Good Morning!

It is hard to believe that we have less than one month to finish all of the work in front of the General Assembly this Session! The wheels are turning quickly and I appreciate your support and your emails that alert me to bills that I may not otherwise study as carefully. If there is an issue that you care about - so do I! I am hearing from you about school re-openings, sports games, the Blueprint 2.0 Bill, misconceptions about a few pieces of legislation (which I am always happy to clear up), and the bill that would allow podiatrists to call themselves "Physicians" which for public transparency reasons has been very controversial.

Other strangely controversial bills include one to require builders to offer installation of electric charging ports in new houses. I still haven’t figured out WHY that one took hours to debate! This newsletter will highlight some publicized bills and some other "under-the-radar" legislation that I like. I look forward to wishing you a happy and long-awaited Spring next week, but until then stay warm and safe! 
Baltimore County to Align with Maryland's
Latest Actions on COVID-19
Effective Friday, March 12th at 5:00 pm Baltimore County will:

  • Lift capacity limits on outdoor and indoor dining at restaurants and bars, retail businesses, religious facilities, fitness centers, casinos, personal services, and indoor recreational establishments.

  • Permit larger outdoor and indoor venues, including theaters; concert, convention, and wedding venues; racing facilities, and outdoor entertainment and sports venues, to begin operating at 50% capacity.

  • Lift state quarantine requirements and other restrictions on out-of-state travel.
BCPS to Allow Athletic Competitions
Effective Friday, March 12 Baltimore County Public Schools will allow inner county competitive games. BCPS will allow one spectator per athlete during competitions. Information on how spectators can get a ticket can be found through each school's athletic office.
Finished with Hearings in the House.
Now on to the Senate
I had my last two hearings in the House, presenting HB 1181 - The Nonvisual Access Accountability Act, and HB 717 - The Ending the Digital Divide Act.
More Unemployment System Reforms
Coming
Over 1,300 of our contacts with constituents over the past year have been about troubles with unemployment. While I am happy to assist you, this week I was overjoyed to vote for much-needed unemployment reforms. This package of reforms will immediately modernize the UI system to ensure Marylanders get the money they deserve, improve customer service, create more accountability, and develop planning in case of another emergency.
Maryland Passes Sports Betting
and 42B Cashes In!
Marylanders voted to allow sports betting and this week we made it happen! The passage of HB 940 helps to fund our schools and will be a continuing source of funds for improving OUR MARYLAND STATE FAIR!
We've Been Busy Passing Many Great Bills!
While unemployment reform and sports betting are high-profile bills the Maryland House of Delegates has passed many great "under-the-radar" bills this session.

HB 2 - Maryland Environmental Service Reform Act of 2021

You may remember back in August the Governor hired the MES secretary as his Chief of Staff and he received a severance package from his previous department. I received a significant number of emails concerned about this. This bill came out of a study of the department and addresses the institutional failures that were discovered. The abuse of power and misuse of state money at the Maryland Environmental Services agency cannot continue in this Administration or in future Administrations.

HB 30 - Office of People's Counsel Environmental Reform Act

Environmental impact and climate change will now be considered and will be a part of the conversation when energy and utility regulations are made with the passage of this bill.
HB 123 - Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021

One good thing to come out of 2020 was the increased access to healthcare through telehealth. This bill expands telehealth for counseling and treatment for other disorders and conditions but also prohibits providers from requiring telehealth usage in lieu of in-person services.
HB 314 - Plastic Bag Reduction Act

Nearly three-quarters of those who responded to my poll a few weeks ago supported the ban of plastic bags. I have also received more emails on this bill than any other. This bill prohibits retail businesses from offering "single-use plastic carryout bags". These bags are generally not recyclable and end up in landfills and waterways.
HB 860 - State Planning - Preservation of Agricultural Land - Goal

This bill sets a goal of preserving over 1 million acres of productive agricultural land by 2030 through a variety of state and local land preservation programs.
Additionally, HB 249 - License to Produce Hemp - Limitation has been rejected. This bill would have placed significant and overbearing limitations on farmers who grow industrial hemp on their property.
Interesting in Becoming a Teacher?
Apply for a Scholarship Loan
BCPS students can apply for a loan scholarship worth up to $4,000 per year for up to four years. This award may be used for tuition, fees, books, or educational supplies. After earning a degree from an approved Maryland teacher education program, BCPS students will return to BCPS as teachers. The application and fact sheet about the program can be found online. The application deadline is Friday, March 19. You can find out more information on the program fact sheet or by contacting Carla Simons at csimons@bcps.org.
Get Ready to Submit Your Entries for the
BCPS Film Expo and Poster Contest
Beginning on March 15, you may submit entries for the BCPS poster design and film competitions. You can find out more information on the BCPS Film Expo webpage.