Gov. Moore, administration push DECADE Act to retool Maryland economic development

Governor Wes Moore and senior state economic development officials testified March 4 before the House Ways and Means Committee in support of the DECADE Act (House Bill 498), a 130‑plus page package the administration said would reshape Maryland’s business attraction, incentives and targeted investments.

Moore told the committee the DECADE Act seeks to reverse a decade of slow growth by concentrating capital and strategy on a handful of high‑potential sectors, including quantum, AI, cybersecurity and aerospace and defense. “If our economy had grown closer to the national average over the last decade, we would not have a structural deficit,” Moore said in his opening remarks, urging a data‑driven, selective approach rather than broadly funding numerous programs.

The administration proposes $128 million in targeted investments and a revamp of several state programs. Acting Commerce Secretary Harry Coker described specific changes to the Buy Maryland Cyber tax credit: expanding eligible buyers and sellers, removing employee‑size caps, increasing credit amounts available per transaction and making the…