The 446th legislative session ended on April 8, 2024, and with it the second legislative session of Governor Moore’s term. The dedicated members of the WDC Advocacy Committee, assisted by our WDC grassroots advocacy community, partner organizations, and coalitions, worked tirelessly to advance a total of 44 bills and resolutions dealing with issues of importance to our club membership. Ultimately 21 of those 44 passed both chambers by Sine Die, the final day of session, and were enacted into law. WDC’s Advocacy Committee continues to grow in numbers and in organizing power, with the committee now over 30 members strong across ten issue area subcommittees. This session the Advocacy Committee made permanent its previous ad hoc subcommittee on Advancing Democracy in Maryland and established a new subcommittee dedicated to Environmental issues.
The presiding officers of the Maryland General Assembly, Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones, were forced to grapple with a more challenging fiscal environment this year, with the expiration of federal relief dollars and a growing structural budget deficit. These fiscal constraints meant that policymakers had to make hard choices about which programs to fund and how to ensure they passed a balanced budget. Budgets are moral documents, and WDC was proud to advocate for women and families in this year’s budget negotiations.
Lawmakers also addressed the tragedy of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore in the waning days of session, quickly advancing an aid package to support dockworkers and community members affected by the Bridge collapse and closure of the Port of Baltimore.
Click here to see a list of the bills that passed both chambers and have been signed into law by the Governor. Any bills that the Governor does not veto or sign by May 30th automatically become law, through a process known as the “pocket veto.” For a deeper dive into the legislative session, the nonpartisan Dept. of Legislative Services produces an excellent 90 Day Report.
Like last year, several of WDC’s priority bills finally passed after a multi-year advocacy effort, including a bill Defining Consent in Maryland’s sexual assault statute, a bill creating a Correctional Ombudsman to conduct much-needed oversight over the state prison system, and a Synthetic Turf Disclosure and Study bill requiring a study of artificial turf fields and disposal methods of used fields. WDC also continued our advocacy on intersectional policy issues supporting the health, economic security, and well-being of all Marylanders, including immigrants, through the Access to Care Act, which allows immigrants to purchase health insurance on Maryland’s health insurance exchange.
One of the Governor’s major priorities this year was to address housing affordability and improve the supply of housing for Maryland families, the first time in many years that Maryland’s Governor has tackled this issue head on. WDC worked to complement the Governor’s housing agenda, with our two priority bills passing supporting a Housing Innovation Pilot Program as well as a second bill on tenant and homeowner safety, requiring Condominium Sales Contracts Asbestos Disclosure.
WDC championed the needs of children, youth, families, and seniors by helping to defend the Childcare Scholarship Program from onerous co-pay increases for low-income families in the state budget bill, tackling food insecurity and nutrition for Maryland’s public schools’ students, wrestling with the issue of chronic absenteeism in schools, addressing school safety, as well as reducing the burden of expenses borne by caregivers who care for their own family members. We also built on recent victories in the reproductive health space, supporting successful legislation to increase Contraceptive Access at Maryland’s Community Colleges, to create a Grant Program Supporting Abortion Clinic Security for patients and providers, and to improve Maternal Health.
Aligning closely with the Maryland Women’s Legislative Caucus, we were thrilled to fight for the state resolution affirming that the Equal Rights Amendment is already the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. With the passage of the ERA Resolution, the MD General Assembly sent a strong message to our Congressional delegation, the Biden Administration, and other federal counterparts, strengthening the case for the amendment’s adoption.
WDC did encounter some advocacy challenges this year, particularly on bills related to democracy and legislative vacancy reforms, environmental protection, and criminal and juvenile justice reform. Some of these roadblocks were the result of disagreement and competing visions between the House and Senate or lack of consensus on the issue among lawmakers. We will continue to work with state policymakers to address their concerns and to pursue evidence-based policy solutions that center the lived experience of women moving into the 2025 legislative session.
We’ve included more information about WDC’s advocacy victories and the bills we supported during the 2024 Maryland legislative session in the official 2024 Legislative Accomplishments Report on our website. To learn more about the Advocacy Committee and how you can join our all-volunteer team, please contact us at advocacy@womensdemocraticclub.org.