The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland unveiled its priorities Thursday morning which it will seek to get passed this session of the General Assembly. The 66-member group — which is slightly more than one-third of the entire General Assembly — is the largest Black state legislative caucus in the country according to its members. And while the group has a long list of measures it wants passed, it also has a list of laws it wants to protect from changes this year.

That includes 2022’s Child Interrogation Protection Act, which became law despite a veto from then-Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican who was unable to prevent Democrats in the General Assembly from overriding his veto. The law requires juveniles in custody be allowed to consult with an attorney before law enforcement can question them. It also requires a parent or guardian to be notified before questioning in custody.

Prosecutors have beat the drum against the law ever since, saying it hampers criminal investigations, and they have some support in the General Assembly. The act’s supporters say all it does is extend rights to children that adults already have in a state that has one of the biggest racial disparities in juvenile incarceration in the country. And that’s why Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland chair, Democratic Delegate Jheanelle Wilkins of Montgomery County, says they’ll defend it fully this year from any attempts to change it.

“We believe that that legislation is a critical bill, and we will defend that legislation during this session, and make sure that the core piece of it, which is ensuring that access (for) children for their constitutional and foundational rights, is protected,” Wilkins said at a press briefing Thursday.

Wilkins says lawmakers are also prepared to defend other laws passed in recent years that have been the target of law enforcement and their allies, even as crime rates in Maryland have fallen — including juvenile crime.