Current:Home > InvestBaltimore ‘baby bonus’ won’t appear on ballots after court rules it unconstitutional-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Baltimore ‘baby bonus’ won’t appear on ballots after court rules it unconstitutional
View Date:2024-12-24 00:01:02
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! (5147)
Related
- Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut Sits Out First Selection
- Senate fails to advance border deal, with separate vote expected on Ukraine and Israel aid
- CDC is investigating gastrointestinal sickness on luxury cruise ship Queen Victoria
- Quinta Brunson on 'emotional' Emmy speech, taking chances in 'Abbott Elementary' Season 3
- FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
- From Uber Eats’ ‘Friends’ reunion to Bud’s Clydesdales, here are the buzziest Super Bowl ads so far
- It's the Year of the Dragon. Here's your guide to the Lunar New Year
- Ohio State, LSU headline the winners and losers from college football signing day
- Megan Fox Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby With Machine Gun Kelly
- Prince Harry back in U.K. to be with his father following King Charles' cancer diagnosis
Ranking
- Mississippi governor intent on income tax cut even if states receive less federal money
- Minnesota officials say lodge that burned had 3 unresolved inspection violations
- Disney posts solid Q1 results thanks to its theme parks and cost cuts
- Idaho death row inmate nearing execution wants a new clemency hearing. The last one ended in a tie
- Kim Kardashian Says She's Raising Her and Kanye West's 4 Kids By Herself
- WrestleMania 40 kickoff: Time, how to watch, what to expect at Las Vegas press conference
- Wisconsin governor doubts Republican Legislature will approve his maps
- Aaron Rodgers tells Joe Rogan he's lost friends, allies, millions over his COVID-19 beliefs
Recommendation
-
'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
-
Trump’s presidential bid hangs in the balance at the Supreme Court. Here’s what to know
-
WrestleMania 40 kickoff: Time, how to watch, what to expect at Las Vegas press conference
-
AI fakes raise election risks as lawmakers and tech companies scramble to catch up
-
Rafael dissolves into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after hitting Cuba as a hurricane
-
Black people more likely to sleep less after some police killings, study says. It's detrimental for their health
-
Fall in Love With His & Hers Fragrances for Valentine’s Day
-
Taylor Swift doesn't want people tracking her private jet. Here's why it's legal.