By Steve Crane | Editor-in-chief
“We’re going to work to make this program as successful as we can, because this is a serious program. We want to do this in the best way possible, making sure that everything is being considered from the ethical side to implementation and do it as effectively as possible.” - Karrington Anderson, associate policy director at the Maryland Association of Counties, on the commitment to the state’s new Assisted Outpatient Program, despite lingering cost concerns from counties and treatment concerns from health officials.
Based on the number of people in the State House this week, it appears that a lot of folks are already on vacation. But before the rest of you escape for the weekend, we have some Friday headlines for you.
The state on Thursday launched the Assisted Outpatient Treatment program in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County and in Eastern Shore counties. The program will let family, friends or mental health professionals ask a court to mandate that a patient take their prescribed medications. It could head off medical or legal problems for someone who won’t take their medications, but health advocates still have concerns about the ethical implications and counties have questions about cost, as Danielle J. Brown reports.
Legal challenges to the proposed constitutional amendment that would change how the state draws congressional maps are on a tight timeline — and they’ll continue on that timeline on two different tracks. A judge in Dorchester County rejected a request by the State Board of Elections to move that case to Anne Arundel County so it could be considered with a redistricting case filed there. Bryan P. Sears has that story.
The FBI also filed notice of an expected appeal of Monday’s court ruling that said the agency’s new headquarters should be in Greenbelt, along with other headlines from the week and commentary below. Enjoy!
Anne Arundel County is one of the first local jurisdictions that will allow circuit courts to mandate that someone suffering from severe mental health challenges adhere to a determined treatment plan. (File photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
By Danielle J. Brown
Maryland health officials are rolling out a new and controversial program to help those with severe mental health challenges stay on top of their treatment -- by using a court order to mandate that those patients comply with their medical plans.
The Maryland Department of Health on Thursday announced the launch of the new Assisted Outpatient Treatment program that will grant mental health professionals, concerned family members or friends the ability to petition a circuit court for someone to receive mandated medical treatments for their mental health conditions.
Some conditions, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, can interfere with the patient’s ability to recognize that they need medical care, depending on how their conditions manifest. Such situations can lead to repeated hospitalization or incarceration for an individual suffering from behavioral health challenges, while being heartbreaking for families who watch a loved one’s struggle with mental health.
But it's still a controversial proposal. Disability rights advocates have raised concerns that assisted outpatient treatment orders step on a patient’s right to make their own medical decisions, referring to the program as “involuntary outpatient commitment.” Meanwhile, local officials — who learned this year that the state will stick them with at least some of the cost of the program — are still working out logistics with state officials.
A Dorchester County Circuit Court judge has denied a motion to move a challenge of a constitutional amendment on redistricting to Annapolis, where another case is set for a hearing on Aug. 31. (Maryland Matters illustration)
By Bryan P. Sears
A Dorchester County judge rejected a request to move a lawsuit challenging the state's proposed new redistricting regulations to Anne Arundel County, meaning two challenges to the planned constitutional amendment will move forward on two tracks on an extremely tight timeline.
The Dorchester lawsuit was the second by filed by Republicans aiming to block the proposed amendment, a week after the case in Anne Arundel County. An attorney representing the Maryland State Board of Elections had asked that the cases be consolidated in Annapolis, where the first case is set to heard by the end of the month.
Language for the Nov. 3 general election ballot has to be approved by Aug. 31.
At issue is House Bill 2100, a proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution passed earlier this month. If approved by voters, the amendment to the Maryland Constitution would clarify that language requiring districts to be compact, contiguous and mindful of jurisdictional and geographic boundaries only applies to legislative districts, not congressional districts. That would give Democrats a freer hand if they decided to redistrict next year, ahead of the 2028 elections, to target the sole seat held by a Republican in the state’s congressional delegation.
IN OTHER NEWS
Pushing toward the center: A national Democratic centrist group said legislators from six more states, including Maryland, signed the “Promise to America” pledge calling for common ground solutions, in what's seen as a pushback to gains by Democratic Socialists.
Greenbelt hails FBI ruling, despite new fed challenge: The city of Greenbelt is celebrating a victory in a fight to keep a plan to move the FBI headquarters to the city on track, even as Trump administration officials are filing notice of their expected appeal.
Turning to AI for housing permits: Housing projects can stall as a permit goes through cycles of inspections, reviews and approvals. Cities hope artificial intelligence can address one of the most persistent sources of permit delays: incomplete applications.
TODAY'S COMMENTARY
The schoolyard excuse for bad behavior, “He started it,” is the worst possible justification for amending the Maryland Constitution to perpetuate the practice of partisan gerrymandering, writes Gary Hodge, who says voters have a choice this fall.
MATTERS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
It’s August. That means school’s back: The 2026-27 school year started Wednesday in Frederick County, and the remaining 23 school systems will all be back in class within less than two weeks -- almost a full week before they go on break for Labor Day weekend.
Anne Arundel changes student gender policy: After getting a threat from the federal government about violating parental rights, Anne Arundel County public schools said its gender policy for students has been amended to grant parents more access.
Tax computers enter 21st century: Comptroller Brooke Lierman said the current tax computer system, which dates back to when she was in high school, will move from a mainframe to the modern cloud, with 4 billion files transferred over the next two weeks.
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