COUNCIL MEMBER SHAYLA ADAMS-STAFFORD SWORN IN TO DISTRICT 5 SEAT
    Prince George’s County’s newest Council Member has officially been sworn in. On Tuesday, June 17, District 5 Council Member Shayla Adams-Stafford was sworn in to her seat on the Council. The ceremony took place in front of a packed crowd of family, friends, supporters, community leaders, elected officials, and members of the public.
 “I am just so honored and excited to represent the 5th District of Prince George’s County on the County Council. I cannot be more grateful to every single person who helped me get here,” said Council Member Adams-Stafford. “I do not take it lightly – this responsibility. I know we are facing some challenging times ahead, but I am confident that I’ll be able to bring a lot of the energy from our campaign into this work.”
Council Chair Edward Burroughs III (District 8) announced Council Member Adams-Stafford will serve as the Vice Chair of the Education and Workforce Development Committee, as well as a member of the General Assembly and Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committees, praising her commitment to moving the county forward.
“Her dedication is second to none. The amount of work she will put in to serve this district is second to none,” said Chair Burroughs. “I can’t think of a better person to serve on this County Council than Shayla Adams-Stafford.”
Council Member Adams-Stafford hosted a prayer breakfast after her swearing-in ceremony.
WELCOME NEW COUNTY EXECUTIVE AISHA BRAVEBOY!
   County Executive Aisha Braveboy was sworn in on Thursday, June 19, in College Park, in celebration of Juneteenth. Council Chair Edward Burroughs III (District 8) and other notable attendees took the stage to speak about County Executive Braveboy, including Prince George’s County native and actress/producer Taraji P. Henson. Many Council Members also attended the swearing in ceremony. Congratulations and welcome to County Executive Braveboy!
CHAIR BURROUGHS JOINS COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ANNOUNCE NEW POLICE CHIEF
 Council Chair Edward Burroughs III (District 8) joined County Executive Aisha Braveboy on Wednesday, June 18, to announce the appointment of Police Chief George Nader. Nader is replacing Chief Malik Aziz, who County Executive Braveboy also announced would be leaving Prince George’s County Police Department. Chief Nader is a Prince George’s County native who spent 20 years with the department before leaving to become an assistant chief with the Metro Transit Police Department. County Executive Braveboy also announced the appointment of George Nichols, Jr. as PGPD Assistant Chief.
VICE CHAIR ORIADHA INTRODUCES ‘ZOEY’S LAW’ TO REFORM POLICE PURSUIT POLICY
  After tragic deaths of three innocent people stemming from police pursuits in the county earlier this year, Vice Chair Krystal Oriadha (District 7), on Tuesday, June 17, introduced Zoey’s Law, a bill named after Zoey Harrison, a 3-year-old from District Heights, who was among those killed. CB-61-2025 aims to reform the police chase policy for all law enforcement agencies in the county. According to the bill, police officers would be barred from pursuing suspects in high-speed chases unless they are believed to have committed a felony or violent misdemeanor, or if they are considered to be an imminent threat to others. The goal is to encourage officers to use safer, deferred enforcement methods for making arrests. The proposed legislation would also establish a Pursuit Review Board to investigate all police chases and would require the police department to submit an annual report to the Council.
“This is about making a clear stance that this is the law of Prince George’s County and holding accountable any jurisdiction, be it municipality or Prince George’s County Police, that steps out of line of this law,” said Vice Chair Oriadha.
The Vice Chair was joined by Zoey’s family for an emotional press conference prior to the bill’s introduction.
“Zoe’s life was taken senselessly as the result of a careless police chase that should never have happened. This tragedy was preventable had the officers made a different decision, one rooted in sound judgement and concern for the public’s safety,” said Zoe’s grandmother, Gina M. Pryor.
The bill is now headed to the Health, Human Services, and Public Safety Committee for review.
COUNCIL ENACTS BILLS TO IMPROVE SNOW REMOVAL READINESS AND PARKING SPACE AVAILABILITY
 The Council unanimously enacted two bills on Tuesday, June 17, aiming to keep public streets clear of snow and unauthorized objects used for reserving parking. CB-12-2025, introduced by Chair Edward Burroughs III (District 8) and Vice Chair Krystal Oriadha (District 7), requires the Department of Public Works and Transportation director to submit to the Council, within 24-hours of a forecasted snow storm, a Situational Awareness Report containing the storm forecast, air and ground temperatures, roadway incidents and conditions, dispatched snow removal vehicles, salt supply, and more. CB-15-2025, proposed by Council Member Eric Olson (District 3), prevents residents from placing traffic cones or other objects along the curbs of county roads to save parking spaces. According to Olson, this practice is both unsafe for drivers and produces unsightly conditions in neighborhoods. The legislation gives County Police, DPW&T, and the Department of the Environment the authority to remove the cones or objects.
COUNCIL CONVENES AS BOARD OF HEALTH FOR BRIEFING ON PROPOSED FEDERAL HEALTHCARE, MEDICAID CUTS
  In response to proposed cuts to federal healthcare and Medicaid, the Council, sitting as the Board of Health, held a meeting on Tuesday, June 17, where Council Members were briefed on the potential impact of those cuts by healthcare experts. According to Dr. Ryan Moran, the deputy secretary of Health Care Financing and Medicaid at the Maryland Department of Health, nearly 25% of Marylanders, or 1.52 million people, rely on Medicaid for health insurance. 663,000 of those people are 18 or younger. Tony McCann, a lecturer at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, explained that many of the proposed federal cuts are to programs or services the Trump Administration opposes or believes could be better provided by state or local governments.
 The Board was also briefed by Dr. DeMarc Hickson, the executive director of Us Helping Us, who discussed the state of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in the county. According to Dr. Hickson, around 9,000 Prince Georgians have HIV, and more than a quarter are currently not receiving care for a variety of reasons, including cost or lack of access.
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