MD Gov Wes Moore vetoes divorce records protection

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore vetoed five bills following the close of the 2026 legislative session, including legislation that intended to protect divorce records from inspection by members of the public.

“Personal privacy and safety concerns should never be minimized or ignored,” Moore wrote in one of his May 22 veto letters. “While the events that led to the introduction of Senate Bill 426 were alarming, the legislation’s impact of essentially closing all divorce records is too heavy handed and could have the unintended consequence of curtailing public oversight of additional types of legal cases and judicial rulings in the future.”

Sponsored by Sen. Charles Sydnor III, D-Baltimore County, Senate Bill 426 would have required the denial of public records requests for divorce applications, financial and settlement records and custody orders. This would not have exempted final decrees.

Records custodians could have allowed for the inspection of protected records if the requestor is a party of those proceedings or their attorney, or if the requesting individual has been authorized to inspect the records by court order. 

The legislation received unanimous, bipartisan support in both chambers. However, the bill faced opposition from the Maryland State Bar Association, which noted that the Public Information Act isn’t necessary to obtain divorce records. 

The legislation was sponsored in the House chamber by Dels. Karen Simpson and Kris Fair, both Frederick County Democrats, at the request of their constituent Rae Gallagher, a member of the Frederick County Board of Education who says she was harassed through information obtained in her divorce records. 

In his veto letter, Moore said that although the bill was “a terrible case of divorce records falling into the wrong hands and misused as part of an online harassment campaign,” there are already protective measures in place.

“In divorce and custody proceedings, personal information is shielded and upon filing, a Notice of Restricted Information is required if personal information is included in the pleading. It is also standard procedure in Family Law case orders to incorporate language to shield exhibits and agreements,” he wrote. “Furthermore, a party can request that a case file or specific pleading be sealed or shielded.”

Additionally, Moore said the bill presented “interpretive challenges that could lead to larger constitutional questions,” noting that judicial records are generally governed by the Maryland Rules on Access to Judicial Records rather than the Public Information Act. Referencing advice from the state attorney general’s office, the governor wrote that the legislation lacked clarity and “the Judiciary may interpret the bill not to apply to judicial records.”

“If, however, the legislation is broadly interpreted to include judicial court records – as opposed to only those records held by non-judicial agencies subject to the PIA- additional concerns then arise regarding the First Amendment, government transparency and accountability, and the public’s right to access judicial proceedings,” the governor wrote.

He also vetoed House Bill 862, which would have prohibited freight trains that share the same corridor as high-speed passenger or commuter trains from operating in Maryland unless they have at least two crewmembers aboard.

Railroad companies would have been solely responsible for the actions of their employees who violated the provisions of the bill, sponsored by Del. Dana Stein, D-Baltimore County. A first violation could have resulted in a $10,000 fine, and any subsequent offenses over the following three years could have cost up to $25,000.

The bill would not have applied to trains moving freight that involved hostler service or utility employees in yard service.

In his May 22 veto letter, Moore said the legislation would have been preempted by federal law, which established a final rule in 2024 that created a two-person crew standard for freight operations. 

He also said that it could have placed “a significant, unbudgeted fiscal burden on the State” because a provision in the 2021 Access Agreement between the Maryland Transit Administration and CSX Transportation authorizing MARC Train services on the Camden and Brunswick lines could be triggered through mandating increased minimum crew sizes. According to the governor, that could require the Transit Administration to reimburse the private transportation company up to $6 million annually, further stressing the state’s already taxed Transportation Trust Fund. 

“The safety of railroad workers, both in Maryland and nationally, is a matter of serious consequence, and it deserves a sustainable solution,” Moore wrote. “House Bill 862, however well-intentioned, would likely be rendered unenforceable by federal preemption, exposes the State to additional constitutional risk through its contingency structure, and imposes a significant unbudgeted fiscal burden at a time when Maryland’s resources must be directed toward its highest priorities.”

Moore additionally vetoed Senate Bill 459, which would have required half of the money used for the state’s advertising to be funneled to Maryland news organizations. The bill sponsored by Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s, would not have applied to out-of-state advertising for tourism, employee recruitment or economic investment.

In another May 22 veto letter, Moore wrote that the legislation “would significantly impair the state’s ability to communicate effectively with Maryland residents” through modern advertising channels, including digital platforms, streaming services, outdoor media, and partnerships with major regional organizations. Because local news organizations increasingly employ subscription paywalls, he further stated that the bill would have inhibited the state’s ability to reach “the broadest possible audience.”

Moore additionally raised concern that the legislation could have created financial risk for the state by requiring taxpayer dollars to be invested in news outlets regardless of their “proven standards of accuracy, accountability, and return on investment.”

“The State’s advertising contracts must be governed by the same principles of performance and accountability that apply across all areas of state procurement,” he wrote.

In a statement Thursday, Rebecca Snyder, executive director of the MDDC Press Association, of which The Daily Record is a member, said Moore’s veto is “disappointing and misguided.”

“Every year, Maryland spends taxpayer dollars on advertising campaigns intended to reach Maryland residents,” Snyder said. “SB 459 simply sought to ensure that more of those dollars circulate through Maryland businesses, support Maryland jobs, and strengthen Maryland-based organizations rather than flowing almost entirely to out-of-state tech platforms and national advertising networks.”

Moore also vetoed legislation sponsored by Del. Thomas Hutchinson, R-Lower Eastern Shore, that would have required the Maryland Health Care Commission and the state’s Medicaid program to study the potential fiscal impact of reimbursing hospice houses for room and board services provided to patients during the last six months of life.

Although House Bill 1151 would have been a study, Moore wrote in his veto letter that federal law prohibits Medicaid reimbursement for room and board outside a facility setting, and following through with such a policy would have put the full onus of the cost on the state, which the Maryland Department of Health estimated would have cost at least $8 million annually.

Moore wrote that although state investment state investment in the Medicaid program alone has grown by more than half a billion dollars under his administration, he also anticipates losing up to $2.7 billion in federal funding to Medicaid as President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” continues its roll out.

“In this fiscal climate, we must reconsider bills that commit the state to future obligations and remain disciplined and strategic in funding
decisions to protect essential services for all Marylanders,” he wrote.

The governor also vetoed Senate Bill 448 — the duplicate of a House bill he signed that permits the Carroll County Board of Commissioners to issue $27 million in general obligation bonds to acquire, construct, improve or renovate public facilities and public works projects.

“Although both bills are legally sufficient, only one should be signed, as enactment of duplicate bond bills would double the authorized debt,” Moore wrote.