Bryan Sears

Bryan P. Sears

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Bryan Sears covers the governor and General Assembly, state politics and transportation for Maryland Matters. He has covered the Maryland State House for the last two decades at the Baltimore Sun Media Group, Patch.com and most recently, The Daily Record. Sears has won multiple state and national awards for police and crime reporting, local and state government coverage and investigative reporting that resulted in a guilty plea by a government official for stealing from his own campaign account. He’s a frequent radio and television contributor.

Trump administration challenges Maryland’s ban on police using masks
Maryland

Trump administration challenges Maryland’s ban on police using masks

Oct 01, 2026
Bryan P. Sears William J. Ford
The U.S. Department of Justice is challenging a new state law that prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks to conceal their faces while on duty. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Maryland on the same...
Crackdown on out-of-state vehicle registrations to start this month
Maryland

Crackdown on out-of-state vehicle registrations to start in October

Sep 30, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
State officials say they are ready to crack down on Maryland residents who register their vehicles in other states. Under a law that takes effect Thursday, Marylanders who register their cars in other states will have 60 days to register...
Political notes: Refunds for utilities, input for Fitzwater, new jobs for Coale, Peterson
Maryland

Political notes: Refunds for utilities, input for Fitzwater, new jobs for Coale, Peterson

Sep 29, 2026
Bryan P. Sears William J. Ford
A win in Maryland’s top court will result in credits for customers of the state’s utility companies — eventually. How much and when remain open questions. BGE, Delmarva Power and Pepco announced Monday they will ask the Public Service Commission...
Contract appeals board sanctions lottery agency for ‘roadblocks’ to investigation
Maryland

Contract appeals board sanctions lottery agency for ‘roadblocks’ to investigation

Sep 28, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
A nearly yearlong battle over a lucrative lottery contract has landed the state’s gaming agency in hot water with the Maryland Board of Contract Appeals. The gaming agency was sanctioned for repeatedly ignoring orders for records, the board said. A...
State revenues get modest bump despite ‘mixed’ economic indicators
Maryland

State revenues get modest bump despite ‘mixed’ economic indicators

Sep 25, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
Maryland’s revenue forecast for the current year has improved and a first look at the coming fiscal year shows some modest improvement despite a “mixed picture” of economic indicators. Those projections, released Thursday by the Board of Revenue Estimates, added...
Poll: Wording of redistricting amendment difficult for voters to understand
Maryland

Poll: Wording of redistricting amendment difficult for voters to understand

Sep 24, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
A ballot question asking Maryland voters to approve a sweeping change to the state constitution on congressional redistricting may be too convoluted for most voters to understand. One in four voters in a new poll released by Fight Back Maryland...
Poll finds opposition to Maryland redistricting ballot question
Maryland

Poll finds opposition to Maryland redistricting ballot question

Sep 22, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
An effort by Democrats to rewrite the standards for future congressional redistricting efforts apparently isn’t sitting well with a plurality of Maryland voters. Roughly 4 in 10 voters said they oppose Question 3 and only 28% supported it in a...
DOJ presses case against in-state tuition for undocumented Maryland students
Maryland

DOJ presses case against in-state tuition for undocumented Maryland students

Sep 21, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
The Department of Justice is asking a federal judge in Maryland for summary judgment in its lawsuit challenging a 2011 state law that provides in-state tuition and other education-related assistance to undocumented immigrants living in the state. Maryland is one...
Officials express confidence in bet on horse racing industry
Maryland

Officials express confidence in state’s bet on horse racing industry

Sep 16, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
State officials put a best hoof forward on behalf of the horse racing industry Wednesday, expressing confidence that efforts to prop up and preserve the industry will not be in vain. The briefing before the House Appropriations Committee comes as...
State appeals tax court ruling that struck down digital ad tax
Maryland

State appeals tax court ruling that struck down digital ad tax

Sep 15, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
State officials are asking a circuit court to review a state tax court ruling last month that struck down a first-of-its kind digital ad tax that was supposed to help fund Maryland education reform. Three tech companies that challenged the...
Budget officials ask agencies to tighten belts, including a 10% cut scenario
Maryland

Budget officials ask agencies to tighten belts, including a 10% cut scenario

Sep 14, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
State agencies are being asked to tighten their belts as they finalize budget requests for the coming difficult fiscal year. Emails to every executive branch agency, as well as state universities, told them to prepare fiscal 2028 budget requests that...
Rockville diner group files lawsuit against airport concessionaire
Maryland

Rockville diner group files lawsuit against airport concessionaire

Sep 08, 2026
Bryan P. Sears
A Rockville-owned and operated diner chain is suing a Germany-based corporation for what it says are attempts to end its decades-long operations at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport. Silver Diner filed the lawsuit in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court against...