Service year – Sandy Rosenberg

Co-sponsorship and forward movement

January 31, 2023 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

As I’ve discussed before, co-sponsorship is the biggest waste of time in Annapolis.

Asking your colleagues to add their names to a bill does not help make the case that your legislation is sound public policy.

But there are exceptions.

When the Governor gives the General Assembly the opportunity to sign on to his bills before he makes the case for their passage in his State of the State address tomorrow, I signed on to all nine of them.

Two are of note for me.

One would create a service option for students the year after they graduate from high school.

Encouraging others to follow my career path in public service has been the passion of my legislative career.

Governor Moore will also be introducing a bill creating the Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program.

I don’t know the details of his legislation, but Senator McCray and I will be introducing a bill that would invest in skills training for City residents to produce a workforce to rebuild Baltimore City’s infrastructure.

See https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/opinion/community-voices/commentary-investment-in-people-offers-path-forward-to-fix-baltimore-infrastructure-QIAROQRTHZG6NEA6UVXO56MEB4/?

The Governor’s bill could become the vehicle for forward movement on aspects of our bill.

First Meetings But Not the Last

January 19, 2023 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

I didn’t have meetings like this over the last eight years.

As I was leaving the State House after our floor session this morning, Governor Wes Moore was entering.

We’re on the first floor. He’s on the second.

The governor let me know that he would be issuing an executive order today creating a state agency to run his Service Year initiative.

At a reception two days ago, I met the member of the Governor’s legislative staff who’s responsible for wagering issues. That includes the redevelopment of Pimlico.

We met today at noon.

I began by telling him that I went to my first Preakness when I was in elementary school.

I concluded by telling him of my role in last year’s legislation requiring the Maryland Stadium Authority to update the legislature on the progress of the redevelopment plans for Pimlico and Laurel.

Both of these conversations will continue.

A Call To Service

January 18, 2023 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

“Wes had taken an oath of service.”

“Service is the thing that makes your heart beat faster.”

At today’s inauguration, the first statement was made by Lt. Colonel Jaime Martinez, who served in Afghanistan with Captain Wes Moore.

The second was made by Oprah Winfrey.

“My years of service transformed me,” Governor Wes Moore declared in his address. “The work will be done together. Today is not the victory. Today is the opportunity.”

On Friday morning, I will be meeting with the governor’s staff member responsible for his legislation making a year of service available to students in the year after they graduate from high school.

January 4 – Creating a Service Year Option

January 4, 2023 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

On Sunday morning, I sent this email to two of my legislative colleagues, whom I’ve worked with on encouraging public service.

Wes Moore was just interviewed on CNN. He twice said:

“We’re creating a Service Year option for every high school graduate. We’re going to do it this session.”

Put me in, coach. I’m ready to help get this done.

I graduated from college and law school with no debt.

My first job was in the Baltimore City Housing Department.

Far too many college graduates are burdened with debt that affects not only their job decision but also their ability to buy a house.

One of my highest priorities/passions as a legislator is to make it possible for young people to choose a career in public service.

I’ve introduced legislation that created programs which repay a portion of your academic debt if you work for the government or a non-profit or pay for a public service internship while you’re in college or grad school.

I’ve already reached out to the people who run the internship program at the Shriver Center at UMBC, to get their input on the Service Year concept.

Most importantly, I discussed this issue with Wes Moore during the campaign, as well as yesterday in Annapolis..

When my Aunt Margie met Wes, he told her, “If I am elected governor, I want to work with Sandy on the public service programs he supports.”

We will now study the issue, find a funding source, draft a bill, and persuade the General Assembly and the public that a Service Year is in the best interests of recent high school graduates and the public that they will serve.

A B++ and military experience

February 28, 2020 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

I would give my testimony a B++.

Why a grade? I was speaking alongside the deans of the University of Baltimore and University of Maryland law schools, where I co-teach the Legislation class in the fall semester.

I knew the issue and never looked down at my written statement. If my rhetoric had sung, I would have gotten an A.

The issue was funding the tax clinics at both schools and the one offered by the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.

For example, sound advice would prevent taxpayers from being on the verge of losing their vehicle registration because they had not paid undisputed taxes.

Those payments would fund the clinics.

As is the case with tobacco taxes, some day we would need to find a new source of revenue.

—-

I also teach my students to personalize their testimony.

House Bill 1016 would fund a year of public service for people who have just graduated from high school.

Testifying after me was Jesse Colvin, the CEO of Service Year Alliance, which hopes to spread this idea nationwide.

Jesse served four combat deployments in Afghanistan.

He told the committee: “”My military experience, especially in Afghanistan, is where I learned what is possible when Americans from different walks of life join together to tackle shared problems.”

Public Service

February 13, 2020 | by delsandy | Uncategorized | No Comments

Students who want to spend a year in community service before college could join the Maryland Corps.

Senate President Bill Ferguson and I are the lead sponsors of legislation that would mandate funding for this program.

My prepared remarks for a press conference on our legislation follow.

I know this issue well. I don’t expect I’ll be reading this verbatim tomorrow.

In a campaign speech on October 14, 1960, at 2 a.m., Senator John F. Kennedy told students at the University of Michigan, “On your willingness…not merely to serve one year or two years in the service, but on your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, I think will depend the answer whether a free society can compete.”

The Peace Corps was born.

Maryland is already a leader in assisting students seeking a career in public service.

Over the last two years, 302 recent college graduates who are working for the government or a non-profit have received state grants to pay off their academic debt. The Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program was the first in the nation.

An internship can set a student on the path to public service. Since the Walter Sondheim Internship Program was authorized in 2008, 523 fellows, most of whom are undergraduate juniors and seniors, have received a stipend for an internship with a government agency or a non-profit.

The Maryland Corps will be an historic step forward in our shared endeavor of fostering a free and equitable society.

The full Kennedy speech is at https://www.peacecorps.gov/about/history/founding-moment/#video-modal-0.