Maryland’s Weirdest Bills: Roadkill, Orange Crushes And Left-Lane Hogs

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Every year, Maryland lawmakers introduce thousands of bills tackling the state’s biggest challenges, from balancing the budget and improving public schools to public safety and transportation. But mixed in with the serious legislation are a handful of proposals that leave even veteran lawmakers smiling.

Some are symbolic efforts to celebrate Maryland’s culture. Others attempt to solve surprisingly niche problems. And a few are simply reminders that not every day in the General Assembly is spent debating billion-dollar budgets.

Here are some of the more unusual proposals to make their way through Annapolis over the years.

The Roadkill Bill Of 2017

One of the General Assembly’s most memorable proposals asked a question many Maryland drivers have wondered after colliding with a deer: Can I keep it?

Several bills over the years sought to establish a legal process allowing motorists to salvage deer killed in traffic accidents instead of leaving them on the roadside. Supporters argued the meat shouldn’t go to waste and noted that many other states already allowed the practice.

The debate quickly turned into one of Annapolis’ more unusual committee hearings, with lawmakers discussing permits, public safety and exactly who owns a deer after it’s struck by a vehicle.

While early proposals failed, Maryland eventually adopted a permit process through the Department of Natural Resources, turning what once sounded like an odd legislative idea into official policy.

The Great Orange Crush Debate

In 2025, lawmakers introduced legislation to designate the Original Maryland Orange Crush as the state’s official cocktail after neighboring Delaware recognized the popular beach drink, prompting Maryland lawmakers to assert it originated in Ocean City. What followed was one of the session’s most lighthearted debates, with lawmakers discussing state pride, tourism and who could rightfully claim the iconic cocktail. The bill nearly died before being revived in the final hours of the legislative session, ultimately passing and turning a friendly rivalry into official state business.

Walking: Maryland’s Official Exercise?

In 2002, lawmakers considered legislation designating walking as Maryland’s official state exercise after students argued it was healthy, inexpensive and accessible to everyone. The proposal initially stalled, but supporters kept pushing the idea, and six years later, the General Assembly approved the measure. In 2008, walking officially became Maryland’s state exercise, proving that even some of Annapolis’ more unusual ideas can eventually cross the finish line.

The Search For An Official State Cookie

Maryland already boasts an official state crustacean (the blue crab), flower (the black-eyed Susan) and even an official state dinosaur (Astrodon johnstoni). So why not an official state cookie?

In 2002, Dels. David Rudolph and James Crouse introduced House Bill 1326 to designate the apple oatmeal cookie as Maryland’s official state cookie. Proponents framed the bill as a tribute to the state’s agricultural industry, highlighting that both apples and cereal grass (used for oats) were significant local crops.

However, symbolic state-symbol bills routinely face pushback from critics who view them as low-priority uses of legislative session time, and HB 1326 failed to gain traction. The bill failed in committee, leaving Maryland without an official state cookie.

The Left-Lane Crusade

Anyone who has driven on Interstate 95 or even Route 4 has likely found themselves stuck behind a slow driver stubbornly lingering in the passing lane.

Over the years, several Maryland lawmakers have attempted to fix that daily frustration through legislation. Proposals like the cheekily nicknamed “MOVE GET OUT THE WAY Act” (HB 957 in 2023) and the “Highway Left Lane Safety Act” (SB 768 in 2024) aimed to restrict the far-left lane on highways with speed limits of 55 mph or higher exclusively to passing vehicles. Under these bills, slow-moving drivers, often referred to as “left-lane hogs,” would have faced tiered fines ranging from $75 to $250.

While the proposals generated relatable committee testimony, and plenty of jokes about highway etiquette, critics routinely raised concerns over enforcement practicality and highway safety. As a result, these bills repeatedly stalled in committee before ever reaching the governor’s desk, keeping the proposed broader left-lane restrictions from becoming law.

The Cat Claw Debate

Few legislative debates in Annapolis have featured as many unusual visual aids as the long-running battle over cat declawing.

For years, animal advocates and veterinary groups sparred in committee rooms over whether to outlaw nontherapeutic feline onychectomy (declawing). What made the hearings memorable among State House regulars was the unusual nature of the presentations. Advocates like the Paw Project routinely brought anatomical models, demonstration cat paws and claw diagrams into hearing rooms to give lawmakers an unexpected, detailed lesson on feline anatomy, explaining that declawing actually amputates a cat’s toe at the first knuckle.

Opponents, including representatives from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, pushed back, arguing the law stripped medical discretion from doctors and pet owners.

After failing repeatedly across several legislative sessions, the measure finally crossed the finish line in 2022. Gov. Larry Hogan signed Senate Bill 67 into law, establishing fines up to $1,000 for nonmedical declawing and making Maryland only the second state in the nation to ban the practice.

More Than Just A Laugh

While many of these proposals sound amusing in hindsight, most were introduced with genuine intentions.

Whether to try to reduce food waste, promote Maryland traditions, encourage exercise or solve everyday frustrations, each bill reflected an issue that mattered to at least one lawmaker or one constituent.

And although many never became law, they remain a reminder that the Maryland General Assembly isn’t always consumed by contentious political battles. Sometimes, the most memorable debates are about roadkill, cookies and what belongs in the passing lane.

After all, in a legislature where thousands of bills are introduced each year, not every proposal is destined to make history. Some are, however, unforgettable simply because they were introduced at all.

---