Maryland Governor Declares Emergency with $10 Million Food Bank Aid Amid Federal Shutdown

Governor Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency in Maryland and announced $10 million in assistance to food banks and partners statewide as federal SNAP food stamp benefits are set to expire at the end of October. This action comes in response to the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has left thousands of Maryland residents at risk of losing critical food assistance. The announcement follows similar aid measures from Washington D.C. and Maryland, which collectively announced millions in assistance Thursday to help residents facing food insecurity.

Comptroller Brooke Lierman joined state lawmakers Wednesday in pushing for state action to make up for federal food assistance that may run dry beginning this weekend. The timing is particularly critical as thousands of Maryland's federal workers and contractors are facing financial uncertainty during what has become the second longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The situation highlights the state's vulnerability to federal gridlock and the need for local emergency response systems.

Separately, Maryland State Senator Attar, her brother, and a Baltimore City Police officer are in federal custody facing charges in an alleged blackmail scheme. According to a recently unsealed federal indictment, the three are charged with an alleged effort to blackmail a political consultant from speaking out against Attar in the run-up to the 2022 election. This development adds to Maryland's long history of political scandal and raises questions about ethical standards in state politics.

Meanwhile, the Department of Human Services remains under scrutiny for foster care failings. Republican delegates have called for Governor Moore to fire Rafael J. López, secretary of the Department of Human Services, and consider an overhaul of the agency. López repeatedly insisted to lawmakers Wednesday that he and his staff are working to transform an agency that was the subject of a scathing audit and was responsible for the care of a teen who died while in foster care living in a Baltimore City hotel.

In education policy, families may need to wait until after the Maryland General Assembly returns to Annapolis for long-awaited help with child care costs. The state childcare scholarship program has largely been a victim of its own success. When it began in 2018 as the Maryland Child Care Subsidy, enrollment stood at more than 12,000 children. By the last fiscal year, enrollment had grown to 46,295 children, more than the state could afford, which sparked the freeze on enrollment.

Infrastructure developments continue as the state shares new Key Bridge rendering while reconstruction's early stages continue. In Carroll County, officials have updated a set of defunct laws on solar energy development to match state standards after a split vote earlier this month. Additionally, a proposed route change for the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project could redirect the controversial power line through land that the Carroll County town of New Windsor uses for its water maintenance systems.

The emergency food assistance announcement represents a critical intervention during the federal shutdown, demonstrating state government's role in protecting vulnerable residents when federal systems fail. The $10 million allocation to food banks will help bridge the gap for families who rely on SNAP benefits, while the broader political and social service challenges highlighted in other state news underscore the complex governance landscape Maryland officials must navigate.