State troopers spent about one minute telling a few dozen people in the balcony to leave as the House plowed ahead with its agenda of routine items.

The language that would be added to the state constitution would declare that “every person ... has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” And that freedom includes, but is not limited to, “the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one’s own pregnancy.”

Dozens of Marylanders urged Secretary of State Susan Lee to keep Donald Trump off of the state’s Republican primary election ballot, citing the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which bans anyone who engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding office.

Vincent Harrington led organizing efforts for the state’s majority political party for just under a year. Before that, he served as political director for Gov. Wes Moore’s 2022 campaign for governor.

“We are spurring and leading change and a more just society in our work here in Annapolis every single day, as well as in our communities,” said Del. Jheanelle Wilkins of Prince George’s County, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

Gov. Wes Moore's first year, in photos

The spending plan sets up the state to deal with a shortfall both in the budget year beginning July 1 and for the increasing budget gaps expected in future years.

“Drafting this budget wasn’t easy. It was hard,” Moore said during a State House press conference. “We are operating under very tight constraints and very tight realities.”

Gov. Wes Moore helped raise more than $4 million combined for himself, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller and the Maryland Democratic Party in the past 12 months, according to his team. Full campaign finance reports are due at midnight on Wednesday.

Candidates for the board positions are recommended to the governor’s office by the main political parties and vetted by the executive and legislative branches before the Senate decides whether to confirm them.

Twenty state lawmakers have created the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus, joining their voices to speak out against antisemitism and hate crimes, while also promoting Jewish culture and heritage.

Twelve months ago, the state government was so awash in money that Gov. Wes Moore and state lawmakers were able to sock away hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and future needs. But what was once a surplus has turned into a deficit,

“It’s time for the party to get behind Nikki Haley,” Hogan said on CNN on Sunday, one day before the Iowa caucuses.

The district encompasses all of Howard County, a small bit of Carroll County, and a large swath of northern and central Anne Arundel County, and is full of talented politicians who might now be reconsidering their future plans.

Carlos Ayala is a Republican from Salisbury who was appointed to the elections board last year by Gov. Wes Moore, following a recommendation from the Maryland Republican Party.

One day down, 89 to go.

Most of the lawmaking course has already been charted by leadership, but legislators bring with them the individual names and unique stories of their constituents — even those who didn’t vote for them.

The opening day of the General Assembly session is a day of ceremony and optimism, with lawmakers greeting each other after months spent back in their districts and at their day jobs.

Maryland’s lawmakers will spend 90 days reviewing thousands of bills. But the issues likely to get the most attention are a tight budget situation and ongoing concerns about violence and crime involving young people.

Check out history and see your lawmakers at work with a visit to the State House in Annapolis, the oldest state capital building that’s in continuous legislative use.