What new initiatives did Moore announce in his State of the State speech?

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In his fourth State of the State address Wednesday, Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, announced a series of initiatives surrounding energy, technology and immigration. 

Here’s a glimpse at what each will do:

Data must pay its way

Acknowledging the rising cost of energy for Marylanders, Moore said Wednesday that, in order to receive his support, new data center projects must hire local workers, engage with communities and local governments in their development and cover their own energy costs so as to not put more strain on residents’ wallets.

“We will not choose between affordability and innovation,” Moore said. “We can, and we will, lead in both.”

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An artificially intelligent Maryland

Moore announced Wednesday that, in partnership with labor unions, his administration is investing $4 million in training programs for state residents to have hands-on training in artificial intelligence.

Additionally, AI will soon be implemented to help Marylanders navigate SNAP, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and childcare subsidy applications.

“A few years ago, AI could barely put together a coherent sentence,” Moore said. “We are all still figuring out the power and peril of artificial intelligence. It can feel scary, and that’s why we need a broad strategy — not just for government, but for all of society.”

Protecting immigrant communities

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity increases in Maryland and across the United States, Moore said Wednesday that his administration will convene an Immigrant Rights Task Force.

In partnership with Attorney General Anthony Brown‘s office, the state Department of Labor, the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Department of Budget and Management, the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, the Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives, local government officials, members of law enforcement and community partners, and the Governor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs will launch the task force to study barriers faced by immigrant communities.

Read: Full text of Gov. Wes Moore’s 2026 State of the State speech

Over the next year, the task force will identify and employ strategies to increase multilingual outreach and rights education, the ability of law enforcement to conduct multilingual investigations, and how they work with immigrant victims and referrals to legal services.

The task force will publish an initial report in three months and a final report in 12 months.

Additionally, Moore announced the creation of the Citizenship Maryland initiative, which will provide outreach, legal aid and application assistance to Marylanders eligible for naturalization through partnerships between the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Grant funding is available to organizations to conduct outreach, hold information sessions regarding naturalization and provide application pre-screenings and referrals to legal clinics.

“Let me say this very plainly: Maryland is a state of immigrants,” Moore said. “That is our strength, not our weakness.”