Baltimore ‘baby bonus’ won’t appear on ballots after court rules it unconstitutional

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A proposal in Baltimore that would allow city voters to decide whether to pay new parents $1,000 will not appear on the ballot in November after Maryland’s highest court ruled it unconstitutional. The court issued a ruling Thursday after hearing oral arguments Wednesday. It affirmed a lower court decision that deemed the proposal unconstitutional because it would essentially remove “all meaningful discretion” from the city and its elected leaders. Baltimore’s mayor and city council filed a lawsuit seeking to stop a proposal after organizers secured the necessary 10,000 signatures to bring the question to voters as a ballot initiative in November.