May 14, 2025
The list of bills target such issues as real estate, public safety, medical debt, and wildlife
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is taking the state to new heights after signing 170 bills into state law, CBS News Baltimore reports.
The bills, signed May 13, address various topics ranging from abortion coverage to reckless driving.
The Public Health Abortion Grant Program (HB 930) addresses reproductive healthcare funding, establishing a fund dedicated to improving access to abortion care for Maryland residents, focusing on those without advanced financial resources.
The state’s first Black governor also signed the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act (HB 506), which targets ways to improve the popular bay’s water quality in efforts to expand economic growth in the region.
After the Chesapeake Bay Foundation announced concern about the Trump administration’s plans to push budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Moore signed the legislation that will support farmers in developing more efficient farming methods in addition to improving oyster aquaculture.
Senate Bill 590, the Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act, corrects Maryland’s motor vehicle laws in an effort to strengthen penalties for reckless and aggressive driving. Named in honor of a Montgomery County Police officer who was left paralyzed from being struck by a reckless driver, the bill adjusts the state’s driver point system, increasing to two points for negligent driving and six points for going 30 mph or more over the speed limit.
Under the new law, aggressive driving will be labeled to include behaviors such as not adhering to traffic control devices, unsafe passing, and failing to yield to pedestrians.
State Bill 901 targets environmental responsibility by increasing recycling rates, reducing waste, and highlighting the use of sustainable packaging. Producers will now be required to submit a five-year plan by July 2028 that identifies goals for recycled content and recycling rates.
Others bills target relating to issues such as real estate, public safety, medical debt, and wildlife.
Spectators believe signing the bills heightens Moore’s spotlight in the Democratic Party as a potential presidential candidate in 2028.
Democratic strategist Jon Reinish called Moore “one of the party’s freshest faces, most dynamic leaders” but, according to The Hill, Moore, whose name was once listed as a potential running mate for former Vice President Kamala Harris on the 2024 Democratic ticket, told co-hosts of ABC’s The View that he has no plans on seeking the Oval Office.
“I am not running,” Moore said. “I’m really excited right now about the work that’s happening right now in the state of Maryland.”
However, some Democratic analysts feel the moves he is making say otherwise.
“He’s doing very little to discourage that speculation about 2028…His schedule was at odds with his message,” Maryland-based Democratic strategist Len Foxwell said.
Moore recently delivered the commencement address at Lincoln University, an HBCU in Pennsylvania as well as a keynote address on democracy at the Brennan Center Awards in New York City.
Reinish said people should focus on where Moore is appearing.
“He’s going on big-name TV shows. He’s heading to the early states,” Reinish said. “I think most people at this stage would make a cursory denial of some kind. But again, look at what they do, not what they say.”
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