Will you sign the petition to stop Senate President Bill Ferguson from blocking a vote on Maryland's congressional redistricting plan?

Democracy dies behind closed doors. But we won't let it. Demand H.B. 488 to go vote on the Senate floor!

SIGN: Demand transparency and public accountability for proposals to redistrict Maryland's Congressional map! Dear fellow Maryland MoveOn member, My name is Alecsandra and I live in Baltimore. Like so many of my neighbors, I've been deeply disturbed by the blatant obstruction happening behind closed doors by Senate President Bill Ferguson on the congressional redistricting plan. House Bill 488 was introduced in response to the Trump administration's attempts to rig the election by redistricting the maps in Texas in order to secure more votes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.1 Delegate C.T. Wilson, the sponsor of the bill, is part of a Governor's Redistricting Advisory Commission meant to level the playing field. But Senate President Bill Ferguson is trying to circumvent the democratic process and suppress H.B. 488 so that it never even reaches the Senate floor. Will you sign the petition to demonstrate the overwhelming public opposition to the suppression of H.B. 488 ahead of our petition delivery this week? Regardless of how you feel about the redistricting plan, the Maryland Senate belongs to the people, not a single legislator. Senate President Ferguson's using his position to pocket-veto legislation behind closed doors, preventing it from even reaching the floor for debate, is an abuse of power that silences the voices of Marylanders. And we all have a right and responsibility to have our voices heard at this moment. I started a petition because, despite concerns voiced by thousands of Marylanders, Senate President Ferguson intends to let the redistricting bill die in the Senate committee. But together, we can send a clear message that we will not let democracy die—not at the hands of the Trump administration or behind Senator Ferguson's closed doors. Will you add your name to my petition urging Senate President Bill Ferguson and the Rules Committee to STOP the obstruction and allow the democratic process to function? Democracy dies behind closed doors. But we won't let it. Add your name to the petition to demand H.B. 488 go to vote on the Senate floor! In a representative democracy, legislation is supposed to be debated, amended, and voted on in the light of day. By unilaterally blocking this process, Senate President Ferguson is single-handedly making this decision for our entire state—preventing the public and those we elected to represent us from having a chance to weigh in. This is not how a legislature is designed to function. All we are asking for is to allow the democratic process to play out. That means ending the one-man veto that is currently stalling this legislation, and restoring democratic norms so that H.B. 488 receives a public hearing and recorded vote. Every constituent deserves to know where their representative lands on this issue—and Senator Ferguson has no business concealing the truth from us. Hiding behind procedural delays undermines the transparency that Maryland voters deserve. Stop the stall. Sign the petition to demand that state senators bring H.B. 488 to a floor vote and let the Senate decide! In this country, we have no kings—not at the federal level and not at the state level, either. The role of the Senate president is to facilitate the legislative process, not act as the sole gatekeeper of Maryland law. By refusing to bring H.B. 488 to a vote, state leadership is effectively silencing the constituents of every other senator in the chamber. Voters elected 47 senators to represent them in Maryland. When a bill is killed quietly in the Rules Committee, those senators are denied the opportunity to do their jobs—to debate the issue and cast a vote on behalf of their districts. We cannot accept a system where procedural maneuvers are used to avoid accountability. We have to make it clear NOW that we will not accept Senate President Ferguson's undermining the rights of constituents and making shady decisions behind closed doors. Click here to sign the petition, and then share with your neighbors far and wide to help demonstrate broad, public demand! Thanks for all you do. –Alecsandra R., MoveOn member and Maryland resident Source: 1. "House committee presses ahead with mid-cycle Congressional redistricting bill," Maryland Matters, January 27, 2026 https://marylandmatters.org/2026/01/27/house-committee-presses-ahead-with-mid-cycle-congressional-redistricting-bill You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here. Want to support MoveOn's work? The Democratic Party needs big change. 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