Lawmakers are expected to deal with the state’s looming deficit.
Md. State House
Annapolis, Md (KM) Legislators from all across the state will gather in Annapolis Wednesday for the first day of the 2025 Maryland General Assembly. Opening ceremonies begin at 12 noon.
Lawmakers are expected to be dealing with a nearly $3-billion deficit during the 90-day session. Some legislators say it’s due to the spending mandated by the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future while others say it was entitlement spending which was above projections.
The Governor is expected to release his fiscal year 2026 budget on January 15th. When it comes to cuts, he has said everything is on the table.
Delegates and Senators from Frederick County will be working to obtain state funding for widening US Route 15 in Frederick which is the area’s number-one transportation project. It was slated for construction funding a few years ago, but that disappeared.
Legislators from the region will be supporting bills related to the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project. That’s a 500-kilovolt, 70-mile electric transmission line extending from northern Baltimore County through central Carroll County ending at the Doubs substation in southern Frederick County.
Opponents say it will cross over farmland, much of which has been placed in agricultural preservation. They also say the electricity coursing through this line is expected to go to data centers in northern Virginia.
The 2025 Maryland General Assembly is scheduled to complete its work by April 7th, 2025.
By Kevin McManus