Judge in Maryland rules Baltimore ‘baby bonus’ proposal is unconstitutional

A judge has ruled that a proposed ballot measure in Baltimore that would give new parents $1,000 when they have a child is unconstitutional.

According to the media, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John Nugent made the ruling on Friday.

Proponents of the proposal gathered the necessary 10,000 signatures to put the question before voters as a ballot initiative. But Nugent ruled in his ruling that the bonus takes away “all meaningful discretion” from the city.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott had asked for the ballot question to be announced when the Baby bonus removed from the November ballot. The mayor claimed the ballot measure goes beyond the authority of citizens.

The Maryland Child Alliance, which successfully petitioned to get the issue on the ballot, plans to appeal the decision to the Maryland Supreme Court.

The proposal is loosely based on a program implemented this year in Flint, Michigan, where women receive $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month for the first year after giving birth. Officials said the Flint program was the first of its kind in the U.S.