SESSION ENDS IN BOTH CHAMBERS ON A SOUR NOTE: For 89 days, 23 hours and about 53 minutes, House of Delegates Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk largely succeeded in her efforts to keep debates in her chamber civil and kind. But as the clock ticked down to the midnight adjournment of the 2026 session, chaos erupted in the House. And across the marble hall of the State House, tensions flared in the state Senate as well. Pamela Wood, Madeleine O’Neill and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- But the day started off rather festively. The House chamber was abuzz with Sine Die energy Monday morning. As lawmakers milled about before session began, Del. Kevin Hornberger was scatting into the microphone. When House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk arrived in a lacy greenish-yellow hat, the chamber erupted in cheers. And there was the tuba. Christine Condon, Danielle J. Brown and William J. Ford/Maryland Matters
IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES GET LAST MINUTES VICTORIES: One year after they watched their main initiative die in the waning minutes of the 2025 legislative session, immigration advocates watched Monday night as several of their bills won last-minute victories. The Senate voted 32-15 Monday to accept House changes to SB 791 that include making it an emergency bill, to take effect immediately upon the governor’s signature, instead of on Oct. 1. The bill aims to further limit cooperation with ICE by state and local agencies. William Ford/Maryland Matters.
- Also on the docket were long-overlooked bills, including a face covering ban for law enforcement and a measure to create special elections for General Assembly members. Lawmakers also finalized changes to other proposals, such as requiring air conditioning in apartments and strengthening oversight of the state’s foster care system. Katherine Wilson/The Baltimore Sun.
- Passage of the Community Trust Act could make the state a target of the Trump administration, which has threatened to identify states and localities as “sanctuary jurisdictions” and potentially cut off or suspend some federal funds. Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.
ENERGY BILL PASSES, TO OFFER RELIEF TO CONSUMERS: Top Maryland Democrats passed legislation Monday to offer consumers swift, albeit limited, relief on soaring energy bills, finalizing a sweeping legislative package hours before the legislative session’s close. Adam Willis and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
- The bill is currently expected to provide about $150 in annual relief for the average Maryland household. But that estimate only includes one small — but controversial — piece of the bill: The temporary cuts to an energy efficiency surcharge on electric bills. Christine Condon/Maryland Matters.
- The final compromise pulls back from more aggressive proposals floated earlier — such as banning forecast test years and altering natural gas hookup costs — and instead relies on temporary pauses, regulatory studies and narrower policy changes. Much of the focus is on how utilities set rates and how the state prepares for increased demand from large energy users. Maryland Republicans criticized the outcome, adding that opposing ideas were sidelined. Mennatalla Ibrahim/The Baltimore Sun.
BILL TO PROHIBIT USE OF HOTELS FOR FOSTER KIDS: Maryland lawmakers on Monday voted to prohibit the use of hotels and other unlicensed settings for children under state care, part of a series of foster care reforms. The Maryland House and Senate both passed the legislation unanimously following the high-profile death of 16-year-old Kanaiyah Ward, who died by suicide in a Baltimore hotel room where she was living when she was supposed to be under round-the-clock care. Lee O. Sanderlin and Jessica Calefati/The Baltimore Banner.
AFTER SINE DIE, WHO COMES OUT ON TOP AND WHO DOESN’T: The confetti is being swept up from the rugs and lawmakers are packing their things after the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session adjourned for the year at midnight Monday night. Who is holding their head high having secured political or policy victories? And who is licking their wounds? Pamela Wood, Brenda Wintrode, Madeleine O’Neill and Lee O. Sanderlin/The Baltimore Banner.
COURT KEEPS ARUNDEL HOUSE CANDIDATE OFF BALLOT OVER RESIDENCY: Maryland’s highest court on Monday ordered an Anne Arundel County candidate for the House of Delegates off the ballot, after weighing arguments over where he lives and when he must establish residency. The Supreme Court of Maryland upheld a lower court ruling removing John Dove Jr. from the ballot for the June Democratic primary. He was hoping to unseat Del. Gary Simmons. Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Banner.
COMMENTARY: LIAR, LIAR? THE TRUTH BEHIND MOORE’s POLL NUMBERS: The Baltimore Sun has been questioning Gov. Wes Moore’s honesty for months now, assigning a team of reporters to look into many of his military, sports and academic claims. Now that his poll numbers have slipped, the Sun is looking at it as a sign that he is not trustworthy. But the Sun is owned by David Smith, head of the Trump aligned Sinclair Broadcasting, and Moore has called it a political hit job. Rick Hutzell/The Baltimore Banner.
MARYLAND NEWSPAPER DIGS DEEP INTO ITS GOVERNOR: The owner of Maryland’s biggest paper and TV stations is keeping close tabs on his outlet’s investigation of the state’s governor. In recent months, The Baltimore Sun has brought on a team of investigators from sister television station Sinclair to comb through Gov. Wes Moore’s records as he seeks reelection and eyes a potential White House run in 2028. Max Tani/Semafor.
COURT REINSTATES HARFORD DEPUTY TO COUNTY COUNCIL: A Republican removed from the Harford County Council will get his seat back, after the Appellate Court of Maryland said he had been wrongfully removed last year. The unreported ruling by a panel of the Appellate Court of Maryland reversed a February 2025 circuit court ruling that said Aaron Penman could not serve on the council while also also working as a deputy in the Harford County Sheriff’s Department. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters.
MD ENVIRO DEPT PROBES LEAKS OF 32,000 GALLONS OF JET FUEL AT ANDREWS: The Maryland Department of the Environment is investigating leaks of about 32,000 gallons of jet fuel at the Air Force’s Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, officials said Monday. Darreonna Davis/The Baltimore Banner.
