Session Week #2

Session Week #2 The second week of the Maryland General Assembly Legislation Session began on Martin Luther King Day. To honor his memory I joined my colleagues at the Memorial Oak Tree named in his honor that is located on the State House Grounds for the annual wreath laying ceremony. Legislatively, there were two big news items this week. The first was the override attempt of Governor Hogan’s veto of six bills. The House voted to override all six. The Senate voted to override five and the sixth will be voted on at a later date. I was consistent in my original votes on these bills and continued to agree with the Governor by voting against the override attempts. The second was the budget, which was made public on Wednesday. The Governor’s budget is a work of art. It simultaneously addresses our structural deficit, funds education, infrastructure, public safety, the environment, and healthcare, while offering tax breaks to seniors and working families. It also offers tax incentives to manufacturing companies to open or relocate to specific areas of the state that are struggling economically, including the Lower Eastern Shore. Now it is up to the General Assembly to debate the budget and uphold initiatives that will help improve our region, our state, and every Maryland taxpayer. (l-r Wes Hanna, Julie Salvas, Crisfield Councilman Erik Emely, Delegate Charles Otto and Ryan Johnson) Thursday, Governor Hogan held a free event that celebrated the anniversary of his inauguration last year. It was a wonderful evening that took place at the Navy Stadium in Annapolis. Thousands of people came in spite of the preparations for the snow storm that were taking place all over the state. Friday night I was back home and issued a citation to Pamela Hendren, who was retiring after 11 years of service to Maryland children. This weekend my staff and I will continue to read bills that have been submitted to prepare for their upcoming hearings. Next week our session intern, Brittany Finamore, begins on Tuesday. If you call our office in Annapolis this session she might be answering. We’re proud to have a Salisbury University student give us a hand this session. Finally, our Delegate scholarship application will be release the first week of February. If you are a Maryland resident that is or will be attending a Maryland college or university (or you are a Maryland resident going out-of-state for a unique major not found in our state) and would like to apply, email the office and we’ll send the forms as soon as they are released. I want to stress that you do not have to be a high school senior to be eligible for this scholarship. Our office takes pride in extending the scholarships to returning students, graduate students, working adults, and lifelong learners. Below is a link that provides more information about the scholarships. For more information about the Delegate scholarship: http://www.mhec.state.md.us/financialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_delegate.asp For more information on the Martin Luther King, Jr memorial tree located on State House Grounds: http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc5600/sc5604/html/king_memorial.html