Political notes: Moore and ‘the question,’ Donofrio heads to LCV, and eyeing AI

Fresh off his reelection, Gov. Wes Moore (D) appeared Monday on MS NOW’s “State of Play with Peter Alexander,” fielding questions on a number of national political issues. including midcycle redistricting and the potential for a government shutdown in December.

And, inevitably, the discussion turned to speculation of Moore’s political future and whether he is planning to run for president in two years.

Moore, who’s had plenty of practice at responding to — if not actually answering — the question, adroitly sidestepped questions about whether he was committing to “serving a full term through 2031.”

The governor said he told voters he was not “running for re-election because we were thinking about anything else. You know, I think that Maryland deserves to be part of this conversation. Maryland will be a part of this conversation, but I do think it’s important for us to be able to, you know, spend time and and really focus on what the voters told us on Tuesday. ”

But Moore did say that if he were to seek higher office — he is repeatedly mentioned as a potential candidate for president in 2028 — that his platform from his first run for governor would be the foundation for any run for higher office.

“I can tell you why I ran for governor, and it’s to end child poverty. That’s the reason why I ran for governor,” Moore said. “I do not understand how any society can condone children growing up in poverty and … having their life determined before they even have a say.”

Moore also avoided questions about a timeline for making a decision to run for president.

“To be very honest, my timeline on continuing to serve the people of Maryland has already started,” Moore said. “I’m excited about the work that we’re doing in the state of Maryland, and we’ll continue going through our process.”

Donofrio to take over at League of Conservation Voters

The Maryland League of Conservation Voters has named its next executive director.

Jason Donofrio, who was most recently the vice president of development at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in Silver Spring, will lead the 47-year-old political advocacy organization following the retirement of Kim Coble, who had served as LCV’s executive director for seven years. He arrives with Maryland’s climate promises in a difficult position due to state budget shortages, rising energy costs and federal government backtracking.

“I am deeply honored to be joining such an incredible organization during such a vital time,” Donofrio said in a news release issued Monday. “I am excited to work alongside so many talented and dedicated staff, Board members, and community partners as we work towards ensuring a healthy environment for everyone in Maryland.”

Donofrio will also be taking the helm of the Maryland LCV Education Fund, founded in 2000, which focuses on climate education.

Donofrio currently serves on the steering committee for the Climate Strong Islands Network and on the board of governors for the school of architecture founded by Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona.

Previously, Donofrio was chief development and external relations officer at The Ocean Foundation in Washington, D.C. He is also a previous statewide director of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group.

“Jason is a proven environmental leader with a strong record of building coalition support and deep experience engaging policymakers. We’re excited for the next chapter under his leadership,” said Patrick Miller, chairman of the Maryland LCV board.

Donofrio will host a virtual meet and greet this Thursday at noon.

AI talk

Progressive Maryland is co-hosting two community sessions this weekend to talk artificial intelligence.

The first is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Exploration Commons at 50 East in Westminster and the second is set for 3:30 p.m. at the Central Branch – Howard County Library in Columbia.

Progressive Maryland is partnering with Humans in Control, a nonprofit organization based in Covina, California, that’s focused on assessing AI regulations, on the sessions labeled “Reality Check.” The goal is to work on AI proposals and present them to the Maryland General Assembly when it convenes Jan. 13. Those who want to participate and attend one of the sessions can register here.

Progressive Maryland Executive Director Larry Stafford Jr. said more events will be held leading into the new year.

“The rapid development of artificial intelligence is the most consequential issue facing humanity today. AI is already impacting many aspects of our lives including jobs and the economy, mental health, and our environment,” Stafford said in a text message Monday. “The technology is even said to potentially pose an existential risk to human civilization. Maryland must help led the way when it comes to regulation the risks of AI and ensuring that this technology that the combined sum of human knowledge helped to create ultimately benefits all of us not just the billionaire tech elites.”

The legislature approved several policies dealing with artificial intelligence during this year’s session, such as the Artificial Intelligence Ready Schools Act sponsored by Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery).

Part of that bill required the Maryland State Department of Education to issue its own AI recommendations and gave school districts 120 days from the date of that guidance to issue their own guidelines. Several districts, including Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. issued their own AI guidelines prior to the legislation being signed into law.