Wrapping Up the 2023 Legislative Session

And a thank you to all who attended our Sine Die Celebration!

The 2023 legislative session marked a period of historic turnover across Maryland’s political landscape. Along with many new faces in the General Assembly, Maryland also saw a new Governor, Comptroller and Attorney General engage in their first legislative session since winning their elections.

The good news is that when policymakers — new or seasoned — hear from our unified community of more than 6,800 businesses and job creators representing every industry and every corner of our diverse state, they gain an understanding of how important it is to develop and promote strong public policies that make Maryland better for business.

There’s no doubt that legislators heard the voice of the business community this session. From Paid Family Leave, Minimum Wage, Cannabis, Broadband and more — there were many important issues to monitor and weigh in on.

In the days and weeks that follow the end of this historic session, our Government Affairs team reviewed and provided members and the business community with a comprehensive analysis of the critical legislation that passed and failed, and how it will impact businesses. To get insights on this analysis:

• Watch a recording of the 2023 Legislative Session Recap where our experts Andrew Griffin, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, and Hannah Allen, Government Affairs Associate, walked through their initial thoughts and observations.
• Review the 2023 Legislative Report from the Maryland Chamber of Commerce (Members: this report can be accessed and downloaded via your Member Portal)

While the 2023 Legislative Session has concluded, our work to advocate for a Maryland where businesses and their communities are thriving will continue. Thank you to everyone who took a moment to celebrate the end of this historic session with us during Sine Die — you can see some of the photos from this great event below.

In the months ahead, we’ll continue to share data from our newly published 2023 Competitiveness Redbook for Maryland, presenting key indicators surrounding Maryland’s business climate and economy. Tracking where we rank in areas including employment growth, cost of education, wages, taxation, business friendliness and economic, fiscal and regulatory freedom are important in gauging the economic health of our state.

By sharing this data, we are able to recognize the challenges that exist for Maryland’s economy and the areas where Maryland is thriving. In identifying these indicators we can take action to create a thriving business community so that Marylanders can benefit from the increased job opportunities, higher wages, added investment, and a prosperous, stable economy.

The strength of Maryland’s economy is in its educated workforce and industry diversity including sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality, biotech, among many others. As our nation’s economy continues down a volatile path, Maryland’s businesses will continue to face serious challenges that require unique and flexible solutions. The Maryland Chamber of Commerce will continue to advocate for these solutions and the other needs of Maryland employers to support job creation and economic prosperity.