Maryland Legislature Reconvening In August To Continue Redistricting Battle

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s General Assembly will return to Annapolis for a special session from Aug. 3-5, as per an executive order by Gov. Wes Moore (D).

The executive order says that the session would be to amend the state constitution to “reaffirm that the provisions which govern the requirements of our state legislative districts do not apply to Maryland’s congressional districts,” meaning that the special session is specifically to amend the Maryland Constitution to change the requirements for the state’s congressional map. The state constitution has language that requires districts be compact, contiguous and mindful of jurisdictional and geographic boundaries. A 2022 decision by Judge Lynne Battaglia applied this language to congressional districts, when it had previously only been understood to apply to General Assembly districts.

An amendment would help Maryland lawmakers circumvent the legal decision and create a new congressional map, a priority of Moore’s in response to national efforts to gain congressional seats.

Moore issued an executive order on Nov. 4 of last year to reconstitute the Redistricting Advisory Commission. This bipartisan commission has historically taken up efforts every 10 years to organize public hearings and make legislative and congressional redistricting recommendations to the governor and Maryland General Assembly.

The commission, led by U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D), met and accepted map recommendations from the public. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D) was an outspoken critic of redistricting before the previously determined cycle.

Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) sent a letter to delegates and senators in which they prohibited any bill not related to redistricting from being drafted or introduced.