Anthony Lewis – Sandy Rosenberg

I have four bill hearings tomorrow.

And that’s after I attend the oral argument at the Supreme Court on the Texas abortion law.

So before the end of the work day, I have to:

Make final revisions to my written testimony;

Since I don’t read my testimony at the public hearing, start drafting in my head the opening sentence for my oral testimony;

Meet with representatives of the Comptroller and the Attorney General to learn of their concerns about provisions in two of my bills and see if I can address or minimize their issues;

Confirm the witness lists for each bill;

Since one of my bills deals with guaranteeing a lawyer in protective order cases prompted by domestic violence, find my copy of Gideon’s Trumpet, the book about the Supreme Court decision guaranteeing the right to counsel in criminal felony cases. It’s autographed:

For Sandy Rosenberg, Who writes laws – Anthony Lewis (emphasis in the original)

The crowds were across the street.

And down the block.

Five thousand people signed up to testify on the gun measures today in the Senate, a Republican colleague told me.

No doubt there were many references to the 2^nd Amendment.

My committee’s hearing on these bills will attract similar intensity.

Today, however, we discussed how a poor individual can protect the civil rights secured by the Maryland Constitution or Declaration of Rights.

Those protections are similar to those in the federal Constitution and Bill of Rights, but there is no Maryland provision addressing the right to bear arms.

The objective of the legislation before us was best described by Steve Sachs, former Attorney General of Maryland: “My core belief is that the glorious phrase ‘equal justice under law’ is only an empty phrase unless all citizens can access the rule of law.”

The less eloquent but key phrase at today’s hearing was “attorney’s fees.”

Since the prevailing party would be awarded those fees, the bill was opposed by local governments and the business community.

My view of this legislation was determined nearly 40 years ago when I read Gideon’s Trumpet, a book about the Supreme Court case that established the right to counsel in criminal cases.

A few years ago, the author, Anthony Lewis, autographed my copy: “for Sandy Rosenberg, who writes laws.”

In this instance, I will try to write a law that increases the constitutional protections afforded all Marylanders, regardless of their ability to hire a lawyer.

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Several people have asked me when I’m leaving for Fantasy Camp.

Good to learn how much I was missed last week.