By Sam Gauntt Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Gov. Wes Moore touted the state’s efforts to make Maryland a safer, more competitive and more affordable place to live Wednesday in his fourth State of the State address.  During a joint session of the Maryland General Assembly, Mo ore highlighted recent economic investment in the state and measures to reduce crime and housing and energy costs. He also noted the state’s contentious mid-cycle congressional redistricting push, the rise of artificial intelligence and data centers and the surge in federal immigration enforcement across the country.  “We will deliver the kind of results that people can actually feel in their homes and feel in their communities,” he said. “And we will lead our state and our people unapologetic in a way that inspires them to help move Maryland forward.” Early in his speech, Moore turned to the issue of redistricting, which he supports, noting that months ago he reestablished the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission because other states were considering mid-decade redistricting. “Maryland needs to be a part of that conversation,” Moore, a Democrat, said.  Senate President Bill Ferguson, a fellow Democrat, has opposed the effort.  Moore, who is seeking re-election this fall, said he recognizes there is a difference between the Senate and the House on supporting redistricting, but he called on the Senate to “not let the democratic process die in the Free State.” “Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary, and put it to a vote,” he said.  After the address, Sen. Arthur Ellis, D-Charles, who walked off the Senate floor last week in protest because the redistricting bill hasn’t been taken up in that chamber, told Capital News Service he is leading the charge to get the Senate to take up the legislation. “The key is we have a chance to put it in and have a public hearing and a debate,” he said. “What’s happening now is the redistricting bill introduced by the governor, passing the House and sitting in purgatory in the Senate – that is very wrong.”  Throughout his address, Moore returned to a central focus of affordability.  Moore highlighted the impact federal layoffs and funding cuts have had on the state. More than 25,000 Marylanders have lost their jobs with the federal government since President Donald Trump returned to office last year, he said. Moore said up to 180,000 Marylanders could potentially lose their health care and about 680,000 are at risk of losing food assistance benefits because of federal changes.  “Washington is using this moment to attack and to limit and to retreat,” Moore said. Moore said the state will invest in apprenticeship programs, AI training and building more housing units, public schools and other critical infrastructure.  Moore also touted recent private investments in Maryland, including partnerships with Microsoft, a pharmaceutical company’s $2 billion investment, and the Sphere venue coming to National Harbor, which he said will generate more than $1 billion in annual economic activity.  To address rising energy costs, Moore said Maryland will fund $200 million in direct energy rebates, push for a diverse energy portfolio and “double down on solar and wind and energy storage.” But in the GOP’s televised response, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey said Maryland is not easier to live, work, build and invest in than it was four years ago. He said Marylanders are facing rising costs, energy prices and structural deficits that didn’t start last year.  Following the address, Hershey told Capital News Service that he thought Moore’s speech was “very bland, uninspiring.”  “I don’t think he talked to Marylanders,” the Eastern Shore Republican said. “Frankly, I don’t think he talked to the country, which many people thought that this would be his big political statement for [the] presidency. I think he spoke to a very small population.” Moore only briefly mentioned the state’s budget concerns, a major criticism of Republicans. He said that Maryland will once again have to prove that it can “do more with less.” Moore announced the creation of “Citizenship Maryland,’’ which aims to make sure Marylanders who are eligible for citizenship get support. “It’s about helping 150,000 Marylanders who just need a little extra support to get their American citizenship,” he said. “They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are our fellow Marylanders.”  Moore praised Maryland’s “mosaic of backgrounds and culture,” but said its history is deeply uneven. He also defended his recent comments about the Maryland flag,  a Civil War-era combination of a Union symbol and a Confederate symbol.  “I love our flag. And to be clear, it ain’t changing,” he said. “Neither are the facts. Our flag is, by definition, a contradiction: a combination of symbols and ideas that were diametrically opposed, a contradiction.” </span> It’s just a reminder that Maryland is complicated, he said. “When we stand together, Maryland cannot lose,” Moore said. “Every time our nation has been tested, our state has answered that challenge with strength.” Capital News Service reporters Ian Ferris, Andrew Mollenauer and Alexander Taylor contributed to this report.  ...read more read less