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There were repeated references to 鈥渕y friend鈥� from here or 鈥渢he gentle lady鈥� from there, but the niceties were overpowered by the shouting and the finger-pointing Wednesday during a second day of debate on the fiscal 2026 budget.
The House ultimately approved the $67 billion budget for next year, after three hours of debate 鈥� which was on top of seven hours of testy debate Tuesday, when House Democrats beat back a series of Republican amendments.
While Wednesday鈥檚 debate was shorter, it was no less heated, with the highlight 鈥� or lowlight, perhaps 鈥� coming in a shouting match between two Democrats that eventually pulled in the Speaker.
鈥淚 know this is not popular, as a person in the majority party 鈥� I stand here because I feel like I don鈥檛 have a place in this place anymore 鈥� I don鈥檛. And it鈥檚 for some of these reasons in this very budget,鈥� said Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes (D-Dorchester and Wicomico).
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 look like what the Eastern Shore is in need of,鈥� she said in explaining her 鈥渘o鈥� vote on the budget, which includes more than $2 billion in cuts and $1 billion in tax increases.
When House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) tried to tell her the allotted two minutes of floor time was up, Sample-Hughes steamrolled over the Speaker.
鈥淎nd you know what, I鈥檓 not even going to talk about the budget stuff anymore, and yes I know that鈥檚 what the purpose is 鈥� I get that,鈥� Sample-Hughes said. 鈥淭his institution is not for everybody 鈥� 鈥�
When Del. Stephanie Smith (D-Baltimore City), the House Parliamentarian, called a point of order to remind the delegate that her time was up, Sample-Hughes pushed right on through, leading Smith to shout over her. That didn鈥檛 stop Sample-Hughes, who was trying to press how the budget would affect her constituents.
鈥淧arliamentarian, I hear you, but enough is enough,鈥� Sample-Hughes said. 鈥淲hen I have an 80-year-old woman calling me saying she鈥檚 working with candles to light her house鈥撯��
As Jones brought the gavel down, Smith issued another warning. 鈥淭he two minutes for the gentle lady,鈥� she said, pausing for emphasis, 鈥渁re over.鈥�
鈥淚 can count,鈥� Sample-Hughes shot back.
鈥淵es, but you must sit down,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淵ou no longer have the floor.鈥�
鈥淚 understand, the one last thing I will say,鈥� Sample-Hughes continued, 鈥渁nd I was not trying to be controversial 鈥撯��
鈥淧eople are allotted two minutes to explain their 鈥� I can talk louder; do you want to do that?鈥� Smith shouted, her frustration growing. 鈥淪it down.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 keep calm,鈥� Jones jumped in. 鈥淵ou had your two minutes.鈥�
Sample-Hughes yielded but not before saying, 鈥淭wo minutes is up, but the passion for the people continues鈥� 鈥� a line that drew a smattering of applause from House Republicans.
It was not the first flare-up of the day: Several delegates engaged in pointed remarks over the 鈥渃ore values鈥� of Republicans and Democrats as they argued over what should be cut or preserved as the state works to close the $3 billion deficit for fiscal 2026.
鈥淚鈥檓 disappointed that the minority party wants our citizens to go it alone based on their proposals on this budget. They want every man to fight for themselves,鈥� said Del. Malcom P. Ruff (D-Baltimore City), citing a series of failed amendments Republicans proposed Tuesday.
Ruff said that despite $2.5 billion in spending cuts, he is proud that the proposed budget still funds programs in education and raises salaries for state workers.
鈥淭his is what our budget and our morals and our values are about聽 鈥� stand 10 toes down,鈥� he said, raising his voice to a level that Del. Jason Buckel (D-Allegany) later described as yelling.
鈥淚 appreciate my friend from Baltimore City, but I don鈥檛 appreciate being yelled at,鈥� Buckel said. 鈥淚f I did it too, you wouldn鈥檛 like it as much.鈥�
But as Buckel鈥檚 comments went on, the volume of his comments also rose at times.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the only state in our damn region that has a multibillion-dollar budget deficit and needs to raise billions of dollars in taxes to do the same stuff that they do in Richmond,鈥� he said raising his voice at the end.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if we know how things work here in Maryland,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey seem to know how they work in Virginia. They seem to know how they work in Pennsylvania, and Delaware and West Virginia. But we can鈥檛 seem to get it done here in Maryland.鈥�
Despite the shouting and two hours of debate, the House voted 100-39 to approve聽, the main part of the budget , with Sample-Hughes joining Republicans to vote no.
About an hour later, the House voted 93-46 to approve the second prong of the budget in聽聽In addition to Sample-Hughes, Democratic Dels. Brian Crosby of St. Mary鈥檚 County and Heather Bagnall of Anne Arundel County joined Republicans opposing the bill.
