Current:Home > FinanceBaltimore ‘baby bonus’ won’t appear on ballots after court rules it unconstitutional-LoTradeCoin
Baltimore ‘baby bonus’ won’t appear on ballots after court rules it unconstitutional
View Date:2024-12-23 20:37:23
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A proposal in Baltimore that would allow city voters to decide whether to pay new parents $1,000 will not appear on the ballot in November after Maryland’s highest court ruled it unconstitutional.
The court issued a ruling Thursday after hearing oral arguments Wednesday. It affirmed a lower court decision that deemed the proposal unconstitutional because it would essentially remove “all meaningful discretion” from the city and its elected leaders.
Baltimore’s mayor and city council filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the proposal after organizers secured the necessary 10,000 signatures to bring the question to voters as a ballot initiative in November. The lawsuit argued that the charter amendment process is meant to address changes to the form and structure of government, not specific legislative or budgetary questions.
A group of public school teachers launched the so-called “baby bonus” campaign in hopes of pushing city and state leaders to do more to alleviate childhood poverty. Supporters said more systemic change is needed on a national level to help lift families out of poverty, but giving new parents a modest financial boost could prove an important first step.
The proposal was loosely modeled on a program implemented this year in Flint, Michigan, where women receive $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 per month for the first year after giving birth. Officials said the Flint program was the first of its kind in the U.S.
The Maryland Supreme Court also issued a similar ruling Thursday on another proposed ballot initiative that would have drastically cut property taxes in Baltimore. City leaders said the cuts threatened to slash the municipal budget to crisis levels.
veryGood! (2313)
Related
- Judge set to rule on whether to scrap Trump’s conviction in hush money case
- Kesha Shares She Almost Died After Freezing Her Eggs
- Lisa Marie Presley died of small bowel obstruction, medical examiner says
- Checking back in with Maine's oldest lobsterwoman as she embarks on her 95th season
- Disney x Lululemon Limited-Edition Collection: Shop Before It Sells Out
- Russia is Turning Ever Given’s Plight into a Marketing Tool for Arctic Shipping. But It May Be a Hard Sell
- The EPA Calls an Old Creosote Works in Pensacola an Uncontrolled Threat to Human Health. Why Is There No Money to Clean it Up?
- High-paying jobs that don't need a college degree? Thousands of them sit empty
- Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Team Up for SKIMS Collab With Dolce & Gabbana After Feud
- Your Super Bowl platter may cost less this year – if you follow these menu twists
Ranking
- Incredible animal moments: Watch farmer miraculously revive ailing chick, doctor saves shelter dogs
- Get to Net-Zero by Mid-Century? Even Some Global Oil and Gas Giants Think it Can Be Done
- An Offshore Wind Farm on Lake Erie Moves Closer to Reality, but Will It Ever Be Built?
- The EPA Calls an Old Creosote Works in Pensacola an Uncontrolled Threat to Human Health. Why Is There No Money to Clean it Up?
- Mississippi woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds
- Amazon Shoppers Love This Very Cute & Comfortable Ruffled Top for the Summer
- California’s Relentless Droughts Strain Farming Towns
- Shopify deleted 322,000 hours of meetings. Should the rest of us be jealous?
Recommendation
-
Mega Millions winning numbers for November 12 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
-
Federal Trade Commission's request to pause Microsoft's $69 billion takeover of Activision during appeal denied by judge
-
Russia increasing unprofessional activity against U.S. forces in Syria
-
Microsoft vs. Google: Whose AI is better?
-
Dick Van Dyke says he 'fortunately' won't be around for Trump's second presidency
-
Renting a home may be more financially prudent than buying one, experts say
-
Q&A: With Climate Change-Fueled Hurricanes and Wildfire on the Horizon, a Trauma Expert Offers Ways to Protect Your Mental Health
-
Collin Gosselin Pens Message of Gratitude to Dad Jon Amid New Chapter