[ Advance ]Advance Maryland logo

Dear Friend, 

The Maryland legislature adjourned last Monday, April 7th after an
intense 90-day session. This year was full of challenges. Beyond the
typical bills that Marylanders need to keep state government
functioning, our elected officials had to decide how to handle a massive
budget crisis, and how to respond to this moment of national emergency.

 

While some progress was made this session, the legislature missed many
opportunities to protect our residents, and our values. We applaud
strong efforts by House Democrats to protect immigrants, close corporate
tax loopholes, and create a reclamation period for tenants facing
eviction so that they don’t lose all of their belongings as well as
their home. Unfortunately, the Senate rejected these proposals.

Positive Highlights

Budget Reform

As our state faced a significant budget deficit, further exacerbated by
the Trump administration and DOGE’s outrageous federal funding cuts, our
legislators unquestionably tried their best to address the deficit
without cutting important funding for public schools, Medicaid, or state
agencies, and without taxing working families. 

 

We are very proud of our work to ensure Maryland’s wealthiest residents
pay what they owe in taxes! The legislature passed new, higher tax
brackets for those who make $500,000 a year or more. Under the budget
plan, 94% of Marylanders will see a decrease or no change in their
taxes.

Action on Rising Utility Costs

Utility bills across the state have skyrocketed – because utility
company profits have been rising too. On the last day of the legislative
session, the General Assembly passed bipartisan legislation to reform
utility regulation, and protect consumers from their wasteful spending
driving up our bills and their profits.  

 

With this legislation, utility companies will be required to prioritize
safety and be cost effective with gas pipeline spending. They will also
be prohibited from charging ratepayers for trade association membership
and private planes. This will save Marylanders hundreds of millions in
utility costs.

Abortion Funding

As several other states restrict access to essential medical care and
abortion, Maryland successfully passed HB 930 which will allow the state
department of health to put to use $25 million in unspent Affordable
Care Act money to ensure that grants for abortion care can be available
to providers as they meet the needs of Marylanders and those in need
from out of state looking for appropriate medical care.

Significant Steps Back

Inadequate Support for Immigrant Marylanders

Perhaps the clearest failure this session was Senator Bill Ferguson’s
refusal to act on The Maryland Values Act. This bill would have ended
local partnerships between ICE and local sheriff’s departments that have
led to wildly unconstitutional and traumatic policing tactics and have
shredded trust between communities of color and local law enforcement,
undermining public safety for all.

 

Instead, Senator Ferguson deliberately delayed efforts to address these
issues (even as the consequences of these partnerships garnered national
attention, as seen in Westminster, MD).

 

AMD continues to support our tireless partners at CASA in their efforts
to protect our immigrant communities, including the fight to return
Kilmar Abrego Garcia to his family and his home.

Limiting Automatic Charging of Children as Adults

For the 13th session, the legislature has failed to take action to end,
or even limit the practice of charging children as adults. Maryland is
among the worst in the country, charging more children as adults than
any other state (per capita) except Alabama.  

 

This session, compromise legislation was introduced by Senator Smith and
Delegate Toles, and was supported by former judges, youth justice policy
experts, and advocates. Still, neither chamber held a committee vote.

Housing Justice

For the 12th session, the legislature has failed to take action to
prevent no-cause evictions. In FY24, landlords filed 5,104 “no cause”
evictions. Ensuring that people cannot be evicted without a reason
significantly decreases eviction filings, and can prevent homelessness.

 

This session, Senator Muse and Delegate Wilkins introduced enabling
legislation that would simply allow localities in Maryland to pass good
cause eviction legislation at the local level. Despite widespread
support from organizations and local elected officials, Judicial
Proceedings Committee Chair Smith decided that the bill would only move
if they created a provision stating that municipalities can only have
good cause eviction OR rent control, creating a false dichotomy between
staying in your home, and being able to afford rent. Of course, this was
heavily influenced by landlord lobbyists who played to legislators'
unfounded fear of affordable housing shortages as a result of good cause
eviction. 

Delaying Paid Family Leave

Instead of closing corporate tax loopholes to ensure our state has the
funding it needs, the Governor and legislature chose to delay Maryland’s
Paid Family Leave program to 2028.

Potential Medicaid Cuts

Instead of closing corporate tax loopholes to ensure our state has the
funding it needs to defend against future Trump cuts, the legislature
passed legislation saying it will automatically cut Medicaid eligibility
for some Marylanders.

This list is a small representation of the policy wins and losses this
session. We worked on dozens of bills and were proud to partner with so
many great organizations and coalitions. 

 

We’re also proud of you, our fellow Marylanders, because the grassroots
showed up in force! Thousands of Maryland residents joined our rallies
and lobby day, even more made calls and sent emails! That collective
leadership will only continue to blossom as we recognize we must do
everything we can to ensure our country remains a multicultural
democracy.

[ Collage ]Collage of rallies and Lobby Day during the 2025 Maryland legislative
session

THANK YOU!

In solidarity,

The Advance Maryland Team

 

Paid for by Advance Maryland

 

c/o Progress Now

614 Seymore Ave

Lansing, MI 48933

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