In Baltimore, a contentious legal battle is brewing over a proposed "Baltimore Baby Bonus" initiative, which seeks to provide $1,000 to new parents in the city. As reported by WMAR-2 News, Mayor Brandon Scott, and the city council have taken a stance against the ballot measure by filing a lawsuit, suggesting it exceeds constitutional parameters.
According to the lawsuit, while the Mayor is sympathetic to the measure's intents, they contend that charter amendments should not overreach by taking over the functions intended for the legislature, which is a direct violation of both Maryland law and the city's charter. Filing the lawsuit on Thursday, the Mayor's office clarified its position, detailing that "charter amendments that effectively commandeer the role of the legislature go against Maryland law and the city's charter", as per WMAR-2 News. The mayor's initiative has been especially critical of the proposed financial burden on the city's budget, advocating for the advancement of a universal basic income at the federal tier instead.
However, members of the Maryland Child Alliance believe the amendment is justified, having gathered about 14,000 signatures to support the "Baltimore Baby Bonus." The amendment was approved by the board of elections to be placed on the ballot after the group surpassed the required 10,000 signature threshold and the ballot measure was certified on July 1. The alliance has reported being dismayed by the city's action, Nate Golden with the Maryland Child Alliance voiced his surprise and disappointment, saying, "When we set out to collect these signatures, I imagined all the ways that this could possibly go, this was not one," in a statement, as detailed by WMAR-2 News.
Golden, countering the doubts expressed by the mayor's office about the sustainability of funding such a program, stressed that taxes would not be raised, and the necessary $7 million could be allocated from the city's general fund. Notably, the alliance has said to take its cue from the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund, citing the mayor’s involvement in the fund’s creation when he was a city council member. "In reality, this is about power and taking away city voters' opportunity to enact the Baby Bonus Fund," the group expressed in a post on social media, also reported by CBS News Baltimore. They remain "fully confident that the courts will reject this attack on democracy."
