Maryland Governor vetoes bill to steer state ad dollars to local media
Moore cites paywall restrictions, accountability concerns in rejecting
Local News for Maryland Communities Act
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has vetoed legislation that would have required state agencies to direct at least half of their advertising budgets to Maryland news organizations, saying the mandate would undermine the state’s ability to reach the residents it serves.
Senate Bill 459, the Local News for Maryland Communities Act of 2026, passed the General Assembly with the stated goal of reinvesting public dollars in Maryland’s local information ecosystem. The measure covered print, digital and broadcast outlets and exempted campaigns targeting out-of-state audiences, such as tourism and recruitment advertising.
In his veto letter dated May 22, Moore said the legislation “would significantly impair the state’s ability to communicate effectively with Maryland residents.”
A central concern was the prevalence of subscription paywalls among local news organizations. Moore argued that directing state advertising funds to outlets accessible only to paying subscribers defeats the purpose of public communications. “Marylanders who do not subscribe to a given outlet will not see the State’s message regardless of how much the State spends to place it there,” he wrote.
Moore also raised fiscal accountability concerns, writing that mandating a significant share of advertising funds go “to organizations without regard to their proven standards of accuracy, accountability, and return on investment exposes the State to the expenditure of public dollars in ways that cannot be adequately justified to Maryland taxpayers.”
The governor said the state has an obligation to reach residents through “the most effective and efficient means available,” including digital platforms, streaming services, outdoor media, and major regional partnerships — channels that SB 459 would have effectively constrained.
Supporters of the legislation had framed it as a structural solution to the financial pressures facing local news.
“This legislation reflects a practical shift in how we support local news,” said Rebecca Snyder, Executive Director of the MDDC Press Association in a statement when the legislation was passed by the General Assembly. “It recognizes that local news is essential infrastructure for communities and treats it that way. By directing existing resources more intentionally, Maryland is strengthening the systems people rely on for timely, fact-based information. It also changes the conversation: sustainable support for local media can be built into everyday government operations.””
Moore indicated the veto was not a rejection of that broader goal, saying his administration looks forward to working with lawmakers on executive actions or future legislation to support local news “in a manner that is feasible, fiscally sound, and consistent with the State’s obligations to all Marylanders it serves.”
Photo: Pat Siebert, Executive Office of the Governor
