ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers will not take up congressional redistricting when the General Assembly convenes for a brief special session next week, legislative leaders confirmed Thursday.
Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore City Democrat, and House Speaker Pro Tem Dana Stein, a Montgomery County Democrat, issued a joint statement declaring the Dec. 16 session “will be strictly limited” to three specific matters and nothing else.
The primary purpose of the one-day gathering is to allow the House of Delegates to elect a new speaker following last week’s announcement by Del. Adrienne Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat, that she will step down from the leadership post she has held since 2019 while remaining in her legislative seat.
The second item on the agenda involves consideration of overriding gubernatorial vetoes issued since the regular 2025 session adjourned. Under state law, any vetoes not addressed during the special session cannot be reconsidered when the legislature returns for its regular 90-day session in January.
The third category covers routine administrative functions needed to ensure continuity of legislative operations ahead of the new year.
The announcement ends days of speculation that arose after the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission scheduled its final meeting for Dec. 12 — just four days before the special session. Some political observers had wondered whether the timing might prompt attempts to inject congressional map-drawing into the proceedings, especially given ongoing litigation over Maryland’s current districts.
Ferguson and Stein made clear that no such detour will occur. Lawmakers who attempt to introduce redistricting legislation or any other unrelated bills during the special session will see those measures routed directly to the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee or the Senate Rules Committee, where they traditionally remain tabled without further action.
Special sessions in Maryland are called by either the governor or, as in this case, by petition of a majority of members in each chamber. The proclamation or petition defines the scope of business that may be conducted. Items outside that scope are effectively barred from consideration.
The Dec. 16 session marks the second special session of 2025. An earlier one in May addressed budget reconciliation matters after the regular session ended without final agreement on certain fiscal items.
Jones, who became the first Black and first woman to serve as House speaker in Maryland history when elected in May 2019, informed colleagues last week that she would relinquish the gavel at the end of the year. She cited a desire to focus on district priorities and family during her remaining time in office. Jones was reelected to her House seat in November and will continue serving District 10 in Baltimore County through 2026.
The House Democratic Caucus is scheduled to meet privately in the coming days to select Jones’s successor. Potential candidates mentioned by members include Dels. Vanessa Atterbeary of Howard County, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee; Luke Clippinger of Baltimore City, who leads the Judiciary Committee; and Marc Korman of Montgomery County, chair of the Environment and Transportation Committee. No formal announcements have been made.
The veto override portion of the special session could prove consequential. Governors traditionally issue a batch of vetoes after the regular session ends, and lawmakers then decide during the following January whether to attempt overrides, which require a three-fifths vote in each chamber. By holding a December session, leadership ensures that any overrides can occur before new members are sworn in and before attention turns fully to the 2026 session’s budget and policy agenda.
As of Thursday evening, the governor’s office had transmitted 28 veto letters to the General Assembly from the 2025 regular session. Among them are measures related to juvenile justice reform, expanded voting access, and changes to public information laws. Lawmakers have not publicly indicated which, if any, they intend to challenge.
The special session is scheduled to convene at noon on Dec. 16 in the State House. Both chambers are expected to complete their work the same day.
