Favorable committee reports today for two of my bills. The Opioid Restitution Fund would target the use of any funds the State receives from its lawsuits against the opioid manufacturers. I didn’t lobby this bill. I didn’t need to. My testimony made the case that we should address the problems caused by opioids. The money …more >
House Bill 307, Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, had just passed second reader in the House of Delegates. Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk, the vice chair of my committee, was the lead sponsor. I was second. Three years ago, I introduced House Bill 173, Commission on the Solemn Remembrance of the Victims of Lynching It was …more >
I am fine tuning my response. I’ve gotten lots of positive comments on Facebook for my vote for the death with dignity bill that passed the House last week. However, I’ve also received critical messages from individuals and groups. This is an issue that deserves a response where I explain what the bill will do …more >
The death with dignity bill passed the House of Delegates today, 74-66. I was prepared to speak, but my voice was not needed. From the notes I made during the debate and the speech I gave in my mind, I would have said: “This is a tough vote. It is also a profound vote. Nonetheless, …more >
“Last year I was an opponent. This year I’m an advocate,” a witness told my committee today, That takes some doing. It can start by acknowledging defeat. My bill had a bad hearing. Perhaps I introduced it to start a discussion on an issue, not expecting it to pass the first time around. An unfavorable …more >
The future of our public education system is the most important issue my colleagues and I will address during this four-year term. What will we be asked to do? Preparing our students for the 21st Century economy will require: Early support for children in pre-kindergarten; High quality and diverse teachers and school leaders; College or …more >
After the bill hearing, my lead witness and I met with a high ranking executive branch official. We can fund what you want to do, she wrote me today, and the nominal funding needed for this purpose can be provided by the revenue collected from an existing revenue source. That prompted me to ask the …more >
“Listen, they moved Yankee Stadium, the House That Ruth Built.” An official of the company that owns Pimlico Race Track, Tim Ritvo, said that to the New York Times during Preakness Week of 2016. I emailed him: “The Yankees moved across the street, not thirty miles down the road.” I will recount that conversation when …more >
The votes that counted were the “no” votes. HB 166 is the minimum wage bill. It would raise that standard to $15.00. Our Republican colleagues offered five amendments that would weaken the bill. Each one was defeated. The number of “no” votes ranged from 94 to 99. A simple majority is needed to defeat (or …more >
I don’t think I’ve ever done this before. I testified on my bill even though I had been told that it was most likely unconstitutional. Last year, I was a key player in our first-in-the nation response to the Kremlin’s disruption campaign during the 2016 election. Several provisions in a bill I introduced were included …more >
