It was my honor to again be asked by Speaker Mike Busch to offer the prayer at the Opening Day session of the House of Delegates.

This is what I said.

34 years ago, a newly elected delegate from Northwest Baltimore took the oath of office for the first time.

Today, a 34-year old in Baltimore County is without a college degree or a well-paying job.  The Beth Steel plant where his father had a union job is closed. 

A 34-year old single parent in West Baltimore confronts a neighborhood and a school that still lack the resources for her family to succeed.

A 34-year old immigrant in Montgomery County worries if she can remain here and provide for her children. 

For the next 90 days, all of us must focus on Hubert Humphrey’s moral test of government:

How we treat those 34-year olds: the underemployed, the single parent, and the immigrant.