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Katie Hester — Democratic State Senator for Maryland District 9 (official headshot)

Katie Hester Voting Record & Scorecard | Christian Employers Alliance

MD Senator

District: 9 • Democrat

2025 Alignment:

12.24%

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Lifetime Ratings by Policy Category

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Sen. Katie Hester (D-MD-9) earned a 12% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2025, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions. Katie Hester voted on 49 of the 50 substantive bills scored by CEA in 2025. Katie Hester represents the 9th District in the Maryland State Senate.

Title

Lawmaker Position

HB 1020Senate 20251x

Driving Up Healthcare Costs by Banning Reporting Medical Debt to Credit Score Agencies.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act," prohibits healthcare providers and collection agencies from reporting medical debt to consumer reporting agencies. Additionally, consumer reporting agencies may not include medical debt in any consumer files. If such debt is included in a credit report, that information may not be used when evaluating a person's creditworthiness. This bill drives up healthcare costs by exposing healthcare providers to greater levels of non-payment.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God questions spending on what fails to nourish or satisfy. Healthcare freedom means rejecting one-size-fits-all mandates that force individuals and employers into systems that violate conscience or fail to meet real needs. Leaders who protect healthcare choice allow families and businesses to pursue treatments, coverage, and providers aligned with their values - "eating what is good" rather than consuming what government prescribes.
HB 1037Senate 20251x

Hiking Electricity Costs through the Creation of an Unnecessary New State Energy Planning Bureaucracy.

Against CEA
This bill requires the creation of a new state entity - the Strategic Energy Planning Office (SEPO) - which is expected to cost $6 million annually. The office is tasked with ensuring the State's clean energy goals are met, among other duties. The operating costs of this new entity are assessed on utility companies and ultimately collected from ratepayers.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 1111Senate 20251x

Expanding Cronyism by Providing Property Tax Credits for Solar Energy Systems in Certain Locations.

Against CEA
This bill allows counties and municipalities to grant property tax credits for nonresidential solar energy generating systems that are located on a brownfield, water retention pond, or quarry. The areas must be designated for industrial use, or have been in the past. A "brownfield" includes former industrial or commercial sites determined to be contaminated or polluted, closed landfills, or mined land. This bill provides competitive advantages to government favored energy systems while shifting tax burdens onto other taxpayers.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 11:1 – "The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him."
Leadership Insight
Integrity in business is not optional - it’s spiritual obedience. Every transaction reflects the character of the Kingdom. Honesty is Heaven’s currency for influence.
HB 1222Senate 20251x

Weakening Public Safety and Fueling Illegal Immigration by Restricting Access within "Sensitive Locations" for Federal Immigration Enforcement.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Maryland Values Act," requires public schools, public libraries, and state and local government executive branches located at a "sensitive location" to deny access for federal immigration enforcement, unless the individual has a valid federal warrant or exigent circumstances exist. A "sensitive location" includes locations such as government healthcare facilities, state-funded shelters, and "any other location" that the Attorney General determines "requires special consideration." Additionally, the bill requires federal law enforcement officers to notify local law enforcement or government agencies of federal immigration enforcement actions. Finally, the bill requires the Attorney General to publish guidance on topics such as verifying the identity of federal immigration enforcement officers and validating immigration enforcement documents related to specific individuals.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Romans 13:1-4 – "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
Leadership Insight
Government authority is legitimate only when it reflects God's design - to punish evil and reward good. Leaders submit to righteous authority but resist tyranny. Romans 13 is not a blank check for government overreach; it's a framework for godly governance rooted in justice.
HB 1253Senate 20251x

Increasing Bureaucracy and Taxpayer Costs by Creating a Woke New Bureaucracy to Advance "Social Equity".

Against CEA
This bill establishes the "Department of Social and Economic Mobility" to support "social equity" in the state and "propose new and innovative approaches to social equity programs."
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 1315Senate 20251x

Hiking Health Insurance Premiums by Allowing the Insurance Commissioner to Expand the Vaccines Insurance Companies Must Cover under Minimum Family Member Coverage.

Against CEA
This bill allows the Insurance Commissioner to adopt regulations requiring health insurance policies offered in the state to cover any future vaccines recommended by the CDC for children and adolescents, as part of mandated minimum family member coverage. Insurance companies are required to cover all costs for these vaccinations. The bill also allows pharmacists to administer vaccines recommended in the future by the CDC to individuals age 7 or older. While the provision expanding the ability of pharmacists to administer vaccines expands access to healthcare and competition, each and every health insurance mandate or price control on co-payments prevents an individual from selecting a plan with just basic or customized coverages to fit their specific needs. As a result, health insurers are forced to only offer costly plans loaded with coverages that most individuals do not need. This can result in lower-income or younger individuals choosing to purchase no insurance plan at all due to the high cost.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God questions spending on what fails to nourish or satisfy. Healthcare freedom means rejecting one-size-fits-all mandates that force individuals and employers into systems that violate conscience or fail to meet real needs. Leaders who protect healthcare choice allow families and businesses to pursue treatments, coverage, and providers aligned with their values - "eating what is good" rather than consuming what government prescribes.
HB 161Senate 20251x

Fueling "Gender Identity" Indoctrination on School Children by Imposing New "Content Standards" on School Districts.

Against CEA
This bill requires the State Board of Education to develop "content standards" for each subject and grade level, in addition to the already mandated curriculum standards and resources. County curriculums are required to align with the state standards, and failure to do so may ultimately result in state funding being withheld. Such content standards include the "Maryland Comprehensive Health Education Framework" that requires school districts to provide lessons on different gender identities starting in kindergarten and teach sixth graders to "define sex assigned at birth, gender identity, and gender expression." Measures such as this bill increase the likelihood of classrooms being weaponized to advance political or social agendas onto children.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Deuteronomy 22:5 – "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this."
Leadership Insight
God's design for gender is intentional, not arbitrary. Leaders who defend biological truth protect the foundation of family, identity, and society. Cultural pressure to erase distinctions does not change divine design. Clarity about gender honors God's created order.
HB 19Senate 20251x

Socializing Even Greater Levels of Student Loan Debt of Nurses and Nursing Support Staff onto Taxpayers.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Building Opportunities for Nurses Act of 2025," extends the termination date of the State Board of Nursing albeit with a number of new and expanded taxpayer subsidies for the nursing industry. Most notably, the bill expands eligibility for the existing student loan repayment program for nurses and nursing support staff. Under the bill, nurses and support staff employed at a for-profit healthcare provider in an area determined by the state to have a "health care workforce shortage or public health need" are eligible for student loan repayment. Previously, eligibility was limited to those employed by a non-profit organization or the state or local governments. The bill also authorizes additional student loan assistance for nurses and support staff who practice in a specialty determined by the state to have a shortage in the area and agree to work in that area for a certain amount of time. The free market - not central planning by government bureaucrats - is the best mechanism to determine the need and distribution of nurses and nursing support staff across the state. Taxpayers in urban areas should not be forced to subsidize the amenities of individuals who choose to locate in rural or other portions of the state where nurses and nursing support staff are not as accessible.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
2 Corinthians 9:7 – "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
Leadership Insight
Generosity must be voluntary, not coerced. God values the heart behind the gift more than the amount. Leaders who defend economic freedom protect the right to give joyfully without government compulsion. Forced redistribution replaces worship with resentment.
HB 268Senate 20251x

Further Socializing Hospital Costs by Mandating Low-Income Patients Receive Reduced Cost Care.

Against CEA
This bill imposes new mandates on hospitals that require them to reduce out-of-pocket expenses (such as co-payments and deductibles) incurred by "low-income" patients. The percentages range from a 75% discount for patients with a family income up to 250% of the federal poverty level, to a 35% discount for those with a family income of up to 500% of the poverty level. Additionally, the bill extends the period of time during which a hospital is prohibited from filing a civil action to collect debt, from 180 to 240 days. Finally, hospitals may not charge interest on debt of patients eligible for financial assistance until a court issues a judgement. The nation witnessed first-hand the disastrous consequences and cost of growing government regulatory power in healthcare (i.e. Obamacare). Lawmakers should work to reduce regulations to provide greater access to healthcare and drive down costs for patients.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God questions spending on what fails to nourish or satisfy. Healthcare freedom means rejecting one-size-fits-all mandates that force individuals and employers into systems that violate conscience or fail to meet real needs. Leaders who protect healthcare choice allow families and businesses to pursue treatments, coverage, and providers aligned with their values - "eating what is good" rather than consuming what government prescribes.
HB 270Senate 20251x

Expanding Government and Paving the Way for Additional Regulations Through an Unnecessary Data Center Analysis.

Against CEA
This bill requires an analysis of the environmental, energy, and economic impacts that are likely to occur due to the development of data centers. The bill's fiscal note estimates this study to cost up to $502,000. While the state should eliminate crony tax exemptions designed to incentivize data center development, this bill requires an unnecessary study that is likely to result in additional regulations and mandates in the future.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 277Senate 20251x

Hiking Construction Costs Through New Building Mandates Requiring Water Bottle Filling Stations.

Against CEA
This bill requires at least one water bottle filling station to be installed in all new buildings wherever required under the International Plumbing Code. The bill also contains provisions requiring replacing drinking fountains with water bottle filling stations during certain renovations of existing buildings. These one-size-fits-all mandates lead to unnecessary expenses.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God challenges wasteful spending and misdirected labor that produces no lasting value. Economic freedom means the liberty to invest resources in Kingdom purposes without government mandates dictating consumption. Leaders who reduce unnecessary taxation and regulation allow individuals to steward earnings toward what truly satisfies - family, faith, and generational wealth rather than bureaucratic waste.
HB 324Senate 20251x

Mandating School Board Members Undergo Politicized "Implicit Bias" Training.

Against CEA
This bill requires county school board members to complete antibias training during each term in office. The training must include content such as "cultural awareness" and be designed to "reduce implicit bias." Such mandates enrich providers of such services.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Galatians 3:28 – "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Leadership Insight
Paul declares that social distinctions - including the slave/free distinction - do not determine value in Christ. Workforce freedom applies this truth: every worker deserves the right to negotiate freely, to keep their wages, and to be free from coercive systems that treat them as collective property rather than individual image-bearers. Forced union membership contradicts this gospel vision by treating workers as categories to be controlled rather than individuals to be respected.
HB 33Senate 20251x

Fueling Out-of-Control Spending by Hiking Wage Rates Under the Maryland Corps Program - An Unneeded Entity.

Against CEA
This bill amends various provisions of the Maryland Corps Program, which resembles the federal AmeriCorps. Under the bill, participants in either the Young Adult Service Year Option Pathway or the Maryland Service Year Option Pathway must be paid either the county or state minimum wage, whichever is higher, rather than $15 per hour (Montgomery County's minimum wage ranges from $15.50-$17.65 depending on the number of employees). Additionally, the program completion award of $6,000 can no longer be paid into a tax-exempt bank account for higher education purposes, but must be paid in cash. The bill also expands eligibility for the Young Adult program to include individuals 18-25 years old, rather than having graduated high school within 3 years.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 334Senate 20251x

Paving the Way for Additional Government Dependency and Expanded Medicaid Welfare through a Workgroup on Newborn Home Visiting Programs.

Against CEA
This bill establishes the "Workgroup on Newborn Home Visiting Services" to study and make recommendations regarding various aspects of home-visitation programs for newborns. One requirement is to "identify workforce needs, including issues related to cultural competency" for these programs.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Haggai 1:6 – "You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
Leadership Insight
When priorities drift from purpose, prosperity leaks away. God doesn’t bless motion - He blesses alignment. Economic freedom begins when stewardship follows divine order.
HB 350Senate 20251x

Fueling Out-of-Control Spending Through a $67.3 Billion Budget Funding Countless Wasteful and Unnecessary Initiatives.

Against CEA
The FY 26 Budget Bill, contains over $67.3 billion in total spending. As a whole, the bill represents an increase of $714 million in total spending over FY 2025. Included in the budget are appropriations such as over $257 million for the Maryland Stadium Authority, over $159 million to the Maryland Energy Administration for "Renewable and Clean Energy Programs and Initiatives," over $133 million for the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization, over $55 million for the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, and $53 million for the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority. The state must pursue every available avenue to rein in its out-of-control spending, which, when coupled with the over $185 trillion in federal liabilities, represents the greatest existential threat facing this country.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 350 (Jennings Amd. 603127/1)Senate 20251x

Restraining Government Growth by Implementing a Statewide Government Hiring Freeze.

Against CEA
The Jennings amendment #603127/1 to the FY 2026 Budget Bill. The amendment requires a statewide hiring freeze for employees in the State Personnel Management System (state direct custody and care positions are excluded). The amendment also eliminates 25 new positions in the Office of the Public Defender, and reduces appropriations for salaries and fringe benefits by over $364 million across general, special, and federal funds, though the amendment allows reductions to be distributed to executive branch agencies in a schedule considering the cost savings from the hiring freeze. While the spending reductions should not be redistributed, this amendment is a step in the right direction towards reining in growth in the size and scope of government. The state must pursue every available avenue to rein in its out-of-control spending, which, when coupled with the over $185 trillion in federal liabilities, represents the greatest existential threat facing this country.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 351Senate 20251x

Indebting Taxpayers by Over $1.8 Billion for Wasteful Capital Projects and Rental Housing Programs.

Against CEA
This bill authorizes the Board of Public Works to issue over $1.8 billion in bonds (debt). These funds are to be used for various public works projects, such as building construction, renovation, and replacement, and property acquisition. Among the specific projects included in the bill are $85 million for rental housing programs, over $62 million for renovation and reconstruction of the Smith Hall for the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Towson University, $54.7 million for a new Interdisciplinary Engineering Building at the University of Maryland, and over $8 million for the Randallstown Library and Recreational Center in Baltimore County. The majority of these initiatives and buildings do not pertain to the core and necessary duties of government.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 22:7 – "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender."
Leadership Insight
Borrowing beyond purpose is surrendering authority. Debt doesn’t just cost interest - it costs influence. Leaders who manage debt wisely preserve both freedom and dignity.
HB 352Senate 20251x

Fueling a Mass Exodus of Businesses and Wealth from the State by Hiking Income Taxes and Raising Fees.

With CEA
This bill, the "Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2025," contains several provisions that increase taxes and fees. Most notably, the bill establishes 2 new tax brackets, with rates of 6.25% and 6.50% (previously, the highest rate was 5.75%), and imposes a 2% capital gains tax on individuals with income over $350,000. The bill also provides for a 7.5% reduction in allowable itemized deduction for individuals with income over $200,000 ($100,000 for married filing separately) and increases the maximum county income tax rate from 3.2% to 3.3%. Additionally, the bill imposes a 3% tax on certain computer and data services (unless a higher rate applies), establishes a "new tire fee" of $5 per tire, and provides that the sales and use tax exemption for sales of over $1,000 precious metal bullion is limited to sales at the Baltimore Convention Center. Finally, the bill increases the maximum amount of outstanding consolidated transportation bonds that may be issued by the Department of Transportation, from $4.5 billion to $5 billion.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 384Senate 20251x

Fueling Run-Away-Spending through the Creation of an Unnecessary Maryland Disability Service Animal Program.

Against CEA
This bill establishes a new Maryland Disability Service Animal Program within the Maryland Department of Disabilities. The program will provide funding for a "nonprofit training entity" to pair "eligible individuals" with an appropriate "service animal." The private sector already provides such services, and as the Governor's veto message noted the state is facing a fiscal crisis and "adding new responsibilities for state agencies that are tangential to their core missions makes little sense".
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Luke 14:28-30 – "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"
Leadership Insight
Vision must meet calculation. God honors leaders who count costs before claiming promises. Stewardship without foresight breeds collapse.
HB 390Senate 20251x

Hiking Housing Costs through a New Scheme that Exempts "Affordable Rental Housing" from Property Taxation.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Affordable Housing Payment In Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act," allows counties to exempt certain housing property from property taxes if the owner agrees to maintain at least 25% of rental units as "affordable housing units" for a period of at least 15 years. As a result, other property owners will face higher levels of property taxation due to the lost revenue. Instead of growing government and central planning, lawmakers should empower the free market to make housing truly "affordable" by reducing stringent zoning regulations.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 4Senate 20251x

Infringing Private Contracting Rights through New Mandates on Homeowners Associations for Solar Energy System Installations.

Against CEA
This bill imposes new regulations on homeowners' associations. Specifically, the bill prohibits land use restrictions (such as deeds and homeowners and condominium unit owners association bylaws) that increase the cost of installing solar collector systems. For example, such restriction may not increase installation costs by more than 5% or reduce the amount of energy generated by the system by more than 10%. It is not the role of government to dictate the private contractual agreements and operations of HOAs and UOAs. HOAs serve as free-market alternatives to government zoning and land use standards, as individuals can choose the restrictiveness of the community they wish to join or select to live on property outside the governance of an HOA.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Matthew 20:13-15 – "But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'"
Leadership Insight
Jesus affirms the landowner's absolute right to manage his property without external interference. Economic freedom is rooted in the biblical principle that owners - not governments or envious neighbors - determine how resources are allocated. Leaders who defend property rights protect the foundation of free enterprise: voluntary agreements honored without coercion.
HB 424Senate 20251x

Growing Government Regulatory Power within the Pharmaceutical Industry by Expanding the Ability of the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to Implement New Price Controls.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for All Marylanders Now Act," expands the ability of the Prescription Drug Affordability Board to set "upper payment limits," which limit payment amounts for prescription drugs the board determines pose an "affordability challenge." Previously, this was limited to state and local government health plans and Medicaid, as well as governmental units, such as state correctional facilities and hospitals. This bill expands the authority to all purchases, including private insurance plans.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
HB 477Senate 20251x

Reducing Childcare Costs and Increasing Availability by Studying the Impacts of Regulations on Providers.

With CEA
This bill requires the Department of Education to conduct an analysis of child care facility regulations, such as staffing requirements. The measure requires emphasis on regulations that limit the ability to register a family child care home, receive a child care center license, or operate a child care facility profitably while maintaining quality and affordability. This bill serves as a step in the right direction to reducing excessive regulations within the childcare industry. Lawmakers should build on this deregulatory approach to make childcare more affordable.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
HB 500Senate 20251x

Hiking Taxpayer Costs by Including DEI and Other Non-Pecuniary Factors in Government Procurement Contract Considerations.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Procurement Reform Act of 2025," amends several provisions related to government procurement contracts. Most notably, the bill requires that for certain procurements, a contractor must use an apprenticeship program, and if the value of the procurement is $1 million or more, a contractor must use an internship program. Additionally, the bill establishes a Good Labor Practices Evaluation Factor (which increases the preference of competitive bids) for businesses that meet certain criteria, such as only employing W-2 employees, not paying workers with cash, and accepting liability for the work of any subcontractor. Finally, the bill allows the Governor's Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs to adopt regulations requiring supplier diversity plans for procurements above $250,000, and workforce diversity plans for procurements above $500,000. Additionally, most procurements of up to $1 million must be designated for small businesses (previously between 50,000-500,000). Such mandates and bid preferences in procurement unnecessarily drives up taxpayer costs.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God challenges wasteful spending and misdirected labor that produces no lasting value. Economic freedom means the liberty to invest resources in Kingdom purposes without government mandates dictating consumption. Leaders who reduce unnecessary taxation and regulation allow individuals to steward earnings toward what truly satisfies - family, faith, and generational wealth rather than bureaucratic waste.
HB 504Senate 20251x

Threatening a Fiscal Catastrophe by Failing to Implement Proper Reforms to the Draconian "Blueprint for Maryland" Spending Package.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act," makes some reforms to the "Blueprint for Maryland's Future" (education spending package) albeit at levels far short of the spending cuts needed to correct the enormous budget shortfall facing the state. Furthermore, the bill establishes several new unnecessary programs such as the "Academic Excellence Program" to ensure "equitable access" to quality instruction. The bill also authorizes a "national teacher recruitment campaign" and relocation grants of up to $2,000 for teachers who agree to work in certain high-poverty schools for at least 2 years. Finally, under existing law, counties are permitted to exceed property taxes rate and revenue limitations if necessary to fund the county budget. This bill provides that this includes payments to the Teachers' Pension System and the Teachers' Retirement System.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Luke 14:28-30 – "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"
Leadership Insight
Vision must meet calculation. God honors leaders who count costs before claiming promises. Stewardship without foresight breeds collapse.
HB 504 (Ready Amd. 773521/1)Senate 20251x

Ensuring Fair Competition in Public School Sport Leagues by Prohibiting Biological Males from Competing in Female Competitions.

Against CEA
The Ready amendment #773521/1 to the "Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act," which makes several changes to public K-12 education in the state. The amendment adds the "Fairness in Girls' Sports Act," which adds language requiring public school entities sponsoring competitive sports, and private schools that compete against public schools, to designate athletic teams as either male, female, or co-ed. The amendment defines "sex" as the biological distinction between male and female based on reproductive biology and genetic make-up and requires all participants of a female team to be of the same sex. This measure protects the competitiveness of women's sports by ensuring females are not forced to compete against biological men. This requirement represents one of many restrictions (including height, weight, and age requirements) to ensure fair competition between public and private schools competing across the state.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Deuteronomy 22:5 – "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this."
Leadership Insight
God's design for gender is intentional, not arbitrary. Leaders who defend biological truth protect the foundation of family, identity, and society. Cultural pressure to erase distinctions does not change divine design. Clarity about gender honors God's created order.
HB 767Senate 20251x

Weakening Property Rights and Further Delaying the Eviction Process by Forcing Landlords to Take Additional Steps to Repossess Property.

Against CEA
This bill requires landlords to provide a written notice to a tenant who is being evicted due to not paying rent, staying over past the term, or breaching the lease agreement. The notice must be posted or sent at least 6 days before the property is to be repossessed by the landlord, and must include various information, including information on obtaining a legal referral and contact information for the District Court Help Center.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
HB 783Senate 20251x

Forcing Medical Professionals to Undergo "Structural Racism" Training in Order to Renew their Licenses.

Against CEA
This bill expands the requirement that medical professionals undergo "implicit bias" training in order to renew their license. Under the bill, this is expanded to "implicit bias and structural racism" training. The bill defines "structural racism" as "the totality of ways in which societies foster racial discrimination by mutually reinforcing systems of housing, education, employment," etc. Medical professionals should not be forced to undergo politized indoctrination in order to obtain licensure.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Galatians 3:28 – "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Leadership Insight
Paul declares that social distinctions - including the slave/free distinction - do not determine value in Christ. Workforce freedom applies this truth: every worker deserves the right to negotiate freely, to keep their wages, and to be free from coercive systems that treat them as collective property rather than individual image-bearers. Forced union membership contradicts this gospel vision by treating workers as categories to be controlled rather than individuals to be respected.
HB 819Senate 20251x

Hiking Taxpayer Costs by Authorizing Bid Preferences in Procurement to Companies that Offer Employee Stock Ownership Plans.

Against CEA
This bill allows the Maryland Stadium Authority, Morgan State University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Baltimore City Community College to establish an evaluation factor (which increases the preference of competitive bids) of up to 10%. The preference may be applied to procurements of less than $80 million to venders who offer employee stock ownership plans. Such bid preferences in procurement unnecessarily drives up taxpayer costs.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God challenges wasteful spending and misdirected labor that produces no lasting value. Economic freedom means the liberty to invest resources in Kingdom purposes without government mandates dictating consumption. Leaders who reduce unnecessary taxation and regulation allow individuals to steward earnings toward what truly satisfies - family, faith, and generational wealth rather than bureaucratic waste.
HB 853Senate 20251x

Threatening Public Safety by Expanding the Ability of Dangerous Criminals Involved with Murder, Rape and Violent Crime to Have Their Sentences Reduced if they Have Served 20 Years.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Maryland Second Look Act," expands the applicability of the "Juvenile Restoration Act of 2021," which allows individuals to petition a court to reduce their sentence if they were convicted of a crime as a minor and have served at least 20 years in prison. This bill includes individuals who were convicted of a crime while 18-24 years old and have served at least 20 years in prison. An individual is not eligible if they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, are a sex offender, or were convicted of first-degree murder of an on-duty first responder. Unfortunately, so-called criminal justice "reforms" have led to skyrocketing crime rates and are being advanced across the nation by George Soros and other left-leaning Billionaires through their funding of advocacy organizations on both sides of the political aisle.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 21:15 – "When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers."
Leadership Insight
Justice is not neutral - it rewards righteousness and confronts evil. Leaders who execute justice faithfully create cultures where virtue thrives and corruption fears. Moral clarity strengthens societies; moral ambiguity weakens them.
HB 857Senate 20251x

Protecting the Ability to Humanely Hunt by Allowing Pursuit of Wounded Deer and the Use of Artificial Lighting After Hunting Hours.

With CEA
This bill allows hunters who wound a deer during hunting hours to pursue the animal after hunting hours and use artificial lighting while locating the animal. Government should not unduly infringe the right to responsibly and humanely hunt and fish.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Genesis 9:1-3 – "Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.'"
Leadership Insight
God's command to "be fruitful and increase" includes economic multiplication and resource stewardship. The Creator entrusted humanity with natural resources for provision and prosperity, not scarcity and control. Economic freedom flows from divine mandate - leaders who protect property rights and free enterprise honor God's design for human flourishing through responsible dominion.
HB 861Senate 20251x

Increasing Consumer Costs by Imposing New Reporting Requirements on Rideshare Companies.

Against CEA
This bill requires Transportation Network Companies (such as Uber and Lyft) to provide drivers with a weekly "fare and earnings summary." This report must include the total fares and fees collected by the company for the driver's rides, the total amount the driver earned, and the percentage of the total fares and fees that the driver received. Additionally, the bill requires annual reports to the Public Service Commission containing the average fare collected, the total amount of time drivers provided rides, and the total amount received by drivers.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
HB 930Senate 20251x

Promoting Taking the Lives of the Unborn by Establishing a Grant Program to Provide Funds to Abortion Providers to Increase "Equitable Access" to Abortions.

Against CEA
This bill establishes the "Public Health Abortion Grant Program" to distribute grants to organizations that provide abortions to "individuals without sufficient resources." The grants are designed to "support equitable access" to abortion, and are funded by abortion insurance coverage premiums, with the Governor required to provide $2 million in 2025 for the program, and a varying amount in future years. It is not the role of government to guarantee abortion. All abortions are tragedies and every child deserves the right to life.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Psalm 139:13-16 – "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Leadership Insight
David declares that God forms every person in the womb - a truth that shapes First Freedom's protection of religious pro-life conviction. Believers who hold that life begins at conception must be free to operate hospitals, businesses, and ministries according to this conviction. First Freedom protects religious organizations from being forced to fund, perform, or participate in abortion against their sincere belief that God is the Author of life from conception.
HB 939Senate 20251x

Advancing the Socialization of Over-the-Counter Birth Control through a New Collaborative.

Against CEA
This bill requires the establishment of the "Maryland Collaborative to Advance Implementation of Coverage of Over-the-Counter Birth Control" to study and make recommendations to expand access to over-the-county birth control. This includes areas such as coverage requirements and public health programs. The nation witnessed first-hand the disastrous consequences and cost of growing government regulatory power in healthcare (i.e. Obamacare).
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God questions spending on what fails to nourish or satisfy. Healthcare freedom means rejecting one-size-fits-all mandates that force individuals and employers into systems that violate conscience or fail to meet real needs. Leaders who protect healthcare choice allow families and businesses to pursue treatments, coverage, and providers aligned with their values - "eating what is good" rather than consuming what government prescribes.
HB 974Senate 20251x

Hiking Health Insurance Premiums by Allowing the Insurance Commissioner to Expand the Services Insurance Companies Must Provide at No Cost or Co-Pay.

Against CEA
This bill allows the Insurance Commissioner to adopt regulations requiring health insurance policies offered in the state to cover any future preventive services, based on federal recommendations or guidelines, without any deductible or cost-sharing requirement. Additionally, the bill allows the commissioner, as an alternative option, to adopt regulations that expand the preventive services "to the benefit of consumers in the state." Each and every health insurance mandate or price control on co-payments prevents an individual from selecting a plan with just basic or customized coverages to fit their specific needs. As a result, health insurers are forced to only offer costly plans loaded with coverages that most individuals do not need. This can result in lower-income or younger individuals choosing to purchase no insurance plan at all due to the high cost.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God questions spending on what fails to nourish or satisfy. Healthcare freedom means rejecting one-size-fits-all mandates that force individuals and employers into systems that violate conscience or fail to meet real needs. Leaders who protect healthcare choice allow families and businesses to pursue treatments, coverage, and providers aligned with their values - "eating what is good" rather than consuming what government prescribes.
SB 337Senate 20251x

Strengthening Election Integrity by Requiring Election Boards to Post Agendas and Livestream Meetings.

With CEA
This bill requires local election boards to post the agenda for open meetings at least 48 hours in advance, as well as materials the board will vote on at the meeting. Additionally, open meetings must be live streamed and the recordings maintained for 5 years.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Leadership Insight
Moses commands impartial justice - judges who follow "justice alone" without showing partiality. First Freedom depends on courts that protect religious liberty impartially, without favoring secular ideology over sincere faith. When judges show partiality against religious conviction, accepting the cultural bribes of elite approval, they pervert the justice God demands. First Freedom requires judges who fear God more than cultural pressure.
SB 399Senate 20251x

Hiking Electricity Costs by Paving the Way for Construction of Unnecessary NextEra Energy Transmission.

Against CEA
This bill paves the way for the construction of a NextEra Energy Transmission line that brings power from Pennsylvania. Specifically, the bill reclassifies three environmentally protected wildland areas (Big Savage Mountain Wildland, Bear Pen Wildland, and Dan's Mountain Wildland) to allow the transmission lines to be constructed. The transmission line is unnecessary (enriches NextEra Energy) while imposing substantial costs on Maryland ratepayers. Lawmakers should instead reduce the states draconian energy laws to spur local power production.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God challenges wasteful spending and misdirected labor that produces no lasting value. Economic freedom means the liberty to invest resources in Kingdom purposes without government mandates dictating consumption. Leaders who reduce unnecessary taxation and regulation allow individuals to steward earnings toward what truly satisfies - family, faith, and generational wealth rather than bureaucratic waste.
SB 431Senate 20251x

Hiking Taxpayer and Business Costs through the Creation of a New Bureaucracy and Mandates Concerning Apprenticeships.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Registered Apprenticeship Investments for a Stronger Economy (RAISE) Act," establishes the Maryland Office of Registered Apprenticeship Development to expand apprenticeships. and mandates an appropriation be included in the budget. The bill also establishes related programs, including the Maryland Pay Per Apprentice Program to help "offset costs" of apprenticeships for employers and sponsors. Finally, the bill requires a ratio of 1 journey worker to 1 apprentice, except where a deviation is recommended for nonhazardous occupations.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
SB 516Senate 20251x

Hiking Property Taxes and Further Socializing Childcare Costs by Increasing the Property Tax Credit for Family Child Care Homes.

Against CEA
This bill increases the maximum property tax credit for family child care homes (up to 8 children) and expands eligibility to also include large family child care homes (up to 12 children). Under the bill, the maximum credit is increased from $3,000 to $10,000. This bill further dilutes the tax bases resulting in higher property tax burdens on other property owners to make up for the lost revenue. Instead of attempting to further socialize childcare costs, lawmakers should instead empower the free market to make childcare more affordable and accessible by reducing regulations and other anti-competitive measures.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
SB 587Senate 20251x

Fueling Division by Creating a Commission to Recommend Reparations to the Descendants of Black Slaves and Others Affected by "Inequitable Government Policies".

Against CEA
This bill establishes the "Maryland Reparations Commission" to make recommendations on reparations for individuals who have an ancestor who was a slave or "impacted by inequitable government policies." This politicized measure merely stokes division within society. While it is impossible for government to "fix" the tragedy of slavery from generations ago, today lawmakers have a duty to ensure that everyone is provided equal treatment and opportunity under the law.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Galatians 3:28 – "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Leadership Insight
In Christ, economic opportunity transcends social categories - no person's worth or potential is determined by their background, class, or demographic. Economic freedom protects this biblical truth by ensuring all people can compete, create, and prosper based on capability rather than government-assigned categories. Policies that divide people into economic classes for preferential treatment or punishment contradict the gospel's declaration that all are one in Christ.
SB 633Senate 20251x

Infringing First Amendment Rights by Requiring PACs to Name their Largest Recipients on Solicitations for Contributions.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Stop Scam PACs Act," requires PACs that solicit donations or contributions to list the PAC's five largest recipients and the total dollar amount for each during the previous quarter. This applies if the solicitation "appears to be an electoral or a political purpose." The bill also includes a new disclosure requirement if a candidate's name, image, or likeness is used in solicitations. Violations are subject to a civil fine of up to $10,000.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – "Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Leadership Insight
Moses commands impartial justice - judges who follow "justice alone" without showing partiality. First Freedom depends on courts that protect religious liberty impartially, without favoring secular ideology over sincere faith. When judges show partiality against religious conviction, accepting the cultural bribes of elite approval, they pervert the justice God demands. First Freedom requires judges who fear God more than cultural pressure.
SB 667Senate 20251x

Strengthening Individual Liberties by Reducing Overreaching Restrictions on Skill-Based Amusement Device Prizes.

With CEA
This bill what is considered a "skills-based amusement device" to allow prizes of up to $599 wholesale value. Previously, prizes were limited to "minimal value," with the exact amount set by the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission. Individuals - not bureaucrats - should have decision rights over how to utilize the fruits of their labor - even when it comes to risky endeavors such as betting.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
The Year of Jubilee proclaimed economic liberty - restoration of property, cancellation of debts, and freedom from bondage. Economic freedom follows this biblical pattern: protecting property rights, enabling debt relief through bankruptcy rather than permanent servitude, and ensuring families can rebuild wealth across generations. Government policies that permanently trap families in poverty, extract generational wealth through death taxes, or prevent property ownership contradict Jubilee's vision of economic restoration.
SB 750Senate 20251x

Hiking Taxpayer Costs and Enriching Union Bosses by Mandating Collective Bargaining Rights for Part-Time Faculty at State Institutions of Higher Education.

Against CEA
This bill mandates collective bargaining rights for part-time faculty at the state's public colleges and universities, as well as Morgan State University and St. Mary's College of Maryland. This includes nontenure track, part-time faculty who teach more than one course per semester. Public sector collective bargaining unnecessarily hikes taxpayer costs while making it harder to reward top-performing employees and dismiss poor-performing employees. All employees should have the "right to work" without being forced to join a labor union.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who deprive workers of their rights through forced union membership, mandatory dues extraction, and laws that trap workers in systems they never chose. Workforce freedom is justice for the oppressed worker - the right to keep their full paycheck, to negotiate directly with employers, and to be free from coercive representation. Unjust labor laws that force workers to fund political causes they oppose are exactly the oppressive decrees Isaiah condemns.
SB 774Senate 20251x

Enriching Woke Corporations such as Comcast by Providing Special Tax Exemptions to Broadband Providers.

Against CEA
This bill allows counties to exempt broadband service providers from property taxes under PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) programs. Such carveouts and tax cronyism shift burdens onto other taxpayers. This scheme is especially unnecessary due to significant advances in satellite technology from the competitors of Woke broadband companies, such as Elon Musk's Starlink.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 11:1 – "The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him."
Leadership Insight
Integrity in business is not optional - it’s spiritual obedience. Every transaction reflects the character of the Kingdom. Honesty is Heaven’s currency for influence.
SB 842Senate 20251x

Hiking Costs and Infringing Individual Liberties through New Regulations and Restrictions on the Sale of Electronic Smoking Devices.

Against CEA
This bill prohibits manufacturers of electronic smoking devices, such as vaping products and e-cigarettes, from selling their products directly to consumers. Additionally, the bill also imposes new requirements on wholesale distributors and importers of such devices, such as requiring an invoice for each purchase and daily recordkeeping. Finally, the bill allows the Executive Director of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission to seize devices that violate these and other requirements, without a warrant. This bill infringes individual liberties and expands government overreach through a one-size-fits-all government mandate.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
SB 901Senate 20251x

Driving Up Business and Consumer Costs Through New Mandates on Packaging Material Producers.

Against CEA
This bill requires producers of certain packaging and paper products to submit a "Producer Responsibility Plan" to the Department of the Environment. This plan must include goals for recycling, composting, reuse, and return rates, as well as percentages of waste reduction, postconsumer material use requirements, and greenhouse gas reductions. The bill allows the Department to determine the date, after which, covered producers are prohibited from selling covered products if they do not have an approved plan.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
SB 937Senate 20251x

Hiking Energy Prices and Growing Government Interference in the Energy Sector through the "Next Generation Energy Act".

Against CEA
This bill, the "Next Generation Energy Act," contains several provisions providing subsidies to utilities and other entities within the energy sector. Most notably, the bill allows the Department of Housing and Community Development to issue loans for residential energy conservation and generating systems, declares a state policy of developing nuclear energy through, provides for the procurement of "Transmission Energy Storage Devices," and creates several new requirements on utilities.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
SB 977Senate 20251x

Obstructing Immigration Enforcement by Denying Federal Requests for Facial Recognition Pertaining to Immigration Enforcement.

Against CEA
This bill, the "Maryland Data Privacy Act," requires state employees and contractors to deny requests for a facial recognition search by any individual or government for federal immigration enforcement. Previously, this restriction was limited to federal agencies. Additionally, the bill further restricts access to government databases for federal immigration enforcement, as law enforcement agencies and governments must now deny access to anyone who "appears to be seeking access" for that purpose. Access is also to be denied unless the individual "clearly identifies the record to be accessed" (in addition to the existing requirement of a valid federal warrant). The promotion of an open-border immigration system places an immense strain on U.S. infrastructure and taxpayer resources, ranging from welfare to the education system, while also creating serious national security and human trafficking issues.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on those who issue oppressive decrees - regulations, mandates, and compliance requirements that crush businesses and deprive workers of opportunity. Operational freedom fights the bureaucratic oppression that kills small businesses, prevents entrepreneurship, and protects established interests at the expense of new entrants. When licensing laws, zoning restrictions, and regulatory burdens make it impossible for the poor to start businesses, government becomes the oppressor Isaiah condemns.
SB 977 (Mautz Amd. 193428/1)Senate 20251x

Strengthening Public Safety by Excluding Individuals Convicted of Violent Crimes from the Bill Designed to Shield Data from Federal Immigration Enforcement.

With CEA
The Mautz amendment #193428/1 to the "Maryland Data Privacy Act," which restricts access to state and local government databases and facial recognition searches for federal immigration enforcement. The amendment provides that the restrictions in the underlying bill do not apply to individuals who have been convicted of a violent crime.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Proverbs 21:15 – "When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers."
Leadership Insight
Justice is not neutral - it rewards righteousness and confronts evil. Leaders who execute justice faithfully create cultures where virtue thrives and corruption fears. Moral clarity strengthens societies; moral ambiguity weakens them.
SB 848 (McKay Amd. 383728/1)Senate 20251x

Promoting Taking the Lives of the Unborn by Establishing a Grant Program to Support Access to Abortion.

Neutral
The McKay amendment #383728/1 to a bill establishing the "Public Health Abortion Grant Program," which provides grants to organizations that provide abortions in order to "support equitable access" to abortion. The amendment requires that for organizations to be eligible for grants, they must notify parents before performing an abortion on a minor. Minors should receive the consent of their parents before taking the life of their unborn child through abortion. All abortions are tragedies and every child deserves the right to life.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
Psalm 139:13-16 – "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Leadership Insight
David declares that God forms every person in the womb - a truth that shapes First Freedom's protection of religious pro-life conviction. Believers who hold that life begins at conception must be free to operate hospitals, businesses, and ministries according to this conviction. First Freedom protects religious organizations from being forced to fund, perform, or participate in abortion against their sincere belief that God is the Author of life from conception.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sen. Katie Hester's voting record?

Sen. Katie Hester (D-MD-9) earned a 12% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2025, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions. Katie Hester voted on 49 of the 50 substantive bills scored by CEA in 2025. Katie Hester represents the 9th District in the Maryland State Senate.

How aligned is Katie Hester with biblical business policy positions?

Katie Hester earned a 12% Christian Employers Alliance score in 2025, showing minimal alignment with biblical business policy positions.

What is Katie Hester's CEA score?

Katie Hester has a 12% CEA score for 2025.

Where does Katie Hester serve?

Sen. Katie Hester (D-MD-9) represents the 9th District in the Maryland State Senate as a Democrat.

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