ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Lawmakers have returned to their chambers in Annapolis, where bills impacting every corner of Maryland will pass over the next 90 days. We sat down with Governor Wes Moore to discuss the various challenges facing this legislative session.
"My focus is on making sure we can make Maryland more affordable, making sure that we can make Maryland more economically competitive and making sure that we're protecting our people," Moore said.
Watch as Governor Moore explains budget proposal
Moore won't release his budget until next week, but he has rolled out pieces and promised he won't raise taxes.
"I'm gonna introduce a budget that is not only balanced for the fourth year in a row but I'm also going to introduce a budget that has no tax increases, no fee increases. That for the fourth year in a row is going to be smaller than the year so we are going to decrease the size of the general fund. We are going to do more with less," Moore said.
Affordability has emerged as a cornerstone issue for both the governor and Republicans this session, with rising costs affecting Maryland residents.
"Anyone who is paying any attention as a Maryland resident or citizen knows how much your cost of living has gone up because of the actions of the General Assembly. Are you paying vehicle registration fees, they've gone up, is your energy, utility bill out there, it's gone up," said Delegate Jason Buckel of Allegany County.
The House reaffirmed its selection of Joseline Peña-Melnyk as its speaker. She promised to reach across the aisle in her first speech of the session.
"I believe deeply in my core, minority leader, that each and every one of you matters and the people who you represent who choose you to be their voices, they matter too," Peña-Melnyk said.
Utility bills have emerged as a top issue, but questions remain about whether lawmakers can make enough change for bills to become affordable quickly.
"I'm personally going to be introducing legislation and I will be working with the legislature to ensure that we can address these rising energy costs but also what we're going to have to do is go to the source of why we see these rising energy costs," Moore said.
The General Assembly has significant work ahead over the next 90 days as they tackle these pressing affordability concerns.
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