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Prop 134 fails Colorado board of ed good-policy standards
Somewhere in Colorado, a girl could be pulled aside by a coach or an official who thinks she looks “too strong” or “too tall” to be a girl. Under Proposition 134, that isn’t just a hypothetical. During the legislative session, the Colorado state Board of Education routinely takes positions on legislation but has not typically […]
ASU designs a statewide pipeline for Arizona's anesthesia workforce
Every surgery, C-section, trauma case and cancer operation in Arizona depends on a clinician administering anesthesia and keeping the patient safe while the surgeon works. The state needs more of these clinicians.As of September, the Arizona State Board of Nursing lists 1,759 certified registered nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs, in the state. In 2023, Arizona was short 732 nurse anesthetists, and the shortage is projected to reach 868 by 2033.
Nebraska education board approves funds for healthy food initiative, discusses grant process
After concerns about wanting funding to go to schools, the State Board of Education awarded $2 million in leftover funds to support healthy food in schools for additional projects for infrastructures and marketing.
Lawsuit seeks to block new NC mail-in ballot processes
A coalition of left-leaning groups is suing to block new absentee ballot guidelines approved by the State Board of Elections, arguing that mail-in voters could be disenfranchised.
Gov. Braun Makes Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions
Gov. Mike Braun announced new appointments to various state boards and commissions. Appointments: Indiana Lottery Commission Brandon Clifton Appointment: Term expires …
As shortfall looms, Pillen installs allies on board meant to keep politics out of budget forecast
In an unprecedented move, Gov. Jim Pillen has reshaped the state board that predicts Nebraska’s tax revenues for budget writers, replacing three members with appointees that include two former Republi...
NY ends Regents exams as high school graduation requirements
NEW YORK — An effort to phase out the Regents exam as a high school graduation requirement reached a major milestone on Monday, when the New York State Board of
Statewide assessments demonstrate ELA and math recovery accelerate as science reaches record high
The Utah State Board of Education release 2025-2026 statewide assessment results in Utah show English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics recovery accelerating, and science results reaching record highs. The Big Picture The 2025–2026 Utah statewide assessment results demonstrate continuous multi-year academic growth following pandemic-related disruptions. Across all core subjects, student performance increased year-over-year, reflecting sustained multi-year gains.Most notably, Science performance has exceeded pre-pandemic baseline levels, while English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are closing in on full recovery. Assessment results are available interactively […]
State board approves $1.4 million of aid to businesses
The South Dakota Board of Economic Development approved a total of $1.4 million in state funding for four projects.
Midterm elections shaping up as big business for gamblers in the rough and rowdy world of prediction markets
“This is a troubling trend that election administrators across the nation must deal with,” said Jared DeMarinis of the Maryland State Board of Elections.
State Board of Elections weighing rules as absentee ballots set to go out
Absentee ballots in this year's midterm elections are set to start going out in the mail Friday to overseas and military voters.
Augusta Health CFO Joe Meador Appointed by Governor Spanberger to Virginia Board of Medical Assistance Services
Gubernatorial appointment places Augusta Health executive on the state board overseeing Medicaid coverage for more than 1.7 million Virginians FISHERSVILLE, VIRGINIA — Augusta Health today announced that Joe Meador, CPA, FACHE, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been appointed by Governor Abigail Spanberger to the Virginia Board of Medical Assistance Services (BMAS), the […]
WHO RUNS MARYLAND POLITICS NOW?
ByThe Maryland Wire The Machine Didn’t Die — It Broke Apart Mike Miller is gone. Steny Hoyer is retiring. The two men who helped define Maryland political power for generations are disappearing from the map. Nobody has inherited all of what they controlled. Instead, Maryland power has fractured among Wes Moore, legislative leaders, county organizations, federal figures and a new generation fighting to connect the pieces. By The Maryland Wire For decades, there were two names in Maryland politics that required almost no explanation. Mike Miller. Steny Hoyer. You didn’t necessarily have to agree with them. You didn’t even have to like them. But everyone understood something: Not social-media power. Not cable-news power. Not the temporary power that comes from one big election. They possessed political infrastructure. Relationships. Institutional memory. Donors. Staff. Allies. County leaders. Lobbyists. Legislators. Operatives. And the ability to connect people who needed something with people capable of delivering it. Today one is gone. The other is preparing to leave Congress after more than four decades. And Maryland faces a question it hasn’t had to answer in generations: The answer may be: Nobody. At least not the way Miller once did. Maryland’s old machine wasn’t inherited by one person. It fragmented. And now several ambitious political networks are competing to assemble the pieces. Miller presided over the Maryland Senate for 33 years, becoming one of the longest-serving legislative leaders in American history. He stepped down as Senate president in 2019 and died in January 2021. (Behavioral and Social Sciences) But Miller’s real power wasn’t the title printed on his door. It was the accumulation of relationships behind it. Miller came from Maryland’s old Democratic organization and developed into an extraordinarily adaptable political operator, retaining authority even as the Senate around him became younger and more liberal. (The Washington Post) He understood something fundamental: politics is information. Who wants what? Who owes whom? Which senator needs help? Which county executive wants something in the budget? Which committee chairman can move a bill? Which lobbyist represents which client? Which candidate should receive support today because that candidate could be a senator ten years from now? Miller knew the answers because he’d spent decades collecting them. Miller’s influence wasn’t confined to elected officials. Former Miller aides became prominent Annapolis lobbyists. Maryland Matters noted figures such as Joseph Bryce and Timothy Perry among the high-profile lobbyists who had once served as top Miller aides. (Maryland Matters) That was one of Miller’s greatest political achievements. He didn’t merely accumulate power around himself. He produced alumni. Staffers became lobbyists. Legislators became committee chairs. Allies became power brokers. And decades of relationships reinforced one another. By the end, Mike Miller wasn’t simply a person. He was an ecosystem. Hoyer’s network was different. Miller’s power was rooted in Annapolis. Hoyer connected Maryland to Washington. He served in the Maryland Senate before winning election to Congress in 1981 and ultimately became one of the longest-serving members of the U.S. House and a longtime No. 2 in House Democratic leadership. In January 2026, Hoyer announced that he would retire rather than seek another term. (The Washington Post) His influence stretched through: Prince George’s County, Southern Maryland, Congress, federal agencies, donors, campaign organizations, and generations of Democratic candidates. And Hoyer had something machine builders value enormously: a succession network. That became obvious almost immediately. When Hoyer announced his retirement, Maryland’s 5th Congressional District exploded with candidates. Twenty-four Democrats entered the race. But when the votes were counted, the winner was Adrian Boafo, Hoyer’s former campaign manager. Boafo wasn’t running without establishment help. He was endorsed by Hoyer. He was endorsed by Governor Wes Moore. And he ultimately won the Democratic nomination. (AP News) In his victory speech, Boafo described the result as voters deciding it was time to “pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.” (AP News) That phrase captures the transition perfectly. Hoyer’s seat isn’t simply being vacated. Parts of his network are being transferred. But they aren’t being transferred to another Steny Hoyer. They’re being absorbed into a newer political constellation. And standing prominently inside that constellation is Wes Moore. If someone forces you to name the single person sitting nearest the center of Maryland Democratic politics today, the answer is Governor Wes Moore. The 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary underscored the scale of his position. Moore won renomination overwhelmingly, receiving roughly 88% of the Democratic primary vote. (WBAL-TV) But raw votes tell only part of the story. Look at the party infrastructure. The Maryland Democratic Party says Steuart Pittman ran for state party chairman in 2025 “at the suggestion of Governor Wes Moore.” Pittman took office that July. (The Maryland Democratic Party) That’s important. Governors traditionally influence their state parties. But party leadership plus fundraising, endorsements, executive appointments and national relationships creates the beginning of something bigger: a political network that could survive the governor’s term. Moore also played a role in the Hoyer succession by backing Boafo. That’s how political organizations reproduce themselves. You support tomorrow’s politician today. And that’s the distinction that matters. Moore has enormous statewide visibility. Miller had decades of accumulated legislative control. Moore can endorse candidates. Miller could influence the environment in which legislators lived every day. Committee assignments. Leadership positions. Legislative priorities. Relationships that had been accumulating since before many current lawmakers entered politics. Moore may have a larger national profile than Miller ever possessed. But he doesn’t possess Miller’s half-century of Annapolis memory. Nobody does. Which is why the modern Maryland political structure looks less like a pyramid and more like several power centers connected by overlapping relationships. One of those centers belongs to Senate President Bill Ferguson. Ferguson controls an institution no governor can simply command. The Senate. Maryland’s official 2026 legislative records identify Ferguson as Senate President. (Maryland General Assembly) That means influence over: committee structure, Senate leadership, legislative priorities, confirmations, and negotiations with the House and governor. But Ferguson is not Mike Miller 2.0. Miller’s extraordinary longevity allowed him to become almost inseparable from the institution. Ferguson possesses the office. Miller possessed the office plus decades of political mythology and accumulated relationships. Those aren’t the same thing. The House now has its own new center of gravity. Official 2026 legislative records identify Joseline Peña-Melnyk as Speaker of the House of Delegates, alongside Ferguson as Senate President. (Maryland General Assembly) That makes the current Maryland governing triangle: Executive power. Senate power. House power. None fully controls the others. And that fact alone demonstrates how different modern Maryland is from the Miller era. The governor proposes. The legislature disposes. Committee leaders negotiate. County interests intervene. And political coalitions shift issue by issue. That’s not one machine. That’s a networked power structure. Then there’s U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks. Her significance isn’t that she is the new Hoyer. She isn’t. Hoyer spent decades constructing his network. Alsobrooks brings something different: Prince George’s County roots, a statewide electoral organization, a United States Senate platform, and relationships with national Democratic leaders. That makes her a critical bridge between Maryland and Washington at precisely the moment Hoyer leaves. Hoyer’s retirement therefore doesn’t necessarily weaken Prince George’s influence. It changes who carries it. Prince George’s itself is undergoing a dramatic generational transition. Official 2026 results show Aisha Braveboy winning the Democratic County Executive primary with 87,944 votes and 73.31% of the vote. (Maryland State Board of Elections) That’s political infrastructure. Prince George’s is one of Maryland’s central Democratic vote engines. A county executive with that level of primary support gains: appointments, budget influence, organizational relationships, donor access, and a platform for cultivating the next generation of political leadership. Braveboy therefore isn’t merely another person on the Maryland power map. She controls a place from which a political organization can be built. Boafo is particularly interesting because he sits almost perfectly at the intersection between the old and new worlds. He worked for Hoyer. Hoyer endorsed him. Moore endorsed him. Then Boafo beat an enormous Democratic field for Hoyer’s seat. (AP News) That doesn’t make him powerful on Hoyer’s scale. He’s just beginning. But it illustrates how power actually transfers: not through a ceremonial handoff, but through endorsements, donors, staff, relationships, and voter confidence. Boafo may become Hoyer’s congressional successor. He will not automatically inherit Hoyer’s 40-plus years of political capital. That part has to be rebuilt. This is the part that often gets overlooked. When a machine breaks apart, power doesn’t only move upward. Some people’s relationships become less valuable. Former Miller aides still know Annapolis. Former Miller allies still possess institutional memory. Veteran lobbyists don’t forget how legislation works. But something fundamental disappeared when Miller did: the common center. The person capable of connecting all of them instantly was gone. That changes the value of a political network. Imagine knowing everybody in Annapolis. Useful. Now imagine the person who introduced many of those people, appointed committee chairs, influenced Senate priorities and understood decades of relationships is simultaneously Senate President. Much more useful. Remove that person and the individual relationships remain. But the system becomes decentralized. First: Bill Ferguson. The Senate’s institutional relationships now run through his leadership rather than Miller’s. Second: the House leadership. With the Miller-Busch generation gone, today’s House leaders are building their own committee chairs, alliances and relationships. Third: Wes Moore. Moore became governor after Miller was gone. That distinction matters. Earlier governors had to operate with Miller sitting across State Circle. Moore entered office during a generational reset. Instead of negotiating with the old machine, he has the opportunity to help build the next network. Fourth: Angela Alsobrooks and the emerging Prince George’s generation. Hoyer is leaving. Miller is gone. The county’s political leadership now belongs to another generation. Fifth: politicians who were outside the old Miller organization. When someone dominates an institution for 33 years, inevitably some politicians develop within that organization and others outside it. Miller’s departure created room for people who may never have risen as quickly under the old structure. That’s the biggest point. If Mike Miller’s power had simply transferred to Bill Ferguson, Maryland would still have a machine. If Hoyer’s influence simply transferred to Boafo, Maryland would still have a machine. If every county leader simply took orders from Moore, Maryland would have a machine. None of those things happened. Instead: Moore controls the statewide executive platform. Ferguson controls the Senate. Peña-Melnyk controls the House. Alsobrooks has statewide and federal reach. Braveboy has Prince George’s executive power. Pittman leads the state Democratic Party after Moore encouraged him to seek the role. (The Maryland Democratic Party) Boafo represents the beginning of the post-Hoyer congressional generation. And Baltimore, Montgomery County, organized labor, donors and other county organizations maintain their own centers of influence. That’s not one machine. If you want to understand where Maryland power is moving, don’t simply watch office titles. Watch endorsements. Who does Moore support? Who does Alsobrooks support? Who gets Ferguson’s allies? Who gets House leadership? Who gets Hoyer’s blessing? Who gets labor? Who gets major donors? And most importantly: That is where the new Maryland network becomes visible. The Boafo race was a textbook example. Hoyer’s successor didn’t emerge randomly from 24 candidates. He had ties to the outgoing incumbent and support from the governor. The old network and the emerging one overlapped. And voters chose him. (AP News) Moore may ultimately become the most important person in determining whether Maryland develops another durable statewide political organization. But the test isn’t whether Moore himself remains popular. The test is what happens to the people he supports. Which delegates become senators? Which senators become committee chairs? Which county officials become executives? Which staffers become candidates? Which appointees become statewide leaders? Who gets his donor network? Who gets his political advisers? Who eventually gets his endorsement when Maryland faces a post-Moore gubernatorial succession fight? That’s how we’ll know whether Moore was merely a successful governor— or the founder of another generation of Maryland power. There’s another category worth watching: politicians who came from Miller’s Maryland but remain active in the new one. Dereck Davis is one. Anthony Brown is another. Veteran legislators and former officials throughout the state still possess old relationships that newer politicians don’t. These people can function as bridges. That’s important because political systems rarely reset completely. The new machine usually grows partly from pieces of the old one. Donors don’t disappear. Lobbyists don’t disappear. Operatives don’t disappear. Institutional memory doesn’t disappear. They find new centers of gravity. If you want one name: His overwhelming 2026 Democratic renomination, executive authority, national profile and influence within the Maryland Democratic Party make that difficult to dispute. (WBAL-TV) But saying Moore “runs Maryland” the way Miller once ran the Senate would oversimplify the reality. Maryland power today looks more like this: WES MOORE Statewide organization.Appointments.Fundraising.Executive government.National Democratic relationships. BILL FERGUSON The Senate.Committees.Confirmations.Legislative leverage. JOSELINE PEÑA-MELNYK The House.Committee leadership.Budget and legislative leverage. ANGELA ALSOBROOKS Statewide electoral organization.Federal platform.Prince George’s relationships.National Democratic connections. AISHA BRAVEBOY Prince George’s executive organization.County government.A major Democratic vote base. THE POST-HOYER GENERATION Boafo and the emerging political class that will have to rebuild Hoyer’s Washington-Maryland network rather than simply inherit it. It did something more interesting. Mike Miller’s influence was too personal, too old and too deeply rooted in his own relationships to be inherited whole. Hoyer’s network is too extensive and too intertwined with decades of congressional politics to fit neatly inside one successor. So the pieces are moving. Toward Moore. Toward Ferguson. Toward Peña-Melnyk. Toward Alsobrooks. Toward Braveboy. Toward younger candidates and new county organizations. And toward veteran political survivors who understand both eras. That’s the next chapter of Maryland politics. The person who eventually connects: Annapolis, Prince George’s, Montgomery County, Baltimore, labor, business, donors, the Maryland Democratic Party, and the congressional delegation will possess something Maryland hasn’t truly seen since Miller’s heyday. Not merely another elected official. And maybe that’s why searching for “the next Mike Miller” is the wrong exercise. There may never be another one. The more important question is: Miller spent half a century becoming that person. Hoyer spent decades becoming another version of it. Maryland’s current political leaders are still competing for the privilege. And until somebody actually connects all those pieces, the most accurate answer to the question “Who runs Maryland?” may be the most fascinating one of all: No one does. Not anymore. But there are plenty of people trying. Sources University of Maryland and Maryland Matters — Miller’s 33-year Senate presidency and political legacy. (Behavioral and Social Sciences) Washington Post historical reporting — Miller’s rise from Maryland machine politics and ability to retain power as the Senate evolved. (The Washington Post) Maryland Matters — former top Miller aides who moved into Annapolis lobbying and the changing Senate power structure. (Maryland Matters) Washington Post and Reuters — Hoyer’s January 2026 retirement announcement after more than four decades in Congress and his long Democratic leadership career. (The Washington Post) Associated Press — Adrian Boafo’s 2026 victory in the Democratic primary to succeed Hoyer, including Hoyer and Moore’s support and Boafo’s “pass the torch” remarks. (AP News) Maryland Democratic Party — Steuart Pittman’s official biography stating that he sought the state chairmanship at Moore’s suggestion. (The Maryland Democratic Party) Maryland General Assembly — official 2026 records identifying Bill Ferguson as Senate President and Joseline Peña-Melnyk as Speaker. (Maryland General Assembly) Maryland State Board of Elections — official 2026 Prince George’s County results showing Aisha Braveboy’s dominant County Executive primary victory. (Maryland State Board of Elections) 2026 election reporting — Moore’s overwhelming Democratic gubernatorial primary victory. (WBAL-TV)
The Limits of Unauthorized-Practice in Regulating Mental Health AI - Petrie-Flom Center
In May, Pennsylvania’s State Board of Medicine filed a lawsuit in the state’s Commonwealth Court against Character Technologies seeking to prevent it from engaging in unauthorized medical practice. The alleged “practitioner,” however, was not a physician or even a human being. It was a chatbot named Emilie.
Dems move to stop Blakeman’s AI depictions; he claims they’re trying to cheat
New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs filed a complaint with the state Board of Elections alleging the Blakeman campaign is violating state law.
Oregon universal health care board punts single-payer report over funding uncertainty
A state board in charge of developing a universal health plan for all Oregonians will delay the release of its final report to lawmakers, citing uncertainty over how to pay for it. The Universal Health Plan Governance Board voted unanimously Thursday morning to extend its deadline to Dec. 1 for its report that will describe […]
NC leaders to release new youth mental health data
State Department of Public Instruction leaders will present the results of the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey to the State Board of Education.
California school dashboard adds science as a full metric
Short of dropping a dead weight copy of the state Education Code on your foot, a State Board of Education agenda item on the California School Dashboard normally wouldn’t evoke
State board to look at MI Money Out of Politics signatures
A bipartisan state elections board meets Friday to decide if the campaign to ban political committees linked to utilities and public contractors has gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Preliminary ACAP test scores show improving science, stagnant ELA and math scores
The Alabama State Board of Education is sharing preliminary data on spring 2026 test scores for the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP).
Preliminary ACAP test scores show improving science, stagnant ELA and math scores
The Alabama State Board of Education is sharing preliminary data on spring 2026 test scores for the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP).
Business briefs: Governor names Lake, Porter residents to state boards
News and events from around the area
Prison health care lacks oversight, despite dedicated DE review board
A report analyzing the work of a state board tasked with monitoring the quality of health care in state prisons concluded the board isn't working.
Texas school board to vote on required Bible readings in public education
If approved by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, the reading list would take effect in 2030.
Board names interim president of North Dakota State College of Science
The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education on Tuesday named Lisa Karch as interim president of the North Dakota State College of Science.
Eighth graders able to participate, new transfer rules coming to Iowa
Eighth graders able to participate, new transfer rules coming to Iowa after Iowa State Board of Education adopts new rule-making
State board delays UF president vote over governance concerns
The dispute centers around Mori Hosseini, a GOP megadonor who wieldsimmense sway over the direction of Florida’s flagship university.
Murray State Athletics to add five new sports programs
MURRAY, Ky. -- Five new sports will be offered by Murray State Athletics, getting approved by Murray State Board of Regents at its quarterly meeting Friday morning.
UF trustees advance President-elect Stuart Bell to final state board vote
The vote advances Bell, the former University of Alabama president, to the final stage of a hiring process that has become entangled in culture-war battles over diversity, equity and inclusion.
NC could change rules on voter ID, mail-in ballots. Here’s how you can weigh in
The North Carolina State Board of Elections is considering a series of changes to the rules surrounding voter ID, absentee ballots and conduct at polling sites. Over the next two months, the board will be accepting public comment on the proposed changes online and in public hearings.
Camp Mystic health chief, Starbase death topped week's news
A state board suspended the nursing license of Camp Mystic's health chief, and OSHA is investigating a worker's death at SpaceX's Starbase. Here's the top news.
Indianapolis public health office audit referred to state for examination
The city's Office of Audit and Performance has given the report to the Indiana State Board of Accounts, highlighting "high risk" factors including conflicts of interest and missing documentation for most contracts.
Gov. Sanders announces appointments - Talk Business & Politics
Gov. Sarah Sanders announced Thursday (April 16) the following appointments to state boards and commissions. Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training Jeffery Hagar, Sherwood, to the Arkansas Commission...
Oklahoma Governor’s Vote Steered $2 Billion Advisory Role to Former Business Partner’s Firm
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt voted to award a multibillion-dollar investment advisory contract to a firm run by his former chief of staff and one-time business partner, without any board discussion of their prior relationship. The contract positions the firm to earn fees from successful investments it brings before the state board.
Bruce Blakeman sues state board over denying him public campaign matching funds
The state Public Campaign Finance Board recently voted 4-3 on a resolution that disqualifies Blakeman from the program over a technicality.
Fairlife, Chobani could benefit from new Michigan taxpayer incentives
The details of the taxpayer incentives, which usually remain secret until a state board meets, were made public by a Republican state lawmaker.
IL bill could create IDPH health misinformation response unit, offer public health literacy grants
The proposal also calls on the Illinois State Board of Education to work with the Department of Public Health to create guidance for schools to teach health literacy in comprehensive health courses.
Sunday early voting curtailed for some counties in March primaries
At a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13, the N.C. State Board of Elections adopted early voting plans for 12 counties, but not without public opposition.
UI Health Care to pay $4 million in patient's brain injury lawsuit
A state board approved a $4 million settlement over claims a patient suffered a brain injury while being restrained during a psychiatric crisis.