A bill to create commemorative months honoring Jewish and Muslim heritage sparked a religious and cultural debate in the Maryland Senate Tuesday on whether a Christian heritage month is needed.
The Senate rejected that amendment after an almost hourlong debate and gave preliminary approval to the Jewish and Muslim months bill — which could still be amended on final passage, as it’s a House bill in the Senate. But some worried the dispute could drive a wedge between lawmakers in the final days of the 2026 session.
If passed and signed into law, House Bill 661 would add two commemorative months — May as Jewish American Heritage month and January as Muslim American Heritage month — to the official state calendar.
Sen. Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City), the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve in the Maryland Senate, said the bill “began because of the increase in hate crimes and the bias towards these two religions.”
In response to other senators, she acknowledged that there are other religions, “and everyone has hate against them. However, the two religions mentioned in this legislation, they are minority religions in the United States of America, and yet they are seeing the majority of the hate crimes against them.”
There were 57 hate crimes motivated by religion in Maryland in 2023, according to the most recent statistics provided by the Justice Department, more than three times the number reported in 2021.
The bill is sponsored by Montgomery County Democratic Dels. Jared Solomon and Sarah Wolek. A similar bill failed in 2025. Sen. Ben Kramer (D-Montgomery) is the co-sponsor of a companion bill, Senate Bill 308, that remains in the Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee.
“The goal here is to offer, in my mind, a little bit of equity and visibility to those cultures that, again, have been very much subjected to bias and hate, which is what we are experiencing at a significantly higher level in our country at this point in time,” Kramer said in support of HB 661.
Currently, the state recognizes 20 commemorative days, seven months and a week. But Muslim American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month would be the first to include a religious component.
“This is breaking new ground,” said Sen. Justin Ready (R-Frederick and Carroll). “We’ve never had religious groups recognized.”
The proposal highlights how culture and religious identity can be tightly intertwined. It also highlights another flashpoint in what some see as an ongoing culture war, as governmental and private entities adopt inclusive policies that Christians say leave them out.
Roughly 58% of Maryland residents say they practice some form of Christianity, according to a 2023-2024 Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study. It said that 9% identified with another religion — about 3% Jewish and 4% Muslim. Nearly one-third of those in the survey identified as religiously unaffiliated.
About half of the 188-member General Assembly identifies as a member of some Christian religion and about 10% said they are Jewish, according to a Department of Legislative Services profile of the legislature. Muslims are not specifically identified in that profile, but earlier this year, three lawmakers — all House member — announced they were forming a Muslim Caucus. Wolek is one of the three caucus members.
Sen. Mike McKay (R-Western Maryland) said his amendment, to set aside April as Christian American Heritage month, was meant to be inclusive.
“We don’t pick one or choose a faith tradition that is worthy of recognition when all have contributed to the fabric of our society,” McKay said on the floor. “I feel at this time in our country, when we can feel divided, this amendment is just an opportunity to bring people together to say that we see each one, we respect one another, and we value all contributions of all. We value all contributions of all.”
Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s), an ordained minister, agreed.
“This crosses all barriers, and it’s a slippery slope to go down. If you’re going to take out one, then there’s another that will be taken out. How many bills can we have?” he asked. “We either honor all or we honor none.”
Some Democrats, like Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel), said such an amendment is “a good idea for a bill in a future year. But this amendment is not about all or none.”
Others, like Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles) said Christians already have two unofficial months starting after Halloween.
“We start hearing all the Christmas songs, right? The First Noel, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty, Joy to the World,” Ellis said. “And from the end of October, November, December, it’s all Christmas. And how many of you get sick of all those Christmas ads and commercials and songs… they make it in all Christmas songs, pretty much November into December.
“We’re saturated with it, right? It’s commercial, and Christmas is a Christian holiday, and we get like, two months of it,” he said.
McKay’s amendment failed 19-26, with six Democrats including Muse joining the 13 Senate Republicans.
The bill could receive a final vote in the Senate as early as Wednesday.
Sen. Antonio Hayes (D-Baltimore City), who ultimately voted against McKay’s amendment, said he struggles with the legislation.
“I understand the symbolism behind it. I understand the people behind it, but I just have a serious problem with the process that we are in the final days of this legislative session, committing so much time and energy to something that I think creates even more division,” he said. “It has people walking away.
“I don’t know what my vote’s going to be. I’m praying on it, but I just think, I don’t think that we should be put in this position,” Hayes said.