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Moore signs ENOUGH Act, inspired in part by Brooklyn Homes mass shooting

Construction on the Maryland State House in Annapolis began in 1772, and it’s the oldest state capital building in the nation still in continuous legislative use. (Kylie Cooper/The Baltimore Banner)
Kylie Cooper
/
The Baltimore Banner
Construction on the Maryland State House in Annapolis began in 1772, and it’s the oldest state capital building in the nation still in continuous legislative use.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Thursday signed into law one of his signature bills from this year’s General Assembly session — one that was inspired in part by the worst mass shooting in the city of Baltimore’s history.

The ENOUGH Act (which stands for Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households) requires that $15 million be in this and next year’s state budget for ‘neighborhood implementation grants.’ Those can only be awarded to programs in areas where at least 20-percent of children are living in poverty. Applicants must also have at least one community organization, public school, or local government entity from that area as a lead partner.

One such area Gov. Moore noted that could benefit from this program is Baltimore’s Brooklyn neighborhood. On July 2, 2023, a mass shooting occurred at the Brooklyn Day block party, killing two people and injuring dozens. It was the worst mass shooting in Baltimore history, and it in part inspired the bill according to Moore.

“In Brooklyn, one in two children grow up in poverty,” the Governor said during a ceremony at the statehouse in Annapolis. “You can’t separate these things. We’ve seen similar numbers for over a decade because those who grow up in poverty are most likely to die in poverty.” Among those attending Thursday’s signing ceremony was the mother of Aaliyah Gonzalez. The 18-year-old was one of the two killed in the shooting. 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi also died. Police have arrested five people for the shooting, including three juveniles.

Matt Bush spent 14 years in public radio prior to coming to WYPR as news director in October 2022. From 2008 to 2016, he worked at Washington D.C.’s NPR affiliate, WAMU, where he was the station’s Maryland reporter. He covered the Maryland General Assembly for six years (alongside several WYPR reporters in the statehouse radio bullpen) as well as both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. @MattBushMD
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