Annapolis anti-discrimination bill set for vote
DIGEST Annapolis anti-discrimination bill set for vote By Chase Cook Baltimore Sun Media Group An Annapolis city commission has recommended approval of legislation codifying nondiscrimination laws to protect foreignborn residents.
The recommendation by the city’s Rules and City Government Committee sets the legislation up for a vote at Monday’s city council meeting. The committee recommended approval in a 2-0 vote, with Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles, a Democrat, abstaining.
The bill seeks to protect foreign-born residents from discrimination by city officials, giving the city authority to punish anyone who denies city services or benefits or unduly questions the immigration status of an individual without legal basis.
The action comes with amendments provided by the primary sponsor of the bill, Democratic Alderman Jared Littmann. Littmann submitted the amendments in response to concerns from the city’s law office.
They tweak the language of the bill to remove specific references to foreign-born residents and instead focusing on “visitors from different parts of the world and different cultural backgrounds.” The amendment also expands the language to include gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity discrimination.
“We are trying to be more clear what we are doing is covered under equal protection” laws, Littmann said.
City Attorney Michael Leahy said the bill duplicates federal law that already protects foreign-born residents. The14th Amendment provides equal protection to people within the country, Leahy said.
He also raised concerns the law would put the city at odds with the federal government, as President Donald J. Trump has made immigration reform a central element of his young administration.
While some have argued the bill doesn’t make Annapolis a sanctuary city — officials can cooperate with federal officials as required by law — it does bar city officials from using city money to enforce any “federal program” that would discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or national origin, according to the amendments.
While Pindell Charles abstained, she proposed creating a commission to examine discrimination, among other issues, in the Hispanic/Latino community.
Hopkins to host political seminars at Academy The Johns Hopkins University will host two political-themed seminars at the Naval Academy this spring. The seminars — focusing on Britain’s decision last year to leave the European Union, called Brexit, and famous court cases — are a part of Hopkins’ Odyssey, a noncredit liberal arts program, according to the university’s website. Both seminars cost $173 and will be held at the Naval Academy Club.
The first seminar, on March17, is “How will ‘Brexit’ Affect the European Union?” The seminar will feature current and former instructors.
The second seminar, on April 21, is called “An All-Day Seminar Covering Four Contentious Cases.” The seminar will break down four important court cases and their impact.
The topics include affirmative action, the Navy’s use of sonar technology and its effect on marine life, prisoner detention, and District of Columbia residents seeking representation in Congress, according to the website.
For more information or to register for the classes, go to aapnoncredit.jhu.edu.
—Meredith Newman, Baltimore Sun Media Group Crystal Spring developers unveil new name National Lutheran Communities and Services has unveiled a new name for its continuing-care retirement community project formerly attached to the Crystal Spring development. It’s name is now The Village at Providence Point: A National Lutheran Community. The previous name was The Village at Crystal Spring.
Providence was the original name of the Annapolis Colonial settlement, and is connected to faith, according to a statement from the nonprofit Lutheran group.
National Lutheran Communities and Services previously had been attached to the larger mixed-use version of the Crystal Spring site, but has now worked out a contract with the landowner to only build the continuing-care retirement community. That project is estimated to have 382 age-restricted units and 48 health care units, although a formal plan has not been submitted to the city yet.
Concept details on the project will be detailed at information sessions this week for interested seniors.
The sessions will be held in the Adm.
Lawrence Banquet Room at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 550 Taylor Ave., from10:30 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 15. Two more sessions will be held at the same times Feb. 16.
— Chase Cook, Baltimore Sun Media Group State of the Magothy talk to address river’s decline The health of the Magothy River is on the decline. That’s the message the Magothy River Association is expected to deliver during its annual State of the Magothy program this month, according to a news release from the organization’s president, Paul Spadaro.
The presentation will shed light on the factors influencing the river and highlight steps needed to reverse the trend, Spadaro said.
Also on the agenda of this year’s presentation are discussions of the yellow perch restoration program, the Berrywood Cattail Creek restoration project, the yearly circumnavigation of the river and the new Magothy River Water Trail.
The State of the Magothy talk is set for Feb.
24 at Anne Arundel Community College’s Arnold Campus in Room 100 of the CALT Building. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the program is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. More information is available at magothyriver.org.
—Megan Brockett, Baltimore Sun Media Group
The recommendation by the city’s Rules and City Government Committee sets the legislation up for a vote at Monday’s city council meeting. The committee recommended approval in a 2-0 vote, with Alderwoman Rhonda Pindell Charles, a Democrat, abstaining.
The bill seeks to protect foreign-born residents from discrimination by city officials, giving the city authority to punish anyone who denies city services or benefits or unduly questions the immigration status of an individual without legal basis.
The action comes with amendments provided by the primary sponsor of the bill, Democratic Alderman Jared Littmann. Littmann submitted the amendments in response to concerns from the city’s law office.
They tweak the language of the bill to remove specific references to foreign-born residents and instead focusing on “visitors from different parts of the world and different cultural backgrounds.” The amendment also expands the language to include gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity discrimination.
“We are trying to be more clear what we are doing is covered under equal protection” laws, Littmann said.
City Attorney Michael Leahy said the bill duplicates federal law that already protects foreign-born residents. The14th Amendment provides equal protection to people within the country, Leahy said.
He also raised concerns the law would put the city at odds with the federal government, as President Donald J. Trump has made immigration reform a central element of his young administration.
While some have argued the bill doesn’t make Annapolis a sanctuary city — officials can cooperate with federal officials as required by law — it does bar city officials from using city money to enforce any “federal program” that would discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity or national origin, according to the amendments.
While Pindell Charles abstained, she proposed creating a commission to examine discrimination, among other issues, in the Hispanic/Latino community.
Hopkins to host political seminars at Academy The Johns Hopkins University will host two political-themed seminars at the Naval Academy this spring. The seminars — focusing on Britain’s decision last year to leave the European Union, called Brexit, and famous court cases — are a part of Hopkins’ Odyssey, a noncredit liberal arts program, according to the university’s website. Both seminars cost $173 and will be held at the Naval Academy Club.
The first seminar, on March17, is “How will ‘Brexit’ Affect the European Union?” The seminar will feature current and former instructors.
The second seminar, on April 21, is called “An All-Day Seminar Covering Four Contentious Cases.” The seminar will break down four important court cases and their impact.
The topics include affirmative action, the Navy’s use of sonar technology and its effect on marine life, prisoner detention, and District of Columbia residents seeking representation in Congress, according to the website.
For more information or to register for the classes, go to aapnoncredit.jhu.edu.
—Meredith Newman, Baltimore Sun Media Group Crystal Spring developers unveil new name National Lutheran Communities and Services has unveiled a new name for its continuing-care retirement community project formerly attached to the Crystal Spring development. It’s name is now The Village at Providence Point: A National Lutheran Community. The previous name was The Village at Crystal Spring.
Providence was the original name of the Annapolis Colonial settlement, and is connected to faith, according to a statement from the nonprofit Lutheran group.
National Lutheran Communities and Services previously had been attached to the larger mixed-use version of the Crystal Spring site, but has now worked out a contract with the landowner to only build the continuing-care retirement community. That project is estimated to have 382 age-restricted units and 48 health care units, although a formal plan has not been submitted to the city yet.
Concept details on the project will be detailed at information sessions this week for interested seniors.
The sessions will be held in the Adm.
Lawrence Banquet Room at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 550 Taylor Ave., from10:30 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 15. Two more sessions will be held at the same times Feb. 16.
— Chase Cook, Baltimore Sun Media Group State of the Magothy talk to address river’s decline The health of the Magothy River is on the decline. That’s the message the Magothy River Association is expected to deliver during its annual State of the Magothy program this month, according to a news release from the organization’s president, Paul Spadaro.
The presentation will shed light on the factors influencing the river and highlight steps needed to reverse the trend, Spadaro said.
Also on the agenda of this year’s presentation are discussions of the yellow perch restoration program, the Berrywood Cattail Creek restoration project, the yearly circumnavigation of the river and the new Magothy River Water Trail.
The State of the Magothy talk is set for Feb.
24 at Anne Arundel Community College’s Arnold Campus in Room 100 of the CALT Building. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the program is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. More information is available at magothyriver.org.
—Megan Brockett, Baltimore Sun Media Group
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