Two bills that I worked on were debated on the House floor today.
I was the lead sponsor of neither.
Under House Bill 819, an appeal of the State Police’s denial of a license to carry a hand gun would be heard by an administrative law judge, instead of political appointees of the Governor.
A gun safety lobbyist raised this idea with me last summer.
I told her that the lead sponsor of the bill should be someone on the Judiciary Committee.
Delegate Atterbeary was in the room when the vote was taken on whether to give the bill a favorable report and send it to the House floor.
My role: strategize on how to pass the bill, testify at the public hearing, and prepare to speak during the floor debate.
The bill passed with enough votes to overcome a veto, should Governor Hogan choose to do so.
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Much of the Russian meddling in the 2016 election took place on Facebook and other online platforms.
Protecting and expanding our right to vote is one of my proudest and most important areas of accomplishment as a legislator.
My bill would compel buyers of online political ads to register with the State Board of Elections and file reports of their disbursements over a certain amount.
House Bill 768 would also direct online platforms to retain digital copies of online political ads, as well as contact information for the political committees or individuals who purchase such ads.
A bill addressing this problem was also introduced by Delegate Alonzo Washington, chair of the Election Law subcommittee in the ways and Means Committee.
It was his bill that was debated on the House floor today.
Several provisions of my bill were amended onto his.
Mission accomplished.