Story perspectives

Maryland Lawmakers Debate 2028 Redistricting Amendment, Critics Warn Gerrymander

8/3/2026

Summary

Story summary

Maryland lawmakers opened a session Monday after a late-April Supreme Court ruling to debate a 2028 redistricting amendment.
House Bill 2100 would put a November 3 referendum on changing the constitution’s congressional-map rules and requires a three-fifths vote.
House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey, and Democrats argue the amendment would gerrymander districts, disenfranchise rural voters, and eliminate Rep. Andy Harris’s 1st District to create a Democratic delegation.

History

Historical Context

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, imposing federal preclearance on 13 states and more than 2,000 localities. The 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision nullified that coverage, prompting a wave of state-level map battles. Maryland’s current debate, led by Rep. Jason Buckel and Sen. Stephen Hershey over House Bill 2100, tests the Act’s lingering influence on partisan redistricting.

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Story summary

Maryland lawmakers opened a session Monday after a late-April Supreme Court ruling to debate a 2028 redistricting amendment.
House Bill 2100 would put a November 3 referendum on changing the constitution’s congressional-map rules and requires a three-fifths vote.
House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, Senate Minority Leader Stephen Hershey, and Democrats argue the amendment would gerrymander districts, disenfranchise rural voters, and eliminate Rep. Andy Harris’s 1st District to create a Democratic delegation.

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