WCBC

October 18th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

Lawmakers in California passed a new law last month that, when it takes effect in 2023, will give student-athletes at the state’s colleges and universities the right to profit off their image and likeness. Since then, the law has led to strong debates about the future of college sports and has prompted lawmakers in several other states — including New York, Florida and South Carolina — to consider similar legislation.

Now the debate is coming to Maryland.

Earlier this year, Baltimore Del. Brooke Lierman, who represents the city’s 46th district, introduced a bill that would have allowed athletes enrolled in Maryland’s public colleges and universities to collectively bargain for certain rights. Lierman said she wants to “correct the imbalance of power that exists between our college student-athletes and our university systems.”