​Dear Friend:
The deadline to introduce legislation in the House and be guaranteed a bill hearing is Friday, February 13. Between now and then, numerous bills will be introduced. Thus far, I have introduced the following bills:
Local Boards of Education Transparency Act (HB 154): Requiring local boards of education to livestream their meetings and meet other transparency requirements.
Metro Funding Modification Act of 2026 (HB 386): Resets Maryland's regional contribution to DC-area Metro funding to account for inflation and other needs.
Co-Op and Condo Energy Refund Equity Act of 2026 (HB 702): Ensures that co-op and condo residents benefit from any energy rebates the General Assembly passes, including last year's rebate.
Franchise Reform Act (HB 730): Reforms the state's franchising laws to help our small businesses that are trying to use the franchise method.
More to come!

FLOOR UPDATE
Our floor sessions are off to a fast start this year with debate on the redistricting map and a bill to limit county partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) both up for debate at the end of last week and into this week. You can see part of my participation in the map debate here, here, and here.
 
COMMITTEE UPDATE 
The House Environment and Transportation Committee continues a rigorous briefing schedule. Since my last email, we have heard from our regional grid operator (PJM) and our California and Texas energy officials, as well as state transportation officials. Each briefing, hearing or other committee meeting is available on the committee's YouTube page.

DELEGATION UPDATE 
On most Fridays of the legislative session, the Montgomery County House Delegation meets. Last week, we heard from the Department of Legislative Services for our local fiscal briefing and voted on a few pieces of local legislation (bills that only affect Montgomery County). You can watch the meeting here and the continuation of it here.
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DISTRICT 16 NIGHT IN ANNAPOLIS
The District 16 Delegation is hosting District 16 Night in Annapolis on Monday, March 9th starting at 6:00pm in the Lowe House Office Building. If you are interested in attending, just click reply to this email.

POTOMAC INTERCEPTOR NEWS 
As noted last week, the District 16 legislators have been in regular contact with the Maryland Department of the Environment, as well as DC Water (who owns and operates the ruptured line, not WSSC) and Montgomery County government, regarding the major wastewater pipe breach along the Potomac. The good news is that the bypass system is now turned on and is operating well on most days. The bad news is that full repairs on the interceptor will take time and the impact of the sewage leak on the environment is not yet fully known. Please stay tuned for further updates. We have been sending more detailed updates to a list of constituents who have expressed interest. If you would like to be added to that list, please reply to this email.
One thing that challenges the bypass system--and our infrastructure in general--is items going down the toilet or the drain that do not belong there, especially grease and wipes. Please do your part to not put these materials into the system.

​THANK YOU MAYOR SLAVIN 
The Town of Somerset's Mayor, Jeffrey Slavin, has announced that he will not seek re-election. Mayor Slavin has served in that role since 2008 and was on the Town Council before that. Thank you Mayor Slavin for your years of service to our community. You can watch his announcement here.

CAMPAIGN NEWS
Senator Sara Love and I have announced a series of meet-and-greets around the district and have had two thus far. Unfortunately, the one scheduled for February 8th in Maplewood is being rescheduled. Email [email protected] for further information on any of our meet-and-greets.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 
Every week during the legislative session, I plan to spotlight a non-Montgomery County Delegate colleague. This week, I want to highlight Regina T. Boyce. Regina serves on the House Environment & Transportation Committee with me where she chairs the Natural Resources and Open Space Subcommittee. Although she represents an urban Baltimore district, she has become a trusted voice on the committee for rural, agricultural, and sportsmen communities because of her work ethic and diligence. And fun fact, we went to the same elementary, middle, and high schools!

I hope everyone has stayed safe in the weather and is digging out, and hopefully having a little fun too. With more winter weather possible, below is a reminder of handy numbers and contacts during storms.

​BUDGET UPDATE 
The Governor's budget proposal has been released. As constitutionally, it is balanced--addressing a projected $1.4 billion deficit--and reaches that with no tax or fee increases. It achieves that in three major ways: (1) Ongoing spending cuts of approximately $600 million; (2) One time transfers from certain special funds to the general fund, with some back-filled by the capital budget of nearly $800 million; and (3) Revenue adjustments--but not tax increases--including decoupling state taxes from certain federal deductions and adjusting certain special fund programs valued at around $200 million. And it will do all of this while retaining an 8% Rainy Day Fund.
Of course, that quick summary does not capture all of the issues. I have heard from many of you already about the proposed $150 million reduction for supports for the developmentally disabled and a reduction to the projected increase in mental health services for schools. In addition, although we balance the budget every year, there are still long-term deficits to address. And other issues will arise as we analyze the proposal.
The Department of Legislative Services presented their fiscal briefing on the Governor' budget earlier this week. You can watch the meeting here and review the presentation and supporting material here.
Although there will be a lot of work to do on the Governor's budget, I do want to acknowledge some important capital projects in District 16 that the Governor has requested funding for including Suburban Hospital's emergency department expansion, renovations of the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, a water main replacement in Carderock Springs, and funds for art around downtown Bethesda.

​COMMITTEE UPDATE 
The House Environment and Transportation Committee continues a rigorous briefing schedule with further briefings on energy, as well as the state of agriculture in Maryland, the state of the Chesapeake Bay, and a broader update from the Maryland Department of the Environment. We also had our first bill hearing yesterday. Each briefing, hearing or other committee meeting is available on the committee's YouTube page. 

LEGISLATION UPDATE
Last week, I introduced the Metro Funding Modification Act with Senator Malcolm Augustine from Prince George's County. The bill would increase Maryland's contribution for Metro capital funding in coordination with Virginia and D.C. I provided a short video update on the bill (and the budget) here.
 
DELEGATION UPDATE 
On most Fridays of the legislative session, the Montgomery County House Delegation meets. Last week, we heard from Montgomery County Park & Planning and voted on a few pieces of local legislation (bills that only affect Montgomery County). You can watch the meeting here.
 
REDISTRICTING NEWS
The Governor's redistricting commission recommended a proposed plan for new Congressional district lines in Maryland. The proposal has been introduced in the House and the bill can be reviewed here. Under the bill, new lines would be set for the 2026 general election in Maryland but whether those lines would be used in subsequent elections--until the next census--would be decided by the voters. The House Rules Committee, on which I serve, had a virtual hearing on the bill earlier this week and voted to pass the map, which is now pending on the House floor.
As I have written about partisan mid-decade redistricting previously, "I support Maryland moving ahead absent some halt in the nationwide redistricting wars sparked by the President and a rollback by the states who followed his partisan wishes."

POTOMAC INTERCEPTOR NEWS
Part of the Potomac Interceptor--a DC Water sewer line along the C&O Canal and Potomac River--suffered a break/collapse on January 19th. DC Water has now installed a bypass pump to divert sewage around the break. There is no impact to drinking water because of the placement of the line, but there is contamination of sewage into the Potomac River. District 16 legislators have been in touch with the Maryland Department of the Environment, which has been coordinating with DC Water, WSSC, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Here is the latest update from DC Water.

CAMPAIGN NEWS 
Senator Sara Love and I have announced a series of meet-and-greets around the district. The next one is in the Town of Somerset on January 31st. Please join us if you are in the area (and the weather allows it). Email [email protected] for further information.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
​This year, I am profiling a different non-Montgomery County legislator in my newsletter. This week, I want to introduce you to my friend, colleague, and committee vice chair, Delegate Michele Guyton. Michele represents a district in Baltimore County and is the leading voice in our state legislature for those with special needs differences, something important to me personally. Michele has a Ph.D. in developmental and social psychology, served on the state school board, and established the Maryland state Autism coordinator. She is also an actress and scuba diver (fun facts she wanted me to tell you). Maryland's new House Speaker has organized our House floor seats so that committee chairs and vice chairs sit next to each other, so Michele and I will be spending a lot of time together! 

Dear Friend:
Later today, the Governor will introduce his proposed budget. This is the one item we need to address each legislative session and we are constitutionally required to have a balanced budget. That will be no easy task, as a projected structural deficit is anticipated. Some have asked me why there is a projected deficit--especially after last year's budget cuts and tax/fee increases. While there are several causes, a significant one is the changes wrought by federal reconciliation legislation, which has wonky impacts on our state tax collections. In any event, I will have more to say on the budget in future emails as it winds its way through the legislative process.

​COMMITTEE UPDATE
Each year, the committees commence the session with legislative briefings. The Environment & Transportation Committee has numerous briefings scheduled, including multiple briefings on Maryland's energy landscape. Energy is a new policy area for the committee. Our first briefing was yesterday and you can watch it here. A list of other January briefings is here.
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The committee held its organizational meeting last week, which you can watch here.

DELEGATION UPDATE
On most Fridays of the legislative session, the Montgomery County House Delegation meets. Last week, we heard from County Executive Elrich and County Council President Gonzalez. You can watch the discussion here.
 
TRANSPORTATION NEWS
 Last week, Governor Moore met with the United States Transportation Secretary to discuss, among other issues, the American Legion Bridge. Following the meeting, a Joint Statement was issued raising the prospect of a public private partnership (P3) for bridge reconstruction. Read the statement here.

 COMMUNITY NEWS
Last week, Whitman High School was vandalized with hateful anti-Muslim graffiti. This is unacceptable and should be condemned across the board, just as the anti-Semitic graffiti at Whitman High School a few years ago was. We live in a diverse area and need to be welcoming to our neighbors.
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A District 16 resident, Sosena Audain, is currently serving as the Montgomery County Youth Poet Laureate. You can learn about her work here.
 
CAMPAIGN NEWS
 Senator Sara Love and I have announced a series of meet-and-greets around the district. Please join us. Email [email protected] for further information.

​MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
 
Over the last few years, I have tried to include something fun at the bottom of each of these weekly emails. Two years ago it was a discussion of a Maryland politics or history book. Last year it was a look at some of the items in my office. This year, I plan to spotlight a member of the Maryland General Assembly. As many of my readers know other Montgomery County Delegates, my goal is to talk about a non-Montgomery County legislator each week.
This week, I am starting on a bipartisan basis and profiling Delegate Jay Jacobs. Jay was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2006 from a district on the Eastern Shore (Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties). Prior to that, he had a career in local government in the town of Rock Hall. He is an avid fisherman and has served on the Environment & Transportation Committee during his entire tenure (I am his third chair). He is the senior Republican on the committee--the equivalent of a Ranking Member on Capitol Hill--and included in our leadership meetings,. Of course, we do not always agree, but have found common ground on many issues including cycling safety.

Dear Friend:
Today marks the start of the 2026 legislative session. Unlike the United States Congress, the Maryland General Assembly is part-time and meets for 90 days each year. I am excited to once again serve as chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, one of our seven committees.
As I do each year with this first email of the legislative session, I will discuss my legislative agenda—the bills I will be primarily sponsoring—below. But I also have the opportunity each year to work on numerous other issues both as a member of the full House and chair of a committee.  Specifically, in addition to having the usual opportunity to weigh in on the state budget, public education, healthcare (including reproductive health), sensible gun control and public safety, and numerous other issues, the committee I chair has jurisdiction over the environment, transportation, and energy. Energy in particular is a new issue for the committee. The House's new Speaker has created a seventh standing committee and re-organized jurisdiction, resulting in energy being moved to the Environment & Transportation Committee.
 
That said, I currently plan to sponsor eight bills:
Metro Funding Act: As regular readers know, Maryland’s dedicated funding for Metro has not grown since 2018, meaning it has severely eroded in value. This legislation would essentially re-base Maryland’s contribution to Metro and peg it to grow, contingent on our partners in Virginia and DC doing the same. This will allow us to continue critical safety investments in the Metro system. Senator Malcolm Augustine from Prince George’s County is leading the issue in the State Senate.
Maryland Transit Administration Reform Act: I spent the interim on a work group to reform the Maryland Transit Administration. That group’s report can be reviewed here and I am now converting its findings into legislation. Importantly for our part of the state, the proposed new structure would allow increased focus and attention on the MARC commuter rail system, which serves Montgomery County. My partner in the Senate is Senator Cory McCray, who also served on the work group.
Franchise Reform Act: There is no question that our county and state need to grow and diversify economically. One of my proposed changes is to reform our franchise laws—which allow those with business concepts to sell them and prospective small business owners to buy them—to make it easier to have franchise businesses in Maryland. I had similar legislation in 2025 that passed the House but not the Senate. Part of that bill was implemented administratively and the 2026 proposal aims to do even more. Senator Pam Beidle is the Senate sponsor.
Large Buildings for Tomorrow Act: Maryland has ambitious climate goals, but one of the few concrete policies is called Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), which requires existing large buildings to scale down their carbon emissions and get net zero by 2040. This bill ensures that buildings being built today that will have to comply with BEPS are built to do so, as it is much easier to build a net zero building than to retrofit one.
Board of Public Works Climate Transparency Act: Inspired by former District 16 Delegate and State Treasurer Nancy Kopp, this legislation requires state agencies seeking spending approval before the Board of Public Works—the Governor, Comptroller, and State Treasurer who approve all contracts over a certain size—to share how the contract is consistent with our state climate goals. Senator Shelly Hettleman is the Senate sponsor.
Local Boards of Education Transparency Act (HB 154): Continuing transparency in government work I have done for years with Senator Kagan, this legislation will require each local board of education across the state to video stream their meetings (something our county already does).
Land Transfer Accountability Act: There are many ways our state needs to push back against the current federal administration. One proposal I am sponsoring is to make it more difficult for the federal government to dispose of property it owns in Maryland, which in the case of our area is primarily office buildings. The legislation is a two-pronged approach to require state government to sign off on a sale and disincentivize non-government buyers in the case of a federal fire sale. Senator Jeff Waldstreicher is the lead in the other chamber
Co-Op and Condo Energy Refund Equity Act: Last year, the General Assembly passed rebates for electric customers but those who live in co-ops—and directly pay their electric bills—were left out. This legislation, also sponsored by Sara Love in the State Senate, would ensure co-op owners are treated equally.

STAY CONNECTED
If you click reply to this email, a return message comes directly to me and I welcome your feedback, questions, or comments anytime. You can also email me at [email protected] or call me on my cell phone at 240-447-1175. I post regularly on Facebook (Marc.Korman.Campaign), Instagram delegate_marc_korman), Bluesky (@mkorman.bsky.social), Twitter/X (@mkorman), and Threads (@marc_korman).
The Maryland General Assembly website has many great resources if you are interested in following our work over the next 90 days.  I will highlight just a few:
The general schedule is available here.
You can look up legislation and track its progress here.  Every bill introduced by the bill introduction deadline is guaranteed a hearing and before the hearing, a fiscal and policy note about the bill will be published.
You can view the Committee Schedule, which will be regularly updated, here.
I also recommend a few different news resources for those of you interested in the legislature.  In addition to the Washington Post and Banner, there are three websites that specialize in coverage of Annapolis:
Maryland Reporter: http://marylandreporter.com/
Maryland Matters: https://marylandmatters.org/
Center Maryland: http://www.centermaryland.org/ 

LEGISLATIVE SESSION PREP
I joined the I Hate Politics Podcast to preview some of the major issues of the legislative session. You can listen to the episode here. I also joined the Montgomery County Women's Democratic Club to discuss the state budget and you can watch that program here.
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Pre-filed legislation--bills introduced before the legislature convenes--are now available online. Find the House bills here and the Senate bills here. This year, the House Environment & Transportation Committee I chair has 56 pre-filed bills.
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I have previously shared the 2026 legislative session issue papers prepared by the Department of Legislative Services, but as a reminder, you can find them here. 
TRANSPORTATION NEWS
As part of the state budget, the Maryland Transit Administration submits bimonthly reports on Purple Line progress. The most recent report is here: https://tinyurl.com/tw7xps28
The big update is they have moved the trail reopening date from spring to summer 2026. The state and vendor also have different views on the opening date (late 2027 versus early 2028).
COMMUNITY NEWS
If you are struggling with bills and have a pet, here are some Montgomery County options to get the food that they need.

CAMPAIGN NEWS
I am pleased to share that the League of Conservation Voters has endorsed my campaign for re-election.

SPECIAL SESSION
​Earlier this week, the Maryland General Assembly held a rare special session. You can see my short video about it here. In the House, we had two main orders of business.
First, we elected a new Speaker of the House, Joseline Peña-Melnyk. Speaker Peña-Melnyk represents a district in Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties that is connected to our District by the Beltway and, in a few years, the Purple Line. She has the personal background and policy expertise to ably lead the House.

Second, the House and Senate both overrode a number of the Governor's vetoes from the 2025 legislative session. Some of the notable overridden vetoes include:
The RENEW Act, legislation to study and calculate the impacts of climate change on our state.
The Energy Resource Adequacy and Planning Act, which establishes a new Strategic Energy Planning Office to help guide us through recent energy and electric market challenges.
Data Center Study Bill, legislation to study the potential impacts of new data centers on our state.
Youth-Centric Technology Legislation, a bill from my District 16 colleague, Delegate Sarah Wolek, to publish a technology and social media resource guide to help families make better decisions related to young people and technology.
Reparations Commission, which will study issues related to reparations in Maryland.
As we look towards the regular legislative session, you can get up to date with the Department of Legislative Services Issue Papers for the 2026 session.
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LEGISLATIVE SEND-OFF
And another way to get ready for the 2026 legislative send-off is to attend the District 16 Delegation's send-off at the Bannockburn Clubhouse at 3:30pm on January 10th.

BUDGET UPDATE
The state Board of Revenue Estimates met recently and slightly increased the revenue estimate for fiscal year 2026--the current fiscal year--based on collections and for fiscal year 2027. Corporate income tax and sales tax have come in lower than expected but most other sources have been even or a little higher than estimates. I would not necessarily call it good news, as the estimates have been conservative due to the economic headwinds, but it is not bad news.
Review the Presentation.
Read the Report.
Watch the Meeting.
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The Spending Affordability Committee (SAC)--on which I used to serve as House chair--sets the overall budget guidelines the General Assembly follows each year. SAC recently met and you can watch their meeting here and read their recommendations here. The meeting provided a brief update on the budget situation based on the budget projections described above and the latest school system projections. Both benefited the budget picture but there is still an over $1 billion deficit projected for the coming budget. The main recommendations of SAC are:
-In recognition of the fiscal outlook, the committee recommends that the fiscal 2027 budget, as introduced and enacted, reduce the gap between general fund revenues and ongoing spending by 50% ($600 million).
-A Rainy Day Fund balance of at least 8% of General Fund revenue should be maintained with the possibility of going down to 7.5%.
-Since the federal government appears less likely to provide disaster assistance in the future, the State should maintain a combined balance of at least $15 million in these two funds beginning in fiscal 2027. The Treasurer’s Office should also explore the cost of purchasing disaster recovery insurance to cover at least 
a portion of the cost of assisting communities impacted by natural disasters.
-The committee recommends that the Executive Branch maintain current levels of authorized positions, fill vacancies in mission critical positions, and increase vacancies overall to meet budgeted turnover.
-A fiscal 2027 target closing balance of at least $550 million for the Transportation Trust Fund, which is $50 million greater than the target closing balance assumed by MDOT in its draft September 2025 financial forecast. The committee is recommending a larger TTF fund balance to ensure the continued ability of MDOT to meet its cash flow needs in the case that federal fund attainment, including federal reimbursement for capital projects, is less than currently projected by the department.

DELEGATION UPDATE
Each fall, the Montgomery County Delegation holds bill hearings on local bills that only affect the county or bicounty agencies like Park & Planning. Here is the slate of local bills for the upcoming legislative session.
Click here for the first night of bill hearings. The second night of bill hearings can be watched here.

COMMITTEE UPDATE
The Environment & Transportation Committee, on which I serve, held two recent pre-session briefings. The first was on the Ins and Outs of Residential Development and can be watched here. The second was An Update on Recent Federal Actions Impacting Climate and Energy Policy in Maryland and can be viewed here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
The first bill I passed in the Maryland General Assembly was HB 300 (2015), which requires an annual report by WMATA/Metro regarding Maryland's use of the system. The report is released every five years and the latest report was just released.
Marylanders' Metrorail usage is down from 2020 (135k riders a day now versus 236k pre-COVID), but Metrobus usage is up (133k Marylanders now versus 106k before). This is consistent with the overall post-COVID trend, but Maryland's share of Metrorail riders has dropped from 37% to 30% of overall ridership. Some of this may be attributed to the Silver Line opening.
65% of Montgomery County Metrorail riders get to their stations on foot, compared to 40% of Prince George's riders. I think that says something about land use and has not really changed in five years.
11% of Marylanders' Metrorail trips are from non-Montgomery or Prince George's County residents. Anne Arundel County accounts for a plurality with Howard County coming in second. Frederick and Charles Counties have notable numbers but have less riders than those two counties. A lot are probably arriving at Union Station via MARC Rail, because that is the heaviest used station (end of line stations with a lot of park and ride like Greenbelt are also heavily used) by other Marylanders and 18% of those weekday riders connect to Metro via rail.
Dig into more details here.
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The United States Department of Transportation has issued a Request for Information regarding the American Legion Bridge/495/270 project for which the state already has approved environmental documentation. Review it here.
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Each year, Metro allows riders to look at their ridership profile for the year. Visit Metro Rewind 2025 to check yours. My stats are below.

COMMUNITY NEWS
​I recently had the chance to participate in The Built World Around You Podcast. Listen to it here.
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Congratulations to Miu Edson, on being named to the Citizens Review Panel for Children. And congratulations to Lynn Nozer, on her nomination to the Adult Public Guardianship Review Board.

My commitment to District 16 has always been to provide informative and truthful information. Sometimes I get to share good news such as a school in our district being a Blue Ribbon School, the state budget showing a surplus, or a worthwhile project getting state support. And sometimes I have to share tougher news, such as many of the reports featured below. But as Bob Dylan wrote in his song, Tangled Up In Blue, "the only thing I knew how to do was to keep on keeping on." That is what I will do and that is what our state will do, even through tough times and tough reports.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Each fall, the Montgomery County Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly holds a joint priorities hearing--sometimes referred to as "Open Mic Night"--where any county resident can tell us what they want us to work on. You can watch the 2025 meeting here.
The Montgomery County Delegation will also hold fall bill hearings on local bills--those only affecting the county--on December 4th and December 11th. This year's legislation can be reviewed here. This year, I am not the sponsor of any local bills, but I am co-sponsoring legislation to authorize ranked-choice or approval voting in Montgomery County. If you are interested in testifying on any of the bills, you can sign up here.
BUDGET UPDATE
​Even though I no longer serve on the Appropriations Committee, I still try to keep my constituents informed on the state budget. Recently, the joint House/Senate Spending Affordability Committee--which I used to co-chair--met for their annual fall economic and fiscal briefing. The full report is here.
There is no question that the projected situation has deteriorated. Reality has been more mixed, as the last fiscal year that ended over the summer--which I wrote about last month--closed out better than anticipated. But the forward-looking picture is challenging with a projected deficit of over $1 billion for the fiscal year 2027 budget (the budget we will work on during the 2026 legislative session). As always, we have a constitutional requirement to balance our budget each year and we will do so.
I have seen some quotes and social media posts stating that this means all of the cuts and taxes addressed during the last legislative session "did not work." I think this assumes that people cannot read or understand basic math, but most people understand that had we not taken action earlier this year, the situation would be far worse.
The image below shows why the projections now are so different from the spring. There are two big drivers: 1. Federal tax changes as part of the federal Republican reconciliation bill have more of an impact on our tax collections than expected; 2. Our agencies are spending more than they planned/budgeted. Sometimes that may be appropriate or happen for good reason, but it is happening too consistently for my taste and we need a more accurate gauge on their budgets. And, of course, a big threat is that revenue will continue to be harmed by economic challenges, many of which have been directly caused by a hostile president. This creates a challenge for families struggling with high bills or few job opportunities, but also harms the state's ability to provide support for those who need it at this critical time.
For those looking at the details, the reason fiscal year 2028 (the budget that will be worked on during the 2027 legislative session) has such a large increase is because the savings put away during COVID to pay for pre-K through 12 public education--sometimes called the Blueprint--will be depleted and most education funding will shift back to the general fund.
You can watch the full meeting here. And a technical supplement is here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
​I have been serving on the DMV Moves Task Force over the past 18 months or so. The Task Force has been working to address the Metro/WMATA funding issues related to the region's 2018 $500 million commitment. Inflation has eroded the value of the commitment and it will soon mostly be servicing the bonds issued to fund needed repairs. The Task Force voted to support a capital infusion to support the system.
A summary of the final meeting is here: https://tinyurl.com/dpnkanm7 You can watch the video for my comments at the meeting here. Since that meeting, the regional Council of Governments and Metro Board voted to adopt a resolution in support of this proposal.
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The Maryland Department of Transportation visits each county every fall to discuss the transportation budget. The full 2025 meeting is here and you can watch my specific comments here.
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As part of our state budget, the Maryland Transit Administration is required to submit a bimonthly report on Purple Line construction. The full report is here.
The two main charts are below, but the big news is that the contractor believes there is a [new] delay in opening because of overhead utilities issues. The state is not in full agreement on this but the contractor's review is that passenger service will be available by January 28, 2028, instead of December 30, 2027.

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The American Society of Civil Engineers released their report card for Maryland’s infrastructure. The full report is here.
Maryland got a C which is not great but is consistent with the national grade. Among the categories, ports and solid waste did best with Bs. Transit and energy did worst with D+s. The grades are based on condition, performance and future needs.
And here is the press release.
"The American Society of Civil Engineers infrastructure report card is an important pulse check on our nation's infrastructure," said Maryland Delegate Marc Korman, chair, Maryland General Assembly's Environment & Transportation Committee. "It is great to have Maryland-specific insights so we can see where investments have paid off and where more need to be made as we work towards safe, sustainable and economically critical infrastructure."
REDISTRICTING NEWS
There has been a lot of discussion about Maryland redistricting our Congressional lines mid-decade. This has come about because the elected leader of the Republican Party called for states that voted for him in 2024 to do mid-decade redistricting to create more Republican leaning districts. And they listened. So far, Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina have altered their maps absent any court order for mid-decade redistricting. Not surprisingly, Democratic states are pushing back with their own plans.

The Governor has appointed a Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission. I believe this is a necessary step given the actions other states are taking to redistrict their Congressional lines mid-decade. Maryland can’t play by a different set of political rules. And I’m particularly happy to see former Attorney General Brian Frosh from District 16 on the commission. You can learn about the commission here.
I have heard from a few Republican friends who have said the U.S. Supreme Court should strike down any new map Maryland adopts. I would love nothing more than for the Supreme Court to take on political gerrymandering nationwide. We are in a regrettable position to have states take these unusual actions.

I have heard from others concerned that any attempt to alter the maps in Maryland could lead the state courts to not only strike down those efforts but also Maryland's current map. It is true that in 2022, a never appealed circuit court decision found that a prior Congressional map violated the state Constitution. That is not binding on any other court and a lot of hypotheticals would have to come true for another court to strike down a new and the current map. But even if that were to happen, there are other state constitutional steps the General Assembly and voters can take to ensure that Maryland is on an even playing field with Republican leaning states when it comes to redistricting. I support Maryland moving ahead absent some halt in the nationwide redistricting wars sparked by the President and a rollback by the states who followed his partisan wishes.

POLITICAL NEWS
I am pleased to announce two significant endorsements for my re-election: the Sierra Club and our teachers. Environmental sustainability and a strong public school system for all have been major themes of my work and I am glad to see those efforts recognized.

COMMUNITY NEWS
Thank you to the Manatos Family for their role in supporting the Breakthrough T1D Mid-Atlantic Hope Gala 2025 to work to end Type 1 diabetes. Learn about their efforts here.
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Bethesda observed Veterans Day on November 11th. See the annual event that takes place in Downtown Bethesda here.
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Congratulations to District 16's Neil Gillen on being elected to the Maryland Senior Olympics Hall of Fame.
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Thank you and congratulations to Cathy Bernard, who was named 2025 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year.
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Congratulations to Patrick Hamilton on being appointed to the Montgomery County Pedestrian, Bicycle and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee.
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The Montgomery County Quiet Skies Coalition has named new leadership. Congratulations to Gerri Grove, Bob Canter, Donna Berry, Mitchell Strauss, and David Kosterlitz on their new roles. And thank you to Anne Hollander, Gretchen Gaston, and Janelle Wright for your years of dogged work.
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On Monday, December 1st, I will join the District 16 Delegation to speak to the Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club. Email Club President John Keller at [email protected] to obtain the meeting link.
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My deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Mark Hallett, an eminent neurologist who lived in District 16.

As I write this, the federal shutdown has stretched over two weeks. The impacts of the shutdown are significant but in an area like ours--so closely tied to the federal government--the effects can be deeply felt. If you are being adversely affected, here are some important resources:
State of Maryland: Maryland Workers Impacted by the Federal Government Shutdown
Montgomery County: Resources for Workers Impacted by Recent Federal Government Actions
Pepco: Pepco Providing Expanded Customer Support Measures Amid Government Shutdown | Pepco - An Exelon Company
WSSC: WSSC Water Expands Customer Assistance Programs to Offer Greater Relief Amid Financial Uncertainty | WSSC Water
What is the shutdown all about? I think it can be fairly complicated to consider how we got to the point where Democrats decided to use a shutdown to achieve policy ends when for about 30 years it has been considered a Democratic Party red line and why trust between the majority and minority parties is so low. But in its simplest form, it is all about healthcare. I did a brief explanation of this with my daughter that you can watch here.
Congressional Democrats are asking for is an expansion of "Premium Tax Credits," a tax benefit that has been in place since 2021 to make Obamacare (also known as healthcare from the Affordable Care Act) more affordable. Without extending these tax credits, the cost of healthcare will rise for many Marylanders. 
Obamacare has been successful in Maryland. Prior to Obamacare, 12% of the population was uninsured. Today it is 6%. That means many people now have access to healthcare for themselves and their families beyond the emergency room.
The two major access points for expanding access to insurance were (1) Medicaid expansion, for some of the neediest families, and (2) Access to obtain insurance through the Obamacare exchanges, which have varying levels of subsidies depending on income. And, in case you were wondering, neither Medicaid or exchange subsidies are available to undocumented immigrants.
The President and Republican Majority in Congress made changes to Medicaid through legislation--called reconciliation--that I have discussed before. Now they are allowing the premium tax credits to expire. If the premium tax credits expire, many more Marylanders will not be able to afford healthcare and will drop out. But that does not just affect them, shrinking the pool of insured will increase health insurance premiums on all of those still buying healthcare.
In Maryland, that means an average increase of 13.4% for insurance premiums. In the years the premiums applied, increases were between 2.1% and 6.2%. Still a challenge for many but much better than a 13.4% increase.
Maryland has done what it can on its own. The Maryland Insurance Administration approved increases by the Maryland providers that were 3.7% lower than what the insurance companies requested (absent that action, the increase would have been 17.1%). And we passed HB 1082, which would create state-level subsidies for three years to help mitigate the impacts. But the real long-term solution lies in Congress and now--as Marylanders are starting to get insurance premium notices in the mail and making their end of year decisions about healthcare enrollment--is the time for Congress to act.
I will just share one more observation about the shutdown. The current president is the first I am aware of who does not even aspire to or pretend to lead and represent all of the people. He has openly stated that he is weaponizing the shutdown against blue states and what he calls "Democrat Programs" (perhaps he means programs created under Democratic Presidents like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid). And this is after months of non-shutdown-related similar talk and action. For those who say the harm he is inflicting is so great that the Democrats should simply fold, I am reminded of an episode of The West Wing (a common thought process for Democratic politicians of a certain age).
In the fifth season premiere of that show, President Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen) has relinquished the presidency to the Speaker of the House (played by John Goodman) because his daughter has been kidnapped. In the Situation Room, the Chief of Staff is advising against a certain military operation because, he says, if the U.S. does it, the kidnappers will kill the First Daughter. John Goodman responses calmly, "They're going to kill her anyway."
That is how I feel about the President's threats to blue states, government programs, and federal employees. Whatever he is doing or threatening to do during the shutdown is on his to do list anyway and if healthcare affordability is worth fighting for, now is the time to do it.

DELEGATION UPDATE
Last month, I shared the dates of the Montgomery County Delegations fall hearings. One of those hearings, the Joint Priorities Hearing, has been rescheduled to November 17th at 7pm. Learn more at www.montgomerycountydelegation.com.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
​Great news for economic development in Maryland. In response to a bill I sponsored in 2025, the Attorney General is creating a fast-track review pilot program for existing franchisors they have already reviewed to help them continue to expand their business concept to more franchisees. This balances business friendly policies with consumer protection for franchisees. And it is also worth noting that my work on this issue came entirely from constituent feedback and concerns.

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Last legislative session, the General Assembly passed a local bill I cosponsored to try and improve the oversight and performance of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). I received this update from WSSC on some of the bill’s requirements.
Although I have some questions about implementation, I think the stress testing provision will help us understand future potential costs and challenges from the water utility: https://tinyurl.com/3hsjxe5h

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At the beginning of October, the Washington Post highlighted several new bills taking effect.
The new tiered fines for automated speed enforcement described in the article will ensure that the worst actors pay the most. There remains no charge for going 11 mph over the limit, the fine remains $40 for 12-15 mph over, and then the fine escalates from there in tiers. Don’t want to pay over $100 for speeding in Maryland? Don’t go 20 mph or more over the speed limit. In addition to saving money, you are reducing safety risk to yourself and others around you.
Eric’s ID law was brought to us by an advocate and allows those who choose to have their state licenses or identifications indicate certain, often hidden differences (like autism).
Late rental fee changes ensure that renters are charged based on what they actually owe, not the total rent if they partially paid.
And the Organized Retail Theft Act did not go through my committee, but I heard about it from local retailers trying to deal with shoplifting/retail theft rings that are often reselling in dark corners of the Internet.

BUDGET UPDATE
The Maryland Board of Revenue Estimates met just before the government shutdown to update its revenue forecast. The good news is fiscal year 2025 revenue ended stronger than expected and the economy has had a lot of resiliency in the face of federal changes. The reduction in the estimate for fiscal year 2026 of $19 million is largely attributed to changes in federal law. Read all of the materials here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
Because of a provision of the state budget, the Maryland Transit Administration has to submit a bimonthly report on the Purple Line's progress. Below are the key charts from this month's report. There are no changes to the overall schedule at this point.

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After a cyclist, Sarah Langenkamp, was killed riding her bike along River Road, the State Highway Administration prepared a Needs Analysis for the roadway, which you can read here. They are now undertaking some of the initial recommendations from the analysis to enhance the existing bike lane. As I write this, a person is in critical condition after being struck on the roadway, apparently while crossing under the Capital Crescent Trail overpass. The Needs Analysis included recommendations to improve that crossing.
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On Old Georgetown Road, the bike lanes installed after the deaths of two young people along the roadway have been quite controversial. A provision in the state budget requires reporting on the bike lanes in response to some of the concern. You can read the most recent report here.
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Mark your calendar for next summer’s District 16 Metro closures (July 6-September 6). Metro is leveraging Purple Line tie-in work at Bethesda Metro Center to do significant maintenance across Grosvenor, Medical Center and Bethesda stations. It will be a long two months for those—like me—who commute via Metro or otherwise rely on it.

POLITICAL NEWS
I am excited to announce that the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters have endorsed my campaign for re-election and have also endorsed my seatmate, Senator Sara Love.

COMMUNITY NEWSEvery year, the Maryland General Assembly receives a report on the County Hotel and Conference Center (located in District 16). The fiscal year 2024 report is in. Things are on a better path than recent reports. Functions, room nights, total covers, spending, output, and total jobs are still down from FY 2019 (pre-COVID) but up from FY 2022. Total covers are actually up from FY 2019.
Importantly, in fiscal year 2024, the state contribution to the hotel and conference center is a debt service contribution of $1.6m and was more than offset by tax revenue to the state. That was not the case in fiscal year 2022 and other COVID-impacted years.
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District 16’s Little Flower school is one of the state’s Blue Ribbon schools, declared by Governor Moore at the state level after the national program was shutdown. Congratulations! Learn more here.
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Condolences to the family of diplomat Sandra Vogelsang, a long-time District 16 resident who recently passed away.
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Congratulations to two District residents on joining the Montgomery County Library Board, Marilyn Schiff and Kavita Mohan.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
​There are a lot of questions swirling about vaccine access. Governor Moore issued a helpful press release recently that discusses the lay of the land in Maryland. The key point is excerpted in the picture. But you can read the full release here: https://tinyurl.com/2pmn8phb
And here are links to the two key bills he signed to preserve access and insurance coverage for vaccines, including for Covid.
HB 1315: https://tinyurl.com/yjehstu8
HB 974: https://tinyurl.com/mw2hpyj8

BUDGET UPDATE
The Comptroller recently issued the annual close-out report for the previous fiscal year (which ended on June 30). You can read the full report here: https://tinyurl.com/yneyhufm
The highlights are:
-Both the sales tax and the withholding income tax increased at a faster rate than in the prior fiscal year. In total, revenues exceeded the March Board of Revenue Estimates by $520.7 million or 2.1%. That means more tax revenue came in than expected.
-Several years ago we created a "revenue volatility cap" so that we did not budget non-withholding income tax revenue that may not materialize. Because non-withholding income tax revenue exceeded the cap this year by $382.3 million, those dollars are split between the state's Rainy Day Fund (reserve) and one time education-related capital construction costs.
-There is a remaining general fund balance of around $460 million. This includes dollars designated for the balance (we budget dollars for general fund balance to absorb unexpected changes) plus a $189 million surplus. These dollars will rollover to help with the next year's budget (and beyond).

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
​In early September, the Maryland Department of Transportation released the draft fiscal year 2027 Consolidated Draft Transportation Program (CTP) a six-year projection of transportation capital projects. This is a prelude to the statewide tour the Department does. The Montgomery County presentation is October 27th at 7pm at the County Council office building.
After several years of overly ambitious (as in, not realistic) CTPs from the prior Governor and two extremely challenging CTPs from this Governor, this is a more status quo proposal. And I mean that positively. The last two years, we made some difficult revenue raising decisions that are tough for many Marylanders but necessary to maintain our infrastructure. This CTP puts that money exactly where the Department said they would including road safety projects in Western Maryland and Frederick County, a road safety project on Georgia Avenue in Montgomery County, light rail modernization for the Baltimore City, continued investments in the Purple Line and Metro, and so on.
Our long-term challenges remain. Metro will face a capital funding cliff because our dedicated capital does not grow. There's no money for any work on the American Legion Bridge--whether that is a new bridge or major rehabilitation of the current one. The county and city share of the state motor fuel tax declines soon and maintaining the current levels is not provided for. And so forth. But the short-term project needs are being met in this proposal.
Read it here.
And you can learn more by listening to me on the I Hate Politics podcast.

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​Because of the expiration of the federal program allowing zero emission vehicles to use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) (carpool) lanes, Maryland is forced to sunset its own program at the end of the month.

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A piece of legislation I worked on during the 2025 legislative session evolved into a workgroup on the organization of the Maryland Transit Administration, which in additional to important Baltimore-area work is in charge of the Purple Line and MARC rail system. I am serving on the workgroup which has started meeting. Follow the work here.
 POLITICAL NEWS
​A big thank you to SEIU Local 500 on endorsing my re-election campaign.

​I am excited to announce that I have a new campaign team member, Lexi. You can meet Lexi in this video I made with one of my kids, part of the "Hey Dad" series we have been doing.
COMMUNITY NEWS
​On Saturday, October 4th from 11am-2pm, join the Glen Echo Fire Department for their annual Open House at 5920 Massachusetts Avenue.

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Join the District 16 Democratic Club for a screening of Ain't No Back to a Merry-go-round about Glen Echo Park.
Saturday, September 27 | 2:30–4:30 PM
Carderock Springs Swim and Tennis Club
8200 Hamilton Spring Court, Bethesda, MD 20817
Parking is limited. Please be respectful when parking your car and follow signage.
Watch Video: https://vimeo.com/927163039?share=copy
This powerful documentary tells the story of the 1960 civil rights protests at Glen Echo Amusement Park — a pivotal moment in U.S. history. With never-before-seen footage and interviews, it offers deep insight into the roots of activism and strategies we can learn from today.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
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Congratulations to several appointed and re-appointed Montgomery County board members:
Tiffany Boiman, Commission on Women
Jodi Danis, Commission on Women
Surinder Juneja, Commission on Common Ownership Communities
Christina Rodousakis, Bethesda Urban Partnership Board of Directors

I often remark in this email and my day-to-day conversations with people that I try to stay in my lane as a state elected official. But so much of what the current federal Administration does makes my blood boil and disproportionately impacts Maryland. Many District 16 residents go in and out of DC almost every day. The Nation's Capital has never been a perfect utopia, but the dystopian "Mad Max" caricature the White House has used to justify militarizing the streets to distract from other scandals and unpopular decisions is a complete mischaracterization. And it is true that DC's Home Rule Act gives a president unusual powers there, but this president has made clear time and again that he sees no limits for himself and has already name checked future expansions of his police state, including in Maryland. But of course, this is just another outrage on top of firing a federal statistician for delivering bad but accurate news, demanding paid tributes by private businesses that scoff when any other president suggests they should pay their lawful taxes, requiring a review of the Smithsonian's exhibits to make sure they are consistent with a nostalgic 1950s America that never truly was, and more then I can fit in this paragraph. You can see some of my views on all of this in comments I made at the Good Trouble rally in Friendship Heights a few weeks ago, which you can watch here.
So with that therapeutic introduction out of the way, let me turn more directly to District 16. One of the most enjoyable parts of serving here has been participating in ribbon cuttings for new businesses in District 16. My kids are always amused when we eat somewhere, buy something at a store, or even just walk by a place and I recount having been there for the ribbon cutting. But the real stories are the incredible entrepreneurs investing in their concepts and their community. With the disruptive change brought by Washington, we need these economic risk takers investing in us more than ever. And it has been a busy summer of them. The two most recent ribbon cuttings were The Cordell, a new event place in downtown Bethesda and The Sleep-In-Mind Clinic, which provides pediatric and young adult sleep medicine. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
I serve on the General Assembly's Joint Federal Oversight Action Committee, along with other members of the House and Senate leadership. Our most recent briefing was an update from the Comptroller's office on the economic impact of federal actions and an update on immigration issues from the Governor's office and Attorney General's office.
Watch the briefing here.
Read the briefing materials here.
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Last month I shared a high level update on the effect of the federal budget reconciliation law on Maryland. Read a deeper dive from the Department of Legislative Services on the impact of the federal reconciliation bill on Maryland, focusing on healthcare, food assistance, and taxes.
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I also had the chance to share my views on some of the impact the federal changes are having on the I Hate Politics Podcast recently. Listen here.

​HIGHER EDUCATION UPDATE
 
Here are some reminders from the Maryland Higher Education Commission on the state’s student loan relief tax credit. More information can be found here.

​TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
 
Recently, the Maryland Department of Transportation posted a federal grant application narrative on their website for a Large Bridge Investment Program grant to support work on the American Legion Bridge. You can find the page where they share federal grant requests here: MDOT Transportation Discretionary Grants - MDOT. You can get directly to the narrative here.
If this feels like Groundhog Day, it is because this is not the first time Maryland has applied for this grant. It has happened several times under the current and prior Governor. In the fall of 2023, I wrote at length about the (unsuccessful) grant application submitted then and the Governor's announcement around that.
Following a flurry of public meetings, the issue has been largely quiet.
Many of my September 2023 comments remain in case someone is interested in a deep dive. For example, the announcement then talked about the Brunswick Line and improvements, where virtually nothing has happened. It also says the environmental process would start on 270--I believe to address the northern bottleneck--but nothing has occurred. I also wrote then about some of what I would like to see, including much more corridor level community engagement that has not occurred.
But I will make a few specific observations regarding this new application and then some broader points below.
"While structurally safe, the bridge will require extensive repairs within the next decade, including rehabilitation of the deck."
This is a sample of the safety-related language in the application and it is crucial. We need a safe bridge. I think that is something everyone can agree on.
"The project corridor is approximately 6.5 miles of interstate and begins south of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) on I-495 and extends north of Westlake Terrace on the I-270 West Spur."
This is the current project scope, which is useful for people to understand. It does not go further north on 270--although the environmental approval for that still exists up to where 370 meets 270.
"Contract A will include the Large BIP limits within the section from the George Washington Memorial Parkway to south of Seven Locks Road. It will be advertised in July 2026 with contract award/notice to proceed issued in July 2027 to begin final design and construction. Contract B will run from south of Seven Locks Road to the project terminus north of Westlake Terrace. It will be advertised in April 2027, with the respective contract award/notice to proceed to be issued in April 2028. Based on the outlined scheduled, it is estimated that both contracts will be open to traffic by 2034."
This is the dream schedule the state has for the project.
"The total cost for the eight bridges and necessary approach interstate (1.66 miles) in this BIP application is $1,728,074,000. ... For this Large BIP grant application, SHA is requesting $864 million for the eight bridges and approach interstate, which is 50% of the total cost."
The funding request only covers Contract A above. The rest of the funding is envisioned to come from a state match and other federal sources.
"SHA will therefore maintain the same number of free, general-purpose lanes as exist today throughout the study limits that are open to all users."
This statement is as misleading today for any normal reader as when the prior Administration used the same talking point. The plan is to convert an existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on 270's western spur into a High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane. The HOV lane is currently restricted to carpool traffic for three hours today, which means for 21 hours a day it acts as a general-purpose lane and that will change as a result of the proposal. I will charitably say that the HOV lane is still not considered a "general-purpose" lane in transportation wonk speak so this statement is technically correct, but it is unfortunate to see the continued use of this talking point that would mislead any non-transportation wonk reader.
"MDOT successfully issued $750 million in GARVEE bonds on the Intercounty Connector, which have all been repaid, and MDOT currently has no outstanding GARVEE bonds."
GARVEE is a form of financing that issues bonds backed by the formula funding Maryland gets from the federal government. It is a useful tool, but MDOT is now advancing GARVEE for an important light rail vehicle safety project so this information is, at best, outdated.
On to some broader points. This application does not tell us if the state will pursue a Public Private Partnership or not. And it does not update the transit commitments made to the Montgomery County government previously. It also does not tell us how Maryland can meet its contribution given recent transportation funding challenges. We made tough decisions to climb out of a hole over the past two years, but that does not seem like adequate revenue to support this type of mega project. Especially given our state of good repair needs on existing roadways--including the American Legion Bridge as it is today, without more lanes--and transit systems.
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There are a series of upcoming Sunday closures at the Medical Center Metro station bus loop. This is to accommodate Metro work to replace transformers, as well as AC and DC gears inside the Traction Power Substation.

​POLITICAL NEWS
 
Our area is extremely active nationally and an area fundraiser is being held on Tuesday, September 16th at 5:30pm in support of Janelle Stelson, a Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 10th district. You can learn more here.

​COMMUNITY NEWS
 
The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center is polling residents about a possible recreation center in downtown Bethesda. Take the survey here.
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And speaking of surveys, Montgomery County Planning is seeking further input on their Friendship Heights Sector Plan. Take the survey here.
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The Washington Post wrote an uplifting story about District 16 resident and BCC Fire and Rescue Squad volunteer Ed Levien. Read it here.
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Washington Jewish Week ran a profile of Dr. Stephen Rockower, who has long been active in our state's medical society.
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Congratulations to Jeffrey Hains on his re-appointment to the Montgomery County Preservation Commission.

Since my last email, Congress has passed and the President has signed a large "budget reconciliation" bill. This legislation is a ticking time bomb for Maryland. As a member of the Joint Federal Action Oversight Committee, we were briefed on the bill in late June. Although what ultimately passed was not identical to what was discussed then, it still presents a useful picture of the bill and you can watch the hearing here. Below are a few key points about its impact on Maryland. The bill has other changes that will help many Marylanders, such as changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. But overall, the top 5% of earners get the most benefit from the income tax changes on a percentage basis. 

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS
 
If you are reading this, the easiest way to reach me is to just click reply and it goes right to my inbox. But if you prefer to use my official email address, it is now [email protected]. The old address ([email protected]) will auto-forward until April 2026.

 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
Many of the bills we pass each legislative session become effective on July 1st. You can see a list of newly effective laws here.
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I am pleased to share that I received 100% on the 2025 Maryland Humane Scorecard. I am particularly proud because many of these bills went through my committee. All of the details are here.
 
WSSC UPDATE
 
We often receive constituent inquiries regarding WSSC and our water bills. One area of great confusion is that WSSC does not use fixed period (e.g., monthly) billing, so it is challenging to compare current and prior bills. We took a step towards progress this year by passing my legislation that states our intent that billing should use a fixed time period. But another common issue is an undetected leak driving up bills. WSSC sent out a helpful reminder about these and has provided more information here.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
 
Thank you to outgoing Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld for his decades of service to Maryland and the region in multiple roles. I was quoted in a Washington Post story about his departure that you can read here.
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The Maryland Transit Administration released the MARC Growth and Transportation plan to chart the next 25 years of our state's commuter rail service. You can read the plan here. Below is what it would mean for the three commuter rail lines, including the Brunswick Line that serves Montgomery County. I was quoted about the plan in the Washington Post.
But this is not the first MARC rail plan and I look forward to seeing how the Governor's next Consolidated Transportation Program works to implement this plan.

COMMUNITY NEWS
 
-I am participating in an event to support our federal workers in Bethesda on July 22nd. More information is here.
-Congratulations to Jane Callen on her reappointment to the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association.
-The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has announced two upcoming meetings. On Thursday, July 24th at 7:30am, the guest will be State's Attorney John McCarthy. On Monday, September 15th at 7:30am, the guest will be Senator Chris Van Hollen. Email [email protected] for more information and the meeting link.

 
-July 4th is always a lot of fun around District 16. This year, I attended three parades (Edgemoor, Cabin John, and Wood Acres), a picnic (Somerset), and a party (Friendship Heights).