By Steve Crane | Editor-in-chief
“It’s a cowardly act ... the goal of this person is to disenfranchise Marylanders. It’s just a pure coward that wants to undermine American democracy in its foundations, starting with elections.” - Maryland Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis, on anonymous letters containing a white powder that were sent to his office and to members of the state’s congressional delegation.
A vague threat directed at elected and election officials, an ongoing worry about chronic absenteeism and a clear win for banned book opponents in Harford County. Plenty for you to read this Saturday, so let’s dive right in.
Almost all members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, and state elections officials, got letters with an ominous powder, the latest targets in a string of such letters across the country. The powder was nontoxic, and no one was injured. Or frightened — most put out statements vowing to keep working, as Pera Onal reports.
Local News Network continues its series of stories based on a survey of school board candidates across the state, who say they’re worried about chronic absenteeism, and offer different approaches to solving the problem. Michael Murphy has that story.
Speaking of schools, a Harford County judge said the county school board was wrong to order a book removed from school libraries after a panel of teachers, students and administrators — who read the book, unlike all of the board members — voted to keep it. It was the first test of a pioneering 2024 state law aimed at blocking book banning in schools.
Our readers continue to pass the test when we ask for their help. Readers like Susan G. of Silver Spring, Richard S. of Lutherville, Ronald H. of Columbia, Maria R. of Gaithersburg, Lawrence C. of Sandy Spring, Susan E. of Baltimore, Paul B. of Rockville, William W. of Frederick and Amy F. and Lauren N., both from Bowie, all of whom donated to our work. Thanks, y’all. If you want to help support our work, you can visit our donate page.
In the meantime, check out those stories below, plus other news and a look back at headlines from a very busy week as you slide into the weekend. Enjoy!
Almost every member of Maryland's congressional delegation has received ominous letters filled with what turned out to be a nontoxic powder in the last week, part of a string of such attacks nationwide. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
By Pera Onal
Almost every member of Congress from Maryland, as well as the state's elections office, received ominous letters filled with what turned out to be a nontoxic powder at one of their offices in the last week.
It makes Maryland offices the latest in a string of such attacks nationwide, just weeks before the Nov. 3 elections. Dozens of congressional lawmakers, election officials and secretaries of state across the U.S. reported receiving similar letters, that were first sent to Louisiana and Oklahoma representatives early last week.
On Capitol Hill, both of Maryland's senators and at least five of the state's eight House members confirmed that they had received such letters. No one has been hurt in the incidents, which are being jointly investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Maryland public schools’ chronic absenteeism rate has dropped for four straight years, but it's still above prepandemic levels. (Photo by Tony Anderson/Getty Stock image)
By Michael Murphy
Maryland public schools’ chronic absenteeism rate has dropped for four straight years, but school board candidates across the state said the problem is far from solved.
State Superintendent of Schools Carey M. Wright said earlier this fall that the rate fell to 22.8% for the 2025-26 school year, down from a pandemic-era peak of 30.9% in 2021-22.
Candidates in local school board elections across Maryland weighed in on the problem in the Local News Network’s 2026 school board candidate questionnaire. Asked how big a problem absenteeism is in their districts and what, if anything, the board of education can do about it, many candidates expressed serious concerns about the issue, with one saying it’s important “because missed school quickly becomes missed instruction, weaker relationships with teachers and peers, and a greater risk of falling behind.”
A student who misses 10% of school days or more in an academic year is considered chronically absent. Even with the improvement, the rate remains above prepandemic levels, and the story looks different depending on the county.
A Harford County Circuit judge this week ordered the county school board to restore a graphic novel it had ordered removed from school system library shelves. It was the first test of the Freedom to Read Act, which targets school book bans. (Photo by Getty Images)
By Maryland Matters Staff
Lawmakers and educators Friday hailed a Harford County Circuit Court judge's ruling reversing the county school board's decision to pull a graphic novel from school system library shelves, after a panel of teachers and students had voted to keep it.
The ruling by Circuit Judge Yolanda Curtin was the first legal test of the state's Freedom to Read Act, a 2024 law that sought to prevent the removal of materials from school libraries because of their authors' backgrounds or because of "partisan, ideological or religious disapproval."
Curtin, who ruled from the bench Thursday after a hearing on the dispute, upheld a 2025 decision by the state Board of Education that said the local board was wrong to remove the young-adult graphic novel "Flamer" from school libraries after the independent panel found it appropriate. The semi-autobiographical novel deals with a boy struggling with his sexuality and his religion, bullying by other boys at camp and thoughts of suicide,
IN OTHER NEWS
Highbrow ballots: Statewide ballot measures are written, on average, at a graduate-school reading level, with readability varying by state, a report says. It comes as critics of Question 3, a Maryland proposal on redistricting, say its wording is too complex.
A premium for premiums: Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance plans rose again this year, as did the deductible people pay before benefits kick in. Employees will pay about $1,672 for individual coverage, while employers contributed $8,132.
Prince George’s claws back grants: Millions in grant funds have been returned to Prince George's County by a group led by the best friend of the county council chair, amid ongoing calls for an investigation into how the grants got to the group in the first place.
MATTERS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Yes, they can: When she was first elected, former Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez carried voter registration forms to pass out to Latinos she met. It must have worked. Today, Latinos are running for elected offices up and down the ballot.
Early voting begins: With few major contests on the ballot, Question 3 is expected to grab most of the attention in the coming weeks. That was the case during the first day of early voting Thursday, when lawmakers turned out to rally for, and against, the measure.
Counting school counselors: School board candidates generally agreed with a new law that will require more mental health counselors in schools, but those responding to a survey said more resources are needed, while some called for more parental involvement.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
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