This past week LWVMD advocacy teams have been busy tracking and drafting testimony.  Below are the bills for which we have submitted written testimony.  Click on the links and they will take you to our written testimony.  

House Bills:  

HB 339 Legislative Districts – Standards

HB 410 Congressional Districts – Standards (Anti-Gerrymandering of Maryland’s Congressional Districts), as amended 28 Jan 2021

HB 1048 Election Law – Permanent Absentee Ballot List

HB 1047 Mail-In Voting Enhancement Act

HB 75 Election Law – Circuit Court Judges – Nonpartisan Elections

HB 447 Judges – Selection, Election, Tenure and Continuance in Office

HB 35 Circuit Court Judges - Election

Senate Bills:

SB 449 Public Information Act – Revisions (Equitable Access to Records Act)

SB 843 I-495 and I-270 Public-Private Partnership – Partnership Agreement – Requirements (Maryland State Department of Transportation Promises Act of 2021)

SB 611 Individual Income Tax – Rates and Rate Brackets - Alterations

Want to see what LWVMD has advocated for in the past?  Check out our testimony page.  We will be updating this weekly during the 2021 session!  

We look forward to keeping you in the loop about what's happening in Annapolis this year! Also consider following us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with events, action alerts, and other important information as it happens.

Also don't forget about our virtual Legislative day Tuesday, March 2nd, 9:30am-12:30pm.  To find out more and purchase tickets click here or below.

Register and join us on Legislative Day.  March 2,2021, 9:30-12:30

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This past week our advocacy teams have been busy tracking and drafting testimony.  Below are the bills for which we have submitted written testimony for.  Click on the links and they will take you to our written testimony.  

House Bills:  

HB 955 – Election Law – Absentee Ballot Delivery and Marking

HB 939- Education – Student Education Grant Program - Established

HB 33 - Climate Crisis Education Act of 2021

Senate Bills

SB 361 - Public-Private Partnerships – Process and Oversight

SB 632 - Election Law – Contested Elections

SJ 07 - United States Constitution - Amendments Convention - Democracy
Amendment

Want to see what LWVMD has advocated for in the past?  Check out our testimony page.  We will be updating this weekly during the 2021 session!  

We look forward to keeping you in the loop about what's happening in Annapolis this year! Also consider following us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with events, action alerts, and other important information as it happens.

Also don't forget about our virtual Legislative day Tuesday, March 2nd, 9:30am-12:30pm.  To find out more and purchase tickets click here or below.

Below are the bills for which LWVMD has submitted written testimony for.  Click on the links and they will take you to our written testimony.  

House Bills:  

HB 485 Public-Private Partnerships – Process and Oversight

HB 344 Open Meetings Act - Requirements for State Agencies and Local Boards of Elections (Maryland Transparency Act of 2021)

HB 583 Climate Solutions Act Now

HB 183 Public Information Act – Revisions (Equitable Access to Records Act)

HB 334 Maryland Transit Administration – Conversion to Zero-Emissions Buses (Zero-Emissions Bus Transition Act)

HB 67 I-495 and I-270 Public-Private Partnership – Partnership Agreement – Requirements (Maryland State Department of Transportation Promises Act of 2021)

HB 764 Education - Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today Program - Established and Mandated Funding

Want to see what LWVMD has advocated for in the past?  Check out our testimony page.  We will be updating this weekly during the 2021 session!  

We look forward to keeping you in the loop about what's happening in Annapolis this year! Also consider following us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with events, action alerts, and other important information as it happens.

February 8, 2021

LWVBCO supports police accountability reforms.  On February 9th, the Maryland House Judicial Proceeding Committee will hold hearings on three bills that could dramatically improve police practices in our State. 

HB151 Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights - Repeal and Procedures for Discipline. The Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights (LEOBR) is the state law that governs the process for police discipline in Maryland. It gives special rights to police officers that other state employees do not have, and it prevents communities from investigating misconduct that could lead to discipline. Because of LEOBR, it is very rare for complaints about police conduct to result in consequences.   

HB 139 Law Enforcement Officers - Use of Force. Maryland is one of only nine states without a statewide use of force law. This bill provides a clear definition of lethal and non-lethal force and the circumstances under which they may be used.

HB120 Public Information Act - Personnel Records - Investigations of Law Enforcement Officers (Anton's Law) . This bill would amend Maryland’s Public Information Act (MPIA) which prohibits disclosure of disciplinary files.  This would allow the possibility of investigating how a complaint of police misconduct was handled.

If you are represented by any of the legislators below, call or email their office. Tell them you are a constituent, and you support these bills!

(Click here to find out who represents you. Click on their name for contact info)

To learn more about the reforms to policing that LWVBCO and LWVMD are supporting, read our Issue Paper. 

January 29, 2021This past week our advocacy teams have been busy tracking and drafting testimony.  Below are the bills for which we have submitted written testimony for.  Click on the links and they will take you to our written testimony.  

House Bills:  

HB 75-Election Law – Circuit Court Judges – Nonpartisan Elections

HB 156-Student and Military Voter Empowerment Act

HB 172- Combined Reporting and Subtraction Modification for Combined Groups of Corporations

HB 229- Corporate Income Tax – Throwback Rule

HB 275- Individual Income Tax - Brackets and Rates - Alteration

HB 357- Income Tax - Pass-Through Entity - Additional Tax

Senate Bills:

SB 137- Maryland Transit Administration – Conversion to Zero-Emissions Buses (Zero-Emissions Bus Transition Act)

SB 414-  Climate Solutions Now Act

Want to see what LWVMD has advocated for in the past?  Check out our testimony page.  We will be updating this weekly during the 2021 session!  

We look forward to keeping you in the loop about what's happening in Annapolis this year! Also consider following us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with events, action alerts, and other important information as it happens.

January 22, 2021

The legislative session is in full swing!  These past two weeks our advocacy teams have been busy tracking and drafting testimony.  Below are the bills for which we have submitted written testimony for.  Click on the links and they will take you to our written testimony.  

House Bills:  

HB 265 General Assembly – Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office

HB 222 Value My Vote Act

HB 398 - Time Off for Employee Voting

HB 133 State Finance and Procurement - Appropriation Reductions (Board of Public Works Budget Reduction Clarification Act)

HB 165 – Maryland Estate Tax – Unified Credit

HB0215 - Carried Interest – Additional Tax

HB0201 – Income Tax Rates – Capital Gains Income

Senate Bills:

SB 178 - Public Information Act - Personnel Records - Investigations of Law Enforcement Officers (Anton's Law)

SB 199 Maryland Transit Administration - Funding (Transit Safety and Investment Act)  

Want to see what LWVMD has advocated for in the past?  Check out our testimony page.  We will be updating this weekly during the 2021 session!  

We look forward to keeping you in the loop about what's happening in Annapolis this year! Also consider following us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with events, action alerts, and other important information as it happens.

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Get updates on proposals, votes, hearings, decisions, and updates during the 2021 legislative session.

For brief and more up-to-the minute details, follow @LWVMD on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

2021 Priorities