The session began on Wednesday.
Delegate Kris Fair
Annapolis, Md (KM) Legislators are getting down to work now that the 2025 Maryland General Assembly is underway. One is Frederick County Delegate Kris Fair. “I get excited for the process,:” he says. “We spend nine months preparing for this three-month period, and working with advocates and constituents. You really get to see the fruit of all of that labor from months on end play out during this 90-day session.”
The 2025 Maryland General Assembly gaveled into session on Wednesday, January 8th at 12:00 noon.
The biggest challenge facing lawmakers is the state’s projected $3 billion budget deficit. Fair says the solution will be more than just spending cuts. “I think what you’ll see at the end of the day is a mixture of really great incentivizing growth opportunities that will be presented that will offer new opportunities for revenue and innovation in the business sector, as well as different revenue mechanisms being addressed as well as budget cuts being addressed,” he said.
A number of legislators say they don’t want to raise taxes or fees to help close the budget gap. But Fair says taxes should not be left out of the conversation. “I don’t think we’re going to get around this conversation without talking about what the state investments look like, what the budget actually looks like and the cost of doing business on a day-to-day basis. And that does require a conversation about what to do taxes look like,” he says.
“We’re going to be having a series of really intensive discussions about what are the values of Maryland. What are the priorities of Maryland,” Fair continues.
But he says legislators should not let the deficit determine the future of Maryland. “How do we grow a bigger and better Maryland today, and not squander all of the opportunities over the concern of a single fiscal deficit that will be resolved at the end of session,”: says Fair.
Governor Wes Moore is scheduled to release his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget on Wednesday, January 15th.
By Kevin McManus