Maryland’s third and largest casino, Maryland Live , opened this week amid glittery showgirls, a woman dressed as a giant dessert table, a gaggle of politicians, lines of eager gamblers stretched outside the building and the cacophony of 3,200 fully

Maryland Adopts Data-Driven Policies for Home Visiting

In April, Maryland lawmakers unanimously approved legislation that creates one of the best systems in the nation for investing home visiting dollars effectively.

Maryland's Economic Mobility is Among the Best in U.S.

If you're aiming to be upwardly mobile, living in Maryland might help.

America - The Land of Equal Opportunity for All?

Americans take pride in living in a land of opportunity, where you can "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and succeed in the face of adversity. But recent research shows that old adage may not be true, depending on where in the country you live.

Climbing the Economic Ladder? Think North and East

Where do you have the best chance of climbing the economic ladder?

Which States Have the Most Economic Mobility?

Americans love economic mobility. It’s kind of a founding myth for us: We see ourselves as having broken free from rigid, aristocratic Europe to form a meritocracy that guaranteed a chance to move up in the world. Though there has been much talk lately about rising income inequality in the United States, what has worried pundits on both the left and the right has been recent reports that Americans aren’t as economically mobile as citizens other Western nations.

Pew Study: Americans In The Northeast Have More Economic Mobility

A new study from the Pew Charitable Trusts finds economic mobility differs significantly across the United States. The report finds Americans are more likely to move up the economic ladder if they live in the northeast.

Climbing Income Ladder Easier in New Jersey Than Texas, Pew Says

A week after the Occupy Wall Street movement protested economic inequality in May Day rallies across the U.S., a study found that the ability to become rich may depend on where you live.

Study: Economic Opportunity Better in Northeast, Worse in South

They call it the American Dream, but it doesn't seem to be stretching from sea to shining sea.

Study: Economic Mobility Depends on the State You Live In

The ability of individuals to achieve the American dream depends on where they live, according to the first state-by-state look at the opportunity to move up the economic ladder.

Memo to Would-Be Members of the 1%: Move to the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic

Reaching for the American dream? Your best chances are probably in New York, New Jersey or Maryland.

Early Voting in Maryland

After passing legislation in 2009 allowing early voting, Maryland has had three elections where voters have been able to cast ballots during a six-day period prior to Election Day.

Infographic: A Turning Point for Gay Marriage?

Gay marriage supporters have won big victories in state courts and state capitals in recent years. Now, they’re hoping to extend that success to the ballot box.

States Struggling to Slow Tuition Growth

Arizona has led the nation in tuition increases over the past 5 years. Next year, the cost will be frozen. Is tuition growth slowing?