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The Ballot Measure:
Last March, the Maryland Child Alliance began collecting signatures to get its “Baby Bonus Fund” on the Baltimore ballot in November and succeeded in doing so on July 1.
If voted into existence, the Baby Bonus Fund would give $1,000 to all new parents in Baltimore. The Fund is a charter amendment, meaning it would be added to the City’s charter, or its municipal principles.
Per the Fund, the payments would come out of the City’s existing budget. And as detailed in the proposed amendment’s text, the Mayor and other City regulating bodies would be able to pass ordinances concerning cases in which the bonus would go to a child’s legal guardian rather than their birthing parent.
The Maryland Child Alliance aims to end child poverty in the state. In Baltimore alone, over 30 percent of children are experiencing poverty.
But on July 12, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott filed a lawsuit against the ballot amendment calling it unconstitutional and stating that “citizens cannot legislate by charter amendment.”
The Backlash:
Scott’s lawsuit made waves online. The Baltimore Baby Fund released a statement on X saying that Scott’s move was about hoarding power, not constitutional particularities.
“When Baby Bonus organizers were drafting our charter amendment, we rigorously studied case law to ensure that our proposal was permissible,” the statement said. “This is about power and taking away city voters’ opportunity to enact the Baby Bonus Fund. We are fully confident that courts will reject this attack on democracy.”
The Baltimore Teachers Union also released a statement on X, saying that it supports the Fund and is “disheartened” by Scott’s legal action.
“Attempting to remove the Baltimore Baby Bonus charter amendment from the ballot is a disservice to Baltimore’s families and children,” the statement said.
Other Marylanders chimed in about Scott’s lawsuit, too.
“Another move by this petulant mayor to negate what the voters want,” an X user said.
“Last week, Mayor Scott & City Council launched an anti-democratic lawsuit against the @bmoredsa-endorsed @bbbfund ballot initiative proposing a $1,000 basic income for new parents,” a Baltimore student tweeted. “Let the Voters Decide.”
As of July 19, the Fund is pursuing legal action against the Mayor’s office to force it to release an internal poll that showed the ballot amendment is “popular.”
The Background:
Initiatives similar to the proposed Baby Bonus Fund charter amendment have come to fruition in other U.S. cities. In Flint, Michigan, new mothers receive $7,500 over the first year of their baby’s life. Other municipalities give monetary aid to some low income families: In Fairfax County in Virginia, low-income families receive $750 a month.
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