Republicans in Maryland’s General Assembly shared their perspectives following Gov. Wes Moore’s fourth State of the State address on Wednesday.
Republicans in Maryland’s General Assembly shared their perspectives following Gov. Wes Moore’s fourth State of the State address on Wednesday.
Moore spoke about mid-cycle redistricting, local law enforcement partnering with immigration enforcement agents, his proposed budget, and affordable living in Maryland. He also address the efforts to protect residents from what he called “attacks from Washington, D.C.”
Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey (R) argues that businesses and families in Maryland are worse off since Moore assumed office in 2023.
He questions what has changed in the four years.
“Do families feel more secure? Is life more affordable? Is it easier to live, work, build, and invest in Maryland? For far too many Marylanders, the honest answer is no,” Hershey said.
Making Maryland more affordable
Hershey said the state’s rising costs, energy prices and structural deficits have gotten worse since Moore took office, and before the current president got into the White House in 2025.
“President Trump has been in office for just one year,” Hershey said. “Marylanders expect their governor to focus on Maryland’s problems and take responsibility for the decisions made right here at home.”
Hershey added that political decisions in the state’s capital are why Maryland is dealing with higher energy costs.
“Reliable, affordable energy was sacrificed, affordability was ignored, and Maryland families are paying the price every single month,” Hershey said.
Hershey said that by listening to Republicans in the General Assembly, there is a better path to rebuild affordability.
“One that restores affordability, rebuilds accountability, delivers reliable and affordable energy, and grows our economy by letting Marylanders work, build, and invest without government standing in the way,” Hershey said.
Moore said it’s time to double down on renewable energy, and he introduced legislation to “build on that foundation with an additional $100 million in energy rebates.”
Efforts to curb Maryland crime
Moore spoke about the state’s effort to lower crime in Maryland, touting the historic 2025 homicide decline in 2025. He said his administration has been going into communities and giving funding to neighborhoods most affected by intergenerational poverty.
“You cannot address violent crime if you aren’t addressing the failed conditions in the communities where the violence is occurring,” Moore said.
However, House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy (R) said juvenile crime is still a huge problem, referencing the recent shooting at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Montgomery County, where a student was shot and another student was arrested.
“So here’s a real-life scenario, you have someone who is on an ankle monitoring system, allegedly, for other crimes, is now pointing guns at students in class and then shoots one,” Pippy said. “So this is what we’re talking about. The majority party seems to be hellbent on putting politics above safety.”
Pippy added that after the Juvenile Justice Reform Commission was put in place in 2024, it has been impossible to hold any juvenile accountable.
“To a point where there were now assaults in Baltimore City, in District 46, where they had to roll back those changes to the law because of public safety,” Pippy said.
Republicans push back against 287(g) ban
Moore addressed immigration enforcement in Maryland, calling for some protections and standing with the immigrant communities in Maryland.
Recently, Maryland lawmakers advanced bills that would ban 287(g) agreements. Those agreements allow local law enforcement to work with federal immigration agents.
Many local jurisdictions like Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and others, have pushed for resolutions to prohibit the partnerships between government and ICE.
However, Harford County is among eight counties in Maryland to have signed onto this 287(g) partnership. The other counties include Allegany, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Washington and St. Mary’s counties.
“Our extraordinary men and women in Maryland law enforcement will continue to work with federal officials when it comes to getting violent criminals off of our streets, but they will always follow the constitution,” Moore said.
Residents in Washington County, in Maryland, protested on Tuesday after the county commissioners announced their full support for immigration enforcement, as a new ICE detention center is planned near Hagerstown.
House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R) said there needs to be more conversations about how to identify dangerous individuals that should be deported.
“Let’s work together to identify those, then maybe we don’t have to focus as much on others,” Buckel said. “Maybe we don’t get collateral arrests. Maybe we don’t get people with guns outside of schools and shopping centers. We’re not having those conversations. We are just playing politics on those issues.”
“We’ve seen making Maryland a sanctuary state by eliminating the 287(g) program,” House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy said. “That was also polled, and it was found that the overwhelming majority of Maryland – 76 % of Maryland – 65% of Democrats, opposed getting rid of those programs.”
Concerns over governor’s proposed budget
Republicans say they are concerned with Gov. Moore’s proposed $70.8 billion Fiscal Year 2027 budget.
The governor says the budget does not raise taxes, while addressing the state’s $1.5 billion deficit with nearly $900 million in cuts and cost-saving measures.
The proposed budget is aimed to fund education, reduce energy costs and invest in law enforcement. The proposed budget maintains 8% in Maryland’s Rainy Day Fund and cuts government spending by $154 million in two years.
“This year we have another $1.4 billion deficit, and their solution is to raid the rainy day fund, and some other things,” said Jesse Pippy. “What are we going to have next year?”
Moore blamed the federal government for the budget shortfall after 25,000 federal workers were laid off in Maryland.
He also claims that the president’s domestic policy agenda could end access to healthcare for up to 180,000 Marylanders, and more than 680,000 Marylanders could have their food assistance benefits taken away.
“Marylanders are seeing firsthand how the White House Agenda is making their lives worse,” Moore said. Washington is using this moment to attack and to limit and to retreat. We will protect our people from the worst of Washington’s cruelty.”
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