Trust the process. That’s the advice a member is often given at this stage of the session. A commitment has been made that your bill will be acted upon favorably in the other house. The commitment will be honored is the message. But as Ronald Reagan advised, “Trust but verify.” Less artfully said, don’t take …more >
Over 600 students have interned at nearly 150 organizations with support from the Maryland Technology Internship Program (MTIP) since 2018. After reading UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski’s op-ed about a similar program in Massachusetts, I introduced the bill creating the program. Governor Hogan has funded it. The people at UMBC who administer MTIP suggested that we …more >
My nephew, Elliot Rosenberg, graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder. We had this correspondence today. SR: I assume you’re familiar with the shopping center where the shooting took place. ER: I’m very familiar with it. It’s crazy, but these shootings are a part of life now. I’m reminded of Ted Kennedy’s eulogy of his …more >
Election fraud is a real problem in Maryland. The claims regarding climate warming have been disproved. Maryland law imposes no limits on when abortions can be performed. My Republican colleagues made those false assertions during floor debate this past weekend. There was no evidence of fraud in Maryland’s election last year. When fraud has occurred, …more >
While the state prosecutor’s office was unable to determine the source of the funds, the case caught the eye of the FBI. That sentence caught my attention in today’s Baltimore Sun story about the investigation of former Mayor Catherine Pugh. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-pr-md-ci-cr-healthy-holly-investigation-backstory-20210318-rwd5w3xsuzczrhnkj27uw4lce4-story.html I emailed someone who might know why that’s the case. Perhaps the State Prosecutor …more >
I was reassured that an issue addressed by one of my bills will be amended on to another bill. That legislation will be voted out of committee today. It doesn’t matter if a policy change I proposed moves forward in someone else’s legislation, instead of mine. A change to another bill of mine may weaken …more >
A bill creating a statutory right to counsel made it to the House floor today. I was a high school freshman when I read Gideon’s Trumpet, the book about Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court decision establishing a right to counsel in criminal cases where jail was a possibility. I served on the Task Force …more >
If you have direct deposit, $1400 will be added to your bank account without any effort on your part. But not everybody has direct deposit. And everyone doesn’t know if they’re eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit or the new child credit. Legislation passed by the Congress and the Maryland General Assembly provides these …more >
If a House bill is amended by the Senate, the House must agree to those changes or try to resolve the differences in a conference committee with three members from each house. Same for Senate bills improved by the House. But a conference committees is an opportunity for mischief. It’s the last chance for your …more >
Sherlock Holmes solved a case because the victim’s dog didn’t bark. That meant the perpetrator was someone known to the victim and his dog. My committee heard House Bill 1078, which would give Maryland’s Attorney General the authority to seek damages from those businesses “whose tortious or otherwise unlawful conduct has contributed to climate change.” …more >
