I am here in Annapolis and ready for the historic vote! I paused for a moment to admire the statehouse and think about its long history, and about the last Speaker, Michael E. Busch, who gracefully led the House for 16 years. BTW, the smoke is not a signal (like w the Pope) that a decision has been made. For those struggling to understand the intensity of the debate to choose the next Speaker of the House, I think of an historical photo that hangs in the House of Delegates’ o

I ran into a man I did not know, but who recognized me in the elevator yesterday who asked me, “what do you think of Annapolis after your first session?". After I told him, he said, “people need to hear that”. He inspired this post. It was a great experience to be a legislator in Annapolis. Not knowing what to expect I was, overall, very impressed with the process and system of passing legislation. The legislators from across the state bring varied relevant and rich experienc

Introduction Much progress was made during the 2019 General Assembly Regular Session. This newsletter is a brief summary of legislation affecting District 9B, as well as a recap of selected statewide bills. Please contact my office with questions about any of the more than 2000 bills that were introduced and the more than 800 bills that were passed this session. A Note About Our Speaker The 2019 Legislative Session ended on a sad note Monday, April 8th with the passing the p

April 8, 2019 Phil Davis and Erin B. Logan Contact Reporter The Baltimore Sun Howard County officials are touting millions of dollars in state money directed toward cleanup efforts in Ellicott City, which suffered substantial damage to its downtown area after two major floods in two years. A funding bill that Del. Courtney Watson cross-filed alongside state Sen. Katie Fry Hester would bring sustained funding to mitigation efforts in historic Ellicott City. The House and Senat

On this final day of the session - called Sine Die - I am thrilled to announce that Comprehensive Flood Management Grant Program – Awards for Flood Damage and Mandatory Funding (HB428/SB269) has passed! What does this mean for Howard County? HB428/SB269 places a minimum of $8 million from the state in the Flood Mitigation Grant fund between fiscal years 2021 – 2023. In addition, $3.4 million has been awarded to Ellicott City in the FY 2020 state capital budget making it avail

On the last day of the legislative session, there are heavy hearts in the State House as we complete the work for the year. I appreciate and am grateful for Speaker Busch’s impact on the citizens of Maryland. The Honorable Speaker Mike Busch I thought often throughout the last 90 days, my first legislative session, how lucky I was to serve in the House of Delegates with Mike Busch as Speaker. I learned so much watching him lead the House through debates, always in command, an

HB1409 giving the County Council the ability to set the builder impact fees used for schools has passed the House of Delegates. Next step: State Senate. #ThisWeekinAnnapolis #hocomd #mdga19 #working4md

Crossover Complete Crossover week was busy with multiple voting sessions per day in order to move as many bills as possible from the House to the Senate by the deadline of Monday March 18th. As long as bills are sent to the Senate before that deadline, they are guaranteed a hearing before the appropriate subcommittee in the Senate and a chance to be passed by the full Senate. The MD General Assembly has passed some bills in both the House and the Senate and have sent those

Happy Maryland Day! Our state turns 385 today. Here are some upcoming Maryland Day celebrations and events: http://ow.ly/3YPD30obmS4 #Maryland #mdga19 #HowardCounty #working4md

It’s Down Syndrome Awareness Day in Annapolis. I met some wonderful advocates earlier and am grateful for all those who support people with Down’s. #mdga2019 #working4you #working4md #mdga19