Friend,

Happy New Year! After coming back from a restful break, the Strong Future MD team hit the ground running to prepare for the 2022 legislative session, which starts TOMORROW on January 12th at noon.

I wanted to send a quick preview of the legislative session and make sure you knew how to keep up with the latest news over the next four months. The Washington Post and Baltimore Magazine both had great overviews, which you can read here [[link removed]] and here [[link removed]] .

Want to stay in the loop with all the news from Annapolis during session? Follow us on Twitter [[link removed]] and sign up for our Session Insider email list [[link removed]] . We also recommend the Maryland Matters [[link removed]] and Maryland Reporter [[link removed]] newsletters for your morning reading.

Here’s what to expect for the next three months:
1. With this year being an election year, session might look a little different. In addition to legislating, most legislators are either running for their existing seats or a different office entirely (ex: Delegate Brooke Liermann running for comptroller). This is also Hogan’s last session as governor and the last session of the four year legislative term. That means the rules for vetoes are different, and any legislation vetoed by the Governor after session cannot be overridden in the 2023 session. That means priority legislation must be presented to the Governor early, before the legislature adjourns and with enough time to allow Hogan to veto and the legislature to override the veto before adjourning on April 11, 2022. Watch for big bills to move through the chambers early so the legislature can override any major vetoes before session ends..

2. Last year, most of us watched session virtually due to the pandemic. This year, with the combination of vaccines and the new variant surge, the House and Senate are both beginning session with a hybrid approach. This means that committee meetings, bill hearings, vote sessions, and floor sessions will all still be streamed virtually, but a small number of guests are permitted to watch floor sessions from the galleries as well. This is great news for accessibility, although the Senate is planning to revert to in-person only voting sessions only after a few weeks, which is disappointing. Keep an eye out for emails from us about public comments, opportunities to testify, and other session-related events where you can make your voice heard.

3. Stay tuned for our full 2022 legislative priority list! We will definitely be working to pass paid family leave, climate legislation, housing justice bills, youth justice reform, and more.

I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and warm. See you all online for the beginning of session tomorrow!

Best,
Alice Wilkerson
Executive Director


Paid for by Strong Future Maryland
Strong Future Maryland
P.O. Box 164
Arnold, MD 21012
United States

Strong Future Maryland is working to help Maryland recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis, the related economic downturn, and the centuries-old crisis of systemic racism in an equitable and sustainable way.

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