Senate President Mike Miller has stated that the “Trust Act” (HB 1362) as passed by the House will not pass the Senate. Miller characterized the bill as a “sanctuary state bill” which the Senate would not vote on and the State would not become.

The Baltimore Sun reports:

Miller said Maryland would not become a “sanctuary state.”

“Our churches are not sanctuaries, our colleges are not sanctuaries, our cities are not sanctuaries,” said Miller, a Calvert County Democrat.

“The bill as it passed the House is not going to pass the Senate,” he said.

“We need to protect all citizens, no matter how they got here, from being hindered while going about their lives,” he said.

The bill currently sits within the Judicial Proceedings Committee where Senators are considering additional amendments. It is possible the controversial bill will make it out of committee in an amended form that addresses the President’s concerns while still offering some protections. If amended and passed by the Senate, the bill would likely be sent to a conference committee to resolve differences with the House.

The committee spent nearly an hour wrestling with the legislation Tuesday night, going section by section and discussing which parts to keep and which to remove. They held off on taking a final vote.

Sen. Bobby Zirkin, the committee’s chairman, said it was most important to him to make clear that police can’t stop people for the purpose of inquiring about immigration.

…

Though Zirkin said the practice is already prohibited by a Supreme Court ruling, “there’s a statement to be made to reinforce that in state law.”

For more information:

Maryland Senate President Says ‘Sanctuary Bill’ Won’t Pass (The Baltimore Sun)

Sanctuary Cities, Maryland Could Lose Federal Justice Grant Dollars (Conduit Street)