Lower shore lawmakers discuss priorities ahead of 2024 legislative session

The Maryland Lower Shore Delegation meeting met Friday and discussed priorities for the 2024 legislative session.

Lawmakers are set to return to Annapolis in January for the 90-day session.

Big talking points for the delegation were juvenile crime, green energy, and workforce development.

Delegate Wayne Hartman told us another focus will also be on getting more tourism dollars on the shore. “Tourism has a great investment. For every dollar the state spends on tourism, we are getting about $30-31 back. So, it’s something we have to educate and advocate for,” Delegate Hartman said.

“The tourism is kind of the advertising part of it when you think of a business your sales force is the tourism and your economic development is another part of it. The two go hand and hand. You can’t have one without the other.”

Delegate Hartman also anticipates a structural deficit in the state budget of billions of dollars by 2026 which will make getting those tourism dollars a challenge.