The General Assembly Committee voted 5–0 to support PG‑309‑26, expanding point‑to‑point speed monitoring on Indian Head Highway (MD‑210) and allowing registration suspensions for serial speeders; proponents said the highway experiences frequent crashes and reckless driving.

The county district council on Jan. 26 voted unanimously to waive its election to review a large set of zoning and site-plan cases — including the National View mixed-use projects and Locust Hill Phase 2 — while deferring one funeral-home crematory application to Feb. 9.

The Department of the Environment told the TIEE committee the stormwater fund is in structural deficit, the county may need large additional revenues to meet permit obligations, and rising numbers of classified dams and aging infrastructure could trigger expensive rehabilitation.

The committee voted to hold PG‑50126, which would require distribution of free drug detection products in Prince George’s County public middle and high schools starting July 1, 2026; councilmembers and county exec representatives sought clearer assurances that no local cost would be imposed and asked for production‑scale analysis.

Maryland Department of Transportation briefed the General Assembly Committee on three safety-focused bills — automated enforcement reciprocity, automated speed enforcement in vulnerable‑user corridors, and an easier path into ignition interlock — and asked for county support and clarifying dialogue on implementation details.

The committee voted 5–0 to send a favorable correspondence supporting SB245/HB444, which would bar state and local entities from entering into new immigration‑enforcement agreements and require termination of some existing agreements by July 1, 2026.

Maryland legislative leaders and the state comptroller told the county council that the state faces a roughly $1.4 billion shortfall, federal job losses are reducing county revenues, and priorities this session include affordability, Medicaid protections, energy costs and targeted supports such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and behavioral‑health investments.

County officials, planning staff and outside land‑use attorneys at a council retreat urged streamlined, targeted permitting, clearer incentives and stronger interagency coordination to bring restaurants, entertainment, housing and transit‑oriented projects to Prince George's County while preserving community input.

OMB Director Angela Fair told the county council the FY26 revenue picture totals about $4.8 billion and that, after planned FY27 spending of about $5.0 billion, the county faces a structural gap of roughly $58.3 million. Staff urged agencies to find revenue or reduce expenditures and to protect reserves while the county pursues business attraction to broaden the tax base.

Deputy CAO Tracy Benjamin and a panel of economic development leaders urged a move from incentive-driven deals to intentional targeting of hospitals/health services, IT and research-intensive industries. Panelists said the county will use coordinated agency planning (a forthcoming "huddle") plus targeted incentives and permitting reforms to grow the commercial tax base.

County officials, planning staff and outside land‑use attorneys at a council retreat urged streamlined, targeted permitting, clearer incentives and stronger interagency coordination to bring restaurants, entertainment, housing and transit‑oriented projects to Prince George's County while preserving community input.

As early winter weather sets in, Prince George's County residents are bracing themselves for potentially crippling electricity bills due to surging energy costs, which have been exacerbated by the proliferation of data centers and power plant decommissioning, leaving transmission infrastructure limitations a major contributor to the issue. Homeowners like Mark Kidwell, who saw his rates double from 7 cents to 14 cents per kilowatt-hour, are seeking relief as some constituents face monthly bills exceeding $1500, prompting Councilwoman Wala Blegay's initiative to educate residents on the causes and potential solutions through a "State of the Power" meeting featuring PJM representatives.