January 20, 2025

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Today, we pause to reflect on the profound impact of Dr. King, whose dedication to justice and equality transformed our nation’s history. His unwavering pursuit of civil rights reminds us of the work still needed to ensure fairness and opportunity for all Marylanders. 

Dr. King’s ongoing impact challenges us to examine our actions and decisions, both as individuals and as leaders, to ensure they contribute to a more equitable and inclusive society. As we move forward, his vision continues to inspire us to create meaningful change in our communities.

I am grateful to Senator Charles Sydnor for his insightful address to the Senate of Maryland this evening, reflecting on Dr. King’s legacy and our efforts to pass legislation marking MLK Day as a State holiday.

Last Wednesday, Governor Moore released his proposed Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget to the Maryland General Assembly. As we determine how best to address the current $3 billion deficit, which must be balanced before we adjourn in April, I appreciate the Governor’s measured approach to tackling this challenge head on.

Governor Moore’s budget reflects a mix of cuts aimed at streamlining government along with revenues, like a new tax bracket for high-income earners, to protect our most vulnerable Marylanders.

The FY26 Budget as introduced last week is a starting point for the legislature’s work in the coming months. As President Trump is sworn-in today with immense uncertainty surrounding his Administration’s policies, we must also acknowledge Maryland’s reality could look very different by March.

No matter what, we will preserve our commitments to key programs like our public schools through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, healthcare for low-income Marylanders through Medicaid, and child care scholarships which allow parents to engage in our State’s workforce. As I told the Maryland Chamber of Commerce last week, what one person views as government waste is another person’s lifeline.

The number of bills introduced each legislative session has continued to expand unsustainably in recent years. The sheer amount of legislation for committees to consider, combined with the requirement that every bill that is introduced receives a hearing, limits the time Senators have to engage thoroughly with text and amendments before considering its passage. 

The Senate adopted a new rule to limit the number of bills each Senator may introduce. This rule change is aimed at increasing the legislative process’s efficiency and quality of work. Senators may now file up to 20 bills, with an additional 5 allowed if prefiled before the Session. Exceptions exist for bills requested by local governments or State agencies.

This adjustment reflects a collective effort to ease the burden on committees and ensure thoughtful, efficient deliberation. I understand the importance of prioritizing legislation that addresses Maryland’s most pressing issues while honoring the commitments legislators have made to their constituents. By focusing on quality over quantity, we can enhance the depth and effectiveness of committee hearings and our work overall.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a once-in-a-generation investment in our children’s futures. By investing in teachers, college and career readiness, and expanding publicly funded Pre-K throughout Maryland, we are focusing State policy on ensuring every child can maximize their potential to compete in an evolving 21st Century economy.

As introduced, Governor Moore’s budget increases public K-12 education funding by $551 million compared to the current fiscal year, representing a 6.1% increase. It is also important to acknowledge that any adjustments to the Blueprint’s funding formulas will not solve the current budget crisis facing the State. The General Assembly put significant funding aside in recent budgets to ensure the solvency of the Blueprint Fund through FY26. However, the long-term sustainability of the Blueprint requires constant evaluation of program efficacy as this decade-long implementation plan continues. 

One reality we must face now is the pandemic’s impact on the teacher shortage, both in Maryland and across the country. In the Blueprint as originally passed, we included significant State funding to allow for an increase in collaborative time so teachers could spend slightly less time in the classroom, and more time engaging in lesson planning and professional development. For that policy to be possible, school systems need to hire more teachers to allow for collaborative time to take place. At the moment, those teachers simply are not available.

We are continuing to take steps to address the teacher shortage through multiple pathways, but we must also adjust the Blueprint’s funding model to account for on-the-ground realities. Throughout the 2025 Legislative Session, the General Assembly will ensure State funding is directed to programs that will make an immediate impact, especially in efforts to bring more teachers in Maryland classrooms.

The proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) sparked significant debate about balancing environmental stewardship, grid reliability, and affordability when addressing the needs of our State’s energy grid. Stretching 70 miles through Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties, the proposed project raises critical questions about how Maryland will meet rising demands for electricity while protecting its natural resources and ensuring residents aren’t burdened by unacceptable utility bills.

Maryland already imports 40% of its electricity, a figure projected to grow as two Anne Arundel County coal plants go offline due to a private settlement agreement between the Sierra Club and Talen Energy.

To get a sense of the complexities involved in energy policy with the MPRP as one microcosm, I recommend reading this Baltimore Banner article. It delves into the complex tradeoffs involved in shaping Maryland’s energy future. As we grapple with decisions around the affordability and reliability of our energy grid this Session, it is vital we understand and weigh the nuances involved.

We must move away from climate-impacting fuels for energy, but we must also do it in a way that is affordable for Maryland families as we bridge forward.

Maryland’s alcoholic beverage industry is a cornerstone of our economy, driving innovation and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs across our State. To support business owners, particularly those from underrepresented communities, the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission (ATCC) is launching a new webinar series: “The ATCC – Empowering Entrepreneurs in the Alcoholic Beverages Industry.”

The first session, “The ATCC and the Three-Tier System,” will be held on January 30 at 1:00 p.m. Led by ATCC Executive Director Jeffrey Kelly, the webinar will provide an overview of Maryland’s regulatory framework and offer practical guidance for navigating the three-tier system, which governs manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Click here to register and learn more.

The highlight of every legislative session is the time I spend with constituents who come to Annapolis to make their voices heard. Last week, I was joined by advocates from the National Federation of the Blind which is headquartered in the 46th Legislative District. We spoke about autonomous vehicle policy, ensuring equal access to voting for individuals with disabilities, and property tax reform.

In a win for common-sense gun laws, the U.S. Supreme Court last week declined to hear a challenge to a Maryland law which requires a person who wishes to buy a handgun to apply for a license. Under the 2013 law, an applicant for a gun must be a state resident, at least 21 years old, and submit fingerprints and undergo a background check. The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit previously held that opponents of the law confused a delay in getting a gun, with an infringement of constitutional rights, which the Supreme Court let stand when it denied the appeal.

The Board of Public Works (BPW) approved $1.23 billion for projects across Maryland. Funds will be allocated among 70 initiatives and projects, including $135 million to pay for capital improvements to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a $387 million award for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to purchase more than 300 heavy-duty buses, and funding for the Child Care Scholarship Program, which has supported more than 16,000 children since 2022.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a lawsuit against RealPage, a commercial software platform, for using an algorithm to inflate rent prices. The suit asserts that RealPage violated the State’s Antitrust Act by working closely with rental companies to artificially inflate rents while minimizing free-market competition. Six Maryland landlords are named as plaintiffs and are accused of colluding with RealPage to use and share “competitively sensitive” data to fix prices.

The MTA wants Marylanders to be aware of an ongoing SMS phishing attack designed to trick residents into paying fake toll debt by replicating the look and logo of correspondence from DriveEzMD. Do not share personal information or make payments using these messages. DriveEzMD will NEVER request payment via text message. The only authorized methods to pay your Maryland tolls or perform account maintenance include visiting the official website or using the DriveEzMD App.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture found two cases of bird flu on commercial chicken farms in Caroline and Queen Anne’s Counties. These are the first positive cases at poultry facilities in the State since 2023. Officials quarantined the affected properties and were forced to kill the birds to prevent the spread of the disease. Health officials do not believe that bird flu is a major public health concern for most people, either in the food supply or as a potential ailment. 

Over a century ago, two-miles of the Jones Falls River, which runs through Baltimore City, were buried to address a series of deadly floods and a pervasive stench from sewage and run-off from from mills and other industries. In 1905, after the Great Baltimore Fire, voters approved a plan to create a modern system that separated storm and sanitary sewers. There is new interest in “daylighting” the buried section of the river to turn into a space for residents.

If there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to contact my office via email, bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us, or by phone, 410-841-3600.

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