ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers will reconvene in Annapolis in August for a special session focused solely on congressional redistricting.
Lawmakers will work to pass a constitutional amendment related to congressional redistricting not to draw new maps according to Senator Clarence Lam, a Democrat representing Howard and Anne Arundel counties.
"It is really just to focus on congressional redistricting for the state of Maryland. And just to be clear, there are no new maps being considered right now. This is really just a small technical fix to clarify a judicial ruling that was put forward a couple years ago," Lam said.
Maryland lawmakers will return to Annapolis for special session focused solely on redistricting
A court ruling stemming from the 2020 redrawing of maps was part of the reason the Senate did not act on the measure during the regular session. The ruling held congressional maps to the same restraints as state maps, requiring them to be compact and contiguous.
Lam said Democrats have long disagreed with that interpretation.
"Which we have always believed is an overreach and distant interpretation of the state's current constitution and so we've had this legal cloud hanging over our heads as to how that judge's opinion should really be viewed as, and it's never been appealed," Lam said.
Republicans are outraged at the special session. Many had planned to introduce legislation targeting affordability issues, including gas prices and energy bills. That won't happen according to a letter sent from the presiding officers.
Senator Justin Ready, a Republican representing Carroll and Frederick counties, said the session should have addressed more urgent concerns.
"When you look at those two big issues just alone, if we were gonna go for a special session, we should try to address those more pressing issues," Ready said.
Republicans say they will attempt to slow the effort, but face an uphill battle in a state with a Democratic supermajority.
Delegate Jason Buckel, a Republican representing Allegany County, said the political dynamic has disconnected lawmakers from everyday Marylanders.
"What you're doing in Maryland by allowing a supermajority of one party to exist is you've lost touch with the issues that really confront Maryland families. It's now just all politics of one party," Buckel said.
Presiding officers warned lawmakers ahead of the session in a letter that the special session would focus exclusively on redistricting.
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