Developments on three of my bills worthy of discussion… My referendum petition bill was slowed when a senator offered a floor amendment. It will be debated tomorrow. I’ve been advised not to intervene. The Senate committee that acted on my bill will handle it. I thought my slots bill would be heard in the Senate …more >
You work for months, sometimes years. And this is the week when you find out if your idea will become a law. Only good news so far. My bipartisan bill to criminalize the same conduct by both sides during a referendum petition-signing process has passed the House several times over the years but always died …more >
I traditionally give the opening prayer when the House of Delegates goes into session on Opening Day of the baseball season. A traffic jam in Annapolis made me late for the 7 pm session. So I gave my prayer the morning after. He went 2-for-4 in his September debut against the Washington Senators and thought …more >
“I was not here at the time. I was a high school student when the General Assembly considered legislation prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations.” That’s how I began my floor speech on the bill that would add gender identity to our civil rights law. During the floor debate, some of my colleagues said that their …more >
“The Speaker wants to see you in his office.” A state trooper conveyed that message to me. I was on the House floor, waiting for today’s floor session to begin. Was I being summoned to the principal’s office? Thankfully, not. I had company –the leadership of the Appropriations Committee. The State operating budget would be …more >
I hope to learn something new each session. Weeks before the public hearing, I knew the outcome for my legislation that would ban the sale of gateway products for young smokers – unpackaged, or single-wrapped, cigarillos and other flavored tobacco products. As I expected, House Bill 1158 got an unfavorable report from the House Economic …more >
You may have read this: Last year, Maryland enacted one of the nation’s strictest gun laws after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn., but also opted to focus on mental health issues by creating the center for early intervention. It was in a Baltimore Sun story about the Center for Excellence on …more >
For 90 days in Annapolis, I have to count to 71 votes in the House of Delegates and 24 in the Senate. On June 24, Election Day, I have to count to one more vote than the candidate who finishes in 4th place. I started campaigning for reelection the day after my last election four …more >
“Don’t try to make the bill better.” That was my advice/plea to a member of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee shortly before it heard my reporter’s shield legislation. The law should be revised, I soon testified, to protect the 21st Century journalist who does not work fulltime in a newsroom but has a contractual relationship …more >
“The Department shall adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this section by January 1, 2015.” As introduced, the legislation did not require that the regulations be adopted by a certain date. Several specific prohibitions on law enforcement officials would be deleted from the bill. Why did the lobbyist show me these changes? I …more >
