MRA In The News

As excerpted from Newsweek : Maryland lawmakers have are debating a bill that would require many retailers to accept cash for in-person purchases, with potential effects for about 6.1 million residents statewide. House Bill 191 would bar merchants from refusing cash in most in-person transactions and set civil penalties for violations, a change intended to preserve access for unbanked and underbanked consumers. Supporters said cashless policies can exclude low-income households, undocumented residents, and people without bank accounts from buying essentials, while opponents warned of added costs and potential safety risks for retailers. Cash usage has declined across the U.S. in recent years, though plenty of Americans still use it frequently. According to a 2025 report by the Federal Reserve, 14 percent of transactions in 2024 were completed in cash, and more than 90 percent of U.S. consumers intend to use cash as either a means of payment or store of value in the future. HB 191, titled "Consumer Protection—Retail Transactions—Cash Payments," was pre-filed by Delegate Greg Wims, a Montgomery County Democrat, and assigned to the House Economic Matters Committee. The measure would prohibit merchants, in covered transactions, from declining cash , requiring card payments, or charging a fee to customers who pay with cash, and violations would be enforced as unfair or deceptive practices under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act. The bill applies to in-person retail transactions between $5 and $300, with exclusions for phone, mail, internet, and parking transactions, according to the legislative summary. ... Delegate Gregory Wims said: "Cash is the staple of our country. No person should be prohibited from using legal tender when trying to buy groceries at the supermarket or clothes at a clothing store." Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance , said: "There are many reasons why businesses are moving toward a cashless model," said, citing concerns about safety, organized retail crime, and costs such as safes and deposit fees. She said many retailers are using "app based, mobile kiosk-kind of models that are designed to be cashless for efficiency and speed." Click here to read the full article from Newsweek .

As excerpted from Maryland Matters : A Montgomery County delegate is pushing a bill that would require businesses to accept cash payments for purchases less than $300, a move that supporters said keeps the economy open to all Marylanders. “Cash is the staple of our country,” Del. Gregory Wims (D-Montgomery) said at a House hearing last month on House Bill 191 . “No person should be prohibited from using legal tender when trying to buy groceries at the supermarket or clothes at a clothing store.” The bill, the “Consumer Protection – Retail Transactions – Cash Payments,” would address the growing number of incidents in which merchants do not accept cash payments at brick-and-mortar stores, said Wims, the sponsor of the bill. But some opponents argue a cash mandate could heighten safety risks for retailers and increase the cost of running a business. Since its Feb. 10 hearing in the House Economic Matters Committee the bill appears to have stalled. The legislation comes as more and more retailers refuse to accept cash, a policy bill supporters said could exclude undocumented people, low-income households and those without bank accounts from making purchases. The bill would also prohibit merchants from charging additional fees for customers paying with cash. The requirement would not apply to purchases made online, over the phone or by mail. Among other provisions, it would not include transactions when merchants are operating at a temporary location, including at an event. Advocates said the bill could help many low- and middle-income families who use cash or those who have maxed out their credit cards and are unable to use them. ... Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said there are many reasons why businesses are moving toward a cashless model. She pointed to concerns, including employee safety, organized retail crime, robbery and theft. Many retailers are using “app based, mobile kiosk-kind of models that are designed to be cashless for efficiency and speed,” she said. There are also other costs associated with using cash, such as cash registers, safes, deposit fees and staff time to count the money, Locklair said. “For smaller retailers who operate on really thin margins, those costs can be significant,” she said. Click here to read the full article from Maryland Matters .

As excerpted from Food World : Just a few months ago, supporters of allowing beer and wine sales in Maryland grocery stores sounded cautiously optimistic . A renewed legislative push and fresh economic analysis had advocates predicting the long-running debate might finally move forward in Annapolis. But as the 2026 legislative session moves deeper into the calendar, the effort appears to be encountering the same familiar roadblocks. Several key lawmakers in the Maryland Senate have signaled that legislation allowing beer and wine sales in grocery stores is unlikely to advance this year. A companion proposal in the House has also struggled to gain traction, particularly among legislators concerned about the potential impact on independent liquor retailers. The issue has become something of an annual ritual in the Maryland General Assembly. Each year, lawmakers introduce bills that would permit grocery stores to sell beer and wine – and each year the proposals stall in committee. Supporters say the economic case for change continues to strengthen. A new analysis conducted by the Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore found that allowing beer and wine sales in grocery stores could increase retail alcohol sales in Maryland and generate millions of dollars in additional tax revenue for the state. The report estimates state government revenues could rise between $4.7 million and $6.6 million annually as more beer and wine purchases shift back into Maryland from neighboring states. “Allowing beer and wine sales in grocery stores has the potential to increase retail wine and beer sales in Maryland, thereby generating jobs and tax revenues for Maryland,” said Richard Clinch, PhD, director of the Jacob France Institute and author of the study. The study also examined the long-term effects of similar policy changes in states such as Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. In each case, alcohol retailer employment eventually rose above pre-reform levels after grocery store sales were permitted, suggesting that concerns about lasting damage to independent liquor retailers may be overstated. Still, opposition from the state’s independent liquor store sector remains strong, and those concerns continue to resonate with many lawmakers in Annapolis. Maryland remains one of only four states that does not allow any alcohol sales in grocery stores. Supporters argue the restriction puts the state out of step with modern retail practices and creates inconvenience for consumers. Polls have consistently shown strong public support for changing the law. A recent Maryland Now poll found roughly 80 percent of likely voters favor allowing grocery stores to sell beer and wine. Advocates say the policy shift could also help attract grocery stores to underserved communities where full-service supermarkets have struggled to take root. “Grocery stores operate with some of the smallest profit margins in retail, and this change would go a long way toward attracting and retaining stores in our communities.” said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. Click here to read the full article from Food World .

As excerpted from Maryland Matters : Legislative leaders and the governor don’t think retailers should be able to charge different prices for the same product based on a customer’s personal data — but if they do, the customer should at least be warned about it. Those were among the proposals debated Tuesday during a hearing of the House Economic Matters Committee, a rare occasion when both Gov. Wes Moore (D) and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel) came out to testify on their bills in person. Moore, Peña-Melnyk and Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) announced in January that they would be working to curtail so-called “surveillance” pricing, part of a broad effort to tackle everyday affordability issues. But the speaker took it a step further Tuesday with her bill, that would ensure that shoppers know if their data has been used to set prices. House Bill 1475 would require stores to show shoppers a disclaimer to shoppers when the price of goods and services have been set based on “personalized algorithmic data.” “With the rise of artificial intelligence and advanced data collection, companies now have the ability to tailor prices to individual consumers to maximize their profits,” said Duane Bond, senior policy adviser to Peña-Melnyk, during Tuesday’s hearing. ... Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, suggested that the disclaimer should only occur when personalized algorithmic data is used to drive prices up, not when lowering prices, since it’s “likely to unnecessarily alarm consumers.” “Most consumers do not understand how algorithms are functioning, they may not realize that this tool is being used to generate personalized discounts, optimize our inventory, reduce waste and ultimately lower prices,” Locklair said. Peña-Melnyk’s appearance followed testimony by the governor on one of his priority bills, the Protection from Predatory Pricing Act. House Bill 895 would prohibit “dynamic pricing” defined in the legislation as “the practice of varying prices of consumer goods or services within a business day based on demand or other factors, including through the use of artificial intelligence or models that retrain or recalibrate based on received information in real-time.” The legislation would prohibit food retailers from using “surveillance data” to collect information on a “consumer’s behavior, characteristics, location or other personal attributes” to set prices for an individual or a group of people. “Here is basically how it works, prices are changing sometimes by the hour and sometimes by the minute based on where you shop and based on who is shopping,” Moore said in his testimony. “And it’s happening because digital price tags are replacing paper ones. It’s happening because we are having cameras that are watching aisles. “It’s happening because we have apps that are moving from search-based to predictive and having true curated experiences that end up harming the average shopper,” he said. “That algorithm can crunch data into one question: How much should I charge this person, and how much can I get away with charging this person?” But retail lobbyists like Locklair, as they have said before, denied that dynamic pricing as described in the bill is occurring widely in Maryland. “There is no data … of widespread surveillance-based pricing abuses,” Locklair said, reiterating that the current bill language is too broad and could eliminate loyalty programs meant to reduce prices for shoppers. Click here to read the full article from Maryland Matters .

As excerpted from Maryland Matters: Consumers looking to buy beer and wine in grocery and other retail stores may have to wait a little longer. What is practically a perennial effort to let other retailers sell some alcoholic beverages appears destined to stall again, with two key Senate Democrats saying a Senate bill is not poised to move forward, and a House version hitting a brick wall of concerns about small business owners Wednesday. “I don’t foresee us this year taking on this issue in a significant way,” Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) told reporters Tuesday. “I do think probably in the next term, we’re going to have to figure out some sort of compromise here.” He said he does not see that compromise emerging in the remaining six weeks of this session, but that “in the next term, there’s probably a broader conversation about how to do this as fairly as possible, because we do know that it is that convenience is what Marylanders want.” Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, called Ferguson’s comments “unfortunate.” “We have independent studies stating that $75 million in new revenue would come to Maryland. This is not a new tax. This is not a new cut. This is a decision that benefits communities. It provides jobs. Neighborhood Stabilization retains existing stores and attracts new ones.” The retailers association is a member of the Consumer Freedom Coalition, which is backing the push to expand beer and wine sales and, as part of that effort, targeted Ferguson in a mail campaign. The coalition also commissioned a University of Baltimore study looking at the potential effects of expanded sales in Maryland . Supporters, undaunted, gathered in Annapolis Wednesday to push for passage of House Bill 1303 , which was being heard by the House Economic Matters Committee, and Senate Bill 75 , which was heard last month. The bills are similar, but not identical. Both bills would allow grocery stores and big box wholesale chains to sell beer and wine. The House bill also includes convenience stores and pharmacies, if they meet minimum square footage requirements. Click here to read the full article f rom Maryland Matters .

As excerpted from CBS News : Maryland lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine. The Alcoholic Beverages and Modernization Act of 2026 was filed last week in the House of Delegates and is sponsored by several state leaders. The ban on beer and wine sales in Maryland grocery stores has been in place since 1978, and continues to spark debate for business owners, lawmakers and residents. "We are seeing grocery stores close. We've seen four new grocery stores have closed across the state of Maryland," said Maryland Delegate Amprey, who is one of the supporters. "Beer and wine in these stores can be the lift that they need in order to make sure their margins are in a place where they can stay where they are, and people in the communities have access to fresh food." According to the Maryland Retailers Alliance , 80% of Marylanders support this bill. Maryland is one of four states that doesn't allow those types of sales. Delaware, Rhode Island and Alaska are the others. Several past attempts to pass that law have failed. Click here to read the full article from CBS News .

As excerpted from WYPR : Top Maryland Democrats signaled last month that banning surveillance and dynamic pricing statewide would be a high priority this legislative session, and one of the bills to begin work on the matter had its first committee hearing Tuesday. HB0148 would prohibit the use of personal or biometric data when companies set their prices. The practice — known as surveillance pricing — is used to set customized prices for individuals based on data collected around their traits and characteristics, often through artificial intelligence (AI). Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery County) brought the bill forward out of concern that companies are using surveillance pricing to selectively price gouge customers based on their spending habits. “There was an investigation into Instacart recently that found they were actually grouping consumers into different buckets depending on different characteristics of personal data, and then charging them different prices depending on their personal characteristics,” Vogel said during his opening remarks. Vogel noted Instacart — a third party grocery delivery service — stopped the practice after amid outrage from customers in December, but he worries surveillance pricing tactics will only spread if not regulated. “There is discussion of a number of additional businesses that are looking to engage in AI price gouging and wage fixing,” Vogel said, also referring to workers being docked pay based on surveillance data, like tracking driving habits and workplace efficiency metrics. An amendment to the bill — that would need lawmaker approval — is proposing banning electronic shelving labels (ESLs) altogether, which are digital price tags in stores that allow companies to adjust prices without manually changing tags. “ESLs allow a company to change prices instantly, several times a day for different customers. Without this prohibition, companies will continue to implement surveillance based pricing at scale,” said Elizabeth Bobo, legislative director at the Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO. Retail and tech advocates testified in strong opposition to the bill as written, arguing banning any type of data-driven customized pricing could result in less discounts for customers. “Retailers strongly support the principle that consumer data should not be used to increase prices, and if that's what this bill said, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be sitting up here. We agree with that goal full stop,” said President of the Maryland Retailers Alliance Cailey Locklair. Locklair argues Maryland’s data privacy laws allow businesses to collect consumer data, as long as that practice is disclosed and customers are allowed to opt out. “But consumer and retail loyalty programs are different because they're more protective. They are opt-in. Consumers choose them because they want savings. Retailers use data to deliver data-driven discounts, not penalties,” Locklair said. Click here to read the full article from WYPR .

As reported by the Southern Maryland Chronicle: Annapolis, Maryland – Maryland will suspend its 6 percent state sales tax on qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances during Shop Maryland Energy Weekend, scheduled for Saturday, February 14, through Monday, February 16, 2026, allowing residents to purchase energy-efficient products at reduced upfront costs. Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman announced the tax holiday on February 4, 2026, highlighting its role in providing savings to households facing rising everyday expenses and utility bills. The exemption applies to both new and used eligible appliances purchased in stores or online during the three-day period, which runs from 12:01 a.m. on February 14 to 11:59 p.m. on February 16. “We are waiving the state’s 6% sales tax on qualifying Energy Star appliances to deliver real savings to Maryland families that can help offset increasing household costs on everyday items and higher utility bills,” Lierman stated. “I encourage Marylanders to consider purchasing any needed new appliances during Shop Maryland Energy Weekend to take advantage of lower upfront costs and long-term energy savings.” Qualifying ENERGY STAR products include room air conditioners, clothes washers and dryers, standard-size refrigerators, furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, and programmable thermostats. Solar water heaters remain exempt from sales tax year-round. To earn the ENERGY STAR certification, products must satisfy strict energy-efficiency criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The initiative, which began in 2011, results in the state forgoing an estimated $800,000 in sales tax revenue each year based on purchases of eligible items during the weekend. The temporary exemption encourages consumers to invest in appliances that deliver ongoing reductions in energy consumption and lower utility costs over the products’ lifetimes. Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, described the event as mutually beneficial. “Maryland’s Energy Star tax-free weekend is a win for both consumers and retailers. It helps families save money on energy-efficient appliances while encouraging smarter purchases that lower utility bills and reduce energy use over time,” she said. The tax holiday aligns with broader state efforts to promote energy efficiency and support household affordability. Retailers across Maryland, including big-box stores, appliance specialists, and online sellers, typically participate by stocking eligible ENERGY STAR models and highlighting the promotion. Marylanders planning purchases during the weekend can verify product eligibility by checking for the ENERGY STAR label or consulting retailer lists. Additional details, including a complete list of qualifying items and answers to common questions, are available through the Comptroller’s Office Frequently Asked Questions resource on the state website. Shop Maryland Energy Weekend provides a recurring annual opportunity for residents to combine immediate tax savings with long-term reductions in household energy use, particularly relevant amid ongoing pressures on family budgets in Southern Maryland and across the state. Click here to view the article from the Southern Maryland Chronicle .

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman has announced the return of Shop Maryland Energy Weekend, a three-day tax holiday designed to provide financial relief to Maryland families while promoting energy efficiency. From February 14 through February 16, 2026, the state will waive its 6% sales tax on qualifying Energy Star-certified appliances. The tax exemption applies to both new and used products, whether purchased in-person at local retailers or through online platforms. By waiving the sales tax, state officials aim to help residents offset rising household costs and reduce long-term utility expenses. Eligible Appliances and Savings To qualify for the tax-free status, appliances must bear the Energy Star label, indicating they meet strict energy-efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The following items are included in the 2026 holiday: Air conditioners and dehumidifiers Clothes washers and dryers Standard-size refrigerators Furnaces, heat pumps, and boilers Programmable thermostats Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) While the tax holiday is a temporary three-day event, Maryland law currently exempts solar water heaters from sales tax year-round. Economic and Environmental Impact Shop Maryland Energy Weekend has been an annual staple since 2011. Comptroller Lierman noted that the state forgoes approximately $800,000 in tax revenue each year during this event to encourage smarter, greener consumer choices. Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, called the weekend a “win for both consumers and retailers,” noting that it supports local businesses during a typically slow shopping season while helping families invest in appliances that lower their carbon footprint. Important Dates and Information The event begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, February 14, and concludes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026. Consumers are encouraged to check with local utility providers, as some may offer additional rebates on top of the state’s tax savings. Marylanders can learn more about Shop Maryland Energy Weekend by viewing the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) . Click here to view the announcement from NottinghamMD.com