The Maryland General Assembly’s 2026 Legislative Session is underway and three controversial bills passed last week in the House of Delegates and one in the state Senate. Here are those bills:
HB 1/SB 2 Investor-Owned Electric, Gas, and Gas and Electric Companies – Cost Recovery – Limitations
This bill was created to combat high energy costs and to lower monthly BGE bills by prohibiting utility companies from giving out bonuses to employees.
The bill was passed along party lines.
8th District (Middle River, Rosedale and Parkville) Delegate Nick Allen (D) voted in favor of the bill and criticized his Republican colleagues for voting against the legislation.
“HB1 will save ratepayers money. BGE admitted as much in their testimony. The number 2 Republican in the House admitted it on the floor,” Allen wrote in a statement.
“These are the delegates who voted against saving ratepayers money, who chose to stand with executives making over $250,000 a year instead.”
6th District (Dundalk, Essex and Edgemere) Delegate Robin Grammer (R) disagrees and called the bill ‘The Politician Protecting Act’ and said the bill only makes politicians look good for passing the legislation.
“This bill does nothing. The Public Service Commission already has this authority,” Grammer said on the House floor.
HB1 Vote
6th District
Grammer-No
Long-No
Metzgar-No
7th A District
Nawrocki-No
Szeliga-No
8th District
Allen-Yes
Bhandari-Yes
Ross-Yes
Another bill that Republicans voted against was HB 444 /SB 245 (Public Safety – Immigration Enforcement Agreements – Prohibition).
This legislation would was passed to ban 287(g) agreements between local government working with immigration enforcement.
District 7A (White Marsh, Perry Hall and Kingsville) Delegate Ryan Nawrocki (R) said this bill is bad for public safety.
“Maryland Democrats just voted to end ICE cooperation for violent offenders already in jail,” Nawrocki said.
“Rapists and pedophiles now get placed back on the streets. I voted NO. Does this really make us safer?”
HB444 Vote
6th District
Grammer-No
Long-No
Metzgar-No
7th A District
Nawrocki-No
Szeliga-No
8th District
Allen-Yes
Bhandari-Yes
Ross-Yes
SB245 Vote
6th District
Salling-No
7th District
Jennings-No
8th District
Jackson-Yes
HB 488 was also passed last week. It is a redistricting bill that would create new Congressional maps.
Republicans argued this new mid-cycle map will take the Democrats 7-1 ratio and turn it into an 8-0 Democratic advantage.
7A Delegate Delegate Kathy Szeliga (R) said this is classic gerrymandering by Democrats.
“[This bill is] to eliminate ALL Republican representation in the Maryland congressional delegation. It’s unconstitutional. It will be overturned in the court. We will fight this for all Republicans, Independents, and non-Democrat voters,” Szeliga wrote.
Allen said he voted for the redistricting bill and explained that Republican states such as Texas have a gerrymandered map.
“We are here because the President and national Republicans and states like Texas are trying to rig the 2028 Elections through mid-cycling redistricting and bullying small states like Maryland,” Allen said in a video.
The bill passed the House and heads over to the Senate but Sixth District Sen. Johnny Ray Salling (R) said he doesn’t expect the bill to move far in his chamber.
“From what we’ve been told -more than once- the Senate will not be doing anything with redistricting,” Salling said in a video.
“I appreciate the President of the Senate because it is wrong coming from the Governor and his people. It won’t benefit Republicans.”
HB488 Vote
6th District
Grammer-No
Long-No
Metzgar-No
7th A District
Nawrocki-No
Szeliga-No
8th District
Allen-Yes
Bhandari-Yes
Ross-Yes
