Dear Friend:
Today marks the start of the 2026 legislative session. Unlike the United States Congress, the Maryland General Assembly is part-time and meets for 90 days each year. I am excited to once again serve as chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, one of our seven committees.
As I do each year with this first email of the legislative session, I will discuss my legislative agenda—the bills I will be primarily sponsoring—below. But I also have the opportunity each year to work on numerous other issues both as a member of the full House and chair of a committee.  Specifically, in addition to having the usual opportunity to weigh in on the state budget, public education, healthcare (including reproductive health), sensible gun control and public safety, and numerous other issues, the committee I chair has jurisdiction over the environment, transportation, and energy. Energy in particular is a new issue for the committee. The House's new Speaker has created a seventh standing committee and re-organized jurisdiction, resulting in energy being moved to the Environment & Transportation Committee.
 
That said, I currently plan to sponsor eight bills:
Metro Funding Act: As regular readers know, Maryland’s dedicated funding for Metro has not grown since 2018, meaning it has severely eroded in value. This legislation would essentially re-base Maryland’s contribution to Metro and peg it to grow, contingent on our partners in Virginia and DC doing the same. This will allow us to continue critical safety investments in the Metro system. Senator Malcolm Augustine from Prince George’s County is leading the issue in the State Senate.
Maryland Transit Administration Reform Act: I spent the interim on a work group to reform the Maryland Transit Administration. That group’s report can be reviewed here and I am now converting its findings into legislation. Importantly for our part of the state, the proposed new structure would allow increased focus and attention on the MARC commuter rail system, which serves Montgomery County. My partner in the Senate is Senator Cory McCray, who also served on the work group.
Franchise Reform Act: There is no question that our county and state need to grow and diversify economically. One of my proposed changes is to reform our franchise laws—which allow those with business concepts to sell them and prospective small business owners to buy them—to make it easier to have franchise businesses in Maryland. I had similar legislation in 2025 that passed the House but not the Senate. Part of that bill was implemented administratively and the 2026 proposal aims to do even more. Senator Pam Beidle is the Senate sponsor.
Large Buildings for Tomorrow Act: Maryland has ambitious climate goals, but one of the few concrete policies is called Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), which requires existing large buildings to scale down their carbon emissions and get net zero by 2040. This bill ensures that buildings being built today that will have to comply with BEPS are built to do so, as it is much easier to build a net zero building than to retrofit one.
Board of Public Works Climate Transparency Act: Inspired by former District 16 Delegate and State Treasurer Nancy Kopp, this legislation requires state agencies seeking spending approval before the Board of Public Works—the Governor, Comptroller, and State Treasurer who approve all contracts over a certain size—to share how the contract is consistent with our state climate goals. Senator Shelly Hettleman is the Senate sponsor.
Local Boards of Education Transparency Act (HB 154): Continuing transparency in government work I have done for years with Senator Kagan, this legislation will require each local board of education across the state to video stream their meetings (something our county already does).
Land Transfer Accountability Act: There are many ways our state needs to push back against the current federal administration. One proposal I am sponsoring is to make it more difficult for the federal government to dispose of property it owns in Maryland, which in the case of our area is primarily office buildings. The legislation is a two-pronged approach to require state government to sign off on a sale and disincentivize non-government buyers in the case of a federal fire sale. Senator Jeff Waldstreicher is the lead in the other chamber
Co-Op and Condo Energy Refund Equity Act: Last year, the General Assembly passed rebates for electric customers but those who live in co-ops—and directly pay their electric bills—were left out. This legislation, also sponsored by Sara Love in the State Senate, would ensure co-op owners are treated equally.

STAY CONNECTED
If you click reply to this email, a return message comes directly to me and I welcome your feedback, questions, or comments anytime. You can also email me at [email protected] or call me on my cell phone at 240-447-1175. I post regularly on Facebook (Marc.Korman.Campaign), Instagram delegate_marc_korman), Bluesky (@mkorman.bsky.social), Twitter/X (@mkorman), and Threads (@marc_korman).
The Maryland General Assembly website has many great resources if you are interested in following our work over the next 90 days.  I will highlight just a few:
The general schedule is available here.
You can look up legislation and track its progress here.  Every bill introduced by the bill introduction deadline is guaranteed a hearing and before the hearing, a fiscal and policy note about the bill will be published.
You can view the Committee Schedule, which will be regularly updated, here.
I also recommend a few different news resources for those of you interested in the legislature.  In addition to the Washington Post and Banner, there are three websites that specialize in coverage of Annapolis:
Maryland Reporter: http://marylandreporter.com/
Maryland Matters: https://marylandmatters.org/
Center Maryland: http://www.centermaryland.org/ 

LEGISLATIVE SESSION PREP
I joined the I Hate Politics Podcast to preview some of the major issues of the legislative session. You can listen to the episode here. I also joined the Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club to discuss the state budget and you can watch that program here.
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Pre-filed legislation--bills introduced before the legislature convenes--are now available online. Find the House bills here and the Senate bills here. This year, the House Environment & Transportation Committee I chair has 56 pre-filed bills.
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I have previously shared the 2026 legislative session issue papers prepared by the Department of Legislative Services, but as a reminder, you can find them here. 
TRANSPORTATION NEWS
As part of the state budget, the Maryland Transit Administration submits bimonthly reports on Purple Line progress. The most recent report is here: https://tinyurl.com/tw7xps28
The big update is they have moved the trail reopening date from spring to summer 2026. The state and vendor also have different views on the opening date (late 2027 versus early 2028).
COMMUNITY NEWS
If you are struggling with bills and have a pet, here are some Montgomery County options to get the food that they need.

CAMPAIGN NEWS
I am pleased to share that the League of Conservation Voters has endorsed my campaign for re-election.

SPECIAL SESSION
​Earlier this week, the Maryland General Assembly held a rare special session. You can see my short video about it here. In the House, we had two main orders of business.
First, we elected a new Speaker of the House, Joseline Peña-Melnyk. Speaker Peña-Melnyk represents a district in Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties that is connected to our District by the Beltway and, in a few years, the Purple Line. She has the personal background and policy expertise to ably lead the House.

Second, the House and Senate both overrode a number of the Governor's vetoes from the 2025 legislative session. Some of the notable overridden vetoes include:
The RENEW Act, legislation to study and calculate the impacts of climate change on our state.
The Energy Resource Adequacy and Planning Act, which establishes a new Strategic Energy Planning Office to help guide us through recent energy and electric market challenges.
Data Center Study Bill, legislation to study the potential impacts of new data centers on our state.
Youth-Centric Technology Legislation, a bill from my District 16 colleague, Delegate Sarah Wolek, to publish a technology and social media resource guide to help families make better decisions related to young people and technology.
Reparations Commission, which will study issues related to reparations in Maryland.
As we look towards the regular legislative session, you can get up to date with the Department of Legislative Services Issue Papers for the 2026 session.
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LEGISLATIVE SEND-OFF
And another way to get ready for the 2026 legislative send-off is to attend the District 16 Delegation's send-off at the Bannockburn Clubhouse at 3:30pm on January 10th.

BUDGET UPDATE
The state Board of Revenue Estimates met recently and slightly increased the revenue estimate for fiscal year 2026--the current fiscal year--based on collections and for fiscal year 2027. Corporate income tax and sales tax have come in lower than expected but most other sources have been even or a little higher than estimates. I would not necessarily call it good news, as the estimates have been conservative due to the economic headwinds, but it is not bad news.
Review the Presentation.
Read the Report.
Watch the Meeting.
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The Spending Affordability Committee (SAC)--on which I used to serve as House chair--sets the overall budget guidelines the General Assembly follows each year. SAC recently met and you can watch their meeting here and read their recommendations here. The meeting provided a brief update on the budget situation based on the budget projections described above and the latest school system projections. Both benefited the budget picture but there is still an over $1 billion deficit projected for the coming budget. The main recommendations of SAC are:
-In recognition of the fiscal outlook, the committee recommends that the fiscal 2027 budget, as introduced and enacted, reduce the gap between general fund revenues and ongoing spending by 50% ($600 million).
-A Rainy Day Fund balance of at least 8% of General Fund revenue should be maintained with the possibility of going down to 7.5%.
-Since the federal government appears less likely to provide disaster assistance in the future, the State should maintain a combined balance of at least $15 million in these two funds beginning in fiscal 2027. The Treasurer’s Office should also explore the cost of purchasing disaster recovery insurance to cover at least 
a portion of the cost of assisting communities impacted by natural disasters.
-The committee recommends that the Executive Branch maintain current levels of authorized positions, fill vacancies in mission critical positions, and increase vacancies overall to meet budgeted turnover.
-A fiscal 2027 target closing balance of at least $550 million for the Transportation Trust Fund, which is $50 million greater than the target closing balance assumed by MDOT in its draft September 2025 financial forecast. The committee is recommending a larger TTF fund balance to ensure the continued ability of MDOT to meet its cash flow needs in the case that federal fund attainment, including federal reimbursement for capital projects, is less than currently projected by the department.

DELEGATION UPDATE
Each fall, the Montgomery County Delegation holds bill hearings on local bills that only affect the county or bicounty agencies like Park & Planning. Here is the slate of local bills for the upcoming legislative session.
Click here for the first night of bill hearings. The second night of bill hearings can be watched here.

COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Environment & Transportation Committee, on which I serve, held two recent pre-session briefings. The first was on the Ins and Outs of Residential Development and can be watched here. The second was An Update on Recent Federal Actions Impacting Climate and Energy Policy in Maryland and can be viewed here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
The first bill I passed in the Maryland General Assembly was HB 300 (2015), which requires an annual report by WMATA/Metro regarding Maryland's use of the system. The report is released every five years and the latest report was just released.
Marylanders' Metrorail usage is down from 2020 (135k riders a day now versus 236k pre-COVID), but Metrobus usage is up (133k Marylanders now versus 106k before). This is consistent with the overall post-COVID trend, but Maryland's share of Metrorail riders has dropped from 37% to 30% of overall ridership. Some of this may be attributed to the Silver Line opening.
65% of Montgomery County Metrorail riders get to their stations on foot, compared to 40% of Prince George's riders. I think that says something about land use and has not really changed in five years.
11% of Marylanders' Metrorail trips are from non-Montgomery or Prince George's County residents. Anne Arundel County accounts for a plurality with Howard County coming in second. Frederick and Charles Counties have notable numbers but have less riders than those two counties. A lot are probably arriving at Union Station via MARC Rail, because that is the heaviest used station (end of line stations with a lot of park and ride like Greenbelt are also heavily used) by other Marylanders and 18% of those weekday riders connect to Metro via rail.
Dig into more details here.
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The United States Department of Transportation has issued a Request for Information regarding the American Legion Bridge/495/270 project for which the state already has approved environmental documentation. Review it here.
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Each year, Metro allows riders to look at their ridership profile for the year. Visit Metro Rewind 2025 to check yours. My stats are below.

COMMUNITY NEWS
​I recently had the chance to participate in The Built World Around You Podcast. Listen to it here.
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Congratulations to Miu Edson, on being named to the Citizens Review Panel for Children. And congratulations to Lynn Nozer, on her nomination to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board.

My commitment to District 16 has always been to provide informative and truthful information. Sometimes I get to share good news such as a school in our district being a Blue Ribbon School, the state budget showing a surplus, or a worthwhile project getting state support. And sometimes I have to share tougher news, such as many of the reports featured below. But as Bob Dylan wrote in his song, Tangled Up In Blue, "the only thing I knew how to do was to keep on keeping on." That is what I will do and that is what our state will do, even through tough times and tough reports.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Each fall, the Montgomery County Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly holds a joint priorities hearing--sometimes referred to as "Open Mic Night"--where any county resident can tell us what they want us to work on. You can watch the 2025 meeting here.
The Montgomery County Delegation will also hold fall bill hearings on local bills--those only affecting the county--on December 4th and December 11th. This year's legislation can be reviewed here. This year, I am not the sponsor of any local bills, but I am co-sponsoring legislation to authorize ranked-choice or approval voting in Montgomery County. If you are interested in testifying on any of the bills, you can sign up here.
BUDGET UPDATE
​Even though I no longer serve on the Appropriations Committee, I still try to keep my constituents informed on the state budget. Recently, the joint House/Senate Spending Affordability Committee--which I used to co-chair--met for their annual fall economic and fiscal briefing. The full report is here.
There is no question that the projected situation has deteriorated. Reality has been more mixed, as the last fiscal year that ended over the summer--which I wrote about last month--closed out better than anticipated. But the forward-looking picture is challenging with a projected deficit of over $1 billion for the fiscal year 2027 budget (the budget we will work on during the 2026 legislative session). As always, we have a constitutional requirement to balance our budget each year and we will do so.
I have seen some quotes and social media posts stating that this means all of the cuts and taxes addressed during the last legislative session "did not work." I think this assumes that people cannot read or understand basic math, but most people understand that had we not taken action earlier this year, the situation would be far worse.
The image below shows why the projections now are so different from the spring. There are two big drivers: 1. Federal tax changes as part of the federal Republican reconciliation bill have more of an impact on our tax collections than expected; 2. Our agencies are spending more than they planned/budgeted. Sometimes that may be appropriate or happen for good reason, but it is happening too consistently for my taste and we need a more accurate gauge on their budgets. And, of course, a big threat is that revenue will continue to be harmed by economic challenges, many of which have been directly caused by a hostile president. This creates a challenge for families struggling with high bills or few job opportunities, but also harms the state's ability to provide support for those who need it at this critical time.
For those looking at the details, the reason fiscal year 2028 (the budget that will be worked on during the 2027 legislative session) has such a large increase is because the savings put away during COVID to pay for pre-K through 12 public education--sometimes called the Blueprint--will be depleted and most education funding will shift back to the general fund.
You can watch the full meeting here. And a technical supplement is here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
​I have been serving on the DMV Moves Task Force over the past 18 months or so. The Task Force has been working to address the Metro/WMATA funding issues related to the region's 2018 $500 million commitment. Inflation has eroded the value of the commitment and it will soon mostly be servicing the bonds issued to fund needed repairs. The Task Force voted to support a capital infusion to support the system.
A summary of the final meeting is here: https://tinyurl.com/dpnkanm7 You can watch the video for my comments at the meeting here. Since that meeting, the regional Council of Governments and Metro Board voted to adopt a resolution in support of this proposal.
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The Maryland Department of Transportation visits each county every fall to discuss the transportation budget. The full 2025 meeting is here and you can watch my specific comments here.
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As part of our state budget, the Maryland Transit Administration is required to submit a bimonthly report on Purple Line construction. The full report is here.
The two main charts are below, but the big news is that the contractor believes there is a [new] delay in opening because of overhead utilities issues. The state is not in full agreement on this but the contractor's review is that passenger service will be available by January 28, 2028, instead of December 30, 2027.

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The American Society of Civil Engineers released their report card for Maryland’s infrastructure. The full report is here.
Maryland got a C which is not great but is consistent with the national grade. Among the categories, ports and solid waste did best with Bs. Transit and energy did worst with D+s. The grades are based on condition, performance and future needs.
And here is the press release.
"The American Society of Civil Engineers infrastructure report card is an important pulse check on our nation's infrastructure," said Maryland Delegate Marc Korman, chair, Maryland General Assembly's Environment & Transportation Committee. "It is great to have Maryland-specific insights so we can see where investments have paid off and where more need to be made as we work towards safe, sustainable and economically critical infrastructure."
REDISTRICTING NEWS
There has been a lot of discussion about Maryland redistricting our Congressional lines mid-decade. This has come about because the elected leader of the Republican Party called for states that voted for him in 2024 to do mid-decade redistricting to create more Republican leaning districts. And they listened. So far, Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina have altered their maps absent any court order for mid-decade redistricting. Not surprisingly, Democratic states are pushing back with their own plans.

The Governor has appointed a Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission. I believe this is a necessary step given the actions other states are taking to redistrict their Congressional lines mid-decade. Maryland can’t play by a different set of political rules. And I’m particularly happy to see former Attorney General Brian Frosh from District 16 on the commission. You can learn about the commission here.
I have heard from a few Republican friends who have said the U.S. Supreme Court should strike down any new map Maryland adopts. I would love nothing more than for the Supreme Court to take on political gerrymandering nationwide. We are in a regrettable position to have states take these unusual actions.

I have heard from others concerned that any attempt to alter the maps in Maryland could lead the state courts to not only strike down those efforts but also Maryland's current map. It is true that in 2022, a never appealed circuit court decision found that a prior Congressional map violated the state Constitution. That is not binding on any other court and a lot of hypotheticals would have to come true for another court to strike down a new and the current map. But even if that were to happen, there are other state constitutional steps the General Assembly and voters can take to ensure that Maryland is on an even playing field with Republican leaning states when it comes to redistricting. I support Maryland moving ahead absent some halt in the nationwide redistricting wars sparked by the President and a rollback by the states who followed his partisan wishes.

POLITICAL NEWS
I am pleased to announce two significant endorsements for my re-election: the Sierra Club and our teachers. Environmental sustainability and a strong public school system for all have been major themes of my work and I am glad to see those efforts recognized.

COMMUNITY NEWS
Thank you to the Manatos Family for their role in supporting the Breakthrough T1D Mid-Atlantic Hope Gala 2025 to work to end Type 1 diabetes. Learn about their efforts here.
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Bethesda observed Veterans Day on November 11th. See the annual event that takes place in Downtown Bethesda here.
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Congratulations to District 16's Neil Gillen on being elected to the Maryland Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.
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Thank you and congratulations to Cathy Bernard, who was named 2025 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year.
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Congratulations to Patrick Hamilton on being appointed to the Montgomery County Pedestrian, Bicycle and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee.
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The Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition has named new leadership. Congratulations to Gerri Grove, Bob Canter, Donna Berry, Mitchell Strauss, and David Kosterlitz on their new roles. And thank you to Anne Hollander, Gretchen Gaston, and Janelle Wright for your years of dogged work.
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On Monday, December 1st, I will join the District 16 Delegation to speak to the Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club. Email Club President John Keller at [email protected] to obtain the meeting link.
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My deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Mark Hallett, an eminent neurologist who lived in District 16.

As I write this, the federal shutdown has stretched over two weeks. The impacts of the shutdown are significant but in an area like ours--so closely tied to the federal government--the effects can be deeply felt. If you are being adversely affected, here are some important resources:
State of Maryland: Maryland Workers Impacted by the Federal Government Shutdown
Montgomery County: Resources for Workers Impacted by Recent Federal Government Actions
Pepco: Pepco Providing Expanded Customer Support Measures Amid Government Shutdown | Pepco - An Exelon Company
WSSC: WSSC Water Expands Customer Assistance Programs to Offer Greater Relief Amid Financial Uncertainty | WSSC Water
What is the shutdown all about? I think it can be fairly complicated to consider how we got to the point where Democrats decided to use a shutdown to achieve policy ends when for about 30 years it has been considered a Democratic Party red line and why trust between the majority and minority parties is so low. But in its simplest form, it is all about healthcare. I did a brief explanation of this with my daughter that you can watch here.
Congressional Democrats are asking for is an expansion of "Premium Tax Credits," a tax benefit that has been in place since 2021 to make Obamacare (also known as healthcare from the Affordable Care Act) more affordable. Without extending these tax credits, the cost of healthcare will rise for many Marylanders. 
Obamacare has been successful in Maryland. Prior to Obamacare, 12% of the population was uninsured. Today it is 6%. That means many people now have access to healthcare for themselves and their families beyond the emergency room.
The two major access points for expanding access to insurance were (1) Medicaid expansion, for some of the neediest families, and (2) Access to obtain insurance through the Obamacare exchanges, which have varying levels of subsidies depending on income. And, in case you were wondering, neither Medicaid or exchange subsidies are available to undocumented immigrants.
The President and Republican Majority in Congress made changes to Medicaid through legislation--called reconciliation--that I have discussed before. Now they are allowing the premium tax credits to expire. If the premium tax credits expire, many more Marylanders will not be able to afford healthcare and will drop out. But that does not just affect them, shrinking the pool of insured will increase health insurance premiums on all of those still buying healthcare.
In Maryland, that means an average increase of 13.4% for insurance premiums. In the years the premiums applied, increases were between 2.1% and 6.2%. Still a challenge for many but much better than a 13.4% increase.
Maryland has done what it can on its own. The Maryland Insurance Administration approved increases by the Maryland providers that were 3.7% lower than what the insurance companies requested (absent that action, the increase would have been 17.1%). And we passed HB 1082, which would create state-level subsidies for three years to help mitigate the impacts. But the real long-term solution lies in Congress and now--as Marylanders are starting to get insurance premium notices in the mail and making their end of year decisions about healthcare enrollment--is the time for Congress to act.
I will just share one more observation about the shutdown. The current president is the first I am aware of who does not even aspire to or pretend to lead and represent all of the people. He has openly stated that he is weaponizing the shutdown against blue states and what he calls "Democrat Programs" (perhaps he means programs created under Democratic Presidents like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid). And this is after months of non-shutdown-related similar talk and action. For those who say the harm he is inflicting is so great that the Democrats should simply fold, I am reminded of an episode of The West Wing (a common thought process for Democratic politicians of a certain age).
In the fifth season premiere of that show, President Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen) has relinquished the presidency to the Speaker of the House (played by John Goodman) because his daughter has been kidnapped. In the Situation Room, the Chief of Staff is advising against a certain military operation because, he says, if the U.S. does it, the kidnappers will kill the First Daughter. John Goodman responses calmly, "They're going to kill her anyway."
That is how I feel about the President's threats to blue states, government programs, and federal employees. Whatever he is doing or threatening to do during the shutdown is on his to do list anyway and if healthcare affordability is worth fighting for, now is the time to do it.

DELEGATION UPDATE
Last month, I shared the dates of the Montgomery County Delegations fall hearings. One of those hearings, the Joint Priorities Hearing, has been rescheduled to November 17th at 7pm. Learn more at www.montgomerycountydelegation.com.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
​Great news for economic development in Maryland. In response to a bill I sponsored in 2025, the Attorney General is creating a fast-track review pilot program for existing franchisors they have already reviewed to help them continue to expand their business concept to more franchisees. This balances business friendly policies with consumer protection for franchisees. And it is also worth noting that my work on this issue came entirely from constituent feedback and concerns.

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Last legislative session, the General Assembly passed a local bill I cosponsored to try and improve the oversight and performance of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). I received this update from WSSC on some of the bill’s requirements.
Although I have some questions about implementation, I think the stress testing provision will help us understand future potential costs and challenges from the water utility: https://tinyurl.com/3hsjxe5h

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At the beginning of October, the Washington Post highlighted several new bills taking effect.
The new tiered fines for automated speed enforcement described in the article will ensure that the worst actors pay the most. There remains no charge for going 11 mph over the limit, the fine remains $40 for 12-15 mph over, and then the fine escalates from there in tiers. Don’t want to pay over $100 for speeding in Maryland? Don’t go 20 mph or more over the speed limit. In addition to saving money, you are reducing safety risk to yourself and others around you.
Eric’s ID law was brought to us by an advocate and allows those who choose to have their state licenses or identifications indicate certain, often hidden differences (like autism).
Late rental fee changes ensure that renters are charged based on what they actually owe, not the total rent if they partially paid.
And the Organized Retail Theft Act did not go through my committee, but I heard about it from local retailers trying to deal with shoplifting/retail theft rings that are often reselling in dark corners of the Internet.

BUDGET UPDATE
The Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates met just before the government shutdown to update its revenue forecast. The good news is fiscal year 2025 revenue ended stronger than expected and the economy has had a lot of resiliency in the face of federal changes. The reduction in the estimate for fiscal year 2026 of $19 million is largely attributed to changes in federal law. Read all of the materials here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
Because of a provision of the state budget, the Maryland Transit Administration has to submit a bimonthly report on the Purple Line's progress. Below are the key charts from this month's report. There are no changes to the overall schedule at this point.

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After a cyclist, Sarah Langenkamp, was killed riding her bike along River Road, the State Highway Administration prepared a Needs Analysis for the roadway, which you can read here. They are now undertaking some of the initial recommendations from the analysis to enhance the existing bike lane. As I write this, a person is in critical condition after being struck on the roadway, apparently while crossing under the Capital Crescent Trail overpass. The Needs Analysis included recommendations to improve that crossing.
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On Old Georgetown Road, the bike lanes installed after the deaths of two young people along the roadway have been quite controversial. A provision in the state budget requires reporting on the bike lanes in response to some of the concern. You can read the most recent report here.
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Mark your calendar for next summer’s District 16 Metro closures (July 6-September 6). Metro is leveraging Purple Line tie-in work at Bethesda Metro Center to do significant maintenance across Grosvenor, Medical Center and Bethesda stations. It will be a long two months for those—like me—who commute via Metro or otherwise rely on it.

POLITICAL NEWS
I am excited to announce that the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters have endorsed my campaign for re-election and have also endorsed my seatmate, Senator Sara Love.

COMMUNITY NEWSEvery year, the Maryland General Assembly receives a report on the County Hotel and Conference Center (located in District 16). The fiscal year 2024 report is in. Things are on a better path than recent reports. Functions, room nights, total covers, spending, output, and total jobs are still down from FY 2019 (pre-COVID) but up from FY 2022. Total covers are actually up from FY 2019.
Importantly, in fiscal year 2024, the state contribution to the hotel and conference center is a debt service contribution of $1.6m and was more than offset by tax revenue to the state. That was not the case in fiscal year 2022 and other COVID-impacted years.
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District 16’s Little Flower school is one of the state’s Blue Ribbon schools, declared by Governor Moore at the state level after the national program was shutdown. Congratulations! Learn more here.
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Condolences to the family of diplomat Sandra Vogelsang, a long-time District 16 resident who recently passed away.
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Congratulations to two District residents on joining the Montgomery County Library Board, Marilyn Schiff and Kavita Mohan.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
​There are a lot of questions swirling about vaccine access. Governor Moore issued a helpful press release recently that discusses the lay of the land in Maryland. The key point is excerpted in the picture. But you can read the full release here: https://tinyurl.com/2pmn8phb
And here are links to the two key bills he signed to preserve access and insurance coverage for vaccines, including for Covid.
HB 1315: https://tinyurl.com/yjehstu8
HB 974: https://tinyurl.com/mw2hpyj8

BUDGET UPDATE
The Comptroller recently issued the annual close-out report for the previous fiscal year (which ended on June 30). You can read the full report here: https://tinyurl.com/yneyhufm
The highlights are:
-Both the sales tax and the withholding income tax increased at a faster rate than in the prior fiscal year. In total, revenues exceeded the March Board of Revenue Estimates by $520.7 million or 2.1%. That means more tax revenue came in than expected.
-Several years ago we created a "revenue volatility cap" so that we did not budget non-withholding income tax revenue that may not materialize. Because non-withholding income tax revenue exceeded the cap this year by $382.3 million, those dollars are split between the state's Rainy Day Fund (reserve) and one time education-related capital construction costs.
-There is a remaining general fund balance of around $460 million. This includes dollars designated for the balance (we budget dollars for general fund balance to absorb unexpected changes) plus a $189 million surplus. These dollars will rollover to help with the next year's budget (and beyond).

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
​In early September, the Maryland Department of Transportation released the draft fiscal year 2027 Consolidated Draft Transportation Program (CTP) a six-year projection of transportation capital projects. This is a prelude to the statewide tour the Department does. The Montgomery County presentation is October 27th at 7pm at the County Council office building.
After several years of overly ambitious (as in, not realistic) CTPs from the prior Governor and two extremely challenging CTPs from this Governor, this is a more status quo proposal. And I mean that positively. The last two years, we made some difficult revenue raising decisions that are tough for many Marylanders but necessary to maintain our infrastructure. This CTP puts that money exactly where the Department said they would including road safety projects in Western Maryland and Frederick County, a road safety project on Georgia Avenue in Montgomery County, light rail modernization for the Baltimore City, continued investments in the Purple Line and Metro, and so on.
Our long-term challenges remain. Metro will face a capital funding cliff because our dedicated capital does not grow. There's no money for any work on the American Legion Bridge--whether that is a new bridge or major rehabilitation of the current one. The county and city share of the state motor fuel tax declines soon and maintaining the current levels is not provided for. And so forth. But the short-term project needs are being met in this proposal.
Read it here.
And you can learn more by listening to me on the I Hate Politics podcast.

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​Because of the expiration of the federal program allowing zero emission vehicles to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) (carpool) lanes, Maryland is forced to sunset its own program at the end of the month.

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A piece of legislation I worked on during the 2025 legislative session evolved into a workgroup on the organization of the Maryland Transit Administration, which in additional to important Baltimore-area work is in charge of the Purple Line and MARC rail system. I am serving on the workgroup which has started meeting. Follow the work here.
 POLITICAL NEWS
​A big thank you to SEIU Local 500 on endorsing my re-election campaign.

​I am excited to announce that I have a new campaign team member, Lexi. You can meet Lexi in this video I made with one of my kids, part of the "Hey Dad" series we have been doing.
COMMUNITY NEWS
​On Saturday, October 4th from 11am-2pm, join the Glen Echo Fire Department for their annual Open House at 5920 Massachusetts Avenue.

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Join the District 16 Democratic Club for a screening of Ain't No Back to a Merry-go-round about Glen Echo Park.
Saturday, September 27 | 2:30–4:30 PM
Carderock Springs Swim and Tennis Club
8200 Hamilton Spring Court, Bethesda, MD 20817
Parking is limited. Please be respectful when parking your car and follow signage.
Watch Video: https://vimeo.com/927163039?share=copy
This powerful documentary tells the story of the 1960 civil rights protests at Glen Echo Amusement Park — a pivotal moment in U.S. history. With never-before-seen footage and interviews, it offers deep insight into the roots of activism and strategies we can learn from today.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
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Congratulations to several appointed and re-appointed Montgomery County board members:
Tiffany Boiman, Commission on Women
Jodi Danis, Commission on Women
Surinder Juneja, Commission on Common Ownership Communities
Christina Rodousakis, Bethesda Urban Partnership Board of Directors

I often remark in this email and my day-to-day conversations with people that I try to stay in my lane as a state elected official. But so much of what the current federal Administration does makes my blood boil and disproportionately impacts Maryland. Many District 16 residents go in and out of DC almost every day. The Nation's Capital has never been a perfect utopia, but the dystopian "Mad Max" caricature the White House has used to justify militarizing the streets to distract from other scandals and unpopular decisions is a complete mischaracterization. And it is true that DC's Home Rule Act gives a president unusual powers there, but this president has made clear time and again that he sees no limits for himself and has already name checked future expansions of his police state, including in Maryland. But of course, this is just another outrage on top of firing a federal statistician for delivering bad but accurate news, demanding paid tributes by private businesses that scoff when any other president suggests they should pay their lawful taxes, requiring a review of the Smithsonian's exhibits to make sure they are consistent with a nostalgic 1950s America that never truly was, and more then I can fit in this paragraph. You can see some of my views on all of this in comments I made at the Good Trouble rally in Friendship Heights a few weeks ago, which you can watch here.
So with that therapeutic introduction out of the way, let me turn more directly to District 16. One of the most enjoyable parts of serving here has been participating in ribbon cuttings for new businesses in District 16. My kids are always amused when we eat somewhere, buy something at a store, or even just walk by a place and I recount having been there for the ribbon cutting. But the real stories are the incredible entrepreneurs investing in their concepts and their community. With the disruptive change brought by Washington, we need these economic risk takers investing in us more than ever. And it has been a busy summer of them. The two most recent ribbon cuttings were The Cordell, a new event place in downtown Bethesda and The Sleep-In-Mind Clinic, which provides pediatric and young adult sleep medicine. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
I serve on the General Assembly's Joint Federal Oversight Action Committee, along with other members of the House and Senate leadership. Our most recent briefing was an update from the Comptroller's office on the economic impact of federal actions and an update on immigration issues from the Governor's office and Attorney General's office.
Watch the briefing here.
Read the briefing materials here.
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Last month I shared a high level update on the effect of the federal budget reconciliation law on Maryland. Read a deeper dive from the Department of Legislative Services on the impact of the federal reconciliation bill on Maryland, focusing on healthcare, food assistance, and taxes.
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I also had the chance to share my views on some of the impact the federal changes are having on the I Hate Politics Podcast recently. Listen here.

​HIGHER EDUCATION UPDATE
 
Here are some reminders from the Maryland Higher Education Commission on the state’s student loan relief tax credit. More information can be found here.

​TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
 
Recently, the Maryland Department of Transportation posted a federal grant application narrative on their website for a Large Bridge Investment Program grant to support work on the American Legion Bridge. You can find the page where they share federal grant requests here: MDOT Transportation Discretionary Grants - MDOT. You can get directly to the narrative here.
If this feels like Groundhog Day, it is because this is not the first time Maryland has applied for this grant. It has happened several times under the current and prior Governor. In the fall of 2023, I wrote at length about the (unsuccessful) grant application submitted then and the Governor's announcement around that.
Following a flurry of public meetings, the issue has been largely quiet.
Many of my September 2023 comments remain in case someone is interested in a deep dive. For example, the announcement then talked about the Brunswick Line and improvements, where virtually nothing has happened. It also says the environmental process would start on 270--I believe to address the northern bottleneck--but nothing has occurred. I also wrote then about some of what I would like to see, including much more corridor level community engagement that has not occurred.
But I will make a few specific observations regarding this new application and then some broader points below.
"While structurally safe, the bridge will require extensive repairs within the next decade, including rehabilitation of the deck."
This is a sample of the safety-related language in the application and it is crucial. We need a safe bridge. I think that is something everyone can agree on.
"The project corridor is approximately 6.5 miles of interstate and begins south of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) on I-495 and extends north of Westlake Terrace on the I-270 West Spur."
This is the current project scope, which is useful for people to understand. It does not go further north on 270--although the environmental approval for that still exists up to where 370 meets 270.
"Contract A will include the Large BIP limits within the section from the George Washington Memorial Parkway to south of Seven Locks Road. It will be advertised in July 2026 with contract award/notice to proceed issued in July 2027 to begin final design and construction. Contract B will run from south of Seven Locks Road to the project terminus north of Westlake Terrace. It will be advertised in April 2027, with the respective contract award/notice to proceed to be issued in April 2028. Based on the outlined scheduled, it is estimated that both contracts will be open to traffic by 2034."
This is the dream schedule the state has for the project.
"The total cost for the eight bridges and necessary approach interstate (1.66 miles) in this BIP application is $1,728,074,000. ... For this Large BIP grant application, SHA is requesting $864 million for the eight bridges and approach interstate, which is 50% of the total cost."
The funding request only covers Contract A above. The rest of the funding is envisioned to come from a state match and other federal sources.
"SHA will therefore maintain the same number of free, general-purpose lanes as exist today throughout the study limits that are open to all users."
This statement is as misleading today for any normal reader as when the prior Administration used the same talking point. The plan is to convert an existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on 270's western spur into a High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane. The HOV lane is currently restricted to carpool traffic for three hours today, which means for 21 hours a day it acts as a general-purpose lane and that will change as a result of the proposal. I will charitably say that the HOV lane is still not considered a "general-purpose" lane in transportation wonk speak so this statement is technically correct, but it is unfortunate to see the continued use of this talking point that would mislead any non-transportation wonk reader.
"MDOT successfully issued $750 million in GARVEE bonds on the Intercounty Connector, which have all been repaid, and MDOT currently has no outstanding GARVEE bonds."
GARVEE is a form of financing that issues bonds backed by the formula funding Maryland gets from the federal government. It is a useful tool, but MDOT is now advancing GARVEE for an important light rail vehicle safety project so this information is, at best, outdated.
On to some broader points. This application does not tell us if the state will pursue a Public Private Partnership or not. And it does not update the transit commitments made to the Montgomery County government previously. It also does not tell us how Maryland can meet its contribution given recent transportation funding challenges. We made tough decisions to climb out of a hole over the past two years, but that does not seem like adequate revenue to support this type of mega project. Especially given our state of good repair needs on existing roadways--including the American Legion Bridge as it is today, without more lanes--and transit systems.
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There are a series of upcoming Sunday closures at the Medical Center Metro station bus loop. This is to accommodate Metro work to replace transformers, as well as AC and DC gears inside the Traction Power Substation.

​POLITICAL NEWS
 
Our area is extremely active nationally and an area fundraiser is being held on Tuesday, September 16th at 5:30pm in support of Janelle Stelson, a Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 10th district. You can learn more here.

​COMMUNITY NEWS
 
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center is polling residents about a possible recreation center in downtown Bethesda. Take the survey here.
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And speaking of surveys, Montgomery County Planning is seeking further input on their Friendship Heights Sector Plan. Take the survey here.
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The Washington Post wrote an uplifting story about District 16 resident and BCC Fire and Rescue Squad volunteer Ed Levien. Read it here.
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Washington Jewish Week ran a profile of Dr. Stephen Rockower, who has long been active in our state's medical society.
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Congratulations to Jeffrey Hains on his re-appointment to the Montgomery County Preservation Commission.

Since my last email, Congress has passed and the President has signed a large "budget reconciliation" bill. This legislation is a ticking time bomb for Maryland. As a member of the Joint Federal Action Oversight Committee, we were briefed on the bill in late June. Although what ultimately passed was not identical to what was discussed then, it still presents a useful picture of the bill and you can watch the hearing here. Below are a few key points about its impact on Maryland. The bill has other changes that will help many Marylanders, such as changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. But overall, the top 5% of earners get the most benefit from the income tax changes on a percentage basis. 

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS
 
If you are reading this, the easiest way to reach me is to just click reply and it goes right to my inbox. But if you prefer to use my official email address, it is now [email protected]. The old address ([email protected]) will auto-forward until April 2026.

 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
Many of the bills we pass each legislative session become effective on July 1st. You can see a list of newly effective laws here.
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I am pleased to share that I received 100% on the 2025 Maryland Humane Scorecard. I am particularly proud because many of these bills went through my committee. All of the details are here.
 
WSSC UPDATE
 
We often receive constituent inquiries regarding WSSC and our water bills. One area of great confusion is that WSSC does not use fixed period (e.g., monthly) billing, so it is challenging to compare current and prior bills. We took a step towards progress this year by passing my legislation that states our intent that billing should use a fixed time period. But another common issue is an undetected leak driving up bills. WSSC sent out a helpful reminder about these and has provided more information here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
 
Thank you to outgoing Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld for his decades of service to Maryland and the region in multiple roles. I was quoted in a Washington Post story about his departure that you can read here.
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The Maryland Transit Administration released the MARC Growth and Transportation plan to chart the next 25 years of our state's commuter rail service. You can read the plan here. Below is what it would mean for the three commuter rail lines, including the Brunswick Line that serves Montgomery County. I was quoted about the plan in the Washington Post.
But this is not the first MARC rail plan and I look forward to seeing how the Governor's next Consolidated Transportation Program works to implement this plan.

COMMUNITY NEWS
 
-I am participating in an event to support our federal workers in Bethesda on July 22nd. More information is here.
-Congratulations to Jane Callen on her reappointment to the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association.
-The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has announced two upcoming meetings. On Thursday, July 24th at 7:30am, the guest will be State's Attorney John McCarthy. On Monday, September 15th at 7:30am, the guest will be Senator Chris Van Hollen. Email [email protected] for more information and the meeting link.

 
-July 4th is always a lot of fun around District 16. This year, I attended three parades (Edgemoor, Cabin John, and Wood Acres), a picnic (Somerset), and a party (Friendship Heights).

Dear Friend:
Over the past month, I have had some exciting opportunities to talk about my work in the Maryland General Assembly.
First, the District 16 legislators held our annual post-session town hall in May. If you were not able to join us, you can watch the town hall here.
A few weeks ago, I joined Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood in studio for WAMU's The Politics Hour. You can listen to the discussion here.

And for a wonkier take, you can listen to a deep dive discussion about the Environment & Transportation Committee I chair on the Conduit Street Podcast, the podcast for the Maryland Association of Counties You can listen to the podcast here.

I also got to interview author Casey Burghat regarding his book "We Hold These Truths: How to Spot the Myths That Are Holding America Back" at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. You can watch our discussion on CSPAN here.

Of course, my favorite opportunities to talk about my work are with groups in District 16. For example, last week the District 16 legislators joined the Friendship Heights Neighborhood Network for a town hall. In May, we visited with the Greater Farmland Civic Association. A few weeks ago, I addressed a group of District 16 weed warriors and then got to chip in to cut away invasive vines from our trees. And I joined Sara Love at the KID Museum in downtown Bethesda in giving awards to young inventors. If your neighborhood, building, or other group is interested in hearing about the work of state government, please let me know. 
 
KEEPING UP WITH MY ACTIVITIES
If you are reading this, you already know how to find me. But here are some other ways to keep up with my work for District 16. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or Bluesky. I also still share some limited information on Twitter/X.

FEDERAL THOUGHTS
​As I was finishing this email, I could not help but comment on what is happening in Los Angeles--where I went to college--in response to all of the breaking news alerts on our phones. Protest is a legitimate exercise of our constitutional rights but such protesters should be peaceful. When they are not, there can be a legitimate need for a law enforcement response. Perhaps in extreme cases, that response has to become more militarized to keep the peace, although I am skeptical that this is one of those extreme cases if you cut through a lot of the media fog and see how limited the situation actually is. All that said, and as usual  for the current presidential administration, their response is completely disproportionate, driven by an ideological and vengeful agenda, and a total smashing of U.S. laws and norms. I think back to the Jade Helm 15 "controversy" of 2015 where basic military training that happened to overlap with the Obama presidency was viewed by far right conspiracy theorists as an attempt at a military takeover. Now we have a president who has actually activated a state's national guard, as well as our U.S. military, against people on American soil in contravention of laws and norms and is simply cheered on by virtually every Republican who can get near a microphone. It is a disturbing and disheartening situation. But one that I fear could have significant downstream consequences in our country.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
When I sent out my last monthly newsletter, Governor Moore was still working through the output of the legislative session and considering what bills to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature. He has now finished making his decisions.
What has received the most attention are the bills the Governor vetoed, a complete list of which can be found here. The list includes a study on reparations, a study on greenhouse gas impacts on Maryland, a study on data centers, the creation of a new energy planning function for the state, a prioritization of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and a technology and social media guide for youth. In Maryland, veto overrides are not taken up until the next time we convene so there is plenty of time for consideration of potential action.
The Governor also allowed several bills to become law without his signature, which can be found here.
And the final bills the Governor signed after my May newsletter can be reviewed here.

BUDGET UPDATE
 
Maryland has long maintained a AAA bond rating from all three major credit rating agencies. Ever since I was elected, I have shared these bond ratings reports. Unfortunately, one of the three major bond rating agencies (Moody’s) lowered Maryland’s bond rating one notch from AAA to Aa1 for the first time in decades. The good news is that Fitch and S&P maintained Maryland's historic AAA bond rating.
As I have always explained when the ratings agency reports come out, “[in] many ways, the bond rating agencies make us bow at false gods, but it does allow the state to borrow for construction projects at more favorable rates.” Remember, unlike our federal friends, Maryland does not deficit spend on operating. Debt financing is for capital/construction projects only. Therefore, this change has the potential to either increase the cost of state construction in Maryland and/or require us to pull back on capital dollars we spend to build schools, parks, hospitals, and more.
In my view, Moody's made this decision for one reason. Our state is a “company town” and that company is the federal government. Unfortunately, the current owner of the company hired his now departed tech bro as factory foreman and lit the factory on fire. As I have said in many settings around District 16, however you voted in November, the federal administration’s actions have an immediate negative impact on Maryland and this is an outgrowth of that.
Why am I so comfortable pointing at Washington? Because not much else has changed in Maryland. The factors Moody’s looks at have not really changed. My Republican colleagues are, frankly, crowing about those other factors. We are a high spending state (predominantly on public education, healthcare, and public safety); we do need to do better with our pension; we should become economically less reliant on the federal government and increase economic growth; and so forth. But all of that was true many prior times Moody’s affirmed the AAA bond rating. What has changed is what is happening in Washington. And that’s why DC also received a similar downgrade.
You can read the current (FY25) rating agencies reports--as well as historic reports--on the Treasurer's website.
 
MONTGOMERY COUNTY DELEGATION UPDATE
 
As the former chair of the now 26-member strong Montgomery County House Delegation, I am always eager to share information about our work. Last month, we re-elected our current chair and vice chair for another year at the helm. You can watch the organizational meeting here.
 
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
As a reminder, Metro’s “Better Bus Network” is coming on June 29th. A lot of the changes impacting District 16 are really just line name changes and frequency improvements. But check out the images below for more details or visit this site. A few bus stops in District 16 are also being eliminated/consolidated. See the full list of stop changes here.

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The Maryland Department of Labor has set up the small loan program we established in law a few months ago to support former federal workers who have been impacted by the chaos created by the White House. Learn more here.
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Although technically just outside of District 16, I was pleased to be on hand for the announcement of the next stage of joint development at the North Bethesda Metro Station: the announcement of a master developer. The work at North Bethesda is a partnership of Metro, Montgomery County, the state and the University of Maryland. The General Assembly has secured funds for site preparation, a second Metro entrance, and operating dollars for the Institute of Health Computing now established in North Bethesda.

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Congratulations to District 16's Devang Shah on his re-appointment to the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation and Aruna Nathan on her appointment to the Montgomery County Commission on Health.
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Congratulations to District 16's Karen Keating, winner of the Friend of Glen Echo Park Award.
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Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson was presented the inaugural JCRC Community Champion Award. Congratulations Andrew!
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Congratulations to the newly elected members of the Friendship Heights Village Council: Francine Klein, Victor Basile, Allyson Alt, John Conlow. And congratulations to the re-elected councilmembers: Roy Schaeffer (now Mayor) and Martha Solt (now Council Chair). And, finally, congratulations to Al Muller on his return to the council.
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District 16's Lawrence Halloran is the new Montgomery County Board of Elections substitute member. Congratulations to him.
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District 16's Little Falls Watershed Alliance has been named Montgomery Serves Volunteer Group of the Year.
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The District 16 Delegation was on hand to congratulate the Luxmanor Citizens Association on winning the Montgomery County Civic Federation's Sentinel Award.

With the 2025 legislative session complete, my email newsletter is back to its monthly format, but there is still a lot to share.

ANNUAL EVENT
As a reminder, my annual District 16 political event is on Saturday, May 31st at 2pm. You can RSVP and contribute here. Thank you for your support!

TOWN HALL
​The annual District 16 legislators town hall will be virtual this year. It will be a chance for us to report back to you, respond to your questions, and hear your feedback.
The town hall will be on Tuesday, May 20th at 6:30pm. RSVP by clicking here.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
​Governor Moore is still working through the output of the legislative session and considering what bills to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature. The bill signing page of his website shows what bills he has signed so far: Bill Signings - News - Office of Governor Wes Moore.
I am proud that nine bills for which I was the primary sponsor have been or will be signed by the Governor.

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Among the bills I authored that have already been signed is an update to our state conflict of interest laws for Governors. You can read the bill here. Governor Moore made some comments about the bill when signing it, which you can watch here. You can read about the bill in a recent Time Magazine article as well.
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The 90 Day Report—prepared annually by the non-partisan Department of Legislative Services staff—is now available online and summarizes the legislative and budgetary output of the General Assembly session.
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The Joint Chairs’ Report of the state budget summarizes all of the budget actions taken by the Maryland General Assembly. But it is also an important oversight tool, as it contains all of the budget restrictions and reporting requirements the General Assembly put in place during the budget process. A few that I worked with my colleagues to include are:
-Language restricting $150,000 for implementation of HB 517, my legislation to review the structure of the Maryland Transit Administration and eventually improve the service of the MARC commuter rail and other transit.
-An updated study of the Old Georgetown Road bike lanes requested by community members.
-A study suggested by a constituent to expand adopt-a-road programs to help with the removal of invasive vines and weeds.
-The continuation of bimonthly reports on the Purple Line’s progress.
-A report on backyard poultry flock registration improvements, extremely important in an era of bird flu.
-Quarterly reports of the State Board of Elections regarding major information technology projects.
There is a lot more in the full document, which you can read here.

COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Environment and Transportation Committee, on which I serve as chair, had the heaviest workload of any House committee this year when it comes to the volume of legislation we considered. Here are some highlights of the bills we passed.

COMMUNITY NEWS
​Metro’s “Better Bus Network” is coming on June 29th. A lot of the changes impacting District 16 are really just line name changes and frequency improvements, but see the images below for more details or visit this site. A few bus stops in District 16 are also being eliminated/consolidated. See the full list of stop changes here.

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Congratulations to Glen Echo municipal officials on their re-election including Mayor Dia Costello and Councilmembers Dan Spealman and Matt Stiglitz.
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Congratulations to former Congressman David Trone and his wife June on being awarded the Jewish Community Relations Council Breslau-Goldman Award.
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Several District 16 residents have recently been appointed or re-appointed to county boards and commissions, including:
-Montgomery County Commission on Aging: Chiquita Battle
-Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs: Alan Rosenberg
-Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board: Robert Kelley, Mark Rittenberg, Tazeen Ahmad, Cynthia Bell, Michael Chiswick Patterson, Lee Keiser, Susan Klees, Janet Shatz, and Sean Xie.
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Guilia McPherson has been named chair of the Nourishing Bethesda board. Congratulations Giulia!
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Congratulations to new C&O Canal Trust board member, Judy Harrison.
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Congratulations to Anne W. Coventry on being included on The Daily Record Living Trust & Estate Planning Power List.

LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIP
As a reminder, state legislators award higher education scholarships for those attending Maryland institutions or non-Maryland institutions with unique majors (not available in Maryland).  Learn more about my office's program at https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html.

​Dear Friend:
The 2025 Maryland Legislative session has now concluded. Every session I have represented you in the Maryland General Assembly has had its share of challenges, but this may have been the most difficult in light of state budget shortfalls, which are being severely exacerbated by devastating actions of the federal government. Despite these difficulties, it is still an incredible privilege to represent you alongside the rest of the District 16 Delegation: Senator Sara Love, Delegate Sarah Wolek, and Delegate Teresa Woorman.
In 2025, I continued my service as chair of the House Environment & Transportation Committee, one of just six standing committees in the House with jurisdiction over not just the topics in the committee title but also ethics, housing, agriculture, local government, and more.
Below is a synopsis of some key highlights from the legislative session. We work on thousands of bills each legislative session, so if an issue you care about is not addressed here, please email me about it at [email protected] or just reply to this message.

BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
 
The one piece of legislation that we are constitutionally required to pass each year is a balanced budget. This year, we faced a large projected deficit when we convened, and the problem has grown more severe with the federal government both cutting direct assistance to all states and also making changes that are particularly impactful to Maryland, where we have so many federal employees, federal contractors, and federal agencies. Despite these fiscal challenges, the General Assembly passed a comprehensive and balanced budget that funds our shared priorities and ensures essential services, improves our state’s financial condition moving forward, and makes significant cuts to ensure we are fiscally responsible.
The budget includes: 
$1.6 billion in general fund budget reductions (cuts) overall. However, significant cuts that had been proposed for critical services provided by the Developmental Disabilities Administration were largely avoided. 
Over $2.4 billion dedicated to offset and protect against federal actions negatively impacting Maryland residents. This includes $ 2.1 billion for the state’s Rainy Day Fund. 
Funding for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public education programs, including over $1 billion allocated for Montgomery County Public Schools.
Fully funds the Governor’s transportation budget, ensuring funding for programs and projects across the state.
To help pay for our state budget, the General Assembly worked with the Governor on difficult but necessary tax and revenue proposals, including:
A higher income tax rate for individuals earning over $500,000 through the creation of two new tax brackets at 6.25% and 6.5% for those high earners.
A capital gains surcharge on those with incomes over $350,000 per year.
Phasing out of itemization for those making over $200,000 per year and an increase in the standard deduction.
A new 3% sales tax on broad-based services provided by data and IT companies.
Several tax proposals put forth by the Governor were not adopted, including a lowering of the estate tax exemption, elimination of the inheritance tax, full elimination of itemization, a corporate tax reduction, and a retail delivery service fee.
It is never easy to cut vital programs or raise people’s taxes, but that is what is required to meet our balanced budget requirements.
The state’s capital (construction) budget also included tens of millions for Montgomery County school construction and local District 16 projects, including support for:
The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health
New Second Entrance at the North Bethesda Metro Station
Bannockburn Nursery School.
Imagination Stage
The National Center for Children and Family

PROTECTING MARYLANDERS 
Maryland is feeling the impacts of the irresponsible decisions of the new presidential administration. Federal workers, in particular, have been hit hard by reckless cuts and layoffs. With more than 60 federal agencies hosting major operations within the state, Maryland has lost tens of thousands of federal jobs. District 16 has seen its own share of these problems as the National Institute of Health’s main headquarters is located in Bethesda and will let go of an estimated 3,400 employees as a result of presidential decisions. These reckless decisions are forcing Maryland to make some difficult decisions. The Maryland General Assembly has taken action to mitigate and reverse harm inflicted upon both our federal workers and the people who rely on their services.
One important action we took was to fund the Attorney General’s requested budget increase to fight the federal administration in court. The House also passed the Protect Our Federal Workers Act (HB 1424). The bill is a response to the recent uncertainty in federal employment status and authorizes the Maryland Department of Labor to issue interest-free loans to affected federal employees in the event of a government shutdown or mass layoff. The bill also provides an additional $1.5 million to the Office of the Attorney General to hire more attorneys to protect affected federal employees and streamlines the state hiring process for former federal employees who can put their talents to use in state government. This bill aims to provide stability to the almost 143,000 federal employees in Maryland. 
The federal administration is taking actions to repeal and undermine the Affordable Care Act. The Maryland General Assembly has taken several actions to put protections in place. We passed HB 930, which establishes the Public Health Abortion Grant Program from unspent insurance premiums for abortion coverage to support those who are uninsured and underinsured. The legislature is also preserving insurance carrier coverage with HB 974, requiring coverage of preventative services with zero cost sharing. Investing in preventative care reduces the costs of overall care. HB 1045 builds upon legislation we passed in 2017 that made Maryland the first state in the nation to guarantee funding for family planning and women’s health services if the Federal Government decides to defund clinics. Given the national landscape, funding these protections is vital for families.
In the wake of several federal actions indiscriminately increasing enforcement and the detaining of immigrants,  the General Assembly is taking steps to protect our immigrant communities. We passed the Maryland Values Act (HB 1222), which designates public schools, public libraries, state funded or operated health and care facilities, and state governmental buildings as sensitive locations where immigration enforcement and detaining efforts are limited and or restricted. I was proud to cosponsor the House version of the bill. What this ultimately did not include is a prohibition I voted for in the House to prohibit state and local agencies from participating in what are known as 287(g) immigration enforcement agreements, which use local law enforcement for routine federal immigration enforcement. Those provisions would have ensured state and local cooperation for certain types of dangerous activity, but not put local law enforcement on the frontlines of regular immigration enforcement.

EDUCATION 
As the Trump Administration is attempting to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, guaranteeing that Maryland’s students have access to quality education has remained one of our top priorities. The Maryland General Assembly took steps to fund and reinforce Maryland’s education system. We passed the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act (HB 504) to retain essential public education funding for community schools (those with significant economically disadvantaged populations), students from low-income families, multilingual learner services, special education, and teacher collaborative time. Additionally, the bill makes targeted investments in teacher recruitment, retention, and professional development. This bill is essential as harmful cuts are made at the federal level, so we can ensure every Maryland student gets a quality education. 
As noted above, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was fully funded in this budget. The Blueprint is often in the news for its costs, but it is not just about money but what we are getting for that money. Its five pillars include early childhood education, quality teachers, college and career readiness, investing in those with the most needs, and oversight. The investments made so far have been fruitful as there has been a 53% increase in students enrolled in full-day pre-k. Maryland is ranked first for the number of teachers becoming National Board Certified. We have over 300 career coaches across the state who are providing career counseling to students. There has been a 110% increase in the number of community schools that provide wrap-around services to ensure students have all the resources they need to be successful. Additionally, all 24 school systems across the state are being held accountable for their implementation plans.
I also sponsored the County School Board Member Anti-Bias Training Act (HB 324), which expands anti-bias–including anti-Semitism–training requirements to county school board members. This legislation builds upon legislation I worked on last year that required the training for public school employees. More than ever, it is important that there is an understanding of the complexity and diversity of our community, especially by those tasked with governance.

TRANSPORTATION
As many of you know, investing in our transportation network is a significant focus of mine. This session, I sponsored the Metro Funding Modification Act of 2025 (HB 467), which modifies Maryland’s contribution of dedicated capital funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), our local transit system. The bill would have increased the regional dedicated capital contribution Maryland would make to Metro to maintain service and safety, contingent on Virginia and D.C. doing the same. The bill passed the House but did not proceed in the Senate. We also passed HB 527, legislation to provide some limited relief to residents and businesses along the Purple Line construction corridor, with limited free ridership and advertising. In addition, we sent to the Governor HB 517, legislation I sponsored to review the structure of the Maryland Transit Administration, including the Purple Line and our MARC commuter rail system.
The Environment and Transportation Committee took a serious look at ways we can meet our state’s Vision Zero goal, our aspirational effort to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries for drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians to zero. We heard approximately 20 bills that focused on addressing speeding on our roadways. We passed HB 1173, which authorizes the placement and use of speed monitoring systems in Montgomery County on roads that are at high risk for crashes. HB 182 increases the civil penalty fees charged for speed monitoring system violations, specifically levying higher fees for those going at higher speeds (remember, no speed camera penalty sets in until you are going 12 miles per hour over the limit). The Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act (HB 744) alters penalties for reckless and aggressive driving. The bill is named after Sergeant Patrick Kepp, who is a Montgomery County police officer who was severely injured by a reckless driver. These bills all aim to make drivers think more carefully before driving recklessly and endangering lives.
Although automated enforcement can be a useful safety tool, it must also be used appropriately. This year, I sponsored the Automated Enforcement Privacy Act (HB 516), which prohibits agencies from accessing or using a recorded image or associated data without a warrant, subpoena, or court order unless the access or use is for an appropriate traffic enforcement purpose. This bill will protect the privacy of citizens while ensuring our statewide systems can continue to protect and enforce necessary safety and traffic standards across the state. Senator Love has been a great leader on this issue and sponsored the Senate version of the bill.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
In this session, we worked on a package of bills aimed at advancing clean energy, improving water quality, and supporting our agricultural partners. 
The House worked closely with the Senate to pass the Next Generation Energy Act (HB 1035) to help Maryland achieve its energy priorities and provide much-needed rate relief. Among the bill’s provisions is a major increase in the deployment of energy storage (150 megawatts of distribution-connected energy storage), altering how multi-year rate plans by utilities can be undertaken, and requiring a fast-track procurement of new energy generation, excluding coal and oil options. Candidly, the approach does leave the possibility of natural gas, but this cannot be a long-term solution given Maryland's climate goals. The Next Generation Energy Act also strengthens the oversight of Maryland’s gas utilities by reforming the STRIDE program. Companies must now demonstrate that infrastructure upgrades prioritize safety, provide value to customers, and are better than lower-cost alternatives like leak repair. Communities must also be notified well in advance of construction. Finally, utilities may propose multi-year rate plans—but only if they serve the public interest by improving predictability, maintaining quality, and preventing retroactive charges. The goal is a system that better serves people, not just providers. Moreover, we passed the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (HB 1036), to make the siting of solar and other renewables easier to manage.

HB 49 alters Maryland’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) from the Climate Solutions Now Act that was passed in 2022.  BEPS is a policy to reduce emissions from the building sector. We have been working with stakeholders to ensure that Montgomery County buildings only need to comply with Montgomery County’s more flexible local law, and I am pleased that was part of the final bill.

Coal ash pollution poses a serious threat to Maryland’s communities and waterways. New data has revealed a widespread presence of legacy coal ash sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Coal ash contains toxic metals that can contaminate water and air, putting nearby communities at risk. SB 425 strengthens oversight of coal ash storage and cleanup by aligning with federal rules, expanding monitoring, creating a coordination committee, and updating fees to fund enforcement. It’s a key step to safeguarding public health, drinking water, and our beloved Chesapeake Bay. We also took a step toward holding major polluters financially accountable. SB 149–previously called the RENEW Act–directs the Comptroller, in coordination with key state agencies, to study and report the full cost of greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland. The study will quantify the economic and environmental damage caused by climate change—including impacts to public health, infrastructure, and agriculture—and assess the costs already borne by the state and its residents. We also passed the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act (HB 506), landmark legislation establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program. This bill takes a major step forward in protecting our waterways that feed the Chesapeake Bay by promoting regenerative farming on public lands—farming practices that restore soil health, reduce nutrient pollution, and sequester carbon. The bill also establishes a comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program within the Department of Natural Resources, ensuring our Bay cleanup efforts are guided by strong science and transparent data.

We also worked on the Maryland Bottle Bill (HB 232) this session. While it did not cross the finish line this year, it represents important steps toward a cleaner and more sustainable Maryland. To reduce litter and promote recycling,  HB 232 proposed a statewide beverage container deposit system—a proven strategy in other states to cut down on waste and increase recycling rates. However, we did pass SB 901, which puts more responsibility on producers of packaging and paper products to submit a framework to minimize the environmental and human health impacts of packaging, conserving resources by increasing recycling rates and content, modernizing waste and recycling systems across the state, and making producers financially responsible for investing in the needed recycling and waste infrastructure. These efforts are part of our long-term waste diversion goals.
 
HOUSING
This session, I supported legislation to expand access to safe, affordable housing and strengthen Maryland communities. For example, working with our County’s leadership, I sponsored the Affordable Housing Payment in Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act (HB 390), to incentivize property owners of naturally occurring affordable housing to maintain that affordable housing instead of upgrading to market (more expensive) rates. On the tenant side, I supported the Tenant Possession Recovery Act (HB 767), which requires landlords to provide an additional notice of eviction to tenants and provide a specific notice to safeguard tenant possessions.
The Moore Administration submitted two significant housing bills, and I worked to ensure that they both maximized housing and maintained our local communities. HB 80, a bill on Transit-Oriented Development, supports targeting housing and mixed-use development near public transit. Frankly, Montgomery County has already done quite a bit of this work, but the bill would have ensured other areas with rail transit are following our lead. The Housing Development Act (HB 503), previously referred to as the Housing for Jobs Act, was heavily amended based on feedback I received from many of you. As amended, the bill would have set non-binding housing production targets, established a new commission to study and promote housing, and put in place clear rules so that the policies in place at the time a housing application is approved continue to govern that project. Ultimately, however, these bills did not pass the State Senate.
My seatmate, Delegate Wolek, sponsored the Maryland Housing Data Transparency Act (HB 1193), supporting housing development efforts across the state’s largest counties and Baltimore City by establishing a framework for the quarterly collection and reporting of housing data to the Maryland Department of Planning. All information will be stored and readily accessible on an interactive online site to help address the housing crisis in a factual, data-driven manner. 
We also worked toward the successful passage of SB 63, a bill regarding Funding of Reserve Accounts and Preparation of Funding Plans. Those of you living in common ownership communities– such as a condo or co-op community–are aware of the important rules we have put in place to ensure a building is maintaining adequate reserves to invest in important safety measures. The legislation places additional flexibility in these reserve study and account requirements to maximize safety while maintaining affordability for residents.
 
TRANSPARENCY AND REFORM
I am proud to once again sponsor and support legislation to promote government transparency in Maryland. I was the primary lead on three bills that addressed this topic. The Local Boards of Elections Transparency Act (HB 412) builds upon work I did in prior legislative sessions to increase the transparency of our state board of elections by requiring the advance posting of certain documents and video streaming of meetings. This successful bill expands these requirements to county boards of elections across the state, although I am proud to note that Montgomery County largely did this without a legal requirement. 
HB 932 addresses potential conflicts of interest by a Governor by expanding the use of blind trusts and non-participation agreements to ensure that a Governor is focused on the best interests of the state. It strengthens Maryland’s public ethics framework by limiting the Governor’s ability to influence decisions for personal gain.  The WSSC Planning and Reporting Act (HB 1195) provides better oversight of the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission (WSSC). My office has received numerous constituent complaints related to WSSC and this legislation puts a new subject matter expert on the Commission, requires the public posting of more information, and requires WSSC, WSSC’s Inspector General, and the Department of Legislative Services to review various aspects of WSSC’s operation and governance to improve outcomes.
 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Maryland has made great progress during the past few years on criminal justice reform. This session, the General Assembly passed the Maryland Second Look Act (HB 853) authorizing certain individuals to file a motion for a reduced sentence if the individual was convicted between the ages of at least 18 and under 25, was not sentenced to life, is not a sex offender, and has served at least 20 years of the sentence. The legislation will further state efforts to promote rehabilitation and restorative justice. 

GOING FORWARD
Thank you for keeping in touch during the legislative session. I strongly value the input of my constituents on the issues before the General Assembly. While the state legislature only meets for 90 days each year in Annapolis, I am working for you 365 days a year. As we progress throughout the year, my office will continue to be a resource to help connect you to state and local officials.

If you have any questions about the material in this letter, other questions about the recently concluded legislative session, ideas regarding policy issues, issues with a state agency that require constituent services, or are interested in my office’s legislative scholarship, please contact me any time. I can be reached by phone at 410-841-3649 or by email at [email protected].