AWB, 10-round mag limit, 7-day handgun waiting period, handgun qualification license + training, red-flag law, restrictive carry post-Bruen with sensitive places, suppressors banned. Strong preemption is one of few positives.

Recreational cannabis legal 2023 (Question 4). Automatic expungement of cannabis convictions (HB 1071, 2023). Decriminalized since 2014. Strong harm reduction. Psychedelic task force established; no decrim yet.

State minimum wage $15.00/hr. MIT living wage for 1 adult: $18.47/hr. Ratio 0.81 — minimum-wage workers earn 81% of what's needed to live there alone.

Top-5 tax burden (per WalletHub) with NAEP scores only near national average, mediocre infrastructure (C-range), and middling outcomes given the price tag. Mismatch — high cost, average return.

IJ grades MD B (2016, 2019 reforms - conviction generally required, equitable-sharing limits). HB 670 (2021) - QI modified through Maryland Police Accountability Act, body cam mandate, no-knock restrictions, repealed Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights. MD Online Data Privacy Act (2024). TRUST Act limits ICE cooperation.

No-excuse mail voting. Early voting 8 days. Same-day and automatic registration. Non-strict ID. Felons vote after release (since 2016). Independent-style commission attempted; Democratic-drawn maps with high partisan bias (negative). Recent expansions including ballot curing. No restrictive laws.

Medicaid expansion adopted 2014. Abortion enshrined in state constitution (Question 1, 2024). Gender-affirming care shield law. Low uninsured rate. Strong provider density (Hopkins/UMD). Commonwealth Fund top 10.

Maryland Police Accountability Act (2021) repealed Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, opened disciplinary records via Anton's Law (HB 120). Statewide BWC mandate by 2025. MPCTC decertification with public database. No-knock restricted. Use-of-force statute requires necessity (HB 670). Chokeholds banned. AG Independent Investigations Division investigates police-involved deaths.

Abortion right added to state constitution (2024 ballot measure passed). Comprehensive LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination. Shield law. Conversion therapy banned. Gender-affirming care protected including for out-of-state patients. No religious mandates.

Not a right-to-work state. Paid family and medical leave (FAMLI, contributions 2025, benefits 2026). Paid sick leave (Healthy Working Families Act). State OSHA plan (MOSH). Strong prevailing wage. Strong wage theft enforcement; treble damages available. Domestic worker protections. Below-median fatal injury rate.