Energy policy, immigration enforcement and economic growth were all top headlines in Gov. Wes Moore’s fourth annual State of the State address, but not before the governor asked the Senate — again — to take up early redistricting.
A bill that would draw a new Congressional map favoring Democrats ahead of the 2026 election has been sitting in a Senate Rules Committee drawer since last week after approval from the House of Delegates.
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) has time and time again said his chamber has no intention of bringing the bill forward out of concern for a laundry list of adverse effects, including legal repercussions.
But Moore believes early redistricting is still worth fighting for — so much so, that his request for a vote in the Senate preceded all other policy remarks during his address.
“I know there’s disagreement right now between the House and the Senate, so my ask is simple: Do not let the Democratic process die in the free state. Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary, and put it to a vote,” Moore said.
His comments were quick to put a frown on Ferguson’s face, seated to the left of the governor during the duration of the address, and received a mix of cheers and boos from lawmakers within the chamber.
“I know there’s been some discussion about the principled disagreement I have with the Senate president on redistricting. We diverge on this particular issue, but we both care about the future of our state. We both care about the future of our people, and we are going to continue to work together on the issues we care about most,” Moore followed, pausing to shake hands with Ferguson.
But the Senate president appeared somewhat deflated when asked for his reaction immediately following the governor’s remarks.
He commended the governor for speaking on economic growth and reducing costs for Marylanders but noted a shift compared to Moore’s prior addresses.
“It was a different speech. It had a different feel in the room than I think other speeches have,” Ferguson said, followed by a long pause before adding: “And I look forward to the ongoing work that we're going to be doing together.”
“In any relationship, or in any partnership, there are going to be differences of opinions in areas. I think the position of the Senate hasn't shifted and is based on our interpretation of how best to fight against the lawless Trump administration by focusing on the policies that we know will have an impact and not going backwards. And so I don't think that's shifted,” he followed.
When asked if his handshake with Moore made any difference on Ferguson’s working relationship with the governor, he responded: “We will continue to find areas to work together on, I'm certain of that. We've known each other for a long time.
“At the end of the day, it's not between the two of us at all. It's about a collective understanding of what we think is in the best interest of Marylanders, and it is… reasonable people can disagree, and I think that's what we'll demonstrate here.”
Tension with the White House
Moore emphasized the impact of Trump administration policies on the state throughout his speech, calling out the White House for making Marylanders “lives worse.”
He referenced the loss of nearly 25,000 federal job cuts last year, concerns around federal food assistance and health insurance availability, as well as the denial of emergency funding for flood assistance in Western Maryland.
“Washington is using this moment to attack and to limit and to retreat. So in Maryland, we will use this moment to protect, deliver and lead,” Moore said, highlighting multi-million and multi-billion dollar investments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, respectively, in his proposed state budget.
Moore is also recommending $12 million be sent to Allegheny County to support flood recovery efforts amid the lack of federal assistance.
His administration has also introduced legislation, known as The Vax Act, which would decouple the state’s vaccine authority from the federal government.
“Our vaccine policy will be led by science and not by internet conspiracy theories,” Moore said.
The bill follows the Trump administration's significant reduction of routinely recommended childhood vaccines.
Cost of living and energy prices
Moore acknowledged the number one concern for Marylanders is rising costs and said “help is on the way” when it comes to skyrocketing energy bills across the region.
The governor did not reference any specific legislative initiatives to get at the source of rising utility costs — he did reference a bill that would deliver energy rebates for Marylanders, but less than a similar proposal that was approved last year.
He emphasized the need to increase solar and wind generation, explore further opportunities within natural gas and nuclear energy and ensure that “energy and utility companies are just as worried about Maryland families as they are about their shareholders.”
He also reiterated his request to the regional grid operator, PJM, to cap the price of energy for the next two years, incentivize new power generation and require data centers to cover the cost of the strain their energy-hungry operations place on the grid.
Data centers, AI and diversifying the economy
Moore announced that in order for data centers to set up shop in Maryland with his blessing, they must hire local workers, engage local governments and communities and must cover the cost of their own power needs.
Ratepayers have been stuck footing the bill for the energy needs of data centers as the PJM continues to consider if it will mandate the centers to “bring their own generation” before connecting to the grid.
“We are not going to choose between affordability and innovation. We can, and we will lead in both because the world is changing fast, and we need to change with it,” Moore said.
The announcement from Moore appears to diverge somewhat from how he has tackled data center policy earlier in the past.
The governor signed a bill in 2024 that eased restrictions around data center backup generators, and he vetoed legislation last year that would require the state to study the impact of data centers in Maryland.
Lawmakers overrode that veto in December with some bipartisan support.
But while the governor called for more regulation around the data centers that fuel artificial intelligence (AI) operations, he was just as quick to signal his desire for Maryland to become a leader within the AI economy.
Moore is proposing $4 million to boost workforce training around AI.
“We need to make sure that our workers are not being left behind by AI.
Maryland's Labor Movement understands this. They understand that we can't stop technology, they just want to make sure that our workers are being supported and not supplanted,” he said.
The governor said AI would be used statewide to help Marylanders navigate SNAP, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and childcare subsidies.
He also expressed a need to attract more AI companies to the state, but Republicans have often criticized this request following Moore’s decision to place a 3 percent tax on data and technology services to help balance the current fiscal year budget.
With the recent volatility of federal government jobs — the largest employer in the state of Maryland — Moore and various state leaders have stressed the need for the state to expand beyond its “eds, meds and feds” anchor institutions.
“AI is going to help us to grow and diversify Maryland's economy. And our focus on this new technology is part of a broader economic agenda to uplift three lighthouse industries that Maryland is uniquely positioned to win at: IT, life sciences and aerospace and defense,” Moore said, noting there have been several recent announcements of these types of companies choosing Maryland as their home.
Housing, transportation and education
Earlier this year, Moore announced key legislative and budget proposals to kick off the 2026 legislative session, including the Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act and an $11 million investment in a new Academic Excellence Program.
His transportation legislation would eliminate minimum parking requirements for certain transit-oriented developments, promote mixed-use development around key Metro stations and give the state more authority over the development of land adjacent to transit stations.
“Marylanders should be able to get from where they live to where they work,” Moore said. “So let's build more housing near transit, and let's invest in transportation that connects people with opportunity.”
The Academic Excellence Program would support literacy and math coaches in public schools, as long as it gets budgetary approval from lawmakers.
“They're going to help make sure that Maryland educators have the tools, the lessons and the resources that they need to make our classrooms the best in the entire country because I want every single one of our students to be career ready before they even get a high school diploma,” Moore said.
Immigration policy
The state legislature hit the ground running this year with legislation to ban local law enforcement from formally partnering with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, known as 287(g) agreements.
The General Assembly is days away from sending two identical versions of that bill to Moore’s desk, which he signaled his support for.
“Thank you all for introducing legislation to protect Marylanders from the unconstitutional actions of some federal agents this session,” he said to lawmakers in the House chamber. “Working together, I am confident that we can take meaningful steps to hold federal agents accountable for violating the Constitution and help those who have been harmed to make sure they also get their justice.”
Moore also announced the launch of Citizenship Maryland, which he says will bring together law firms, the private sector and unions to support Marylanders who are eligible for citizenship.
“It's about helping the 150,000 Marylanders who just need a little extra support to get their American citizenship. They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are our fellow Marylanders,” the governor said.
Republican response
Senate Republican Leader Stephen Hershey (R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties) provided a formal response to the governor’s State of the State on behalf of the Republican caucus.
Hershey directly called out Moore for not delivering on affordability promises thus far in his tenure, saying Democrat policies are to blame for high energy costs and budget growth.
“Maryland's affordability crisis is tied directly to a lack of accountability in state government. Spending has grown faster than revenues, hard choices have been postponed and fiscal discipline has been replaced by empty assurances,” Hershey said.
He also rebuffed Moore’s points around the negative impact of the Trump administration on Maryland.
“It’s easy to blame Washington, but Marylanders know better,” Hershey said. “Rising costs, energy prices, and structural deficits didn’t appear overnight, and they didn’t start last year. President Trump has been in office for just one year. Marylanders expect their governor to focus on Maryland’s problems and take responsibility for the decisions made right here at home.”
He closed by calling for a “new direction” in Maryland leadership and said Republicans are ready to lead with urgency around energy and economic policy.
