Feb. 26, 2021
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
Police Reform
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Feb. 19, 2021
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.
February 12, 2021
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.
Police Reform
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)
District 8 | District 12 |
Carl Jackson | Eric Ebersole |
Harry Bhandari | Jessica Feldmark |
District 10 | Terri Hill |
Benjamin Brooks | District 42A |
Jay Jalisi | Catherine Forbes |
District 11 | District 42 B |
Dana Stein | Michelle Guyton |
Lisa Belcastro | Nino Mangione |
Jon Cardin | Pat Young |
To learn more about the reforms to policing that LWVBCO and LWVMD are supporting, read our Issue Paper.
January 29, 2021
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
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.
2021 Action Alerts
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Get updates on proposals, votes, hearings, decisions, and updates during the 2021 legislative session.
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2021 Priorities