The 50 Most Controversial Bills of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly: #10–1
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — SPECIAL SERIES: 2026 Maryland General Assembly Scorecard — Part 3 of 3 | The Top 10...
Legislation
Moore’s Victory Lap Can’t Outrun Maryland’s Fiscal Reality
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews ANNAPOLIS — Governor Wes Moore emerged from the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session...
Maryland Senate Unanimously Passes Kanaiyah’s Law on Final Day of Session
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Senate voted unanimously on Monday to pass House Bill 980, known...
The 50 Most Controversial Bills of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly: #25–11
SPECIAL SERIES: 2026 Maryland General Assembly Scorecard — Part 2 of 3 By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews From the...
The 50 Most Controversial Bills of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly: #50–26
SPECIAL SERIES: 2026 Maryland General Assembly Scorecard — Part 1 of 3 By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews The 449th session...
Maryland Just Passed a Deepfake Law. A Federal Court Already Struck Down the Same Thing.
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland House of Delegates passed HB 145 on Friday by a vote of 95-36,...
Maryland Just Made It Harder to Charge Violent Teens as Adults. Prosecutors Across the State Opposed It.
By MDBayNews Staff It passed yesterday. By tonight, it will be on Governor Moore's desk. The Youth Charging Reform Act...
Maryland’s Latest Cash Grab: Annapolis Democrats Want the Power to Seize Your Car
By MDBayNews Staff For years, Maryland drivers have watched Annapolis steadily squeeze more money out of them through...
Maryland Lawmakers Push Tougher Penalties for Fentanyl Distribution Causing Death
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers are advancing legislation that would significantly...
Maryland General Assembly Hits Midpoint as High-Stakes Deadlines Approach
By MDBayNews Staff ANNAPOLIS — The 2026 session of the Maryland General Assembly has reached its midpoint, and the coming...
Maryland Lawmakers Move to Strengthen Inspector General Independence After AG Opinion Sparks Concern
By MDBayNews Staff ANNAPOLIS, MD — In a rare bipartisan move, Delegates Vaughn Stewart (D) and Ryan Nawrocki (R) have...
Hearing Tomorrow: HB 970 Would Redefine Nuclear as “Tier 1” Clean Energy in Maryland
By MDBayNews Staff Annapolis will take up a consequential energy bill tomorrow that could reshape Maryland’s energy...
Two Years to Maybe Make It Right? Maryland’s SB481 Raises Red Flags for Parents Facing Custodial Interference
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland lawmakers are advancing Senate Bill 481 (SB481) as a reform to address denial or...
Can Maryland Penalize a Sermon? SB4/HB 514 Raises New Free Speech Concerns
By MDBayNews Staff A new bill moving through the Maryland General Assembly — SB4/HB 514 — is sparking serious concern...
Jennings Pushes Emergency Flexibility for Condos Under Senate Bill 576
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland condominium and cooperative housing communities could soon gain more flexibility during...
HB 432 Sparks Heated Debate Over Vagrancy Enforcement in Maryland
By MDBayNews Staff Annapolis, Md. — A new bill moving through the Maryland General Assembly is igniting sharp debate over...
Historic Plates, Historic Pushback: Jennings’ SB452 Heads to Hearing
By MDBayNews Staff ANNAPOLIS, Md. — After last year’s overhaul of Maryland’s historic vehicle plate rules triggered...
Audit Panic or Real Reform? Maryland’s Foster Care System Still Has Cracks
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s foster care system has undeniably changed since the devastating September 2025...
Maryland Bans Hotel Placements, Rolls Out New Tech — But Is Foster Care Finally Fixed?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews After a scathing September 2025 legislative audit exposed deep failures in Maryland’s...
Grammer Slams HB 55 as “Extortion Cameras.” Supporters Call It Public Safety.
By MDBayNews Staff Robin Grammer is not mincing words. In a sharply worded social media post this week, the Baltimore...
Another Billion in Borrowing: Annapolis Expands MDTA Debt as Toll Hikes Loom
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In a move that received far less public attention than it deserves, the Maryland General...
Congress Moves on Sanctuary Ban as Maryland Weighs ICE Limits
As congressional Republicans push legislation to restrict or ban so-called “sanctuary” policies nationwide, the...
Maryland Voting Rights Act Push Raises Questions About Scope, Cost, and Local Control
By MDBayNews Staff ANNAPOLIS — A coalition of voting rights groups gathered in Annapolis this week urging swift passage...
Democrats Want a Permit to Pick Berries? HB 72 Sparks Backlash — and Satire
By MDBayNews Staff As Maryland families wrestle with rising utility bills, public safety concerns, and looming budget...
HB 459: Why the Local School Board Protection Act Still Matters—Even After Testimony Closed
By MDBayNews Staff The public sign-up window to testify on House Bill 459, the Local School Board Protection Act, has...
After Wootton, Annapolis Faces a Hard Question: Should Schools Be Kept in the Dark?
By MDBayNews Staff In the wake of the shooting at Wootton High School, a grim but unavoidable debate has landed squarely in...
Federal Court Ruling Puts Maryland Masking Bills on Constitutional Collision Course
By MDBayNews Staff A federal court decision issued late Monday is already sending shockwaves to Annapolis, where Maryland...
CNN’s Dana Bash Corners Gov. Wes Moore on Redistricting: “How Is That Good for Democracy?”
By MDBayNews Staff In a rare moment of national media clarity, Dana Bash pressed Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on a redistricting...
Maryland Lawmakers Target AI Child Exploitation With “Safe Kids Act”
By MDBayNews Staff A bipartisan group of Maryland lawmakers is moving to close a growing legal gap surrounding online child...
Maryland House Republicans Roll Out Final Pieces of 2026 Affordability and Accountability Agenda
By MDBayNews Staff The Maryland House Republican Caucus has formally introduced the remaining bills in its 2026...
SB 683 Puts Farmland First as Maryland Pushes Solar Expansion
By MDBayNews Staff As Maryland continues its aggressive push toward renewable energy, a growing backlash has emerged from...
Prosecutors Push a Tough, Practical Agenda in Annapolis
By MDBayNews Staff In early February, the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (MSAA) — an organization of the...
VEIP Repeal Bill Advances as Lawmakers Spotlight Hearing, Revenue From Fines and Late Fees
By MDBayNews Staff Momentum is building around legislation that would end Maryland’s Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program...
Maryland Bill Targets Fertility Fraud, Informed Consent Violations
By MDBayNews Staff ANNAPOLIS — A quietly moving bill in the Maryland General Assembly is drawing renewed attention to a...
HB1 and the Politics of Distraction as Utility Bills Keep Rising
By MDBayNews Staff As Maryland households struggle to keep up with rising electricity and gas bills, House Bill 1 (HB1) has...
Maryland General Assembly Convenes for Pro Forma Session Friday as Committees Handle Today’s Work
By MDBayNews Staff The Maryland General Assembly is in session Friday for a scheduled pro forma meeting, with both the...
Law Enforcement Pushes Back on Maryland’s Youth Charging Reform Act
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland lawmakers are facing mounting resistance from police and prosecutors over the proposed Youth...
Maryland Lawmakers Move to Bar Power Line Surveyors From Private Property During Hunting Season
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland lawmakers from both parties are advancing legislation aimed at protecting private property...
California’s Redistricting Green Light Puts Maryland on Notice
By MDBayNews Staff The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week to allow California’s new congressional map to take...
Senate Republicans File Voter ID Bill, Putting Election Integrity Back on the Table
By MDBayNews Staff Annapolis — Maryland Senate Republicans have formally filed new legislation that would require voters...