Bicameral

I spend a lot of time in this weekly newsletter talking about the work of the House of Delegates.  No surprise there.  I am a Delegate after all and, these days, House Majority Leader.  But this is the time of the year that members of the House and members of the Senator quickly remember that like 48 other state legislatures--all but Nebraska--Maryland has a bicameral legislature.  The story goes that George Washington said that the U.S. Senate's purpose was to "cool" U.S. House legislation just as a saucer is used to cool hot tea.  I do not think it works quite the same way in Maryland where the Senators and House members represent the same constituencies and serve the same overlapping terms, but each chamber does bring different perspectives to bills.
This is the time of year we are all reminded of the other body because members from each are marching across the hall (really between our separate legislative buildings) to present our bills that passed our own chamber to the other.  For example, last week I presented the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority Sunset Act to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Unlike most of my other bills, this one had no "Senate cross-file"--an identical bill introduced by a Senator--so it was the first time any Senator was really hearing or thinking about my bill. And earlier this week I presented the Teacher Pay Parity Act to the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee.  
BUDGET UPDATE
Earlier this week, the Governor sent down a supplemental budget making various changes to the proposed operating and capital budgets.  You can review it here.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am also part of the "conference committee" on the budget when the House and Senate budget leaders get together to sort out differences.  As I draft this, I am between meetings of the conference committee.
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
Condolences to the Temple Beth El community on the passing of Rabbi Emeritus William Rudolph.
 
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Three District 16 residents were recently nominated to state boards and commissions by Governor Moore:

• Seth Goldman, Maryland Economic Development Commission
• Tonisha J. Melvin, State Board of Environmental Health Specialists
• Rebecca Taber, Maryland Higher Education Commission

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Two District 16 residents were also nominated to County Boards and Commissions by the County Executive:

• Marsha Liss, Montgomery County Human Trafficking Prevention Committee.
• Brian Robinson, Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board 

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District 16's Dr. Kevin Cullen has been added to the Baltimore Sun's Business and Civic Hall of Fame for his work on cancer care.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 

• On Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30pm (TONIGHT), Montgomery County's Department of Transportation will hold a virtual meeting regarding Segment 3 of the MacArthur Boulevard Bikeway Improvement Project. You can register to attend the hearing here.
• On Wednesday, April 12, from 7:30pm - 9pm, there will be a Community Conversation with Councilmember Andrew Friedson, at Potomac Elementary School's All Purpose Room.
• The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from the District 18 team virtually on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30am.  Email keller.johnw@gmail.com for more information.
• On Saturday, April 15, the Potomac Branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries will reopen after significant renovations.  Learn more here.

If you know of an upcoming District 16 event or a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences, please email marc@marckorman.com.