The presiding officers announced today the General Assembly will adjourn Wednesday, March 18 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
As reported by Maryland Matters,
The decision to adjourn “didn’t come lightly,” both House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) and Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said during an afternoon news conference in the Miller Senate Office Building.
“It is a critical time in our state’s government and a fragile moment in our efforts to secure our state’s health,” Jones added.
Legislative leaders said working for 3 1/2 more days would enable lawmakers to focus on must-pass legislation — like the operating and capital budgets and an emergency bill to guide how the state will operate during the crisis — but will also allow them to work on other priorities, like major education reform legislation and a plan to provide more funding for the state’s four HBCU’s.
“We’re going to focus and prioritize but we’re going to continue to legislate,” Ferguson said.
President Ferguson and Speaker Jones said they plan to hold a special session the final week of May to tie up loose ends.
