After a snow day, lawmakers are back in Annapolis to continue the 90-day legislative session. Here’s what we’re watching today, Jan. 27:

• Redistricting redo: A committee in the House of Delegates will hold a hearing on a new congressional map at 3 p.m., after a meeting set for Monday got postponed because of the weather. Gov. Wes Moore and Senate President Bill Ferguson are at odds over redistricting.
• ICE bills fast-tracked: A pair of bills aimed at restricting federal immigration enforcement are getting a vote in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee this afternoon. The bills are moving quickly, a sign that they’re both expected to pass. Read more.
• On that topic: A retired Maryland immigration judge witnessed the “unhinged” actions of federal immigration agents when he visited the scene of Alex Pretti’s killing in Minneapolis, Brenda Wintrode reported. The shooting of another American citizen by federal agents pushed some Maryland politicians to become more vocal over the weekend, with Moore calling out a “reckless pattern of violence,” Ferguson decrying a “reign of terror,” and Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Will Smith calling Pretti’s killing “murder.”

Check back here for live updates from The Banner’s team of politics reporters.

— Madeleine O’Neill

7:35 p.m.: Common themes of four hours of redistricting testimony

After four hours of testimony, the House Rules Committee has wrapped up its hearing on a new set of congressional districts.

Dozens of people testified on the bill, most of them via video, offering predictable arguments.

A common theme among those in favor of redistricting now: “Fight fire with fire” and combat states that have drawn more Republican-friendly congressional seats at the behest of President Donald Trump.

And those against? “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” was a refrain among opponents.

The committee has expressed an intention of voting tonight, but first they must consider a bill from Republican Del. Jason Buckel that would enact a host of redistricting reforms but has little chance of passage.

— Pamela Wood

4:21 p.m.: Moore says redistricting informed by ‘the people’

Asked what he makes of the proposed map, whose boundaries would put Ocean City and Columbia in the same district, Gov. Wes Moore said it was what the people wanted.

“The people are the ones that informed what it should look like. So now it is with the House, it is with the Senate. I would just urge them to debate that, make adjustments if they see necessary,” he said in a news conference after.

He went on to again say that the Senate should vote on the bill, which is widely expected to pass the House. Senate President Bill Ferguson, who opposes redistricting, has been noncommittal on whether it would reach the floor of his chamber.

— Lee O. Sanderlin

4:10 p.m.: Republicans eye lawsuit

Republican delegates are peppering bill sponsor Del. C.T. Wilson with questions about a proposed congressional district map being debated in the House of Delegates.

Del. Kathy Szeliga made her intention clear: Her questions were designed with a “potential lawsuit” in mind.

She asked questions about whether the governor or Democratic Party officials were involved in picking the chosen map, and who exactly drew the final version that’s now included in the bill.

Szeliga, a Republican who represents part of Baltimore County, was involved in redistricting litigation following the last round of redistricting after the 2020 Census.

Republicans don’t have enough numbers to stop the map from being passed in the House of Delegates, so putting information on the record for a lawsuit is one of the few levers of power they can pull.

— Pamela Wood

3:40 p.m.: Moore weighs in on redistricting

Maryland Gov. Moore made his first appearance at a General Assembly committee this year to make the case for new congressional districts.

“It is imperative that Maryland do its part to ensure that Congress is able to function as a meaningful check on executive overreach,” the Democratic governor said.

Moore had a message for those looking for reasons not to respond instead of using their energy to respond, perhaps a shot at Senate President Bill Ferguson, noted opponent of redistricting.

“History will remember you worse,” Moore said.

– Pamela Wood and Lee O. Sanderlin

3:15 p.m.: Redistricting hearing kicks off

A House of Delegates committee hearing on a new congressional district map is under way.

Del. C.T. Wilson, a Charles County Democrat sponsoring the bill, is joined in his presentation by Gov. Wes Moore.

Wilson said lawmakers are considering a new map not because they want to, but because they need to respond to President Donald Trump-requested redistricting to favor Republicans in other states.“

We are here because our current president and current administration are desperate to rig this election,” Wilson said in his opening remarks.

Del. Anne Healey, chair of the House Rules Committee, said more than 200 people have signed up to testify, so it could be a long day. She urged people to exercise respect and treat the issues seriously.

“We know people have very strong feelings,” she said.

– Pamela Wood

2:45 p.m.: Watch debate on Maryland’s proposed congressional redistricting

A House committee will hear testimony — including from Gov. Wes Moore — on a plan to redraw Maryland’s congressional districts.

Watch here:

— John O’Connor

12:05 p.m.: Ferguson still opposed to redrawing congressional districts

As the House of Delegates takes up a map and referendum on new congressional district boundaries later Tuesday, Senate President Bill Ferguson said he still has not changed his mind.

Ferguson, a Democrat, has been firmly opposed to redrawing boundaries now, out of the typical cycle.

Asked by reporters for his opinion on the House bill, Ferguson said: “I don’t think much has changed since our initial analysis.”

Ferguson noted that deadlines are coming up quickly for candidates to file for office, and given likely legal challenges, “we’re well past the window of opportunity of doing anything.”

Read more about what’s in the House bill, and about the redistricting calendar math.

— Brenda Wintrode and Pamela Wood

10:05 a.m.: Gov. Moore rolls out energy package — more utility rebates coming

Gov. Wes Moore’s office is introducing legislation to fund more solar energy generation and to modernize Maryland’s power grid.

The proposed law would call for $70 million in financing for “shovel-ready” clean energy projects, according to Moore’s office. The administration wants to prioritize solar and battery energy storage.

The bill also gets rid of a loophole that allows Maryland utilities to profit off of their participation in PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization.

As of now, PJM participation isn’t mandatory, and utilities can bill their customers for it. Under Moore’s proposal, the PJM participation would be mandatory (all Maryland utilities already participate) and they would no longer allow the companies to collect an additional profit just for being a part of the regional transmission organization.

“Energy policy is about more than megawatts and transmission corridors—it is about whether Maryland families can afford to live in their homes," Moore said in a news release.

The Lower Bills and Local Power Act, which had not been filed as of Tuesday morning, would also include a new round of rebates for Maryland ratepayers. Last year, the General Assembly approved a similar measure that gave utility customers a one-time discount that ranged between $30 and $67. This year’s rebate, if it passes, figures to be lower.

— Lee O. Sanderlin