Caucuses push priority legislation in Maryland
Lawmakers from Maryland’s legislative caucuses gathered March 24 in Annapolis to advance shared priorities as the session nears its end, highlighting bills on youth justice, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant protections, and educational equity. Unity and collaboration remain central to their push for measurable results before Sine Die. The post Caucuses push priority legislation in Maryland appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
Black News 
By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
A joint caucus gathered March 24 in Annapolis, Md., under the theme “We Are Maryland” for the second time to support each other’s key legislative priorities as the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session nears its end.
Lawmakers convened the day after the crossover deadline, when legislation must pass from one chamber to the other to remain eligible to reach the governor’s desk. With the final day of session approaching, caucus leaders emphasized unity while outlining their top remaining legislative priorities.
“Two things have been made clear over the last 14 months,” said Delegate Kris Fair (D-Md.-3), chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus. “First, this federal administration will not stop in finding new cruel ways to dehumanize residents, dismantle our social norms and pit one American against another. In new ways … historically harmed communities are waking up in every corner of our state, locking arms and saying clearly that we will support one another.”
“Together, we can show our state and our country a different world, one where we mutually support one another, and through that support uplift every Marylander,” added Fair. “We proudly share in the efforts of our partners who seek to build a more equitable, sustainable and just society.”
The participating caucuses include the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (LBCMD), Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus (MLLC), Maryland Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus, Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus, Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus, Women Legislators of Maryland and the newly formed Maryland Legislative Muslim Caucus.
Fair highlighted the LGBTQ+ Caucus’ top legislative priorities, including the Birth Certificate Modernization Act (BCMA), House Bill (HB) 1589 and Senate Bill (SB) 626.
“The BCMA is at its heart a bill simply seeking to simplify and modernize our birth certificate update process,” said Fair. “Accurate identification is essential for dignity and access to health care, to housing and to employment, and this bill makes it easier for transgender Marylanders to obtain correct ID cards and papers.”
HB 1589 remains in the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, while SB 626 has crossed over to the House for consideration.
Fair also pointed to SB 950 and HB 1209 addressing conversion therapy. Neither of the bills have crossed over.
Delegate N. Scott Phillips (D-Md.-10), chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, said 17 of the caucus’ 26 priority bills have crossed over.
“As we enter the final stretch of the legislative session, our focus is simple: finish strong and deliver real, measurable results to the people of Maryland,” said Phillips.
Phillips highlighted the Youth Charging Reform Act, SB 323 and House Bill 409, which examines the practice of automatically charging juveniles as adults.
“It is a look at the juvenile justice system and this idea of automatically charging young people as adults and not treating them as the children that they are,” Phillips said. “We’re very grateful that SB 323 has passed over to the House.”
According to the Sentencing Project, youth of color are disproportionately affected by automatic charging. Between 2009 and 2024, 80 percent of Maryland youth charged as adults were Black.
HB 409 is still in committee in the House.
The Maryland Women’s Caucus reported that 13 of its 20 priority bills have crossed over.
The Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus highlighted the Maryland Values Act of 2026, SB 810 and HB 1341, which would ban public school security personnel from participating in federal immigration enforcement and restrict sharing student or employee information for such purposes, except in specific circumstances. Both bills have crossed over.
The Maryland Legislative Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus highlighted legislation expanding Asian American history in the state’s school curriculum, HB 1059.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Delegate Lily Qi (D-Md.-15), caucus chair.
The bill has crossed over to the Senate for consideration.
The Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus uplifted HB 14, requiring deeper analysis of bullying data reported by school systems to determine whether incidents are connected to hate-motivated behavior. The bill has passed the House and awaits a Senate hearing.
The Jewish Caucus is also partnering with the Maryland Legislative Muslim Caucus on legislation recognizing May as Jewish American History Month and January as Muslim American Heritage Month.
“The vision of the Muslim caucus is to make sure Muslim residents are fully represented, empowered,” said Delegate Sean Stinnett (D-Md.-41), chair of the Muslim Caucus. “We will advocate for policies that protect civil liberties, combat discrimination and Islamophobia, and ensure equal access to education, health care, housing, employment and public safety.”
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