Why the Preakness Should Remain at Pimlico: A Personal Perspective
https://marylandmatters.org/2018/03/22/guest-commentary-keeping-the-preakness-at-pimlico-what-are-the-odds/
My Legislative Diary
Legislative Diary
Defending the rule of law is not tomfoolery
I sponsored the legislation last year that gave the Maryland Attorney General the authority to sue the federal government without the Governor’s approval. Funding for the attorneys needed to litigate these actions would have been deleted from the budget by a floor amendment offered today by a Republican delegate. This is what I said in …more >
A fence for another purpose
“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” wrote Robert Frost. A fence, in the budget bill, is another matter. Maryland’s budget system gives great power to the Governor. But the legislature can fence off money by saying that the Governor can spend a certain allocation only for a specific purpose. Including a specific recreation …more >
Singing and settling
“I’m not going to take anything for granted.” I didn’t say that but I could have. The lobbyist I’m working with did. We were singing off the same voting list. Better to anticipate an opponent’s action to harm your bill that doesn’t come about than to be ambushed by some maneuver you didn’t anticipate. The …more >
Four bills on Crossover
Four of my bills passed the House today. Each of these bills will now get a hearing in the Senate, having crossed over from the House by the deadline. A good reason to celebrate Crossover Day. But also time to strategize how to get the four bills through the Senate. My bill to provide care …more >
A letter from someone in authority
My bill requiring that a tenant be given a lawyer before the court proceeding that could put him or her in jail is not going to pass, a member of the Judiciary Committee told me when I asked for an update before the floor session began this morning. I was also told that the bill …more >
Real Guns and Virtual Ads
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 …more >
A letter not a bill
A letter signed by the committee chair isn’t as good as a bill signed by the governor. But it’s better than an unfavorable report and no letter. As a subcommittee chair, I deliver the bad news to colleagues whose bills don’t have the votes to pass. However, I have offered to work with some of …more >
The Kitchen Sink and a Newsworthy Forum
“We put the kitchen sink in this bill,” Delegate Pendergrass said during the hearing on House Bill 1782. “Provisions can be taken out after we have a public debate. “ The intent of the bill is to lower costs in the individual health insurance market. The kitchen sink consists of various fees and revenue sources …more >
Making a good bill better
Very few bills become law without being amended. Most often, the amendments reflect a compromise. Last year, I introduced legislation to protect people who enter into Rent-to-own contracts, often on property with serious code violations. The realtors opposed it, and I knew the bill was dead after they testified against it. This time, I introduced …more >
My Key Issues:
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