COMMENTARY

The 2024 Session Begins Today: Let’s Work Together for Maryland

Jan 10, 2024

As the 2024 Maryland Legislative Session begins, it marks one year since the inauguration of Governor Wes Moore and the welcoming of many new faces to the Maryland General Assembly. The many fresh faces have injected new energy and perspective into our state’s political landscape, and presented us with an opportunity to collaborate across ideological lines to craft policies that will make Maryland a better place to do business.

Partnership and understanding are central to our work. Through continued collaboration, we can bridge the gap between job creators and lawmakers to foster an environment where businesses can thrive. After all, healthy businesses are the key to Maryland’s prosperity. Maryland businesses fuel innovation, create quality jobs, invest in our communities and generate essential tax revenue.

However, it’s no secret that our business climate has many challenges. Everyday, Maryland employers face crippling workforce shortages, rising operational costs, burdensome regulations and the threat of even higher taxes.

Still, progress is within reach if we partner to find balanced solutions, helping to support a vibrant, competitive business community that benefits all Marylanders.

This session, we have identified five key areas of focus to guide our strategy and advocacy efforts:

Business Taxes — We urge Governor Moore and the General Assembly to develop well-balanced fiscal strategies that promote economic stability and foster job creation without disproportionately impacting Maryland’s business community.

Transportation Funding — The Maryland Chamber will use our voice on the Maryland Commission on Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs to advocate for equitable transportation funding solutions and a first-class transportation network.

Data Privacy — We support a comprehensive approach to data privacy, enforced by Maryland’s Attorney General, using successful policies already adopted by neighboring states as a guide.

Military Retirement Relief — We support the elimination of the state income tax on uniformed services retirement pay. This elimination will make Maryland regionally competitive in retaining veterans and their families while solving a major workforce challenge.

Child Care Availability — We support legislation and budget initiatives that incentivize the opening of new childcare facilities, as well as the expansion of existing ones. Childcare cost and availability remain contributing factors to Maryland’s workforce shortage.

We will also monitor other critical issues like new regulatory burdens, changes to energy policy, and healthcare initiatives impacting the cost of employer provided health benefit plans. See our detailed analysis of our legislative priorities and anticipated critical issues for this session in our 2024 Legislative Priorities Report.

Good policy requires bringing all voices to the table. We pledge ongoing collaboration with lawmakers and partners across industries, but to succeed we need your voice, your stories and your support to inform lawmakers and help make Maryland better for business.

How You Can Help

Sign up for Action Alerts and receive email notifications when action is needed on critical issues that affect your business.
Get involved in one of our 11 policy committees who meet regularly to review legislation that will impact our 6,800+ members — small business owners, titans of industry and everyone in between.
Help us educate lawmakers by sharing your challenges and the great work you are doing in your community. Tell us how policies in Annapolis are impacting your business by filling out our story submission form.
Stay updated in real-time on our efforts and successes on behalf of the business community using our Members-Only Bill Tracker.

Together, we can build on the progress already made and continue growing Maryland into a place where businesses of all sizes can thrive. There is much work ahead, but the possibilities remain endless.

Sincerely,

Mary D. Kane
President & CEO