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Maryland Lt. Gov Miller calls for gender-neutral language in constitution
She backed legislation to replace male-only references to public officials in the Maryland Constitution.
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Staff Reporter - Thu, 12, Mar 2026
- 14:15 EDT
- 35
Aruna Miller / File Photo
Maryland Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller testified before a House committee on March 10 in support of legislation to update gendered language in the state constitution.
Appearing before the Maryland House Government, Labor, and Elections Committee, Miller said, "Throughout our Constitution, those who hold public office are still described as ‘he,’ language that reflects a very different time in our history."
She endorsed House Bill 1488, which seeks to modernize the Maryland Constitution by replacing gender-specific terms with gender-neutral wording. “House Bill 1488 simply brings our Constitution into alignment with the Maryland that we live in today.”
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The proposal would update references in the state constitution that currently use masculine terms such as “he,” “him,” and “men” when referring to public officials and residents. Under the bill, those terms would be replaced with neutral references such as “person,” “senator,” “delegate,” or “officer.”
Miller noted that women currently hold four of Maryland’s seven constitutional offices, a development she said would have been difficult to imagine when the state constitution was first written.
“What it does is that it updates our founding document so it reflects the full diversity of the people who serve Maryland,” she said. “So, yes, it’s about accuracy, and frankly, it’s just common sense.”
House Bill 1488 is sponsored by Delegate Dana Jones and expands on a similar proposal introduced during the 2025 legislative session. The measure would revise language across the executive, legislative, and judicial sections of the constitution, as well as provisions within the Declaration of Rights and those affecting local governments.
Because the bill proposes a constitutional amendment, it would require approval by three-fifths of the Maryland General Assembly. If passed, the amendment would then be placed on the ballot for voters to decide in the next statewide general election.
Miller joined Jones and Maryland Adjutant General Major General Janeen Birckhead in describing the measure as a technical modernization effort with no fiscal impact but one that carries symbolic significance.
Ten other U.S. states have already removed gender-specific pronouns or adopted gender-neutral language in their state constitutions, while several others have considered similar efforts.
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