MOORE, GENERAL ASSEMBLY READIED FOR THE NEW SESSION: The Maryland General Assembly convenes today to kick off its 90-day legislative session, where lawmakers will grapple with significant fallout from federal policies set by the Trump administration. Democratic leaders say they plan to move swiftly on an agenda that opposes many of President Donald Trump’s policies on the economy, immigration, health care and other issues. They also say they are committed to growth and affordability. Katie Shepherd and Katie Mettler/The Washington Post.
- The 2026 General Assembly session was supposed to be a quiet one, after a 2025 session when lawmakers closed a $3.3 billion budget gap with a combination of one-time fund transfers, program cuts and $1.6 billion in tax increases. Instead, Gov. Wes Moore (D) enters this legislative session — the last of his first term — facing a number of challenges before his reelection campaign begins in earnest. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
FERGUSON TO FOCUS ON THE NUMBERS: The 2026 legislative session will be primarily about the numbers for Senate President Bill Ferguson. His chamber will have the first crack at Gov. Wes Moore’s last budget of the term, and its projected $1.5 billion deficit. But one number Ferguson will likely not focus on is the state’s eight congressional districts. Despite pressure from the governor and the House ro redraw the districts mid-cycle, the Senate leader has staked out opposition to the move, and says now it’s too late to act even if a bill lands in the General Assembly on opening day. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
DEMS PAY TRIBUTE TO DEPARTING PARTY ICONS: The Maryland Democratic Party’s annual luncheon, hosted the day before the start of the legislative session, this year paid tribute to two notable figures taking their leave from their current positions and reflected on challenges in the recent past and near future. New House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk honored her predecessor, former Speaker Adrienne Jones as a trailblazer. The luncheon also served as a light send-off for Rep. Steny Hoyer. Danielle Brown/Maryland Matters.
SECOND POWER LINE PROJECT DRAWS COMMUNITIES’ CONCERNS: A second project to boost electricity capacity in Maryland is garnering strong opposition from property owners. In this one, BGE first asked the state for permission in July 2024 to more than double the voltage capacity of the overhead lines running through Harford, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties as part of a broader project that BGE says will be need once the Brandon Shores coal-fired plant in Anne Arundel County is retired. People have often confused it, residents say, with the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project that would run about 70 miles through parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties. Bryna Zumer/The Baltimore Sun.
WHISTLEBLOWER ACCUSES MOORE ADMIN OF COVERUP OVER SNAP ALLEGATIONS: A former senior official at the Maryland Department of Human Services is questioning the credibility of an investigation that Gov. Wes Moore says occurred, regarding the whistleblower’s recent allegation about the state’s food stamp program. The former official alleged that other senior DHS officials hatched a scheme to maintain a high payment error rate on food stamps — also known as SNAP — in order to delay $240 million in newly imposed federal penalties. Brooke Conrad/The Baltimore Sun.
WHO’s LINING UP TO RUN FOR HOYER’s SEAT NOW? When you announce you’re retiring from Congress after almost 45 years, there’s going to be a long line of people waiting for their chance to replace you. That’s the case in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, after U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer. The roster of known politicos? Former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker; state Dels. Adrian Boafo and Nicole Williams; state Sen. Arthur Ellis; Harry Dunn, retired U.S. Capitol police officer and former 3rd Congressional District candidate; and Wala Blegay, Prince George’s County Council member at large. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.
- The eight candidates who were already filed with the State Board of Elections last week gained a ninth Tuesday, when Republican Michelle Talkington, who unsuccessfully challenged Hoyer in 2024, filed her candidacy paperwork with the board. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
COLUMN: IS STENY HOYER A GOOD CASE FOR TERM LIMITS? Steny Hoyer believes in term limits. He just doesn’t define them the way you or I might. Those limits just rely on voters to boot the rascals out, rather than cap how often we can vote for them again. He’s leaving after 45 years in Congress. And the question is: Is the 86-year-old from St. Mary’s County a case for term limits? Or is he the reason to keep it the way it is? Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
CARROLL COMMISSIONERS SAY SOLAR PROJECTS WILL SHRINK FARMLAND: After another Carroll County community solar project got its permit approved by the state last week, the county’s commissioners vowed to look into ways that the county can try to block solar projects from being built on farmland. Maryland law prevents the county from blocking solar through local zoning laws — and solar projects in Carroll take up just a fraction of a percent of the county’s overall agricultural zoning district. But the commissioners remain firm that too many solar projects could shrink the supply of local farmland and impact the county’s food production. Lily Carey/The Carroll County Times.
CARROLL SCHOOL BOARD TO VOTE ON REVISED ICE POLICY: The Carroll County Board of Education is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a revised policy regarding immigration enforcement officers at public schools. Two significant changes were made: School reception areas and open office areas were removed from the list of public spaces, meaning if ICE officers wanted to enter a school reception area, a judicial warrant would be required, except in some emergency situations. The second change is that staff would now be required to contact the Sheriff’s Office to help coordinate response and interaction with ICE. Gabriella Fine/The Carroll County Times.
BALTIMORE COUNTY REVERSING VIEW ON DATA CENTERS: In the 18 months since Baltimore County first sought to make room for data centers, the national conversation around them has shifted, and concerns over environmental and economic impacts have fueled grassroots blowback against them, including in Baltimore County. Sapna Bansil and Bria Overs/The Baltimore Banner.
BA CO COUNCIL BILLS WOULD SEEK TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM ICE: Two Baltimore County Council bills that seek to protect people who are not citizens from discrimination and certain immigration enforcement actions are sparking strong feelings on both sides of the aisle. One bill would place restrictions on the county’s enforcement of federal immigration laws and protect confidential information about a person’s immigration status. A second bill would codify the immigrant affairs office within the county executive’s office. Natalie Jones/The Baltimore Sun.
SCOTT MUM ON REPORTS OF FALSIFIED RECORDS BY CONTRACTED FIRM: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott declined to comment Tuesday on reports published in the Sun that six former employees of Concentric Educational Solutions intentionally falsified records of the company’s tutoring and home visits for Baltimore City Public Schools between 2021 and 2024. Ruben Castaneda/The Baltimore Sun.
HARFORD’s DEPUTY SCHOOL SUPER ALSO PLACED ON LEAVE: The deputy superintendent of operations for Harford County Public Schools, Eric Davis, has been placed on paid administrative leave as details remain unclear as to what happened involving him and Superintendent Sean Bulson during a New Orleans education conference in April 2024. On Monday a state Inspector General’s Office investigation found that Bulson used Davis’ personal cellphone to call 911 to report an alleged theft while the two were at the New Orleans conference. Matt Hubbard/The Aegis.
