The Winners and Losers of CPAC’s 2023 State Ratings: Maryland

The Maryland legislature was productive in all the wrong ways in 2023, earning the state the title of “California of the East” in CPAC’s state ratings.  

Democrat legislators in Maryland had the lowest possible individual ratings. Representatives in the Senate clocked in a 1% average rating, and Democrats in the House reached rock bottom at a 0% average. What’s more, their Republican counterparts proved to be moderate at best. Representatives in the House reached an 80% average rating but so-called ‘Republicans’ in the Senate only managed a shocking 57%.  

Maryland state legislators earned these ratings when they waged all-out war last year on the right to life, the Second Amendment, and free speech.  

Legislators passed SB 859, reinforcing Maryland as a sanctuary state for abortion, and they promoted abortion with SB 341 that requires state universities to help students construct plans to access abortion. They also proposed an amendment to the state constitution with HB 705 that lists abortion as a protected right.  

More laws now prevent Marylanders from protecting life outside of the womb as well and exercising their Second Amendment rights. SB 1 prohibits citizens from carrying firearms in government buildings and public spaces and HB 824 raises the legal age to acquire a firearm to 21.  

Finally, Maryland legislators executed an onslaught of assaults on the First Amendment. SB 5 expanded hate crime laws while leaving the definition of a hate crime ambiguous and broadly applicable. SB 540 allows the prosecution of individuals accused of “civil rights violations”, another dangerously ambiguous charge with the potential to target conservatives and political opponents. HB 1066 went further to establish an entire organization, the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention, dedicated to preventing hate crimes and which is bound to be stacked with members from radical Left-wing groups.  

Unfortunately, these bills are only the tip of the iceberg on Maryland’s radical, liberal agenda in 2023. CPAC identified more than thirty bills and laws that grew government power and shrunk individual liberty in Maryland in 2023.  The full breakdown of each piece of legislation can be viewed in the scorecard on CPAC.org.