Week 9 of the 2025 Session
A Busy Week and District Night
The first week of March definitely came in like a lion and hopefully it will leave like a lamb. As bills are passing from each house to the other, we are preparing for crossover with only 32 days to go in Session. Throughout this last month we will hold new hearings on bills that have passed over from the House in order to see if they will pass on to the Governor’s desk for signage. It should prove to be busy but all of us are up for our duties.
District Night is a Wonderful Success!
On Wednesday evening, I was proud to host, with my District 1 colleagues, our District Night. So many wonderful people from Western Maryland came to meet, celebrate, and discuss matters pertaining to our three counties. Residents from all walks of life came and enjoyed the evening. We were joined by special guests like Senate President Ferguson, former Delegates, and other individuals.
Thank you to all those who came out!
Introduction of Emergency Bill
At this point in Session introduction of bills is normally futile. A bill must go to the Rules Committee and be voted out in order to move forward and that can be difficult. However, an emergency bill usually gets through quickly.
This week I introduced an Emergency Bill that was brought in response to the murder of Parole Agent Davis Martinez at the hands of a convicted sex offender back in May of 2024. The bill, entitled: Correctional Officers – Body-Worn Digital Recording Devices, would allow correctional officers to have body worn cameras under certain circumstances. It would also direct the Maryland Commission Correctional Training to address safety concerns with parole and probation.
I believe this will be very monumental in protecting our parole agents and our correctional officers from any harm and potential crimes.
Budget Woes Continue
On Thursday, the Board of Revenue Estimates (BRE) gathered for its final meeting of this fiscal year, and announced a $280 million total write down in Maryland General Fund. This means that the state will be taking in $280 million less than projected, and the budget gap that must be closed for the remainder of FY25 and all of FY26 has grown to $3.3 billion.
Maryland’s budget woes have gone from bad, to worse to abysmal.
Governor Moore inherited a $5 BILLION surplus when he took office, but we now face a $3.3 BILLION deficit. Marylanders are paying the bill for single-party rule in the Maryland General Assembly and an overreliance on the Federal Government to balance our budget.
Democrats are already blaming the Trump Administration for this write down, but no matter who has been in the White House, economists have warned for years that our economy is too dependent on federal jobs.
Warnings about Maryland’s federal revenue dependency have been around for at least 20 years, but they became especially urgent after:
- 2008-2010 (Financial Crisis & Stimulus Spending)
- 2013 (Sequestration & Budget Cuts)
- 2017-2020 (Federal Budget Constraints & Shutdowns)
- 2022-Present (COVID Recovery & Budget Deficits)
Despite repeated calls for economic diversification, Maryland remains highly dependent on federal employment, contracts, and grants, making budget planning challenging when federal spending fluctuates.
We cannot tax our way out of a deficit. We need cuts and economic growth that makes us financially self-reliant and not dependent on the Federal Government to balance the budget.
House Bill 380 Unanimously Rejected by Senate
In a moment of bipartisanship and sanity, the Senate Judicial Proceedings committee UNANIMOUSLY rejected House Bill 380: Criminal Law – Prohibition on Sale of Contraceptives and Contraceptive Devices by Vending Machine in School – Repeal. Quite simply the bill would allow the installation of vending machines in preschools, elementary, and middle schools. This asinine idea and bill was passed by all but two Democrats, who joined with every Republican in rejecting the bill, on the House side.
This is a victory for parents across Maryland and I am proud of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for swiftly voting this down and recognizing that it was wholly inappropriate and a massive overreach of state government.
I also want to hear from you. As you all know, I serve Garrett, Allegany, and Washington Counties and all of your voices are important to me. The best way to represent you is to have your voice heard. Please feel free to contact my Annapolis Office at (410) 841-3565 or my District Office at (240) 362-7040. My public email address is now mike.mckay@senate.state.md.us. Please feel free to email me at anytime. I also have a District Office at the Williamsport Town Hall. It is on the second floor in the first office. Our mailing address below remains the same however.
I continue to be your voice and advocate in Annapolis so I want to hear from you. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or what I can do to help you. I am on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and the Executive Nominations Committee. All of our hearings are streamed live on Youtube and the MGA website.
If you are interested in seeing where my bills are in the process, you can create a MyMGA account or you can click here to view bills I am sponsoring by clicking “Legislation” under my name. You can sign up to testify on any bill you wish.