Dear Neighbor,
Today marks the halfway point of the 2026 Legislative Session. I wanted to provide to you an update on the work that I have done over the last 45 days to address important issues for Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties and our State as a whole, as well as some updates on other issues the General Assembly is facing this session.
Sponsored Legislation
I am proud to have sponsored a substantial package of 14 bills for consideration during this session. These bills cover a wide variety of issues, including public safety, supporting our local small businesses, natural resources, and honoring our hometown heroes.
You can find more details about these bills here. As the session continues, you can find up-to-date information on all of the legislation that I have sponsored or co-sponsored from the General Assembly’s website.
I have also introduced four Legislative Bond Initiatives on behalf of local organizations seeking State funding for capital projects in our District. These include the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maryland, the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department, the Seventh District Volunteer Fire Department, and the Greenwell Foundation. These will be considered as part of the Senate’s deliberations on the State’s capital budget later this session.
Co-Sponsored Legislation
In addition to my sponsored legislation, I am also happy to be supporting a number of other efforts by other Senators to lower taxes and fees, improve public safety, protect our students, and secure our elections. You can find more information on these initiatives here.
Congressional Redistricting
One topic that has received substantial attention in the first half of this session has been the issue of Congressional redistricting. House Bill 488 would replace Maryland’s current Congressional district map with a new map that is intended to elect eight Democratic members of Congress. Also concerning in this legislation are proposed changes to the Maryland Constitution to remove the safeguards against partisan redistricting that was used by our State courts to reject the gerrymandered Congressional map that passed the General Assembly in 2021.
I strongly oppose any effort to remove Maryland’s sole Republican representative from office. Partisan gerrymandering destroys the confidence that our constituents have in the fairness of our elections. Any efforts to further draw districts for partisan gain and further reduce the representation of rural Marylanders should be rejected in the strongest possible terms. Instead, I am proud to co-sponsor Senate Bill 104, the Fair Districts for Maryland Act, which would ensure our State has truly fair districts for both Congress and the General Assembly to be representative of all Marylanders, not just one party.
While House Bill 488 has passed the House of Delegates, it has not been considered by the Senate. I will continue to oppose this legislation and hope that it will not receive further consideration this year.
Immigration
The Senate has also passed two bills regarding immigration and law enforcement so far this session.
Senate Bill 1 creates a civil offense against law enforcement officers who wear masks. The bill was introduced in response to concerns about their use by federal ICE agents in recent months.
As written, this legislation applies to federal officers as well as state and local law enforcement. However, under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, it is highly unlikely that this law will ever be effectively used against federal officers. This means it will ultimately be another legal obligation that will be imposed on our State and local police officers on top of the numerous changes that were made in the 2021 police reform legislative package. This bill also puts an officer who attempts to enforce it against federal law enforcement in legal jeopardy of potential federal charges for obstructing a federal officer in the performance of their duties. If the State or local governments want to address this issue for officers under their jurisdiction, it could have been done through departmental policy rather than creating a civil offense. Since this bill is likely unconstitutional as applied to federal officers and overly punitive as applied to State and local officers, I voted against this legislation.
Senate Bill 245 requires counties, including St. Mary’s County, to end 287(g) agreements that enhance cooperation between the County’s correctional division and ICE. It is important to note that St. Mary’s County, as in all other Maryland counties who have these agreements with ICE, these are only used to enforce immigration law for those individuals who are already in the custody of the county jail.
The safety of our citizens should be our highest priority in any legislation that we pass. As a 30-year retired law enforcement officer with extensive experience working with Federal officials to combat crime, I know first-hand the importance of cooperation between all levels of government in protecting the public. It is vital that our sheriffs have all of the tools at their disposal that they need to remove criminals from our community. These written formal agreements provide a framework to carry out transfers from our local jails to ICE in an orderly and transparent way. Further, this legislation nullifies the decision of our Sheriff in St. Mary’s County, who is elected by and accountable to the voters of the County, to participate in this program. Because of the detrimental effects this will have on public safety and this further reduction in local control and discretion, I voted against this bill. Unfortunately, this legislation has not only passed the Senate but also the House of Delegates, has been signed by the Governor, and has become law.
Budget
The budget committees in each chamber are currently closely reviewing and considering changes to the Governor’s proposed budget. As a member of the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee, I have been using this opportunity to scrutinize the budgets of the agencies that come before my Committee and subcommittee and ask questions as part of our duty to ensure that our tax dollars are spent efficiently and with accountability.
The analysis of the budget prepared by our Department of Legislative Services continues to show a growing structural budget shortfall in future years:
I continue to strongly believe that we should address this by reducing our State’s future spending commitments and focusing on private sector economic growth without further raising taxes on Marylanders.
Senatorial Scholarship – Deadline April 1
My office is now accepting applications for Senatorial scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year. This scholarship is available to students who permanently reside in District 29 and who either plan to attend a Maryland institution of higher education or have been approved for unique major status by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
More information, including the application, is available at senatorbailey.com/scholarship. Please read the informational letter and instructions carefully before applying. The deadline for applications is April 1, 2026.
I would encourage you to follow me on Facebook or check my website, senatorbailey.com. for my weekly updates from the legislative session. Thank you for your continued engagement on the important issues facing Southern Maryland. As always, it is an honor to serve you in Annapolis.
Sincerely,
Jack