Be Prepared is the Boy Scout motto and a song from “The Lion King.” I was not a Boy Scout, and I haven’t seen the musical. (Thanks to Google for the latter.) But I have prepared for quite a few hearings on my bills. On the House floor this morning, another delegate asked me to …more >
My name doesn’t have to be first on the sponsor line of the bill. Sometimes, it’s better to be second, especially if the person who’s first sits on the committee that’s hearing the bill. Even better if that colleague is in the room where it happens – when the committee leadership meets prior to the …more >
“Of all of the health disparities that this committee considers, this one should rise to the top.” The witness was the mother of a child with PANDAS – Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders. PANDAS is an obsessive-compulsive or tic disorder that suddenly appears following a strep infection. One parent spent virtually the entire hearing with his …more >
Democratic legislators had a press conference yesterday on our plan to address public safety. Delegate Maggie McIntosh tweeted: Crime isn’t just a Baltimore City issue -it’s a statewide issue. Our plan will address several strategies including: tougher penalties for witness intimidation, making sure parole and probation agencies have the resources they need, and audits on …more >
I know effective testimony when I hear it. Especially when the witness is sitting next to me and speaking on behalf of my bill. House Bill 186 would broaden eligibility for a program that repays a portion of a teacher’s academic debt if the teacher is in a school where most of the children come …more >
For a bill to pass the House of Delegates, you need 71 votes. Today, however, I discussed how to make it likely that my bill would get two votes. A three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law we passed regulating digital advertising because it violated the 1st Amendment rights …more >
“This is a big day for all of us.” We had just overridden Governor Hogan’s veto of House Bill 1343, Public Safety – Handgun Permit Review Board – Repeal. This story begins in the fall of 2017. I asked Alice Wilkerson, the lobbyist for Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, if there were any issues that …more >
“The fence comes down.” The fence surrounds Pimlico Race Track. It’s been there for quite some time. I drive past it on Rogers Av., when I’m coming home from my district office. I walk past it on Belvedere Av., coming from my house to the track on Preakness Day. At a community meeting last night, …more >
Tikkun olam (repairing the world) is the work of the Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore. Last night, the organization’s founding in 1920 was celebrated. I was honored to be asked to speak. This is what I said. When Ben Rosenberg, a suitor of humble origins, came to ask Stewart and Sylvia Hecht for the …more >
My first bill hearing is tomorrow. The first draft of my testimony began with a bland summary of the Maryland Technology Internship Program. “My first rule when writing testimony,” I told my staff, “is to grab the committee members’ attention with your first sentence.” After some Googling, my testimony now begins: “My advice for …more >
