Hayes takes over Finance as Ferguson announces early changes to leadership

Sen. Antonio Hayes, a two-term Democrat from Baltimore City, will become the first Black lawmaker to chair the Senate Finance Committee, one of a series of changes that will make Senate leadership younger and less Montgomery County-centric.

The changes announced by Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) Thursday, days ahead of Election Day, recognize the growing diversity of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate.

“The Senate Finance Committee sits at the center of policies that Marylanders rely on to ease burdens and build prosperity,” Ferguson said in a statement. “Senator Hayes’ ability to collaborate, bring people to the table, and develop thoughtful solutions ensures the committee will be able to balance the needs of families and business across the state.”

After a contentious primary campaign, Ferguson is favored to win reelection in his heavily Democratic district and is expected to remain as president, a job he has held since 2019, when the General Assembly convenes in January. To do so, the Senate leader faced a number of challenges that required changes.

Changes announced do not include the creation of new committees — at one time as many as two were talked about. Instead, there are a batch of subcommittees — complete with chairs — and an expanded, unique role for one legislative veteran.

Ferguson’s new leadership team includes new chairs in two of the four standing committees. Three committees get new vice chairs and five of the eight chairs and vice chairs announced Thursday are new to the positions.

Black senators currently hold 16 of the 34 members in the Democratic caucus, and they’re expected to be 50% of the caucus come January. Women senators comprise roughly one-third of the majority party membership.

Black lawmakers would step into half of the eight committee leadership roles under Ferguson’s plan.

Hayes, who turns 49 next month, succeeds Sen. Pamela Beidle (D-Anne Arundel), 72, who had been chair since 2023. The 20-year legislative veteran, who served two terms in the Senate, did not seek reelection this year.

Her decision sparked talk of replacements, and also raised concerns that women would be shut out of chairing any of the four standing committees.

In addition to Hayes, Sen. Cory McCray, 43, also a Baltimore City Democrat, will take over as vice chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. He will also chair its subcommittee on Education, Business and Administration.

Ferguson praised McCray’s knowledge of the budget process saying it “will be critical as we navigate fiscal pressures on existing state programs,” said Ferguson.

Those pressures include a $3 billion structural budget gap in the coming year. In addition to cuts, lawmakers may also consider tax increases, including possible changes to the state’s 6% sales tax.

McCray fills a role held for six years by Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel). Rosapepe, 75, will chair the newly created Revenue Subcommittee.

Sen. Ben Brooks (D-Baltimore County) becomes the new vice chair of the Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee. At 76, Brooks, a 12-year veteran of the House and Senate, is the oldest member of the committee leadership team.

Brooks succeeds Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan (D-Montgomery), 65, who has held the position since 2023. Kagan, an active participant in the National Conference of State Legislatures — she is its representative on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Board of Advisors — will be a liaison for national legislative affairs. She will also chair the EEE committee’s subcommittee on elections — a topic on which she is recognized within the General Assembly as a leader.

Brooks previously served as chair of the Senate Executive Nominations Committee — a panel not included in the four major standing committees. He will be replaced by Sen. Alonzo T. Washington (D-Prince George’s).

Other appointments include:

• Sen. Malcolm Augustine (D-Prince George’s) will chair the Budget and Taxation subcommittee on Pensions and Procurement.
• Sen. Kevin Harris (D-Prince George’s, Calvert and Charles) will be chair of the Energy Subcommittee of the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee.

New roles for Feldman

Ferguson’s announcement included a slew of new roles for Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery).

Feldman, 65 and a three-term senator, trades his three years leading the Education, Energy and The Environment Committee for a role akin to a legislative Swiss Army knife.

Part of that role includes taking over as Senate Majority Leader, a position previously held by Sen. Nancy King (D-Montgomery). King, 77, leaves the Senate in January after losing her primary to challenger Amar Mukunda.

Feldman also assumes a newly created role of chief of policy. Ferguson said Feldman will focus on “solving problems using legislative solutions and oversight” in that role.

As such, Feldman will be the only senator other than Ferguson who is not assigned to any one standing committee. But unlike Ferguson, Feldman will be an ex officio member of all four standing committees. While most ex officio members lack the ability to vote, Feldman will have voting rights in any committee on any issue in the event of a tie vote on the committee.

Since committees typically are odd numbers, ties would likely result from members who are excused as absent, such as in the case of illness, or when a member abstains or declines to vote on a bill. It is not clear if Feldman’s new power would also include an ability to break ties in subcommittees.

Finally, Feldman will chair what Ferguson termed a “reconstituted” Senate Rules and Operations Committee, with Augustine as vice chair.

The newly named committee will have “expanded jurisdiction over late bills and original jurisdiction on select multi-jurisdictional issues and state government organization and procedures, including in the judicial branch.” Ferguson’s announcement did not provide further details.

Women at the helm

Ferguson’s announcement also answers questions about whether a woman would chair one of the four standing committees.

From 1987 to present, one of the four major committees has been led by a female senator, with the exception of a stretch from 1992 to 1995.

Beidle’s departure ended a nearly decade-long run of women serving as chair of the Senate Finance Committee. The panel has had four women leaders since 1991, the most since 1987.

The committee with the second-most number of women chairs during that time was the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee with two. It was rebranded the Education, Energy and the Environment Committee in 2023 by Ferguson.

First-term Sen. Dawn Gile (D-Anne Arundel), 46, will take over as chair of EEE in January. She is the presumptive favorite in next week’s general election.

“Senator Gile has demonstrated the ability to navigate complex policy issues,” Ferguson said.

Additionally, Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard and Montgomery), who turns 52 next month, will take over as vice chair of the Finance Committee.

Other women appointed to roles in the Senate include:

• Sen. Shelly Hettleman (D-Baltimore County) chair of the Budget and Taxation subcommittee on Public Safety, Transportation and the Environment.
• Sen. Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick), chair of the subcommittee on Health and Human Services within Budget and Taxation.
• Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City), majority whip.