Weekly Update: The Senate

I spend a lot more time updating you on the House than the Senate, for obvious reasons. But this time of the legislative session, I tend to think a lot about the Senate. First, there are dozens of Senate bills now sitting in my committee and this week the Senate sponsors are visiting to testify in support of their bills. Second, I am visiting the Senate committee chairs to discuss the bills from my committee--Environment and Transportation--pending in their committees and vice versa. Third, I am testifying in support of a few bills I sponsored that are currently pending in the Senate. Fourth and finally, I am preparing for a conference committee with the Senate on energy affordability and sustainability legislation.
Our State Senate has 47 members, largely representing the same districts as their three House members, although there are a few Senate districts with subdistricts for the House members. We are led by a Speaker in the House. The Senate has a President elected from their members, currently Bill Ferguson who represents a district in Baltimore (and was my law school classmate). The House has seven standing committees, the Senate has four: Judicial Proceedings (which our Senator, Sara Love, serves on); Budget & Taxation; Finance; and Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee.
 
PODCASTS
I had the opportunity to participate in two podcasts this week.
First, I recorded a "post-crossover" episode of I Hate Politics. Listen here.
Second, I was interviewed for the Beyond the Hyphen podcast, which is the podcast of a Howard County high school junior, Mark Li. Listen here.
 
BUDGET UPDATE
I gave the highlights of the operating budgets last week as it passed the House. The House and Senate have both now adopted the conference committee report, which contained only a few changes from what the House passed. You can read the conference committee report here and a summary here.
The House is also working on the capital budget this week. The capital budget is the state's construction budget, where we advocate for our community's needs. These are typically one-time or temporary costs and do not impact the operating budget. I will provide further details but the capital budget increases school construction funds for Montgomery County; finishes the state contribution to rehabilitating the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park; funds culvert restoration in the District 16 portion of the C&O Canal National Historical Park; contributes to Suburban Hospital's Emergency Department modernization; supports updating Adventure Theatre; further funds upgrades for Maplewood-Alta Vista Park; provides funds the Children's Inn at NIH; continues our contribution to the North Bethesda Metrorail second entrance; and funds a sound barrier for Carderock Springs Elementary School.
 
POTOMAC INTERCEPTOR NEWS
The C&O Canal was acting as a bypass pending repair of the pipe. Now that the pipe is operating again, DC Water is removing sludge from the canal and doing other remediation. Soil removal and treatment will also be taking place. We are also working with DC Water and the Maryland Department of Environment on future testing. As a reminder, we send out a Potomac Interceptor-specific email multiple times a week. If you would like to be added, please just reply here.
 
COMMUNITY NEWS
Voyage Maryland profiled Bethesda Historical Society founder and head Wendy Kaufman. Read it here.
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District 16 resident Whitney Ellenby wrote candidly about raising a son with autism. Read it here.
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Save the date! The Nesfield Performance Foundation is hosting its Metro Move Fest on Sunday, May 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. Come out for a day of family-friendly fitness activities brought to you by local vendors and nonprofit organizations. Please direct questions to Tiffany Nesfield ([email protected]). 
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The next Purple Line Community Action Team Meeting for the Bethesda-Chevy Chase area will be on Thursday, April 23rd at 6:00pm and will be held virtually. 

​MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
 
Each week, I am profiling a non-Montgomery County legislator. This week, I am spotlighting the House's minority party leadership team: Minority Leader Jason Buckel and Minority Whip Jesse Pippy. Both delegates are, like me, attorneys and we all graduated from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. Delegate Buckel entered the House in 2015 and represents a Western Maryland district, specifically Allegany County. Delegate Pippy entered the House in 2019 and represents a Frederick County district. Both delegates do their job as leaders of the minority party, working against many things that I think are important. But they do it in a respectful and collaborative way. They do not oppose everything just for the sake of doing so, but actually engage on the issues and bills to represent their party and constituents.