ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — Redistricting is all but dead on arrival in the Senate, according to the presiding officer, after the House of Delegates passed the proposed new congressional map Monday evening.
Senate President Bill Ferguson said the window of opportunity for action on the bill closed a while ago and argued the members in the Democratic Caucus do not support moving forward.
“I know that this is a contentious issue, but we laid out back in October where the Senate Democratic Caucus stood after lots of conversation and discussion, and nothing really has changed,” Ferguson told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “The Maryland Constitution is still the Maryland Constitution and so we have not shifted in where we believe things are.”
The plan came out of the House late Monday evening after hours of debate on the floor. House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk and Gov. Wes Moore sat shoulder-to-shoulder just minutes after the votes were taken to tout their efforts during an appearance on MS NOW.
“I’m thrilled and I’m grateful for the leadership of our Speaker, and for House because I think they’ve shown a measure of courage that is necessary and required inside this moment,” Gov. Moore said during his cable news appearance. “This is an emergency piece of legislation because this is an emergency.”
Pena-Melnyk said she’s had conversation with Ferguson and believes he’s listening to her, but she has yet to provide specifics on those talks. As other states continue down the path of mid-cycle redistricting,
“I have told him that Florida is next, they have already called a special session for April, and this is simply the right thing to do,” she said on MS NOW. “We must meet the moment.”
Despite the growing pressure from Democrats in his own state and beyond, Ferguson argued Marylanders aren’t focused on redrawing congressional boundaries right now. The Senate President, however, will not definitively say no when asked if the redistricting bill is dead.
“Look, we’re not prioritizing that piece of legislation,” Ferguson said, adding that the Senate isn’t in the habit of moving forward things that don’t have an opportunity” to pass.
Pointing to the election calendar, Sen. Ferguson argued there isn’t enough time left to address the plan without impacting the primary election given the filing deadline is just weeks away.
“If this were back in August, September, October, that is when we would be approaching a timeline that would not massively disrupt the current 26 election cycle,” he said.
After the House passed the pan, Gov. Moore quickly issued a statement praising the effort, calling it “an important step to strengthen our democracy and ensure Maryland’s representation reflects the will of the people.”
“Now it’s time for the Maryland State Senate to do what Marylanders expect and democracy demands: take up this map, debate it, improve it if needed – and vote,” Moore’s statement continued.
FOX45 News questioned Ferguson about putting the plan up for a vote on the floor to end the pressure campaign and put the issue to rest. In response, Ferguson recalled a recent community interaction where he said constituents thanked him for not taking up mid-cycle redistricting and instead, argued Marylanders want lawmakers to address their growing affordability concerns.
“That’s what the Senate is going to be focused on is the things that our constituents are talking about, which is their concern about prices, their ability to live in Maryland without being priced out,” Ferguson said. “That’s what our obligation is right now and that’s where we’re going to spend our time.”
There are rules that could give senators who support taking up the congressional map the ability to essentially force a vote, though the use extremely rare and success is nearly unheard of.
“I am very confident with where the Senate Democratic Caucus stands on this and where I think the chamber is overall,” Ferguson said when asked if he’s concerned there’s a possibility of some members invoking the rule. “I don’t foresee anything shifting there.”
Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.
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