Maryland
Joe Vogel makes his mark in Md. General Assembly
Montgomery County Democrat is one of state’s youngest lawmakers
Maryland state Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery County) on Sunday during an interview with the Washington Blade praised the many legislative milestones that marked this year’s legislative session.
Most of the lawmaker’s bills addressed the opioid crisis, mental health, gun violence and LGBTQ issues. Vogel noted he opted to work to safeguard people’s fundamental rights.
“We have been leading the way on this [LGBTQ issues.] This legislative session, we passed a bill to expand access to gender-affirming care for Medicaid recipients, making it so that if you are poor and on Medicaid, you have access to the same gender affirming care as if you are wealthy, and on private insurance,” he told the Blade before he attended the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s National Champagne Brunch that took place at the JW Marriott Hotel in D.C.
Maryland has also been at the forefront of abortion rights by driving the efforts to enshrine the right into the state’s constitution. The General Assembly also passed a measure to end the state’s statute of limitations for when a civil suit can be filed against public or private institutions when related to child sexual abuse.
Vogel described Democratic Gov. Wes Moore as “a phenomenal champion for the LGBTQ+ community.”
“He has been a partner on a lot of these pieces of legislation that I mentioned earlier,” said Vogel. “He had us over at his house recently just to express to our LGBTQ+ caucus — just to express his commitment to our community.”
Vogel differentiated Moore from other governors, including Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“He (Moore) is someone who is such a contrast to governors like Ron DeSantis, or Greg Abbott,” said Vogel. “They wake up every morning thinking about what they can do to hurt our community, whereas the governor of Maryland right, Wes Moore, he wakes up every morning, and I’m convinced he thinks about what you can do for the well-being of every Marylander. And that includes the LGBTQ community.”
‘There is a hunger for a new generation of leadership’
Vogel, who represents District 17, is 26 and one of the House of Delegates’ youngest members.
“There is a hunger for a new generation of leadership,” Vogel told the Blade, referring to young politicians who are beginning to take center stage around the country. “And I think, without a doubt, you have a Republican Party that is intent on eroding our democracy — on attacking our fundamental rights.”
Vogel, who was born in Uruguay, noted the similarity he saw between the dictatorship that his homeland suffered in the 20th century and the current situation in the U.S.
“It’s something very interesting about the fall of your democracy — is that what you had going on, there was a far right, that was chipping away at those democratic institutions. And the left was growing hopeless, and losing faith in democratic governance,” he said. “They were saying, ‘Well, the system’s broken anyways, it’s not benefiting us, whatever. We don’t care about anything.’ And if you look at this country right now, though, that is a pattern that we are seeing here, we are seeing a far right attempting to chip away in whatever way they can at our fundamental rights and democratic institutions.”
Uruguay’s civic-military dictatorship lasted 12 years, from 1973-1985. It carried out many human rights violations that included the use of extreme torture methods and forced disappearances.
The term “civic-military” refers to the military regime’s relatively slow annexing of power from civilian presidents who continued to serve as head of state — contrary to other Latin American countries in which militaries immediately took control through coups.
Vogel, for his part, did not rule out the possibility of running for higher office, calling it a possibility to continue to “fight” for the issues that are happening today.
“That’s what we’ll do,” he said.
Maryland
Evan Glass running for Montgomery County executive
Former journalist would be first gay person to hold office
Evan Glass is running for Montgomery County executive.
He is currently serving his second term as an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council.
Glass has been a councilman since 2018; he is the first openly gay person to hold a seat on the council. Glass has also been its president and vice president. He is now running to succeed incumbent County Executive Marc Elrich, who has reached the end of his two-term limit.
Glass on Wednesday announced he is entering the race for county executive, which, if elected, would make him the first openly gay person to lead Montgomery County’s executive office.
In an email to the Washington Blade, Glass outlined key campaign priorities, including standing up to President Donald Trump and his “aspiring oligarchs,” supporting vulnerable members of the Montgomery County community as federal budgets are slashed, and protecting residents’ quality of life by ensuring that “Montgomery County remains a place where people can afford to live, raise their families, and retire with security.”
Glass is holding a campaign launch event on March 22 at 11:30 a.m. at 7 Locks Brewing in Rockville to officially kick off his bid for county executive, outline his campaign platform, and connect with supporters.
Over the past seven years, Glass has served on several key committees within the Montgomery County Council. These include the Transportation and Environment Committee, where he has worked to implement policies benefiting both public transit users and the environment, and the Economic Development Committee, which focuses on fostering and sustaining economic growth in Montgomery County.
In addition to his committee work, Glass spearheaded the creation of the Anti-Hate Task Force, which aims to “prioritize policies that promote safety and combat hate crimes” for marginalized communities, including LGBTQ residents. He also helped organize the county’s first Pride celebrations.
During his tenure, Glass has worked to reduce housing costs in Montgomery County by passing legislation to make it more affordable to build and rent homes, particularly near public transportation. He has also championed policies to address the climate crisis, including securing funding for clean energy initiatives.
Glass has helped pass numerous laws to expand grant opportunities for entrepreneurs, ensure fair wages, and increase oversight, and transparency within Montgomery County Public Schools. He also led efforts to expand the county council from nine to 11 members.
Before entering Montgomery County politics, Glass spent 12 years as a journalist for CNN, covering national politics.
Maryland
Delivery driver who fatally shot Bel Air trans woman is sentenced to prison
Brian Delen convicted assaulting Meghan Lewis, acquitted of murder
BY CLARA LONGO DE FREITAS | A food delivery driver who fatally shot a trans woman in the parking lot of her Bel Air condo community was sentenced on Monday to serve 10 years in prison, five without the possibility of parole, for second-degree assault.
Brian Delen, 49, was convicted last November in Harford County Circuit Court of second-degree assault and use of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. He was found not guilty of first- and second-degree murder.
Circuit Court Judge Yolanda L. Curtin also ordered Delen to serve a five-year concurrent sentence on the firearms charge. He will be on supervised probation for five years after release.
Delen’s attorneys argued at trial that he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Meghan Lewis, 52, a beloved advocate for LGBTQ rights and avid Grateful Dead fan.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
Maryland
Project 2025 author Kevin Roberts cancels talk at University of Maryland law school
Illness cited as reason for abrupt cancellation
By ELLIE WOLFE | Hours before it was scheduled to take place, Project 2025 author Kevin Roberts canceled his controversial speaking event at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore.
The Monday night visit, organized by the Republican Law Society, was the subject of student outcry, counter-events and even a scheduled protest outside the law school building downtown. Though some students and university officials said the event would reinforce freedom of speech, it drew criticism from those who oppose Roberts’s stances on marriage equality and abortion access.
Roberts canceled his talk due to an illness, according to a spokesperson for the law school, and it’s unclear whether it’ll be rescheduled.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
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