Voting - Weekly Update

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.
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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.