Update on 2025 Maryland Legislative Session
Protecting working families from Musk/Trump war on Maryland
— Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans benefits: We gave the State Attorney General the power to sue to protect earned benefits.
— Federal employees, agencies, and contractors: Created a loan fund for laid-off Federal workers and contractors.
—Law-abiding immigrant families: Strengthened protection of personal data and their safety in churches, schools, hospitals and public places.
Fighting utility rate hikes
We passed legislation to:
— Rate rebates to all residential customers.
— Crackdown on cost overruns, private jets, and other profit-padding.
— Making big tech data centers pay their fair share.
— Boosting lower-cost solar and battery storage.
More state aid for schools
— $114 million more for Prince George’s schools
— $48 million more for Anne Arundel’s schools
Boosting funds for local roads and transit
In the state budget, we protected:
— More than $29 million to fix potholes and improve Prince George’s roads, and more than $167 million for Metro rail and bus service.
— More than $15 million to fix potholes, improve Anne Arundel roads and transit services.
We worked together on all these initiatives:
— Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk. As Chair of the House Health and Government Operations Committee, she led successful efforts to strengthen ACA protections, safeguard health insurance subsidies, investigate insurance denials and prior authorizations, preserve access to telehealth, and mandate structural racism training for health professionals—all while chairing the HGO Committee and passing more than 200 bills.
— Delegate Mary Lehman. As a leader on the environment and transportation issues, she passed legislation protecting surface water from leaking coal ash landfills, directing the MD Department of Environment (MDE) to adopt a now-suspended EPA regulation requiring monitoring and industry cleanup of those sites.
— Delegate Ben Barnes.As Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, he led the effort to balance the budget while restoring funding for developmental disabilities and fully fund local schools and Medicaid. He got critical funding for investing in efficient, reliable transportation across the state.
— Senator Jim Rosapepe. As Vice Chair of the Budget & Tax committee, he successfully fought to balance the state budget while protecting investment in local schools, roads, transit, and slowing climate change and shifting the tax burden from working families to the wealthy and big corporations.