The following article has been submitted by Sixth District Delegate Ric Metzgar as he gives a recap of the 2026 Legislative Session
The 449th Session of the Maryland General Assembly proved to be a busy session for Senators and Delegates alike. It was the most challenging Session in decades.
New Speaker, new committees, new committee chairs, new committee assignments, etc. but we got through it.
Over 1,500 bills were introduced in the House. I only introduced a few bills during the Session due to the expensive costs of researching and writing these bills. Due to the large amount of bills, not all bills get out of committee for a vote on the House Floor.
This year the focus was the $1.4 billion budget deficit. Under the Maryland Constitution, the only thing that the Maryland General Assembly is required to do is to pass a budget. The House passed the budget with some spending cuts. We all must live within our household budget; the state needs to do the same.
I voted for the Capital Budget which resulted in $24 Million coming to Essex and Dundalk for various community projects in and around our District.
For too long, our area has been left out or forgotten when it comes to State Funds to enhance our community.
I did not vote for the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA). I didn’t think it was right to place the burden on the backs of the citizens who are already paying higher energy costs.
For me personally, the highlight of the 2026 Session took place when two of my bills passed the House and went over to the State Senate. They were House Bill 194 and House Bill 166.
I reintroduced the House Bill 194 Inmates Apprenticeship Pilot Program to teach incarcerated people a trade. When they have finished their sentence, they will learn valuable skills that will give them an opportunity to get a job once they are released from prison. This will help their self-esteem, give them a valuable skill set, and pay taxes to become productive members of society.
This is a worthwhile investment for these people to turn around their lives. With a few amendments and bi-partisan support, this bill came out of committee and passed on the floor by a vote of 115 to 17 with 9 abstentions. The bill went to the Senate but did not get out of committee.
The second bill that passed the House unanimously was House Bill 166 the Henrietta Lacks Commission. This bill would preserve the legacy of Henrietta Lacks and the use of HeLa Cells. She was a 31-year-old Turner Station resident who died in 1951 while battling Cervical Cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her cells now called HeLa Cells were taken from her without her consent and used in medical research today. This bill passed the house unanimously with bi-partisan support but did not get out of the Senate Committee.
This bill would establish a Commission to report to the Governor and the Maryland General Assembly on life science activities in the State, and promotion of education on the life of Henrietta Lacks by December 1.
I introduced House Bill 127 Property Tax Credits for people who are Volunteer Fire Fighters. There are a shortage and a real need for Volunteer Fire Fighters in Baltimore County. Even with a few amendments, it did not come out of committee.
One of the bills that I introduced and felt passionate about was House Bill 117 was the Airway Clearing Device otherwise known as the Bowen Levi Act named in honor of a Maryland Special Needs teenager who died from choking. It would have required this Airway Clearing Device in every public school to prevent this from happening again. Sadly, it did not come out of committee.
I also reintroduced Heartbeat Bill. This bill would allow the mother to hear the heartbeat of a fetus in the womb before deciding on terminating her pregnancy. It did not come out of committee.
I decided to reintroduce the Ten Commandments Monument Display Act. This is a moral foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and permissible to be displayed on government property which was upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 2005 and again in 2019. The Ten Commandments are on display in the State Capital buildings and grounds of Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri and other public places around the country.
Recognizing the historical role of the Ten Commandments accords with our nation’s history and faithful reflects the understanding of the founders of our nation with respect to the necessity of civic morality to a functional self-government. History records that James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, stated that “we have staked the whole future of our new nation . . . upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments.”
The placement of a monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the State House would help the people of the United States and State of Maryland to know the Ten Commandments as the moral foundation of the law. Sadly, this bill also did not come out of committee.
I also re-introduced the Volunteer School Chaplain Bill to reduce school violence. Students may feel more comfortable talking to someone who is not a school administrator.
I feel that I was successful in this year’s Session with the $24 Million brought back to our District and two of my bills passing in the House. Experience counts when getting things done.
I am not a quitter and will reintroduce some of these bills next year. I have said this before. When I cast my vote, I am voting not only for the people in our district but for the 6 million people who live in Maryland. This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you in Annapolis. I will continue fighting for the people of Maryland.