Changes in Annapolis

These days are incredibly busy as we head into the holidays and prepare for the legislative session beginning on January 14th. We are knee-deep in drafting our bills, attending site visits, meeting with constituents, and engaging with agencies and community leaders.

We will be gathering in Annapolis next Tuesday, December 16th, for a special session. As you may have heard, Baltimore County’s Speaker Adrienne Jones has stepped down from her position and plans to return as a member of the District 10 delegation. Speaker Emerita Jones made history during her six years of service as the first Black and first female Speaker and leaves behind an accomplished legislative record focused on education, equity, and fairness. The House caucus is expected to select Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk, an excellent legislator from Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties, as the next Speaker. Because the special session includes swearing in the new Speaker, the legislature must also take up potential veto overrides—requiring the Senate to convene as well.

There have been changes in the Senate, too, and I’m pleased to share that I have been named Chair of the Subcommittee on Public Safety, Transportation, and the Environment within the Budget and Taxation Committee. I look forward to working with my colleagues to oversee the budgets of the agencies responsible for these critical areas. I also hope to continue serving as Chair of the Baltimore County Senate Delegation, Co-Chair of the Joint Audit and Evaluation Committee, and Co-Chair of the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus.

We’ll likely send a brief update after the special session and next week’s Spending Affordability meeting, which will report our latest revenue projections and help guide the upcoming budget process. In the meantime, please take a look at the updates below.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can assist you in any way. And to those who celebrate—best wishes for a light-filled Hanukkah next week!

Sincerely,