The General Assembly met on August 3 and 4 to discuss Congressional redistricting and approved a bill to amend the Maryland State Constitution. This amendment will be on the ballot this November, so you’ll want to have a clear understanding of what you’ll be voting on.
Currently (Article III, Section 4) of the Maryland Constitution states that all legislative districts shall consist of “adjoining territory, be compact and be compact in form…due regard shall be given to natural boundaries and the boundaries of political subdivisions.” As written, this applies to both U.S. Congressional districts and Maryland Legislature (Senate and House of Delegates) districts.
The bill that was approved, HB 2100, specifies that the criteria of “compact” districts instead would apply only to the State Senate and Delegate districts, not to Congressional districts. Voter approval in November means this amendment to the state constitution goes into effect in the future.
What a Yes vote on this amendment does: Starting in 2027, the MD General Assembly would have more flexibility in redrawing Congressional districts, enabling it to respond to the move in other states to shift the balance in Congress to the Republicans. An earlier attempt in Maryland (2022) was struck down by the courts because the redistricting did not conform to the state constitution – thus the proposed amendment to the constitution.
What a Yes vote on this amendment does not do: (1) It does not change anything for the elections of 2026. (2) It does not change the rules mandating compact districts for representation to the Maryland legislature. (3) It also does not itself change Congressional districts.
General Assembly Overrides Two Governor Moore Vetoes
SB 426 - Shields Divorce Records would shield most divorce case records from public disclosure. The Senate voted unanimously to override Governor Moore’s veto. The bill was originally sponsored by Sen. Charles Sydnor after a constituent and the constituent’s ex-partner faced harassment when their divorce records were posted online.
HB 862 - Two Person Crews on Trains requires at least two crew members on freight trains. The two-man crew minimum is already required by a Federal Railroad Administration rule, but a state law creates an important backstop were the Trump administration to undo that rule.
Freight trains can be over a mile long and if there is only one crew member on a freight train that crew member is required to stay on the train. They cannot assess damage; they cannot help assisting first responders. A second crew member would be able to do that while the first stays on the train, she argued. Unfortunately the bill shall take effect only if similar legislation passes in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
