Latest news with #MarylandFreedomCaucus
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump unity strong among Maryland Republicans. Will 2026 add pressure?
BALTIMORE — Maryland's elected Republicans are unified in their support for President Donald Trump after his first 100 days, saying that his policies will benefit the state. 'I think, generally, we've all been supportive of President Trump's agenda,' Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready, a representative of Frederick and Carroll counties, said Friday. 'President Trump is doing everything he said he would do.' But political scientists say that, as Maryland approaches the 2026 midterm election, unified support could begin to splinter as lawmakers distance themselves from Trump to curry favor with voters in deep blue Maryland. 'Maryland, as we know, is not necessarily the United States. It is a reliably Democratic state,' said Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland. 'Republicans are vastly outnumbered in the General Assembly, and, as I tell my students, the number one objective of people in office is to get elected and remain in office.' 'Political reality does start to lay in' when looking to the next election cycle, he said. Because they represent a tiny portion of the legislature, unity among the minority party in Annapolis is key. In Maryland, Democratic voters outnumber Republicans 2 to 1. There are 188 legislators in the Maryland General Assembly. With only 39 Republicans in the House and 13 in the Senate, the GOP's impact in Annapolis is small. While Maryland Democrats in both the General Assembly and congressional delegation lamented actions taken by the president and his administration as he worked toward his 100-day milestone, Republicans celebrated what they described as popular, commonsense policy. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Maryland Freedom Caucus, a faction of seven members of the House of Delegates, 'applauded' the president for the 'decisive' actions he took in his first 100 days in office. 'His leadership has focused on prioritizing American interests, ensuring long-term economic stability, and safeguarding individual freedoms,' the caucus said. 'These achievements in the first 100 days reflect President Trump's dedication to prioritizing America First.' The Maryland Freedom Caucus specifically highlighted Trump's immigration policy, which they said 'have resulted in the lowest levels of illegal border crossings in our lifetime.' According to a tracker of southwest land border encounters from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were 84,174 interactions between border patrol officers and immigrants from January to March 2025, compared to 555,467 during the same period in 2024 when President Joe Biden was in office. Ready lauded Trump's attempts to eradicate waste, fraud and abuse through the work of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. 'Nobody in their right mind should argue that the federal government didn't need a scrubbing or a retrenchment,' he said. 'Just like a business, any government entity … has to, from time to time, evaluate where we are.' Del. Kathy Szeliga, a Baltimore County Republican and Freedom Caucus member, said that the president 'is championing' policies that 'average Americans support.' 'We really have a lot of mainstream ideas, and it's the radical liberals in Annapolis that are out of the mainstream,' she said. During the 2025 legislative session, the formation of the Maryland Freedom Caucus, a group of seven of the most active members of the legislative GOP, caused a perceived schism among Republicans in the House of Delegates. Some have chalked it up to a difference in strategy — the small sect more publicly and aggressively pursues policy than their colleagues. In a mid-March interview, House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, an Allegany County Republican, called the caucus members 'extremely online.' The Freedom Caucus has a very active platform on X, which, at times, has caught the attention of Libs of TikTok — a popular anti-LGBTQ+ social media account. Though the strategy differs, Buckel said the Republican Party would persist as long as they work toward the 'same ends and goals — which, I think, we are.' And they did. This session, Republicans in both chambers stood unified in their fight against proposals for new and increased taxes, immigration and public safety policy, climate-friendly energy legislation and Maryland's reliance on the federal government to power its economy. Maryland's economy is closely tied to the federal government, largely due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and the 260,000 federal workers who reside in the state. It also relies heavily on the federal government for funding, especially for social safety net programming like Medicaid. To Ready, the focus of Republicans in the legislature is to make the state less dependent on the federal government, so that the effect isn't felt as harshly when cuts and layoffs happen as they are under Trump. 'Our focus is really on trying to turn the state around from where we are now, which is a very troubled state economy, and it's a state that's too heavily dependent on the federal government, too heavily dependent on government spending, in general,' and is losing business, he said. Still, Eberley cautioned that the unity around Trump may dissipate as Republicans start to make their reelection bids and look forward to meaningful ways to impact policy among the Annapolis Democratic supermajority. '… The Trumpier you are, the less likely you are to have a seat at the table,' he said. But Del. Matt Morgan, a St. Mary's County Republican and the chair of the Maryland Freedom Caucus, said that politicians who stay true to their policy convictions shouldn't worry. 'Cowardice is contagious, but so is courage,' said Morgan. So, when you get up and speak on issues that impact the people of Maryland, 'I'm telling you they're going to reward you.' ---------------
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘They're hurting us': Marylanders rally against new taxes, increases
Members of the Maryland Freedom Caucus and top Republican lawmakers are maintaining their firm opposition to any new taxes or increases as the General Assembly comes into its final stretch of budget negotiations. 'How do you feel about paying more taxes? You want to pay more income taxes? You want to pay more sales taxes? You want to pay more property taxes?' Baltimore County Del. Kathy Szeliga asked a crowd on Lawyers Mall in Annapolis Wednesday evening. The several dozen people gathered shouted 'no' in response. 'Politicians are increasing the already-bloated budget, and they're looking for any and every tax to raise,' she said. Less than three weeks remain in Maryland's legislative session and the state's fiscal 2026 budget has not yet been approved. Democrats are working to ensure the budget that's passed is sustainable and protects the state from federal uncertainty. Republicans, meanwhile, view the state's budget as out of control, though they also maintain there's still time to avoid new taxes and increases. 'We want to encourage them, it's not too late … We haven't had a vote on a single tax increase yet,' said Del. Matt Morgan, a St. Mary's County Republican who chairs the conservative caucus. 'It's time for them to recognize there's a lot of people out here. We call Maryland our home, and I'll tell you, they could do the right thing.' Some Maryland residents said they are frustrated by the proposed taxes, too. Kathy Painter, a lifelong Marylander who now lives in Prince Frederick, thinks something needs to change. 'They seem to think that these are going to be helpful, but it's hurting the little guy. If they're supposed to be for the little guy, they're hurting us,' she said. 'We're at retirement age. I don't want to have to move out of Maryland because the taxes are killing us.' To help resolve the state's growing $3.3 billion budget deficit, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore proposed an overhaul of personal income taxes, which would give two-thirds of Marylanders a tax cut while increasing taxes on the wealthy, along with other fee increases. A new tax on services is also expected in the budget, though it won't be a 'broad' tax on business-to-business services as proposed by Democratic lawmakers after Moore said Monday that it would not happen. Legislation taxing sugar-sweetened beverages will not be in the final budget. The Republican lawmakers also criticized Moore, saying he wasted a surplus left by former Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, and that the state needs to cut its spending. 'One of the things we hate more than anything else is hypocrisy — hate it down here, and all we hear from the Democrats over and over again is why they can do something and why somebody else doesn't have to do something,' said Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, an Eastern Shore Republican. 'Gov. Moore has been talking about growing the economy, and here's how he wants to grow the economy: IT, life sciences, quantum and artificial intelligence, AI. He wants to grow the economy in those industries. And guess what he wants to tax? Those very same industries that he's trying to grow.' The conservative lawmakers say they're not wavering in their fight against the taxes, though. 'They spend, they spend, they spend. They're addicted to other people's money, but it's time for us to say no more,' Baltimore County Del. Robin Grammer said of leaders in Annapolis. 'Stop lying. No more taxes. Cut the spending.' ________
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland bill that would have allowed sale of condoms in public schools is defeated
BALTIMORE — A Maryland Senate committee stopped a bill that would have removed the prohibition of selling condoms in vending machines in public schools. The Maryland Freedom Caucus, comprised of a small group of conservative House Republicans, has declared the bill's defeat a 'victory.' 'This is a huge win for Maryland families,' said Delegate Kathy Szeliga, a Baltimore County Republican and vice chair of the Maryland Freedom Caucus. 'Maryland parents have spoken, and lawmakers were forced to listen.' Sponsored by Delegate Nicole Williams, a Prince George's County Democrat, House Bill 380 would have allowed contraceptives to be sold in nursery school, preschool, elementary and high school vending machines. It also removes the misdemeanor criminal penalty of $1,000. The bill would not have mandated that schools sell condoms or other contraceptive devices in their vending machines. Individual school systems would be responsible for making those decisions. Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Will Smith, a Montgomery County Democrat, and Gov. Wes Moore declined to comment on why the bill did not advance. During the bill hearing last week, Williams said that the sole intent of the bill was to remove the criminal penalty from the sale of contraceptives in schools. 'That's it,' she said. 'It's not a policy bill. It's not dictating what schools should and shouldn't do. It's not mandating anybody to do anything or suggesting that they should do something. It's just removing a criminal penalty.' Maryland is currently juggling a slew of bills regarding the budget, education spending and the rising cost of energy. Some Republicans questioned Democratic priorities when the Williams' bill was debated on the House floor. The bill gained national attention and became highly politicized by the Maryland Freedom Caucus because of the measure in the bill that would have allowed the sale of condoms in vending machines in preschools. Two of its members appeared on Fox News, railing against Democrats for advancing policy they described as going 'too far.' 'Thanks to the tireless efforts of the members of the (Maryland Freedom Caucus) and the thousands of parents who took the time to advocate and send emails, HB380 has been defeated!' the Maryland Freedom Caucus posted on Twitter Friday. U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, the lone Republican in Maryland's congressional delegation and chair of the federal House Freedom Caucus, described the bill as 'the craziness of the Democrat-controlled Maryland General Assembly.' Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears referred to the bill in her gubernatorial campaign as she continues to push a bold message: 'Don't Maryland my Virginia.' Williams' legislation passed out of the House chamber Feb 21. It was heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee earlier this week and received a unanimous unfavorable vote Friday, destroying its chances of moving to the Senate floor. ----------
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland bill defeated that would have allowed sale of condoms in public schools
BALTIMORE — A Maryland Senate committee stopped a bill that would have removed the prohibition of selling condoms in vending machines in public schools. The Maryland Freedom Caucus, comprised of a small group of conservative House Republicans, has declared the bill's defeat a 'victory.' 'This is a huge win for Maryland families,' said Delegate Kathy Szeliga, a Baltimore County Republican and vice chair of the Maryland Freedom Caucus. 'Maryland parents have spoken, and lawmakers were forced to listen.' Sponsored by Del. Nicole Williams, a Prince George's County Democrat, House Bill 380 would have allowed contraceptives to be sold in nursery school, preschool, elementary and high school vending machines. It also removes the misdemeanor criminal penalty of $1,000. The bill would not have mandated that schools sell condoms or other contraceptive devices in their vending machines. Individual school systems would be responsible for making those decisions. Williams' legislation passed out of the House chamber on Feb 21. It was heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee earlier this week and received a nearly unanimous unfavorable vote Friday, destroying its chances of moving to the Senate floor. Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Will Smith, a Montgomery County Democrat, declined to comment on why the bill did not advance. ----------
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mysterious ‘No Moore' campaign launches Maryland's next gubernatorial race as Republicans, Larry Hogan battle Gov. Wes Moore
BALTIMORE — The flood of social media posts began on the morning of Gov. Wes Moore's State of the State address earlier this month. Critiques of the governor's economic plan turned into 'fact checks' of his speech in real time. Puns branding his agenda as 'Moore taxes' and 'Moore spin' became daily photoshopped memes showing him as the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz or grinning from ear to ear as he hands out a valentine labeled 'Moore taxes.' 'In honor of Presidents' Day, here's someone who will never be one — Wes Moore!' the group calling itself 'No Moore' posted. It included an image of the governor smiling behind a podium in the White House with the word 'NOPE!' across his body. Campaign-style targeting of Moore and his latest budget plan has all but launched Maryland into next year's gubernatorial election. The Democratic governor has said he will seek a second term, and polls have shown him to be widely popular as observers also predict he could consider running for president in 2028. But the package of tax cuts and increases he introduced last month to resolve a $3 billion budget deficit has sparked no shortage of potential Republican opponents and other critics looking to challenge him and his policies — from the formation of a new Maryland Freedom Caucus to former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who would be permitted to run again, commenting in response to Moore's rhetoric about 'inheriting' the state's financial problems. 'This is the wrong approach at the wrong time,' Hogan wrote in one of a dozen Facebook posts he's made since early January that have evoked Moore's actions or the budget surplus that existed when he left office in 2023. Hogan, who lost Maryland's U.S. Senate race in November, has not said whether he would run for another term and did not accept a request for an interview this week. No other Republicans have announced campaigns, though that could change in the months after the legislative session ends in early April. The launch of the 'No Moore' campaign, in the meantime, has stood out — raising questions from Maryland political observers and politicians about its goals, who's behind it and whether it should be registered as a political organization. Beyond its nearly 50 posts on Facebook and more than 200 on X in less than three weeks, its website claims Moore 'squandered' the surplus, echoing some of the language in Hogan's own posts while listing some of the taxes, fees and budget cuts Moore proposed this year. The website says it is 'paid for by but does not list other identifying information. ' is a grassroots uprising to fight back against the failed tax-and-spend policies of the Moore Administration and his far-left cronies in the Maryland legislature,' it states. Maryland Republican leaders told The Baltimore Sun this week they are not associated with the organization, though one top-ranking Democrat pointed to the former governor. 'This website raises the question, 'Are Larry Hogan and his allies behind this effort of using shadow campaigns to spread misinformation about the pro-growth policies of the Moore-Miller administration?'' Maryland Democratic Party Chair Ken Ulman said in a written statement. 'This latest website is just another example of the lengths to which folks will go to distort the truth. Marylanders deserve to know who is funding this dark money effort, especially after they overwhelmingly rejected a dark money fueled campaign just a few months ago.' Spokespeople for Hogan did not provide comment and an email listed on did not respond to multiple inquiries. House Minority Leader Jason Buckel and Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, meanwhile, said their Republican caucuses or associated political action committees were not behind 'No Moore,' as did Maryland Republican Party spokesman Adam Wood. Maryland Freedom Caucus Chair Matt Morgan said it was not the product of his group. Mileah Kromer, who authored a book on Hogan's rare electoral success as a Maryland Republican, said a natural comparison to what 'No Moore' is showing so far is the Change Maryland organization that launched Hogan's rise. Focused intensely on combatting taxes and fees enacted under Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley, the group helped create an anti-tax public sentiment similar to what 'No Moore' appears aimed at doing now, possibly to 'lay the groundwork' for someone to challenge Moore, Kromer said. 'What made Change Maryland so successful is that it had a really powerful spokesperson in Larry Hogan. He was someone with really great communications skills and he used Change Maryland as a platform,' said Kromer, the director of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Institute of Politics. 'It wasn't just Facebook posts or social media posts. He used it as a platform to get on local media, local television. So that's why we have so many broader questions as to what this group is.' Without that spokesperson — or any kind of formal organization — not only is the group's impact uncertain, it's also living in a 'fuzzy' area of campaign finance law, according to experts like Matt Foster, a political science professor at American University. 'On the face of it, it's electioneering. It's an anti-Moore site in the guise of trying to do advocacy on the budget,' Foster said. Despite its disclosure that it's 'paid for by there are no organizations by that or similar names registered as a Maryland political action committee, business or charity, according to the State Board of Elections and other online databases. No tax-exempt organization registered with the Internal Revenue Service or political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission bears its name either. Based on its messaging, it should likely be registered either as a Maryland super PAC, a political organization known in the federal tax code as a '527,' or a 501(c)(4) nonprofit 'social welfare' organization, Foster said. All are tax-exempt under IRS rules but require different levels of disclosure. A '527' is a political organization that must disclose its donors and expenses as it works to influence elections or issues. Social welfare nonprofits, sometimes called 'dark money' groups, don't need to disclose their donors as they engage in politics, which cannot be their primary purpose. Hogan has a history of using both, often at the same time. Change Maryland and An America United, another group he formed toward the end of his time in office as he explored a presidential bid, raised money as Hogan made a pitch for a bipartisan and moderate approach to governing. His messaging often focused on his moves to cut taxes and oppose increases pushed by the Democratic-controlled Maryland General Assembly. He trumpeted that message again last year while running against Democrat Angela Alsobrooks for U.S. Senate — picking a new talking point along the way as he railed against '338 new Maryland taxes and fees' enacted since Moore took his place. Republican state lawmakers developed that list of taxes and fees, though an analysis by The Baltimore Sun found it wasn't as advertised. Just 10% of the fees were new, and just four would directly impact some consumers. Most were associated with professional licensing requirements, and some were decreases that were never enacted or never actually proposed increases. For example, a 'fee for changing your address' that Hogan talked about on the campaign trail was from a proposed regulation about real estate broker business licenses that was eliminated from a final regulation. Still, the 'No Moore' website refers to 338 'consecutive tax hikes to date' under Moore alongside what it claims were 43 tax hikes under O'Malley. It also notes an overall $6.9 billion in 'proposed tax and fee hikes this session' without noting that number refers to new revenue estimated over five years, not just in the fiscal year beginning July 1. It goes on to accurately list some of the taxes and fees proposed to fill the significant budget hole this year, including a new 75-cent retail delivery fee and higher taxes on gambling. And though critics have said Moore should focus on eliminating more spending, the website also criticizes cuts and tax shifts like the $200 million reduction planned for disabilities services. In response, the Maryland Democratic Party launched its own website, 'Budget Facts MD.' It details elements of Moore's proposal that go unmentioned by 'No Moore,' like cutting the corporate income tax rate and giving a tax cut to two-thirds of filers. It also reiterates a point Moore has made since he entered office and particularly since the budget picture worsened in late 2024. A structural deficit — which is different from an immediate cash deficit like the $3 billion hole this year — has been predicted by budget officials since 2017, and 'one-time' funding sources like federal stimulus money during the pandemic 'papered over' the issue. With 16 months until voting begins in the 2026 primary, it's difficult to tell whether attacks on Moore and Democratic lawmakers' tax package will make a difference, observers say. A statewide poll conducted Dec. 27 through Jan. 4 by Anne Arundel County-based Gonzales Research & Media Services found Moore had an early double-digit lead over Hogan in a potential matchup. Kromer said there is a broad question in the Maryland Republican Party about who could run and have a chance at success if Hogan decides not to run. She pointed to the increased activity from conservative members of the General Assembly like those who formed the Freedom Caucus. In a statewide race where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, their or any other Republican's success would come from following Hogan's model of focusing on fiscal issues and not wading into 'culture war issues,' she said. 'This has to be a certain type of Republican,' she said. 'They have to win 30% of Democrats.' Wood, the Maryland GOP spokesman, said he believes there is 'huge potential' for a backlash against Moore and other Democrats like the one at the end of the O'Malley era. Morgan, the Freedom Caucus chair from St. Mary's County, said his group isn't focused on campaigns but on having 'an unprecedented amount of transparency' as it highlights what it believes are the impacts of Democrats' legislation, which Republicans have little chance to influence while in the super-minority. 'If you're putting out good policy and on the side of the people of Maryland, campaigns take care of themselves,' Morgan said. ---------
