An analysis published by The Baltimore Sun calculated that Maryland’s recent two-day special session on congressional redistricting generated up to $50,680 in meal and hotel reimbursements.
The intent behind the piece was fairly obvious: paint state lawmakers as extravagant spenders laying out tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars for a short summer gathering in Annapolis. But if David Smith and his team at The Sun were trying to whip up public outrage over fiscal irresponsibility, they accidentally proved the exact opposite.
They showed that when it comes to legislative operations, Maryland state government is running on a shoestring.
$50,680: What Did We Actually Buy?
To understand how modest that $50,680 tab really is, look at the math:
88 State Lawmakers (47 Senators and 141 Delegates)
Plus essential staff, committee clerks, legislative counsel, and Capitol Police details
Two full days of official legislative business, committee hearings, and floor votes
That comes out to roughly $134 per legislator per day for room and board. In a summer hospitality market like Annapolis, $134 barely covers a decent hotel room, let alone three meals and gas. It’s a per diem rate that would make a corporate travel accountant weep.
Yet The Sun ran the numbers as if Annapolis had thrown a Roman banquet on the taxpayer's dime.
A Tale of Two Budgets: Annapolis vs. Federal Travel
To appreciate how lean a $50,000 legislative session actually is, compare state-level operations to federal executive travel.
When Donald Trump flies out of D.C. for a weekend round of golf at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey, the American taxpayer picks up the tab for a massive military and intelligence apparatus:
| Expense Category | Maryland General Assembly (2-Day Session) | Single Presidential Weekend Golf Trip (Bedminster, NJ) |
| Primary Tab | $50,680 total (meals and lodging for 188 members) | $1,500,000 – $3,000,000+ (all-inclusive military/security footprint) |
| Air Travel | $0 | ~$350,000 (Air Force One operating at ~$176k–$200k/hr) |
| Logistics & Cargo | $0 | ~$150,000 (C-17 transports for "The Beast" & motorcade) |
| Specialized Rentals | $0 | ~$15,000 – $60,000 (Secret Service golf cart rentals alone) |
The Real Bottom Line
Put another way:
Twenty minutes of flight time on Air Force One costs around $58,000—more than the entire two-day legislative session in Annapolis.
The Secret Service’s budget just to rent modified golf carts to follow the President around a golf course frequently matches or exceeds The Sun’s entire $50,680 headline figure.
A single presidential golf trip could fund 30 to 50 separate special sessions of the Maryland Legislature.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with the political decision to hold a redistricting session, trying to weaponize $50,680 in actual travel reimbursements as "runaway spending" falls completely flat. If anything, Marylanders ought to send The Baltimore Sun a thank-you note for crunching the numbers and confirming just how thrifty our state capital actually is.
To see local reporting on the floor proceedings and debates during the session, watch MD lawmakers pass proposed redistricting constitutional amendment after two days. This video provides raw footage and context from the State House floor during the two-day period referenced in The Sun's analysis.
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