Posted on 03/27/23
| News Source: WBAL
Gov. Wes Moore's nominee for Maryland State Police superintendent will face what legislative leaders called a tough confirmation hearing on Monday.
Retired Lt. Col. Roland Butler would become the first Black superintendent of the Maryland State Police. He rose through the ranks of the agency, one that's currently the target of a federal discrimination probe.
The governor and Butler are mounting a full-court press for the nomination. On Friday, Moore held a private meeting with the Coalition of Black Maryland State Troopers and invited Butler to join them.
"This will not be easy," Butler said.
A legislative committee will decide whether to endorse Butler and advance his appointment for a full Senate vote.
"I think Monday is a very, very important day for the superintendent (nominee) to lay out his plan, point by point, of how he intends to reform an agency that has been struggling of late," said Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-District 46.
If confirmed, Butler will take over an agency that is under federal investigation after complaints of racial discrimination arose within the department. Three state troopers filed a class-action lawsuit alleging systemic discrimination against officers of color.