As Maryland prepares for its 2025 legislative session, there’s much to anticipate: the budget as the main issue at hand, vacant seats in the legislature, and potential impacts of the Trump administration in Maryland. We’ll also provide updates on neighboring states, Delaware and Pennsylvania, with insights from Alex.

Be sure to check out the session calendar and mark your calendars for our Maryland Day Party!

“The General Assembly will have to tackle a significant budget shortfall which amounts to $1 billion in the current fiscal year, $2.7 billion in the next fiscal year, and will continue to grow from there. With the Moore Administration resistant to tax increases, we can expect some difficult budget decisions to be made with respect to spending cuts and legislature-led tax measures. Many things are on the table including a sales tax on services and corporate tax reform.” – Tyler Bennett

“The election of State Senator Sarah Elfreth to the US House of Representatives, leaves an open seat in the State Senate. Both Delegate Dana Jones and Delegate Shaneka Henson have indicated their interest in moving to the Senate. The Anne Arundel Democratic Central Committee will decide in the next several weeks which delegate will get the Senate seat. This also means that a seat will open up in the Maryland House of Delegates when one of the two candidates gets the nod. Stay tuned to Compass for developments and changes in the Maryland legislature.” – Hannah Garagiola

“There is currently uncertainty surrounding several key issues that could impact Maryland’s future. Presently, there is uncertainty about whether the federal government will fully fund the Key Bridge project. Additionally, the fate of federal renewable energy funding for states remains uncertain. Another question is whether the FBI Headquarters will still relocate to Maryland as previously planned. There are concerns about potential reductions to the federal workforce, which will have trickle down fiscal impacts to Maryland’s state budget.” – Rob Garagiola

DE & PA 2025 Items to Watch – Alex Shull McKitrick

• Inauguration Day – January 21st, 2025 Matt Meyer will be sworn in as Delaware’s 75th Governor
• Delaware Renewable Energy is likely to be a hot topic. Items like energy storage, the state’s RPS goals, and solar siting are all be discussed by leadership
• Criminal Justice and Health Care costs are also likely to be front of mind for the Delaware legislature
• The Pennsylvania Legislature remains split down party lines for 2025 making it challenging to pass legislation.
• Pennsylvania Mass transit funding
• Pennsylvania Cannabis Legalization
• Pennsylvania Games of Skill Regulation and Taxation