BALTIMORE — Cannabis, abortion rights and gun control are expected to dominate debates by state lawmakers in the coming months as the Maryland General Assembly begins its annual legislative session Wednesday.
The 90-day lawmaking sprint will be the first for Gov.-elect Wes Moore and the first time in eight years that Democrats control both legislative chambers and the chief executive’s office. The party’s legislators will return in even greater numbers than recent years, when supermajorities allowed them to pass landmark legislation to address issues such as climate change and access to abortion without Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s support.
Legislative leaders, while equipped with new authority to reallocate funds in a governor’s proposed budget, are preparing their agendas in the expectation that their priorities will largely align with those of Moore, who will be inaugurated Jan. 18.
