Signs direct voters to a polling place at Sacred Heart Church in La Plata in this photo from the 2022 elections. (File photo by Angela Breck/Maryland Matters)

 An Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge issued a partial ruling Monday in favor of a group of unaffiliated Maryland voters who are challenging the state’s closed primary election system.

A fuller victory might be harder to come by, though.

Judge Pamela K. Alban determined the voters had standing to file their case, but she has yet to decide whether she’ll dismiss the case on other grounds raised by the defendants — or allow it to proceed. She said she will issue a written ruling in the coming days.

Alban indicated she was skeptical of the voters’ arguments in their lawsuit that their claims were not resolved by prior case law, but said she planned to continue considering the “nuance” of the law.

“I want to think about it a bit more,” Alban said. “I imagine no matter what I do, this may not be the end.”

Attorneys for the plaintiffs, a group of five Maryland voters who are not affiliated with a political party, were quick to say after Monday’s hearing that they would appeal a dismissal by Alban. But former Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, one of the attorneys, said he is “hopeful” for a favorable result.

Across the country, primary election structures vary widely. Maryland has a “partially closed” system, because political parties can choose to allow unaffiliated voters to join, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, which said Maryland is one of 18 states with either completely closed or partially closed primaries.

Then-Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford (R) at the State of the State address in Annapolis in 2020. (File photo by Danielle E. Gaines/Maryland Matters)

The group of voters in the Maryland suit are challenging the fact that the state government funds primary elections that are not open to all voters, since voters must generally affiliate with the Democratic or Republican party to cast their ballots in primaries — unless it’s a non-partisan race. Their suit names the State Board of Elections and various state officials as defendants.

Daniel Kobrin, an assistant attorney general representing the defendants, argued that the case was focused on an alleged “waste of taxpayer money,” and that the plaintiffs didn’t have the standing to sue based on their status as taxpayers.

Eric Gunderson, an attorney for the voters, said that the plaintiffs are not arguing that the state shouldn’t fund primaries. Rather, they are arguing that, if the state continues to sponsor those elections, they should be open to all. The political parties could opt to fund their own primary elections if they wished to continue restricting participation, Gunderson said.

Alban agreed with him, ruling that the case was an elections matter — not a taxpayer one — and that the five plaintiffs had standing to sue because they are all registered voters in the state.

But Kobrin also argued in his filings that previous cases have already decided the issue, and so the Maryland voters’ suit should be dismissed. In particular, he referenced a pair of rulings from the Maryland Supreme Court, from 1946 and 2004, respectively — Hennegan v. Geartner and Suessman v. Lamone.

“Candidly, I think that’s your strongest argument,” the judge told Kobrin, before opening up the floor for him to speak on the legal precedent.

Kobrin asserted that, per prior court rulings, the state’s “well established” reasons for sponsoring primary elections must be weighed against the burden faced by unaffiliated voters, who are fenced out of the process. The state’s needs outweigh the voters’ burden, he said.

If the state didn’t hold primaries, it would run the risk of general election ballots looking more like “NFL pre-season rosters, with hundreds of names,” Kobrin joked. Primaries, he said, “avoid the chaos of a general election with dozens of candidates for each race.”

Kobrin also argued that, although the Maryland Constitution provides the right to vote, it doesn’t necessarily confer upon all Marylanders the right to participate in party primaries.

“Of course there’s a right to vote,” Kobrin said. “What they don’t have is the right to participate in partisan races with a party they’re not affiliated with.”

Turning to Gunderson, the judge called the legal precedent his “biggest challenge.”

Gunderson argued that neither of the two main cases cited by Kobrin centered on the issue at the center of their claim: the state’s decision to put its resources toward primary elections.

“If the parties want to have closed primary systems, they should pay for them,” he said.

Because neither of the two state Supreme Court cases deal directly with that issue, Gunderson argued that they shouldn’t bar the plaintiffs from moving forward with their case, and arguing about the precedent in trial.

But Alban prodded back, adding that Gunderson’s “seemed like a really tight reading of those cases.”

by Christine Condon, Maryland Matters
October 20, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

For Kentavius Jones, executive director of Talbot Mentors, the recent surge of immigration enforcement on the Mid-Shore by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is less about politics than humanity. Week after week, he’s confronted with the fear and disruption these actions bring to the families his organization serves—students coming home to find a parent gone, mentors trying to comfort children left adrift. Known to many simply as KJ, he speaks with quiet urgency about the need for compassion in public policy and a justice system that recognizes people, not just cases.

In our Spy interview, Jones acknowledges that America’s immigration system needs reform. But he argues that tearing apart families who have worked, contributed, and built lives here betrays the nation’s values. The America he knows, he says, is one that offers grace—one that protects rather than punishes those who’ve pursued its promise.

This video is approximately six minutes in length.

In a clear rebuke of recent federal health policy, 15 Democratic governors announced Wednesday that they have formed a public health alliance that breaks with guidance from the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

It’s the largest move by states to diverge from recent policy decisions under Kennedy that have alarmed medical and public health experts, from federal funding cuts for health services to changes to vaccine guidance.

In addition to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), governors participating in the Governors Public Health Alliance are from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington, as well as the U.S. territory of Guam.

“This alliance is a commitment to transparency, preparedness, and coordination so that no state faces health threats alone,” Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said in a statement. “By working together, governors can share data, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen our preparedness for the next public health challenge.”

In a statement on social media, Moore said that, “At a time when the federal government is telling the states, ‘you’re on your own,’ I’m proud to join other governors across the nation in the Governors Public Health Alliance.”

The new Governors Public Health Alliance is intended to strengthen collaboration among the states in emergency preparedness and communication, to help them share data and expertise, and to improve response times to health threats. Although the participating governors are all Democrats, they’re billing the coalition as nonpartisan.

The new alliance comes on the heels of previous regional coordination efforts, such as the West Coast Health Alliance between California, Oregon and Washington, and a similar effort among states in the Northeast.

In recent months, at least 17 states have sidestepped federal guidance and promoted broader access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Those moves came in the wake of new COVID-19 vaccine guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, both under the leadership of Kennedy, a well-known vaccine skeptic.

“As extremists try to weaponize the CDC and spread misinformation, we’re stepping up to coordinate across states, protect communities and ensure decisions are driven by data, facts, and the health of the American people,” California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

Meanwhile, major professional societies such as the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have released their own guidance that diverges from federal policy on a number of issues, from vaccines to autism.

The new Governors Public Health Alliance will be supported by the nonprofit Governors Action Alliance, or GovAct, an initiative overseen by a group of former governors that include both Republicans and Democrats.

— Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at [email protected].

by Anna Claire Vollers, Maryland Matters
October 15, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

A plan to give undocumented immigrants access to Maryland’s state health insurance marketplace next year has been put off until 2028 by state officials, citing recent federal policies affecting immigrants as well as overall uncertainty in health care markets.

The delay was the one of the biggest changes outlined for state lawmakers Thursday by health care and health insurance officials discussing the impact of recent Trump administration policies on Maryland’s health care system.

The joint virtual meeting of the Senate Finance and the House Health and Government Operations committees went over policies that are expected to increase health insurance costs,  create barriers to access plans and reduce federal funding to Maryland, among other effects. The briefing also laid out the ways in which Maryland might respond to those changes.

Michele Eberle, executive director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, said one of the changes she was the “most unhappy about” was a delay in the implementation of the Access to Care Act, in light of recent federal developments.

Currently, undocumented immigrants can purchase health care plans directly from insurers. But they are barred from using the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to compare plans and find the most appropriate insurance for their households.

The 2024 Access to Care Act would have change that by opening the marketplace to undocumented residents, allowing them access to the marketplace,where they could comparison-shop health plans from different providers. It was to take effect next year if the state could get a waiver from the federal government, which is got while President Joe Biden was still in office.

The law would not have given undocumented residents access to the federal subsidies to make health care affordable for many customers. But, for those who could afford to buy individual plans without a subsidy, it would at least have given them a chance to use the online marketplace as a tool to weigh their options.

But with the Trump administration’s antagonistic approach toward undocumented immigrants, along with significant changes to health care funding, Eberle said the exchange decided to delay opening the marketplace to undocumented residents until 2028.

“We worked really hard under the last [Biden] administration to make sure that it was approved — and we were all set to go,” Eberle said. “We did not anticipate at that time that we would have the Marketplace Integrity Rule or HR 1 that would throw up a whole bunch of new requirements that we would have to put in place in short order.”

The rule and the bill — also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — overhaul parts of the Affordable Care Act and other federal health regulations, and states like Maryland are having to focus their resources on complying with those changes.

The Marketplace Integrity Rule also revoked a Biden-era decision that classified immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — for undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children — as “lawfully present” individuals. Being lawfully present would have given DACA recipients access to the federal subsidies that help make health care coverage affordable for many.

Without the classification, DACA recipients lose access to the subsidies, a change that is set to affect about 300 DACA recipients in Maryland currently benefiting from those subsidies.

But federal decisions targeting Maryland’s undocumented and immigrant populations were just part of what Insurance Commissioner Marie Grant called “gloomy but important” health care-related updates under the Trump administration.

Grant noted the significant rise expected next year in insurance premiums — due in part to the anticipated expiration of pandemic-era federal tax credits that bring down costs of individual plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act.

In September, the Maryland Insurance Administration approved an average premium increase of 13.4% across plans next year, less than what insurance companies initially asked for, but still a significant hit in monthly costs for many low- to middle-income families.

Health care advocates fear people will drop their coverage because they can no longer afford their plans if those credits expire. But carriers say the rate increases are needed to offset the number of people they expect will choose to go without health insurance — due to high costs.

The General Assembly approved funding this year that would partially replace the soon-to-expire federal tax credits for the coming year. But those state subsidies are only temporary fixes, analysts say, and even with that assistance plenty of people will still pay more each month for coverage than they did this year.

Congress could vote to extend those tax credits, which is at the heart to the current government shutdown debate. But Grant notes that time is running out to make that decision and have it effect 2026 health care plans.

“We’re expecting those enhanced tax credits to expire by the end of this year, unless Congress takes action to extend them,” she said. “The clock is ticking. It is … likely we’re getting to a point where, unless this extension happened in the next couple of days, it is likely too late to have carriers refile rates for 2026.”

by Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
October 17, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].

 From left, Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-3rd), Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), NTEU President Doreen Greenwald, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th) at podium, Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-2nd), Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) and Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) at the Capitol on Monday. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

State officials have been doing what they can to connect Maryland residents with food, housing, health care and financial resources ahead of a looming government  shutdown.

What they can’t do is make the White House and Congress come to an agreement that would head off the shutdown that is scheduled to hit at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

“There’s rumors that the Trump administration is going to use the shutdown as an excuse to lay off … people,” said Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George’s). “It’s a scary time for them.”

After a meeting between President Donald Trump (R) and congressional leaders at the White House ended without an agreement Monday afternoon, Vice President JD Vance said bluntly, “We’re headed to a shutdown.”

Maryland has already lost the most federal jobs of any state, shedding more than 15,000 federal jobs since Trump took office in January, and the administration has directed agency heads to prepare for large-scale layoffs if a shutdown occurs.

Even without layoffs, a shutdown could threaten a large part of Maryland’s workforce — the state had an estimated 269,000 federal workers in 2023, according to a report from the Maryland Department of Labor.

“Marylanders should not have to bear the consequences of political games that put their paychecks, healthcare and security at risk,” David Turner, the communications director for Gov. Wes Moore (D), said in a statement. “At every step, the governor’s priority is making sure that Marylanders know their state will stand with them.”

He said the state has been working to connect Maryland residents with resources to help cope with a shutdown, including career transition support and increased administration of both unemployment insurance and interest-free loan programs for furloughed workers.

“The potential mass firing of more federal workers and furloughing tens of thousands of contractors in Maryland as the result of shutdown will only further jeopardize both our citizens’ livelihoods and Maryland’s economy,” the statement said.

Lewis said that besides the large number federal employees in Maryland’s workforce, the state is also home to federal contractors or researchers, meaning a government shutdown could have a “ripple effect” on the economy. Nearly 11% of Maryland’s gross domestic product came from the federal government in 2023, according to a report from the Maryland Department of Labor.

Legislation to provide emergency assistance to furloughed workers was passed during a long government shutdown in the first Trump administration, and that fund is still operational, according to Lewis. The fund was also expanded to provide support to federal workers who have been laid off.

“Maryland’s going to stand ready to try to help our citizens where and how we can,” he said.

The Maryland Labor Department has resources like the Federal Shutdown Loan Program for essential workers — those who have to work without pay during a shutdown, but get back pay after it ends —  and unemployment insurance for furloughed workers, according to a statement from Labor Secretary Portia Wu.

The state provides these resources along with support for laid off federal workers, such as other types of unemployment insurance and support in finding a new job, according to the statement. Many Maryland counties have also offered job fairs to help federal workers transition into a new role.

“A federal government shutdown creates immediate financial hardship for our dedicated public servants,” the statement said.

On Capitol Hill Monday, lawmakers came out to support companion bills by Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-3rd) aimed at helping workers through any shutdown. The Help Federal Employees During Shutdons — or Help FEDS — Act would require that states allow essential federal workers, who have to work without pay during a shutdown, to apply for unemployment insurance.

Elfreth said she remains hopeful her Republican colleagues will listen to their “better angels” on helping federal workers.

“I think everybody is up here because we happen to be optimistic in nature. You couldn’t really be a politician in this Congress without being an optimist,” she said.

“Many federal employees live in all 435 congressional districts, and so our colleagues are going to have their own constituents working on Wednesday if we shut down without a paycheck,” Elfreth said. “It’s just about calling forth everybody’s better angels in this moment, at least on this issue.”

The lawmakers were joined by Doreen Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which she said represents nearly 160,000 federal employees and 38 federal agencies nationwide.

“My hope is that everyone works together to provide the necessary resources to fund the government, deliver services to the American people and avoid a wasteful and costly government shutdown,” she said. “I am grateful for the people standing behind me today that are willing to stand up and support federal employees.”

— Reporter William J. Ford contributed to this story from Washington, D.C.

by Nicole Pilsbury, Maryland Matters
September 30, 2025

Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected].