Dear Friends,

We recently passed the halfway mark for the 90 day legislative session and we are in the thick of committee work. Floor sessions are becoming longer as more bills are reported out of committee for our consideration, but we’ve been warned that many worthy bills may not make it out of the body before “crossover,” the date by which a bill is guaranteed to be considered by the other house. It definitely feels like the legislative process is a bit slower this year, and I’m guessing that is because it’s the first year of the term. Having said that, we’re making a concerted effort to address the importance of mental health services that continue to reverberate through the community, especially post-COVID, and some legislation focused on mental health that we’ve highlighted below has already been approved by the Senate.

The budget process is well underway and in the coming weeks we’ll be making tough decisions about spending. I’m really enjoying being on the Budget & Taxation Committee and learning about our complex health care and human services systems.

It’s wonderful to meet with the many groups of constituents who are visiting Annapolis, many of whom are lobbying on bills of interest. Our snapshots below reflect just some of the groups who are visiting. For more real-time updates, be sure to follow me on Twitter @shellyhettleman, Facebook or Instagram.

We’re going to have our 3rd Shelly@thedeli this coming Monday, March 6th, joined by Dels. Cardin and Stein and are moving East in the district to Stone Mill Bakery for discussions about what’s happening this session. Please join us for our gathering! You can register here: https://forms.gle/eEJqwteKD8eFBaG88

Wishing a wonderful Purim this week to all who celebrate!

Stay safe & healthy,

Full newsletter: https://conta.cc/3IMdniQ