Legislative & Political Hub

The FY2026 budget dominated the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session, as lawmakers worked to close a projected $3 billion deficit. The final budget package - HB 350 (Budget Bill) and HB 352 (Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act, or BRFA) - includes both spending cuts and new revenues to balance the budget while maintaining investments in education and public employees.

AFT Maryland and its affiliate unions tracked over 35 bills, testified on more than a dozen, and submitted written testimony in over 45 hearings. We thank all our locals for submitting testimony and coordinating with the state federation to get witnesses to Annapolis.

While not every bill we supported passed, we achieved significant victories: passing key legislation, preserving critical budget funding, and defeating proposals that would have harmed our affiliates and members.

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When the Maryland General Assembly’s session opened in January, the fear about a historic budget deficit was at the top of everyone’s mind. Not only was the state facing a deficit following a decade of stagnant economic growth, but radical changes from the Trump Administration that could disrupt the state’s economy helped to block out other legislative issues. 

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Whether at the federal, state, or local level, far-right politicians in Maryland have demonstrated their absolute disdain for employees in the public sector. The newly-formed Maryland House Republican Freedom Caucus, in response to the Elon Musk administration’s move to bulldoze federal agencies and fire thousands of Marylanders, callously responded that changing careers is “just a part of life.”

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Democratic lawmakers have agreed on a plan to close the state's $3 billion budget deficit through a mix of cuts and new taxes. The deal, announced Thursday, March 20th, includes $2.3 billion in spending reductions and fund transfers, along with revenue increases from tax reforms and new fees.

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Maryland’s state budget grows more grim with a new projection of $280 million added to the shortfall in expected revenue for 2025 and 2026. The state’s deficit for 2026 could balloon to $3.2 billion, with some officials warning it may reach $6 billion by 2030. The driving force behind this crisis - federal job and grant cuts.

As the Maryland General Assembly and Governor Wes Moore negotiate to balance the fiscal 2026 budget, the stakes are high. The impact of these financial constraints is exacerbated by proposals from the Trump Administration and congressional Republicans to overhaul entitlement programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and potentially Social Security. Adding to the uncertainty ...

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Join us for UNION NIGHT IN ANNAPOLIS 
on MONDAY, MARCH 10TH!

We will join with union members from across the state for this rally organized by the AFL-CIO. Hear from union leaders, community leaders, and legislators about what we've been fighting for this legislative session! After the rally, join us in the State House to hear some of the proceedings.

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January was a busy month with nearly 2,000 bills introduced in the Maryland General Assembly. AFT Maryland has done its best to keep up with them and alert our affiliate unions on pending legislation. AFT Maryland and affiliates have taken positions on 30 bills. Below are updates on several of our priorities.

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• the Maryland State Budget
• the Fair Share for Maryland Act
• Collective Bargaining Rights for faculty at Maryland's 4-year public universities, and 
• Adding 911 Specialists to the Hometown Heroes Act

The Social Security Fairness Act Gains Overwhelming Bipartisan Support with 325 Cosponsors

The Social Security Fairness Act, a bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, would correct injustices by repealing both the WEP and GPO, ensuring that teachers, park rangers, and other public sector workers receive the full Social Security benefits they are entitled to.

Under current law, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces the Social Security benefits of individuals who received a pension from government employment. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduces benefits for those whose spouses received a government pension. Combined, these provisions have unfairly penalized retirees, denying them the full benefits they have earned over their careers. [...]

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Nothing says summer in Maryland like a trip to the shore. Although the legislative session does not start for roughly another five months, everyone begins to wrap their minds around state policy in the middle of August during the Maryland Association of Counties Summer Conference (MACo) in Ocean City, MD. A trip to the beach in the dead of August sounds like it would be a good time, but this conference is not about fun and games. Elected officials, advocates, lobbyists, and others arrive on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to greet one another, but more importantly gather to lay the groundwork for important policy agendas for the 2025 legislative session. The theme for this year’s conference was “Turning the Tide.”

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The state of Maryland has received a $2.5 million implementation grant from Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This grant will help Maryland public schools extend services beyond what is provided under a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Services Program (IFSP). This initiative is a critical step toward enhanced healthcare accessibility for students enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.

This grant, a product of the work of AFT Maryland in collaboration with Gov. Moore’s staff, is part of a broader federal effort under the Biden Administration. Click here to read more.