You can touch the lives of many people in this job. 

            Twenty three years ago, Maryland became the first state to help students enter public service by providing loan repayments to assist them in repaying their academic debt.  That was my bill.

            We heard testimony today on legislation to allow people with lower paying government or non-profit jobs to claim a deduction on their state income tax for their educational loan repayments.  I introduced House Bill 623 because less than half of the people who are eligible for assistance under my 1988 bill are receiving this aid. 

               During the hearing, I learned that our budget staff is proposing that this program not be funded in the next fiscal year.  Another issue to add to my bill list. 

               At the Democratic caucus meeting this week, the House sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill compared this issue to the 1991 law that made the Roe v. Wade standard on abortion Maryland law. 

               He then called on me to speak as the floor leader for the abortion bill. My message: we had to oppose all Senate amendments then and we have to do the same now, since the Senate will not take up the bill a second time to consider any House changes. 

                 Afterwards, I called my niece, Rachel, to let her know that when the abortion law was petitioned to referendum 20 years ago, I wanted her to pull the lever for me for the bill on Election Day, but her father took her and her brother to dinner instead. 

                   Next year, if the marriage bill is petitioned to the ballot, Rachel will be 27 and able to vote for the law herself.

February 24