Overview
- The House approved HB488 on a 99-37 vote after hours of debate, advancing the measure to the state Senate.
- The plan would rework the Eastern Shore’s 1st District by removing Cecil and Harford counties and adding parts of Anne Arundel and Howard counties, jeopardizing Rep. Andy Harris’s seat.
- The bill pairs the new lines with November ballot questions to keep the map for 2028 and 2030 and to relax state standards on compactness and existing boundaries.
- Senate President Bill Ferguson says the proposal lacks support and is likely to be held in the Senate Rules Committee, where it may not reach the floor.
- Legal challenges are expected, recalling a 2021 map struck as an “extreme partisan gerrymander,” and the compressed calendar includes a Feb. 24 filing deadline and a June 23 primary.