Your 7th District Update

Dear Friend,

On Wednesday, Governor-elect Wes Moore was sworn into office as the sixty-third Governor of Maryland, leaving the first full week of the 2023 Legislative Session focused primarily on Governor Moore’s swearing-in ceremony in the Maryland Senate Chamber followed by the public ceremony outside the statehouse. 

As a result, the Senate committee’s activities have been off to a slow start, fret not, the number of bill hearings is sure to vastly increase starting next week. If you are interested in viewing the Senate legislative hearings online or in person, providing oral or written testimony, please refer to the links below or contact my office directly.

Senate Budget & Taxation (B&T) Committee Hearing & Witness Guidelines:

B&T Committee Hearing

B&T Witness Guidelines

Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment (EEE) Committee Hearing & Witness Guidelines:

EEE Committee Hearing

EEE Witness Guidelines

Senate Finance (FIN) Committee Hearing & Witness Guidelines:

FIN Committee Hearing

FIN Witness Guidelines

Senate Judicial Proceedings (JPR) Committee Hearing & Witness Guidelines:

JPR Hearing

JPR Witness Guidelines

INCOMING MARYLAND CABINET SECRETARY APPOINTMENTS:

Governor Moore is assembling his team and has announced the following appointments. While cabinet secretaries are subject to Senate confirmation, the Democrats have a supermajority in the Senate which means that the Governor’s appointees will most likely be confirmed.

Maryland Secretary of Aging: Carmel Rogues, formerly President & CEO of the Keswick-Care Center.

Maryland Secretary of Agriculture: Kevin Atticks, formerly Executive Director of the Brewers Association of Maryland and the Maryland Distillers Guild as well as the founder of Grow & Fortify.

Maryland Secretary of Budget & Management: Helene Grady, formerly Chief Financial Officer of Johns Hopkins University.

Maryland Secretary of Commerce: Kevin Anderson, formerly Founder & CEO of Cardinal Atlantic Holdings.

Maryland Secretary of Disabilities: Carol Beatty will continue on as Secretary of Disabilities, a role she held under the Hogan Administration since 2015.

Maryland Secretary of the Environment: Serena McIlwain, formerly undersecretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Maryland Secretary of Health: Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, formerly Vice President of population health at Summit Health, and Vice President of clinical strategy and product at Anthem.

Maryland Secretary of Housing & Community Development: Jake Day, formerly the Mayor of Salisbury.

Maryland Secretary of Human Services: Rafael Lopez, former senior advisor to the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Maryland Secretary of Juvenile Services: Vincent Schiraldi, formerly a senior research scientist at the Columbia School of Social Work and co-director of the Columbia Justice Lab.

Maryland Secretary of Labor: Portia Wu, formerly managing director of U.S. public policy at Microsoft.

Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources: Josh Kurtz, formerly the Executive Director of Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Maryland Secretary of Planning: Rebecca Flora, formerly senior vice president of education research for the U.S. Green Building Council.

Maryland Special Secretary of Opioid Response: Emily Keller, formerly Mayor of Hagerstown.

SENATE COMMITTEES

With the loss of two Republican seats in the Senate and subject matter changes made to several senate committees, there was a redistribution of committee assignments by the Senate President.

Currently, there are 34 Democratic and 13 Republican Senate Members. Of which, committee representation is as follows:

Senate Budget & Taxation Committee: 9 Democrats & 4 Republicans

Senate Education, Energy & the Environment: 8 Democrats & 3 Republicans

Senate Finance Committee: 8 Democrats & 3 Republicans

Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee: 6 Democrats & 3 Republicans

(*2 Democratic seats waiting to be filled - District 16 - Montgomery County & District 22 - Prince George’s County)

I now serve on the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee (B&T), and two of its subcommittees.

Budget and Taxation Committee (B&T) - responsible for allocating funds in the operating budget that keeps the State funded

Capital Budget Subcommittee (B&T) - responsible for allocating funding for permanent structures and projects

Health and Human Services Subcommittee (B&T) - responsible for allocating funding for these projects in the operating budget

I will continue to maintain my focus on addressing Maryland’s violent crime crisis while at the same time protecting 2nd Amendment Rights, providing tax relief for those living and doing business in Maryland and embracing fiscal responsibility through a balanced budget.

MARYLAND 529 BRIEFING ALERT

Maryland 529 Plan Briefing before the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee

Tuesday, January 24th at 1pm

Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee members will be briefed on the Maryland 529 Prepaid College Trust that has left Maryland parents unable to access college saving accounts for their child's tuition.

SAVE THE DATE: District 7 Night in Annapolis

Join your District 7 Team for a Night in Annapolis. After enjoying a FREE meal, stop by Session and see the Senate and House of Delegates in action!

RSVP requested: [email protected]/410-841-3706