WEAA's Julius White has the local news.
The trial to determine the best way to address inequality among Maryland's colleges and universities is slated to begin in federal court in Baltimore today. The decade-old case involves a coalition representing the state’s four historically black colleges that says the state has underfunded the institutions, while developing programs at traditionally white schools that directly compete with and drain prospective students away from the African-American schools. And, the annual 90-day legislative session for Maryland lawmakers begins this week at the Annapolis Summit. Top concerns include a budget shortfall, paid sick leave, and banning or extending the moratorium on fracking in Western Maryland.