After a volatile election in Virginia that saw Democrats make huge gains in the state House of Delegates, Maryland Democratic legislators vow to take stands on major issues in the hopes of increasing their majorities and chipping away at Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) approval ratings for their upcoming election in 2018.
Both state legislatures will be kicking off the sessions on Wednesday, and while state issues will be the focus for many bills, the representatives in Virginia and Maryland are also keeping an eye on how federal policies will be affecting the residents of their state.
After the U.S. Congress scaled back deductions for state, local, and property taxes, Hogan wants legislation to shield Maryland residents by returning any money received by the state because of the deductions to state taxpayers. However, Democratic leaders said the state may need the addition revenue to help offset any impact of federal cuts to health care.
In Virginia, Republicans have slim majorities in both houses and are focused on the state budget, but Democrats, who flipped 15 seats in the latest election, want to spend time on potentially expanding Medicaid to low-income residents and other health care issues.
In response to President Donald Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns, the Virginia legislature will be taking a look at a bill that requires presidential candidates to provide their tax returns in order to appear on the Virginia ballot.
Maryland’s General Assembly is scheduled to meet for three months, concluding their work on April 9. Virginia’s General Assembly is scheduled to end their work in two months, closing on March 10.
