Crossover Deadline Looming - Weekly Update

​Monday will mark the "crossover" date for the 2024 legislative session. This is the date by which a bill is supposed to pass one chamber in order to be guaranteed a hearing in the other. Bills that move later still have a chance to make it to the Governor's desk, but the best position for a bill to be in on Monday is through one chamber.

That means the next few days will be extremely busy in the House of Delegates, including our typical Saturday before crossover session. Some of the significant action we might see over the next few days include:
-Movement on the budget, which the Senate is taking up first this year and is on the Senate floor this week. As a reminder, unlike our federal partners down the street we are required to have a balanced budget every year.
-Progress on the Governor's housing legislation. I have shared information about the Governor's three housing bills previously but they are complex pieces of legislation related to housing supply, tenant rights, and financing.
-Advancement of a "good cause" law to protect tenants. This proposal has been kicking around the General Assembly for seven years but the Environment and Transportation Committee has crafted a heavily amended compromise to move this bill forward.
-Dozens of local bills--including many that affect just Montgomery County--like legislation to allow Montgomery County to deploy automated speed enforcement in more high risk locations and improve the County's development review process.
-Legislation related to the climate, including a bill to place the manufacturing sector under our greenhouse gas reduction laws for the first time.
-More elements of the Speaker's Decency Agenda, including the Freedom to Read Act and training in anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination for our school workforce.
-Cyclist safety Legislation sponsored by my seatmate, Delegate Sara Love, in response to the death of Sarah Langenkamp on River Road.
-And MUCH MUCH more. I often get replies noting my failure to include some particular issue and I welcome such feedback. If you have a question about a bill or issue, please just click reply.
 
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 
Among the bills working their way through the legislative process are the ones I am sponsoring.
Legislation renaming the Port of Baltimore was on both the House and Senate floor this week.
The Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Act of 2024 passed the House several weeks ago. The Senate version--sponsored by our State Senator Ariana Kelly--has also passed the Senate.
The Maryland Metro Funding Act of 2024 passed the House several weeks ago and the Senate version is on the Senate floor this week.
The Open Source Phonics Matching Grant Program Act I sponsored is also on the House floor this week.
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And a big shout-out to my seatmate, Delegate Sarah Wolek, on passage through the House of her first bills: three on the same day! The three bills relate to financial well being, eligibility for House and Senate scholarships, and villages for those aging in place.
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Unfortunately, one piece of legislation apparently not moving this year is the End of Life Options Act--sometimes referred to as Death With Dignity. The Senate has indicated that they will not bring the bill--which has previously passed the House--up for a vote.
 
SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE 
If you or someone you know is a District 16 resident pursuing a higher education, remember we have scholarships available through our office. To be eligible for a Delegate Scholarship, you must plan to attend a Maryland college or university, or a private career school.  Private career schools must have the Maryland Higher Education Commission's approval to operate and be accredited by a national accrediting association approved by the U.S. Department of Education.  You may also attend a nursing school if the Commission approves the curriculum.  Students may attend full or part-time.

If your major is not offered at a Maryland institution of higher education, you may apply for a unique major designation that would allow you to use our Delegate Scholarship funds for an out-of-state school.
Learn more at https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html

COMMUNITY NEWS
Congratulations to several District 16 residents on their appointment to Montgomery County Boards and Commissions:
Betty Romero and Margaret Rajnic, Montgomery County Commission for Women
Marian Block, Bethesda Urban Partnership Board of Directors
Rodrigo Figueroa, Montgomery County Advisory Committee on Consumer Protection
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Bethesda Big Train is looking for applicants for the Alexander DiMisa High School Leadership Fellowship program this summer. Learn more and apply here.
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Montgomery County Parks will hold a virtual meeting to discuss proposed renovations at Merrimac Neighborhood Park. The meeting is on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. Register to attend here.
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The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club's next meeting is with District 18 state legislators on April 10th at 7:30am. The following meeting with be with candidates for Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge on April 25th. To obtain the link for the meeting, please email [email protected]
BOOK CORNER
 I was in the news quite a bit all around the state last week for my efforts to fund our transportation infrastructure.  So this is a good week to recommend Moving Maryland Forward: A Century of Modern Road Building by Harold J. Counihan. This is a bit of a propaganda piece by the State Highway Administration to celebrate the centennial of its founding as the State Road Commission in 1908. Its a chronological review of Maryland's increasing investments in transportation, which has only continued since publication in 2008.