Gov. Wes Moore: We notched one of the ‘most productive legislative sessions for any Maryland governor at any time’

Three months ago, I placed my hand on Frederick Douglass’ Bible and took my oath of office as the 63rd governor of Maryland. My journey to that moment was improbable: I’m the son of an immigrant, single mother; I’m a graduate of a two-year college; I felt handcuffs on my wrists when I was just 11-years-old; I’d never held elected office before. What’s more, I was about to become the first African American governor of a state that was once home to one of the largest trading ports for enslaved people in the nation — a state that suffered under the grip of Jim Crow for decades, a state that was terrorized by lynchings for over half a century. As I felt the cover of Douglass’ Bible beneath my palm, the power of that moment wasn’t lost on me. But I also understood that making history wasn’t the assignment.

After taking office, I vowed that the Moore-Miller administration would focus on four key pillars of progress in our first legislative session: elevating service, rebuilding state government, ending child poverty, and building an economy that is both equitable and competitive. I vowed we would defy the national politics of hyperpolarization and partisan divides and instead, build bridges of partnership.

As this year’s legislative session comes to a close, I am proud to report that our administration has kept its promises. We defied the odds and notched not only one of the most productive legislative sessions for a first-year administration in our state — but one of the most productive legislative sessions for any Maryland governor at any time during their tenure, period.

All 10 of the bills I authored in my first-year agenda have passed the Maryland General Assembly. Our legislative package will lift our communities, grow opportunity and establish Maryland’s leadership on the national stage. And crucially, our administration acted with intention to ensure that all 10 of our bills received votes from both Democrats and Republicans.

Maryland will be home to the first service-year option in America — to help bridge the gap between an education and a career, nurture a culture of community engagement and strengthen civic bonds. Our state will show the nation how we can end childhood poverty through a major expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, which will lift at least 34,000 Maryland children to the next rung on the economic ladder. Over 160,000 Maryland workers can look forward to a pay bump once we raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2024. We are making our state economically competitive by supporting small businesses through new programs to help entrepreneurs break into modern industries — from renewable energy technology to quantum computing. Veterans under 55 will receive the largest tax cut in a generation in the State of Maryland, and members of the Maryland National Guard will pay less for medical and dental care, making Maryland the first state in the country to offer a path to free health care for those who serve our nation and state.

These legislative victories deliver targeted investments to folks across the economic spectrum. Taken alongside my historic budget — which includes vital funding for infrastructure, education, housing and public safety — we are opening more avenues to work, wages, and wealth for everyone. And we are doing it in a way that keeps our economy competitive.

My administration will now turn toward enacting these bills. To get the job done, I’m supported by an all-star cabinet. In just 90 days, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller and I have assembled the most diverse cabinet our state has ever seen: Nearly half are women, more than half are people of color, and everyone is an expert in their respective fields. We’ve built an administration as diverse as the people it serves — both in the cabinet and across hundreds of state agency posts.

So thank you: Thank you to the legislators from both parties; thank you to the business leaders and labor leaders; thank you to the community groups and the government employees; thank you to our first-responders and military personnel; thank you to our educators and health care providers; and thank you — all Marylanders — for your faith in our vision.

We made the choice to work differently, we made the choice to work together, and we are just getting started.

Wes Moore is the governor of Maryland. He can be reached at governor.maryland.gov/contact-the-governor.