Things are really coming down to the wire in Annapolis! All bills need to make it through their respective houses by Monday or they will not cross over to the opposite chamber. Two of my bills, HB33 Psychological Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult and HB171 Crimes Against Animals, have passed out of the Judiciary Committee and will make it on to the floor for a vote. I am hopeful that a number of my other bills will also move forward this week!

Congratulations to Jacksonville Elementary School which was designated as a Maryland Blue Ribbon School! Principal Debra Miller, State Superintendent Dr. Salmon and Members from MSDE came to Annapolis to receive special recognition.

Canines at the Capitol day is a favorite in Annapolis! My Legislative Aide, Marc Oehmler, and Chief of Staff, Lisa McClellan, did research for our therapy dog bill. Both concurred that spending time with a dog affects physiological correlates of stress. Notice how level their cortisol appears!

Last week was a week of marathon long meetings. On Friday we had a double session in the morning which pushed our 1:00pm hearings out to 3:30pm. A huge thank you to those of you that traveled to Annapolis to testify and patiently waited for the hearings to begin. HB981 which will allow therapy dogs into schools was heard first and Kozy Girl was an integral part of the testimony and lowered my blood pressure, sharpened my focus and made being at work enjoyable which are all things that she can do for students in a school environment. To listen to the testimony, click here: HB981 HB1294 was heard later that evening in front of the Judiciary Committee. It is a simple bill that would make a private room available to those that are reporting a crime of a sensitive nature. Again, a huge thank you to Ashley and Brittany who stuck it out until 7:00pm on a Friday to testify. To view the hearing, click here: HB1294

Saturday was "Bond Bill Saturday" in Annapolis where Legislative Bond Initiatives for the district are heard. I submitted a bill that would help to rebuild the educational barn at Cromwell Valley Park and make their trails more accessible to all. I also co-sponsored and presented a bill that would rebuild Timonium Elementary School's playground.

On Sunday morning I attended a pancake breakfast at Oregon Ridge Park. Later that afternoon, I held my Fourth Town Hall Meeting at the Cockeysville Library. I appreciate those that came to share their concerns and to learn about what we are working on in Annapolis. We had a productive conversation that covered everything from taxes to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future to local school overcrowding issues. I will continue to hold these events so that I can learn directly from you what issues are important.