By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The 2026 Maryland General Assembly session kicked off on Jan. 14 in Annapolis, Md. at the Maryland State House. The new session will feature top legislative concerns around the $1.5 billion deficit projected for fiscal year 2027.
Ahead of the start of the session, legislators worked to secure funding for their campaigns ahead of the 90-day shut down, as they cannot raise funds during the session. This is the last opportunity they get to raise funds before the Maryland Primaries in which several legislators, including the governor will be up for grabs.
During the legislative session, 47 Senators and 141 Delegates come together for a 90-day session to introduce, discuss and pass various potential legislation that typically go into effect, if signed by the governor, by Oct. 1. New laws can impact Marylanders in many ways, from state and local fee increases to public safety.
State Del. Mike Rogers (D-Md.-32) is urging Black Marylanders to monitor state budget negotiations closely this session. He warned that potential cuts and adjustments may be necessary to ensure a balanced budget.
Rogers is not alone in this call to action. State Del. Denise Roberts (D-Md.-25), chimed in on the matter as well. Roberts used to serve on the Ways and Means Committee, which handles key financial bills for the legislative body.
“I can’t even begin to say how we’re going to tackle it, but I know that the priority is to not raise taxes,” said Roberts. “We’re going to have to make some tough decisions, but we’re going to get it done in collaboration with the governor.”
Roberts, who is going into her third year in the legislature, said this year, she is focused on passing a property tax credit bill for seniors in Prince George’s County, Md.
“The credit still exists, but I’m trying to raise the income cap and loosen up some of the restrictions, so our seniors can continue to receive that credit,” she said.
State Del. Andrea Fletcher Harrison (D-24) is prioritizing legislation this session to reform occupational licensing.
The bill would allow justice-involved individuals to request a preliminary determination from licensing boards to see if their criminal record would disqualify them from a specific profession. By confirming eligibility upfront, applicants can avoid wasting time and money on training for careers they are barred from entering.
“We’re working with agencies to figure out how we can do this in a way that is not too cumbersome for the agencies, but still helps people,” said Harrison. “That is my concern…making sure that everyone has the opportunity to earn a living.”
The session will likely include a redistricting process, led by Gov. Wes Moore (D), in response to Republican-led states revising congressional maps to gain additional seats ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Maryland is expected to follow the lead of California and other states Democratic-led states that revisited congressional maps in 2025.
Moore formed a Redistricting Advisory Commission on Nov. 4, 2025, to study Maryland’s congressional map and recommend whether the state should pursue redistricting roughly four years ahead of the next regular cycle. Congressional maps are typically redrawn every 10 years following the U.S. Census.
Marylanders can expect this legislative session to feature a lot of leadership change, from House Speaker, Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Md.-21), new chairs of committees and one new committee. Melnyk’s leadership is expected to bring notable shifts to the way the House of Delegates operates this session.
Republican state lawmakers, in particular, continue to call into question the governor and Democratic leadership’s handling of the budget deficit last year. Last year’s budget was balanced by increasing certain taxes and fees by $1.6 billion to help eliminate the state’s $3.3 billion deficit.
“When you have a $1.5 billion budget deficit, that can’t be resolved simply through accounting gimmicks and tricks,” said House Minority Leader Del. Jason Buckel (R-Md.-1B) during a live-streamed press conference a day ahead of the start of session. “We understand that Maryland’s government has grown well beyond our capacity to pay for it. They’ve made promises that cannot be paid for with Maryland’s economy, and it needs to be addressed.”
The governor has until Jan. 21 to officially introduce his full budget bill to the legislature.
For this session, Republican legislators are focused on affordability and accountability this session, according to Minority Whip Del. Jesse T. Pippy (R-Md.-4).
Harrison defended the governor’s spending priorities despite the state’s budget deficits.
“He has every right to try to push forward those things that he believes are important,” she said. “It is our job, as a legislative branch, to balance that… to see how we can make all things work.”
However, Harrison acknowledged that achieving that balance is not always possible.
To help Marylanders stay abreast of legislative movements, throughout this legislative session, Maryland Public Television (MPT) will be livestreaming the legislative sessions throughout the 90 days.
“MPT’s production services unit is partnering with the Maryland Department of Legislative Services to provide livestream coverage of floor proceedings during the 449th session of the Maryland General Assembly,” said Tom Williams, in a statement sent to the AFRO. “MPT has partnered with the Maryland Department of Legislative Services to provide livestream video coverage of House floor sessions since 2020. In 2022, these services were expanded to include both the House and Senate chambers for the entire 90-day session.”
Members of the State House and Senate are expected to reconvene for a session on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. The 2026 Maryland General Assembly is expected to end on April 13.
Correction: This article has been revised to reflect that the 2026 Maryland General Assembly is the 449th session, not the 448th.