I wrote my floor speech on the marriage bill in my head last night. 

            I put it on my hard drive this morning. 

            I hope to give it before the weekend. 

            Unless the opponents succeed with parliamentary delays,  the bill will be voted on by the full House on Friday.

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            I always try to work off of my document – except when I don’t.

             If everyone’s using my words, I’m shaping the discussion.

             I have delegated that crucial task to others for two of my bills. 

             House Bill 460 would require the police to get a search warrant before getting your cell phone records from your service provider.  The prosecutors and police that I met with last week know far more about the intricacies and exigencies than I do.  I asked them to draft amendments, which my co-sponsor and I will review, along with the Public Defender.

             An economic inclusion plan requiring the developer to hire people from the surrounding neighborhoods is part of the State Center project in Baltimore.  House Bill 523 would require that such plans be adopted for all state construction projects of $25 million or more. 

             Executive Branch officials informed me this afternoon that the Governor very much likes this concept.  I asked them to draft an English narrative of how we should do this.  That draft will then be discussed by the interested parties and if agreement is reached, become the amended bill. 

             In both instances, I know the goal I want to reach, but the designated drafters understand the details far better than I do.