Governor Hogan Vetoes Legislature’s “Antidemocratic, Gerrymandered Congressional Map,” Vows to Continue Fight for Fair Maps and Fair Districts

Calls on Biden Administration to Immediately Add Maryland to Texas Redistricting Lawsuit
Urges Legislature to Reverse Course and Take Immediate Action on Emergency Crime Legislation
Provides COVID-19 Update, Warning of Transmissibility of Omicron Variant, Urging Booster Shots

Press release by Larry Hogan:

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today vetoed the antidemocratic, gerrymandered congressional map passed along party lines by the Maryland General Assembly, and called on the Biden administration to immediately add the State of Maryland to its lawsuit against Texas for violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The governor also continued urging lawmakers to take action on emergency crime legislation during the special session.

“The congressional map drawn in back rooms by party bosses in Annapolis makes a mockery of our democracy, and it is an embarrassment to all that our state stands for,” said Governor Hogan. “On behalf of all the people of Maryland who value fairness and integrity in our elections and in our political system, I am vetoing these disgracefully gerrymandered, illegal maps, which are a shameful violation of state and federal law.”

Watch today’s press conference.
View the slides from today’s press conference.

Vetoes Legislature’s Antidemocratic, Gerrymandered Congressional Map. The egregiously gerrymandered congressional map, passed by the legislature along party lines, has been universally panned and received an ‘F’ rating’ from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project. The legislature rejected the fair maps, written through an open and transparent process by the independent Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission, which earned an ‘A’ rating from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.

Read the governor’s veto letter.

Calls on Biden Administration to Add the State of Maryland to Texas Redistricting Lawsuit. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it is suing Texas over its new redistricting plan, alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, Governor Hogan called on the Biden administration to immediately add the State of Maryland to that lawsuit.

Calls for Immediate Action on Emergency Violent Crime Legislation. Governor Hogan also urged the legislature to reverse course, and take immediate action on emergency crime legislation, including:

• The Violent Firearms Offender Act, which significantly toughens penalties for offenders who use and illegally possess firearms, as well as those who illegally supply firearms to criminals
• The Judicial Transparency Act, which would require the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy to track and publish detailed information on the sentences that are handed down by judges for violent crimes

“Today, I am once again calling on city leaders and the city delegation to stop working against this legislation, and calling on legislative leaders across the state to finally take action on violent crime,” continued the governor. “The citizens will not be able to take back their streets and their communities without city leaders and legislators doing the jobs they were elected to do.”

The emergency crime legislation was introduced on the first day of the special session, but legislators have failed to take any action.