Speaker Pro Tempore says she won’t step down from leadership, despite pressure from House Speaker
MARYLAND – Maryland Speaker Pro Tempore Sheree Sample Hughes says Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones has asked her to step down from her position and is nominating a new candidate from Baltimore County for the position.
However, Speaker Pro Temp Hughes says she was elected unanimously and will serve out the remainder of her term.
“I’m doing my job. I’m going to continue to do my Speaker Pro Tempore job,” she said.
Speaker Pro Tempore Hughes tells us she had a meeting with the House Leader Jones on Tuesday, where she “learned that my leadership and time in the leadership position of Speaker pro-tem was no longer needed, given the fact that she explained that there were bills that I did not support that were ones that she needed me to support,” she said adding “essentially it came down to I was not supposed to represent my district and have a voice for the people of the Eastern Shore and their values.”
Speaker Pro Temp Hughes says she believes her votes against EV trucking, Gun Control, and Virtual Learning bills factored into that decision.
47ABC asked Speaker Pro Tempore Hughes if she felt she was being punished for voting against her party.
“I do, I really do,” she said.
She says her replacement for the leadership role would be from Baltimore, leaving the Eastern Shore without its singular seat in Democratic leadership.
“That would silence the voice at the decision-making table, at the leadership table, if they were to be successful come January of 2024,” Speaker Pro Temp Hughe said adding “Our voice as Eastern Shore delegation certainly is going to be, if successful, diminished.”
She tells us she is proud of her record on issues key to the shore such as agriculture, poultry, and watermen, she tells us that’s what it means to serve her district and get the majority to understand their needs.
She tells us the Eastern Shore needs to be in leadership, and points to the 2020 Broadband Access bill for the Eastern Shore as an example of legislation that would not have moved forward had she not held the position.
“I am most proud of our rural broadband bill because I knew the reality of people waiting in Mcdonald’s parking lots for service on the Eastern Shore,” she said adding “I’m grateful we were able to pass that Eastern Shore broadband bill, but it was met with some challenges in this day and age, it was met with some real challenges.”
She also pointed to her record working on the Women’s Caucus and representing issues across the state in addition to her work for the shore and as part of the Eastern Shore Delegation.
She tells us it’s a unique seat, with unique challenges that she feels she has served to the best of her ability.
“Being the only Democrat on the Eastern Shore, out of nine counties has certainly required my responsibility as a legislator to go a little bit beyond 37A,” she said.
Speaker Pro Tempore Hughes tells 47ABC she has had multiple members of the delegation including Senator Mary Beth Carozza reach out and express their disappointment in the decision.
She believes there needs to be a diversity of opinions in the General Assembly and said that can’t happen if the eastern shore is locked out of leadership.
