I’m concerned about establishing additional data centers because the state and local municipalities have not created enough safeguards and guardrails to protect our communities from rising energy costs, environmental impacts (noise/pollution) and changes in land use that are an outcome of data centers.
(1) Extreme weather; (2) Closure of the older fossil-fuel power plants combined with slower adoption of new lower-cost renewable energy; and (3) Utility companies that are investing in upgrades. Can be addressed with my support and vote for bills that strengthen protections against unnecessary rate increases, improving efficiency and accountability of state energy programs, and ensuring that large energy users bear the costs for their energy usage.
Yes, it could boost the State's economic competitiveness by connecting residents with jobs; reducing long commute times; creating an environmental/health benefit resulting in lower air pollution and generally promoting public health; and promoting reliability and efficiency with the public transit systems.
(1). Continue to support education investment for K-12 public schools and community schools (provide students and families wraparound services); (2). Housing and Affordability, support increased affordable housing initiatives; and (3). Fiscal responsibility, continue to support ways to eliminate cash shortfalls and maintain the "Rainy Day Fund".
Continue to support and defend with my vote, immigration legislation, as I most recently did by leading "House Floor Debate" in support of HB1017. The legislation prohibits State or local government from approving the use of a building or structure as an immigrant detention facility by a private entity unless the immigration facility is expressly included in the zoning authority. This provides additional transparency to residents about the way in which land is used within their communities.
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MD should add data centers within a strong regulatory regime that requires commitment to investment in new power generation matching consumption, closed loop water use, and the use of brownfield land. I’d also work with legislators from other like-minded regional grid states to prevent free riding on the grid. Lastly, data centers are high-investment, low-employment, and use mature technology. MD should also target higher employment and cutting-edge breakthrough research and technology.
Causes: Data center, electrification demand; supply constraints from local and PJM permitting, capital costs. Short-term solutions: Extend electricity auction cap, demand PJM clear clean energy interconnection backlog, regulate data centers, energy subsidy. Medium-term: Seek fixes to PJM’s governance model, bring the state back into resource adequacy planning, logroll demand management and permitting reform. Long-term: interstate compact on resource planning, demand management, renewables.
Reliable, frequent, safe, and affordable transit can change driving habits, energize economic development, and enhance land value. The challenge, the Purple Line shows, is the sheer size of required capital and only dense population centers can support the investment. Tying transit investment with affordable housing development could offset build costs and address housing shortage, but it is not a construction model we use. MD should also nudge VA and DC toward permanent WMATA funding.
Revenues: 1) Greater progressivity across ALL tax/user fee types, including raising zero-tax income tax bracket. 2) Matching top tax rates to our collective ambitions. 3) Long-term: examine income-basis for commercial property assessment. Spending: Public education/Blueprint; healthcare including all-payer system for state hospitals and prescription drug affordability board; road design, housing, renewable energy support; expand biotech investment incentive tax credit model to more sectors.
I am a first-generation immigrant and now I always carry my passport with me. My children carry their papers in their backpacks. Maryland remains a welcoming state, but we must act now to deny ICE/CBP warrantless access and public assault. State and local agencies cannot do this themselves, but we should enable civic mutual aid organizations, especially to help stranded children. Long-term, immigrants need responsive public education, affordable housing and healthcare, and safe streets.
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I do not support more data centers in our state. The tax revenue they generate is more than offset by their utility costs, they generate air and noise pollution, and their demand for electricity and water strain our infrastructure and drive up rates for residents. Worse, data centers create few permanent jobs and contribute to labor market disruption and contraction through the advancement of AI technologies. They give a short-term revenue boost at the expense of long-term economic prosperity.
Factors driving the rise in utility costs in Maryland include a lack of competition in the consumer electricity marketplace, increased energy demand from data centers, and red tape holding up new renewable energy projects. I support the Utility RELIEF Act, which will help to reduce electric bills in the short term by addressing these factors. The state should also expedite its approval process and pressure PJM (the entity that manages our grid) to streamline approval for new renewable projects.
Maryland needs to improve existing transit services and expand access to reduce dependency on automobiles. Increasing transit options and concentrating new development along transit corridors is a smart approach to growth that reduces emissions, curbs sprawl and traffic, and creates dynamic nodes of economic activity. My priorities include further integration of MARC and VRE commuter rail, and working to establish dedicated funding for WMATA and other regional transit investments.
My three top budget priorities are the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, especially the provisions that would expand the amount of collaborative time for teachers and increase the number of community schools in our state; additional investment in road safety improvements and public transportation services, particularly dedicated funding for WMATA; and ensuring adequate investment in Medicaid and ACA marketplace subsidies, alongside new spending for mental and behavioral health services.
Immigrants deserve the same protections of their civil liberties and access to economic opportunity as all Marylanders. I support legislation passed this session that prohibits local law enforcement from working with ICE. I also support legislation to prohibit face coverings for law enforcement, and to fund legal representation for poor defendants in immigration court. Economic policies that I support include rent stabilization and just cause eviction, and strengthening workplace safety.
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I do not, as the economic benefit is relatively small once construction of data centers is complete while the cost to our power grid and environment is continuous and significant. Furthermore, there is a high chance the market bubble for AI companies will pop in the next couple of years and we'll have data centers left incomplete or abandoned for lack of use.
I believe it is well known that AI data centers, particularly in Virginia, are driving up the cost for everyone on our shared grid. We should also acknowledge that recent state legislation has unfortunately driven a lot of energy producers out of the market, resulting in Montgomery County returning to a de facto monopoly. I believe Maryland must negotiate with Virginia to ensure data centers either provide their own power or are heavily taxed, while at investing heavily in local solar power.
Absolutely. Not only does public transportation provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to cars, there is plenty of research connecting inexpensive and readily available public transportation to increased economic activity in a region. Further, our roads are already overly congested and expanding highways will only worsen the problem in the long run.
I believe the top priority of every political leader must be combating global climate change, particularly by rolling out solar generators and batteries as rapidly and expansively as possible. My second priority is building up state institutions to compensate for the devastating damage inflicted on the federal government by the Trump administration. Finally, I will focus on the Blueprint for Maryland, particularly ensuring pre-k education is available and easily affordable for all.
Yes. I applaud the efforts our party is making at the county and state level to oppose ICE aggression and the Trump's administration's racist policies, but I would go further in making the state a shield for it's residents. Maryland should provide quick monetary compensation for damage caused by the federal government while suing it for restitution. We should also outlaw public or private surveillance tech that is tracking our residents and sending that information to ICE or other enforcers.
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Data centers bring some economic benefit, but I am deeply skeptical of expanding them without guardrails. They strain our power grid, water supply, and land. I support a moratorium until we have real answers. I voted for the Utility RELIEF Act, sponsored by the Speaker, which requires data centers to pay for their own energy infrastructure rather than shifting those costs onto Maryland families. Big Tech should not freeload on our grid at ratepayers expense.
Marylanders are paying more because utilities keep passing costs onto ratepayers, PJM has mismanaged the regional grid, transmission costs are rising, and Maryland has not built enough in-state power. We need immediate relief and structural reform. I support the Utility RELIEF package to return money to families, tighten oversight of utility cost recovery, and make data centers pay their own way, while also investing in more local clean energy so we do not retreat from our climate goals.
Yes, absolutely. I helped secure stable dedicated funding for Metro, which earned recognition as Transit Agency of the Year after a remarkable turnaround in safety and reliability. I support the DMVMoves framework to modernize Metro with $460 million in new annual capital funding. MARC ridership is surging and I support expanding service to all-day, seven days a week. Reliable, affordable transit reduces congestion, cuts emissions, and connects our communities to opportunity.
My top budget priorities are protecting the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, defending essential funding for people with disabilities and other core human services, and expanding affordable housing. I will fight for the Community Schools Rental Assistance Fund and the Housing Innovation Fund, which I helped create, and I am proud to have delivered capital support for district projects including parks, schools, and Leisure World. In a tight budget year, I will protect what helps families most.
Immigrants are our neighbors, our coworkers, and the backbone of our community and economy. I am proud the legislature shut down the 287g program. In 2020, I was the primary sponsor of the Dignity Not Detention Act, which closed Maryland's three ICE jails and reduced ICE enforcement activity statewide. This year, I architected and sponsored HB1018, which sets minimum health and safety standards for any immigration detention facility in Maryland. We will keep protecting immigrant dignity.
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With more than 40 data centers in Maryland and regulated by the state’s Department of Energy, there needs to be more transparency on the financial investment. High levels of pollution as well as decreased employment rates in minority communities need to be addressed. Ultimately, the State has to weigh the cost of building to the community’s benefit.
Fluctuating temperatures require more usage, causing energy bills to rise as utility companies charge consumers to deliver essential services. The companies’ profit incentives are in building large-scale enterprises, then passing those costs on. The State Legislature should grant stronger oversight to the Public Service Commission, ensuring citizens have the necessary utilities at affordable rates and with reliable services.
While much of Maryland is suburban or rural, there are many jurisdictions with dense populations. In these communities, people rely on public transportation. Improvement and investment in bus, rail and metro services have the potential for environmentally sound, economically priced, and conveniently available systems that can help ease hurdles in commuting.
National economics directly impact Marylanders’ personal finances. Insurance premiums and prescription medications costs continue to rise. With 24% of Marylanders on Medicaid; 13% on Medicare; 200,000+ purchasing Maryland Health Connection people are feeling the crunch. We need affordable and accessible healthcare, increase jobs in the biotech corridor and manufacturing, and defend democracy, protecting individuals’ rights, and advancing equal opportunities.
We are a nation of immigrants. From a principled stance to action-oriented policies, Maryland cannot allow ICE to duplicate terror tactics. The state has already passed laws to protect communities and should support local initiatives doing the same. Celebrate the successes immigrants bring to our economy and culture! They are valuable members of society, deserving opportunities for success.
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I support. They can bring investment and jobs to Maryland, but their development must not raise energy costs for Maryland families and small businesses. Also in ways that protect resources. These centers require enormous amounts of electricity and will drive the need for new power generation and grid upgrades. Maryland should ensure that large energy users like data centers pay the full cost of the power/infrastructure needed to serve them, rather than shifting those costs onto other ratepayers.
Energy costs in Maryland are rising because electricity demand is growing while supply has not kept pace. Several fossil fuel plants have retired without enough new generation to replace them. At the same time, PJM capacity prices are increasing due in part to projected demand from large users like data centers. Maryland, like PJM, has also struggled to efficiently bring new renewable projects online. We need to accelerate generation and ensure large new energy users pay their fair share.
Yes. Communities like those in District 19 rely heavily on public transportation, and many residents in urban areas depend on buses and Metro to get to and from work every day. Improving reliability and access is essential for economic opportunity. At the same time, Maryland must maintain a responsible balance between investing in transit and maintaining roads so rural and suburban residents can travel safely and efficiently.
My top priorities are education and workforce development, transportation, and affordable housing. We must continue investing in strong public schools, career and technical education, and workforce training to prepare Marylanders for good-paying jobs. We also need reliable transportation infrastructure and public transit, and policies that increase the supply of housing families can afford, especially as rising housing costs impact communities like District 19.
Immigrants strengthen Maryland’s economy and communities as workers, entrepreneurs, and neighbors. I support policies that expand access to education, workforce training, and small-business opportunities so immigrant families can succeed. I also support language access and community partnerships that help residents participate fully in civic life, and I oppose 287(g) agreements because they undermine trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, making communities less safe.
