The 2023 MD General Assembly: Sizing up the legislative session

By Tom Hall,

Teria Rogers, Rob Sivak, Malarie Pinkard-Pierre

Published April 11, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT

The Maryland State House in Annapolis. The iconic eighteenth-century building houses the offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor, and the chambers of the General Assembly, including the Maryland Senate and the House of Delegates. (photo credit: Offfice of the Senate President)

The 445^th session of the Maryland General Assembly came to a somewhat chaotic close at midnight Monday night. With minutes left until the stroke of midnight, former minority leader Del. Nic Kipke, a Republican from Anne Arundel County, engaged in a heated conversation with Speaker of the House Adrienne Jones.

All 10 of the bills put forward by the state’s newly elected Governor Wes Moore, passed, although with some changes. The signing ceremony for one of Gov. Moore’s signature initiatives, the Fair Wage Act, is taking place at this hour. That’s the measure that will accelerate the timetable for the minimum wage to reach $15 an hour.

Over the past 90 days, lawmakers considered more than 2,000 bills, passing more than 600 into law.

Tom's guests today are two seasoned veterans of the State House press corps:

We begin with Josh Kurtz, the founding editor of Maryland Matters, the independent online news journal that covers Maryland politics and government.

Josh Kurtz joins us on Zoom.

Later in the hour, Tom talks with WYPR News Director Matt Bush.

Matt Bush is at the State House in Annapolis and joins us on our digital line.

Josh Kurtz (left) is the founding editor of Maryland Matters; Matt Bush is news director and state politics reporter with WYPR 88.1News. (courtesy photos)