Dear Friend:
Every bill only has one sponsor but no bill is the responsibility of a single person. Each member of the House of Delegates gets their chance to put an imprint on every bill we consider whether that is just their vote for or against it on the House floor, an amendment, helping to persuade a colleague to vote for it, or countless other contributions. My name may not be on the sponsor line of landmark legislation such as the Climate Solutions Now Act--which set our state's ambitious climate goals--or the Built to Learn Act--which amped up our school construction program backed by gaming revenue--but like many other members I contributed to their passage.
That said, for most bills a sponsor has significant involvement in the legislation's trajectory. Because we are organized in committees, sponsors have the best chance of success when it comes to bills in their own committee where you are in the room to promote and prioritize your agenda. But members can have success in other committees and I am pleased that three of my bills are working their way through the Ways & Means Committee and on to the House floor.
The County Board of Education Member Anti-Bias Training Act (HB 324) and Local Boards of Elections Transparency Act (HB 412) were voted out of committee on a bipartisan basis and are on the House floor this week. The Affordable Housing Payment in Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act (HB 390) passed out of subcommittee last week and will be taken up by the full committee soon.

LEGISLATION UPDATE
​In addition to the progress described above, I had three bill hearings last week.
The first was the Franchise Reform Act (HB 992), which is designed to improve the regulatory environment for franchisors and franchisees in Maryland. You can watch that hearing here.
The second was on what I refer to as the Conflict of Interest Act (HB 932), which would strengthen ethics rules for governors. That hearing can be viewed here.
Finally, legislation that Senator Sara Love has championed for years related to privacy standards for our automated enforcement programs also had its hearing. That can be watched online.
-----
Although I am not the primary sponsor of the End-of-Life-Option Act--sometimes referred to as Death With Dignity--I get a lot of questions about it. I am a cosponsor of this legislation and think it is a sensible step forward for end of life care. The full House took up the bill and passed it in 2019 but it has never passed the Senate. Both the House and Senate versions of the bill have hearings in early March but it still does not appear that the votes are there in the Senate.

BUDGET UPDATE
The state budget continues to be one of the major issues of the legislative session. In addition to our projected budget shortfall, the complexity is compounded by actions in Washington, DC. The federal government's current funding runs out on March 14th. While a federal government shutdown is always economically impactful in Maryland, there is also great risk to funding programs Maryland and its people rely on with any deal that is struck. The next meeting of our state's Bureau of Revenue Estimates (BRE) is March 6th and we follow the BRE's guidelines in setting our budget. My prediction is that we will have seen some softening in sales tax revenue at least due to the uncertainty coming out of the current federal administration. Many Marylanders work as federal employees or work indirectly as contractors or in other jobs that revolve around the federal government. Even if their actual job is safe, what the current federal administration is doing with its chaos campaign will make many hesitate before making purchases.
There was some good news on the budget. One of the most controversial cuts proposed by Governor Moore is to the Developmental Disabilities Administration. His proposal was not only to cut the next budget year--starting this summer--but the current budget year as well. However, after significant advocacy, the Administration and House and Senate leaders have agreed to identify other funds to use for the current budget year and delay any cut. Whether or not the cuts take effect next budget year is part of ongoing negotiations.
VISION ZERO DAY
An important issue my committee is dealing with is referred to as Vision Zero. In 2019, Maryland set a goal of reducing serious injuries and deaths on our roadways by 2030. You can track our progress on a state dashboard but, unfortunately, we went from 535 deaths in 2019 to 621 in 2023 (2024 data is still being finalized but appears a bit better). Our committee is making an effort to help achieve the goal and on Friday we heard a number of bills related to Vision Zero, mostly related to improved automated enforcement. You can watch that hearing here. We have had earlier hearings on reckless driving, speed governors, for offenders, and reciprocal automated enforcement with our neighboring jurisdictions. The Washington Post recently quoted me in a story on this topic.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS
On Monday, March 3rd at 7:30am, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from County Executive Marc Elrich. Email [email protected] for the meeting link.
-----
On Tuesday, March 4th at 7pm, County Councilmember Andrew Friedson will hold a public safety meeting at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School cafeteria.

COMMUNITY NEWS
Congratulations to Jane Fairweather on her reappointment to the Board of Directors of the Bethesda Urban Partnership.
-----
Last week the Governor delivered what are called his Green Bag appointments through which he nominates members of various boards and commissions (as well as other offices). I am pleased to see 11 District 16 residents appointed or re-appointed including:
Don Stanton, Aviation Commission
Eileen Levitt, Commission on Civil Rights
Leslie Hale, Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors
Marcia Mintz, Montgomery College Board of Trustees
Benjamin Klubes, Morgan State University Board of Regents
Swati Agrawal, Morgan State University Board of Regents
Micha Weinblatt, Public Private Partnership Marketing Corporation Board
Phillip Singerman, Technology Development Corporation Board of Directors
Meena Seshamani, another District 16 resident, has also been nominated by Governor Moore as the new Secretary of Health
Fiona Oliphant, Maryland Commission for Women
Kati Penney, Maryland School for the Blind Board of Directors
Daborah Jarvis, Washington Suburban Transit Commission
If you are interested in serving on one of these state boards and commissions, please visit https://govappointments.maryland.gov/instructions-for-filling-out-the-general-application-form/.

OFFICE CORNER
Spring training is now in full swing with exhibition games starting. That means it is a good week to share my Maryland minor league baseball team foam finger collection. From top to bottom, I have foam fingers for the Orioles' affiliate-Single A Delmarva Shorebirds, the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Orioles' affiliated-AA Bowie Baysox, the now independent Frederick Keys, the Orioles-affiliated single A Aberdeen Ironbirds, the independent Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, and the now defunct Hagerstown Suns which were a Single A affiliate on of the Washington Nationals.

As regular readers of this email know, the structure of our legislative session is built around time: we start on a specific date, bills need to be introduced by a specific date, bills need to pass from one chamber to the other by a specific date, and we adjourn on a specific date. Between this weekly email and the next, we will pass the halfway point of the 90 day 2025 legislative session. That means we will have 45 days and counting to work on several major issues before us including, most notably, the annual budget and energy issues. The countdown clock will have an impact on my personal legislative agenda as well. As one of my favorite movie characters--Rocky Balboa--explained in the 2015 film Creed--"Time's undefeated." The legislative sessions always start a little slow but, at this point, we start to feel time slipping away as we work on complex and important issues.
As if on cue when I was drafting this, the clock in my office stopped working which must be some type of metaphor for how time looms over us during the 90 day legislative session. So here's a bonus "Office Corner" showing where my clock used to be--and hopefully will be again soon!

DELEGATION UPDATE
Our Montgomery County House Delegation meets most Fridays during session. The main event last Friday was hearing from our Congressman, Jamie Raskin, about the situation in Washington. For those who want a deep dive, my legislation on the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission was also considered and passed by the Delegation. Watch the meeting here.

LEGISLATION UPDATE
Since my last email, one of my bills had a hearing: the MARC Rail Authority Act (HB 517). The bill would separate the MARC commuter rail system from the rest of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). As I explained at the hearing, I do not think the MTA is organized in a way that makes sense for our state and I am open to other ways to improve its structure. You can watch the hearing here.
-----
I have additional bill hearings today, tomorrow and Friday on legislation to reform our state's franchise laws, a bill to reform conflict of interest laws for governors, and a proposal for privacy standards for our automated enforcement systems.

BUDGET UPDATE
The budget continues to get a lot of attention and is one of the major issues of the legislative session. I have heard from many of you opposed to specific cuts or tax increases. As a reminder, the Department of Legislative Services' detailed analysis of each agency's budget can be found here. Federal uncertainty is also clouding the budget debate as the federal government's current funding bill expires in March and the current administration and Elon Musk continue to make radical changes such as clawing back already appropriated funding, freezing National Institutes of Health and other grant funding, and mass firing employees at federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and other agencies where a more refined approach would be much more appropriate than the current actions.
If you are one of those affected, be sure to check out the resources page launched by Governor Moore as well.

PRESIDENTS' DAY UPDATE
This past Monday we honored Presidents' Day in the House chamber. As we do every year, we heard from a member about the continued importance of George Washington. This year's speaker was Delegate Palakovich Carr from Montgomery County. I had the honor of delivering the address in 2018 and you can listen to it here.

OFFICE CORNER
​In honor of Presidents' Day, this week's highlight from my office is one of my more off-beat items, a campaign poster for Estes Kefauver. Kefauver ran for president in 1952 and 1956 and was actually the Democratic nominee for Vice President that year (he edged out JFK for the spot). Kefauver was a Tennessee Senator and is a personal hero of mine.

A big part of the job in Annapolis is, of course, to vote on legislation. We took our first votes on legislation on the House floor back on January 30th (it was a maternal and child health funding bill using an existing pot of money) but more committees are now sending legislation to the floor. My committee had its first voting session this past Friday. Those bills--which include an environmental measure on yard waste, a bill on cycling safety, and changes to fishing fees--are on the House floor this week. The rate of committee and floor voting sessions will speed up from here.
Last week was also the deadline to file legislation without it being referred to the Rules Committee (instead of the policy committee of jurisdiction). There are over 1800 bills in the House and over 1300 in the Senate. Currently, the committee I chair (Environment & Transportation or ENT) has the second most amount of bills in the House.

DELEGATION UPDATE
​As regular readers know, the Montgomery County House Delegation--now 26 members strong--meets most Friday mornings for local bills and to consider local legislation. This past Friday included a briefing from Park & Planning which you can watch here. At the briefing, the Planning Director (a District 16 resident!) shared a story map that traces housing development in Montgomery County over the decades. You can review the map and all of the changes in Montgomery County here.

LEGISLATION UPDATEEach bill I am sponsoring has now been introduced and scheduled for a hearing. Yesterday was the hearing on the Metro Funding Modification Act, which grows Maryland's dedicated capital funding for our area Metro system--contingent on Washington, D.C. and Virginia doing the same--because the value of the contribution has eroded since 2018 when it was first enacted. You can watch the hearing online.

BUDGET UPDATE
I provided a broad overview of the Governor's budget submission several weeks ago. The budget process will continue over the rest of the legislative session. A large and, of course, controversial aspect of it relates to tax changes proposed by the Governor. The state's Bureau of Revenue Estimates recently issued its report on the impact of personal income tax changes by tax bracket and county.


BIRD FLU UPDATE
I mentioned a few weeks ago that my committee held a briefing on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (also known as avian or bird flu) which you can watch here.
Since then, bird flu has made its way to backyard birds in Montgomery County. Here are some reminders. The Maryland Department of Agriculture requires all owners of backyard chickens to register their flock with the department. Learn how to register here. In the event of an infected bird, owners should contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410.841.5810 (after hours at 410.841.5971) or send an email to [email protected].
Owners should limit visitation and interaction with their birds from non-essential parties. Any coop and feeding areas should be covered and secured to prevent exposure to wild birds and animals. Food and water should be changed daily to reduce risk. Following interacting with the flock, owners should sanitize their hands and any equipment used as well as dispose of any garments worn when providing care. As we all work to handle the ongoing outbreak, owners can help keep their flocks safe and limit the spread of Bird Flu in Maryland.

COMMUNITY NEWS
Nancy Long, a 51-year Town of Glen Echo Councilmember, recently passed away She was involved in efforts to revitalize Glen Echo Park including the Carousel and protecting the C&O Canal. Condolences to the entire Town of Glen Echo on the passing of this stalwart resident.
-----
If you are looking for tax preparation assistance, AARP tax aide volunteers will be available for low to moderate income taxpayers at the Davis Library in Bethesda numerous times in February including: Friday, February 14th at 10am-6pm; Wednesday, February 19th at 12pm-5pm; Friday, February 21st at 10am-6pm; Wednesday, February 26th at 12pm-5pm; and Friday, February 28th at 10am-6pm.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February is Black History Month. The real life inspiration for Harriett Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin lived in Montgomery County and you can learn more about him at the Josiah Henson Museum Park in District 16. You can watch a video about him from Montgomery Community Media.

OFFICE CORNER
The last few weeks I have shown various maps I have around my office. This week I have one last one to share. Several years ago, a then-colleague gave me a copy of the Report of the State Roads Commission of Maryland for the Years 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911. It came with this incredible map in the back that I had framed.

I usually send my weekly email out in the morning. But today was the Governor's State of the State Address, so I waited to send the email so I could link to his speech. The Governor talked about the challenges ahead during this legislative session and beyond as we address our budget deficit but also work with a new and, frankly, erratic federal administration. He called these two storms.
In Michelle Obama's memoir, she described President Obama's approach to his job: "His job, it seemed, was to take the chaos and metabolize it somehow into calm leadership--every day of the week, every week of the year." The current president prefers to catalyze the chaos. In addition to the very real and frightening threats to federal funding and federal workers, this was demonstrated by his offensive response to the tragedy at National Airport, a tragedy where at least eight Marylanders were among the 67 souls lost.
The Governor reminded us that Marylanders prefer for us to "confront crisis with courage, compassion, competence and calm."

​BRIEFINGS UPDATE
​The Environment & Transportation Committee continues to receive briefings on some of the important issues our committee will deal with even as we take up a full schedule of bill hearings. Last week, we had a briefing on the State of the Chesapeake Bay and our annual fiscal briefing.

LEGISLATION UPDATE
I continue to introduce the legislation that I announced in my first email of the legislative session. This past week, I introduced two more bills (the last two I expect to introduce this session):
Conflicts of Interest Act (HB 932): The committee I chair has jurisdiction over our state ethics laws. Several disturbing stories have come out regarding how the former Governor did not recuse himself from matters that clearly impacted the private business he still owned. This legislation would strengthen the state’s rules around blind trusts and non-participation requirements to ensure our governors are acting on behalf of the state and not their private interests. Senator Brian Feldman, chair of the Senate committee of jurisdiction, is sponsoring the Senate version of this bill.
Franchise Reform Act (HB 992): Franchising is the system by which a successful business can replicate its idea with independent ownership. If you think about McDonald’s, some of the stores are owned by the McDonald’s Corporation but many are owned by individual franchisees who have to follow certain requirements of the Franchisor (the McDonald’s Corporation). Maryland has one of the toughest franchising laws in the country, making it difficult for Franchisors to expand their concepts and for small business owner franchisees to access these concepts. The regulatory regime is well meaning to protect potential franchisees from being taken advantage of, but I believe Maryland can be more friendly to these new business concepts, a concern brought to me by several constituents. The bill would pilot a new system for franchisors to file their paperwork with the state and make other changes to our franchising regulatory regime.
----
Bill hearings are also continuing. Last week, there was a bill hearing on the County School Board Antibias Training Act (HB 324). As as a reminder, last year we required “school employees” to take anti-bias training including to address anti-Semitism. We learned that this did not include school board members and I introduced this bill with Senator Brian Feldman to close this loophole. You can watch the hearing here. Local press also covered the bill.

Yesterday, two other bills I sponsored were heard in the Ways & Means Committee.
The Affordable Housing Payment In Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act (HB 390) would expand an existing affordable housing program to protection naturally occurring affordable housing. You can watch the bill hearing online.
The Local Boards of Elections Transparency Act (HB 412) would expand transparency requirements for our local boards of elections to live stream their meetings and canvassing sessions. You can watch that hearing online as well.

CONSTITUENT MEETINGS
​It is always fun to have constituents visit us during the General Assembly session. This past week's visits included a group of District 16 residents with Moms Demand Action to talk about sensible gun safety and Girl Scout Troop 34148 from Bethesda Elementary School. If you are going to be in Annapolis, be sure to stop by to visit me.

COMMUNITY NEWS
​Congressman Jamie Raskin has launched a new resource page regarding the impact of the federal Administration's policies and actions. You can hear from Congressman Raskin directly at the Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club on Monday, February 10th at 7:30am (hope the Super Bowl doesn't run too late!). Email [email protected] for the link.
-----
Last week, I mentioned the Montgomery County Planning Board's discussion of the 2024 Bethesda Downtown Plan Annual Monitoring Report. You can watch their discussion here. Also relevant to our area, on Thursday the Planning Board will consider the scope of work for the forthcoming new Friendship Heights Sector Plan.
-----
If you are looking for tax preparation assistance, AARP tax aide volunteers will be available for low to moderate income taxpayers at the Davis Library in Bethesda numerous times in February including: Friday, February 7th at 10am-6pm; Wednesday, February 12th at 12pm-5pm; Friday, February 14th at 10am-6pm; Wednesday, February 19th at 12pm-5pm; Friday, February 21st at 10am-6pm; Wednesday, February 26th at 12pm-5pm; and Friday, February 28th at 10am-6pm.
-----
Congratulations to Ed Krauze and George Zarubin on their appointments to the County-wide Recreation and Parks Advisory Board.

OFFICE CORNER
​Last week I shared the Maryland Transit Administration maps in my office. Keeping with the theme, this is a laser-cut wooden map of District 16 a friend made me. However, District 16 is slightly different today as this reflects the pre-2020 census version where one of the Potomac precincts that is no longer a part of the district today still was.