On Wednesday, January 11, the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates convened for their 90-day session with all lawmakers duly sworn in for their four-year terms. Bill Ferguson (D-46) was unanimously re-elected Senate President and Adrienne Jones (D-10) was unanimously re-elected Speaker of the House of Delegates.
Executive Branch officials, all of whom are Maryland “firsts,” are in the process of being installed, including:
January 3rd – Our first African American Attorney General, Anthony Brown,
January 16th – Our first female Comptroller Brooke Lierman
January 18th – Our first African American Governor, Wes Moore
January 18th – Our first Indian American Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller
Despite this being the first session of a new Legislature, over two hundred bills were “pre-filed” and introduced on the first day of the session. For a list of bills introduced that are UULM-MD priorities, see our table entitled Current Status of Priority Legislation. This list will be updated daily throughout the session, so keep checking back as needed.
As lawmaking becomes more “normal” after the Covid-19 pandemic, and Committee hearings are resuming in-person, the House and Senate are still retaining the ability for the public to participate in bill hearings via Zoom. The numbers will be limited, however, and advance registration will be necessary. For help with providing in-person, remote and/or written testimony, please contact our able Coordinator, Ashley Egan at info@uulmmd.org. More information about the requirements can be accessed for the Senate and the House.
The Coming Week
Next week will be a busy one, as UULM-MD hosts two major events:
Monday, January 16th – On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – our YoUUth LegiCon at the UU Church of Annapolis (UUCA), inviting high and middle schoolers to decide what issues matter to them and help them make an impact on public policy
Saturday, January 21st – Our 17th Annual Legislative Kickoff – 9:00 am – 12:30 pm at the UUCA and online
While the first days of the session are generally filled with briefings (especially for new members), some committees will also hold their first bill hearings, starting on Thursday, January 19 in the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. See our TeamUp Calendar.
Join us in making 2023 a successful session!
