Maryland Lawmakers Set August Special Session on Redistricting Amendment

Maryland lawmakers will hold a special session August 3-5 to consider a constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting, legislative leaders announced Tuesday. The amendment would clarify how state lawmakers draw congressional districts after a judge struck down a 2022 map that aimed to give Democrats a chance to flip the state's lone Republican-held seat.

Ferguson said the session will let the General Assembly act while leaving the final decision to voters. House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk said the state needs a durable constitutional framework that reflects the evolving legal landscape.

Hershey called the session an attempt to silence the state's last Republican voice in Congress and said it diverts attention from rising costs facing Maryland residents. If approved by three-fifths of both chambers, the amendment would appear on the November 3 ballot. Ten states have already redrawn their congressional maps since last summer, beginning with Texas.