ANNAPOLIS– The Maryland Freedom Caucus ended their first legislative session as a collective with a bang Monday, taking aim at Democrats over the state of the state.
“Give me an example of a good government program here in the state of Annapolis,” Del. Brian Chisholm, who represents Anne Arundel County, told reporters in a gaggle before the evening’s final House session. “I don’t know. None of them. It’s horrible.”
Members, all Republicans, set their sights on several key Democratic priorities, including an energy package that passed Monday.
“Annapolis Democrats did not solve the energy crisis,” Del. Mark Fisher, who represents Calvert County, said. “We have the highest energy prices in the entire region.”
Chisholm took the condemnation of Democrats’ energy efforts a step further.
“People are dying,” Chisholm said. “People are afraid to pay the utility bill … All of you, go, go get to a doctor’s appointment. You know what they ask you? ‘Are you afraid that you can’t pay your utility bill? Are you afraid you can’t afford food?’
“That’s a sad, sad position for this state to be in,” Chisholm said.
Democrats did all of the talking from the podiums on the last day of session Monday, running the Senate and House as the two chambers sent a procession of bills to the Democratic governor. The Freedom Caucus, a newly-formed group that stands as a minority even among Republicans, took their case directly to the media, setting up shop Monday night outside the press pit.
Fisher questioned Gov. Wes Moore’s tax plan, saying that it does not actually help the majority of Marylanders.
“They’re attacking the middle class,” Fisher said. “This idea that the taxes aren’t hitting the middle class [is] wrong.”
There was one priority of Gov. Moore’s that the caucus lauded: pushing back the collaborative time requirement in the state’s expansive education reform plan known as the Blueprint. Unsurprisingly, though, they wanted more.
“It should be delayed further,” Del. Matt Morgan said. “Basically, the Blueprint, at that point, we’re paying teachers not to teach. We don’t have as many teachers as we need to implement in that deal.”
In his closing comments, Morgan, who represents St. Mary’s County, went out of his way to thank gathered reporters.
“When we started this at the beginning of session, we said we want to help you guys,” Morgan said. “We want a good relationship, [we want to] reboot our relationship with the media.”