Friends & Neighbors-
September was full of advocacy, travel, and milestones – and the rest of the fall will be full of legislative hearings and events around the district!
Earlier this month I was excited to announce that the Speaker has appointed me to a leadership position on the Environment & Transportation Committee! After Delegate Steve Lafferty, a longtime Baltimore County Delegate, retired to work for County Executive Olszewski, there was room for a new Subcommittee Chair – and Speaker Jones asked me to fill it. I am excited for my new role in leading the Committee and championing bills related to the environment, environmental justice, transportation, housing, land use, ethics, and more! I will also continue in my other joint committee roles and continue as the Education Subcommittee Chair for the Baltimore City Delegation.
Today is October 1 – and that means new laws go into effect! In Maryland, most of the laws we pass go into effect on October 1 every year. Although the statewide styrofoam ban I championed this year does not go into effect until July 1, 2020, many other important laws do go into effect today, including the Maryland Bumpstock Ban and Same Day Voter Registration. Check out more of the bills going into effect here.
One bill that will not be going into effect is HB 1281 – the Bikeways Funding bill that I passed last year to ensure that the state continues (like every other state in the country) to provide help to local jurisdictions to fund bike and pedestrian projects. Unfortunately, Governor Hogan vetoed that bill. It’s my hope that we will override that veto early next year!
It’s only because of your generosity and support that I am here to do this work – if you’d like to support me, you can contribute online here. Thank you!
Although we are not in session this fall, my weeks are full of hearings and meetings to prepare for session and keep up with the work of our state government! I am on several Joint Committees that meet throughout the interim including:
The Joint Oversight Committee on Pensions: Every year we have a series of hearings on pension legislation that is needed. This year, we will also have a review of SB 946 from 2019, the bill addressing prescription drug benefits for state retirees. I look forward to hearing more about what the Administration is doing to carry out this program – so far, the information has been confusing and inadequate.
Upcoming hearing dates:
- Tuesday, October 29th (2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.),
- Wednesday, November 20th (2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.)
- Wednesday, December 4th (2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.)
The Joint Committee to End Homelessness: Our first hearing addressed topics including on a range of issues, including a presentation from Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, who addressed the idea of zero-interest mortgages to help additional families achieve home ownership.
Upcoming hearing dates:
- Tuesday, October 15th (10:00 a.m.)
- Wednesday, October 30th (1:00 p.m.)
The Joint Committee on Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Areas: At our briefing this fall, we received a general overview of the Critical Areas Program, presented by the Commission for the Chesapeake Bay, including a discussion of how we balance efforts to expand solar panels while protecting the Chesapeake’s critical areas.
Mobility Hearing: I will also be participating in a hearing on MTA’s MobilityLink Service. After constituents complained to my office about the worsening service provided by MTA MobilityLink, I worked with the Appropriations Committee Chair to organize a hearing on the service. The hearing will take place in Annapolis on November 13 at 1:00 p.m.
Baltimore City Delegation: I chair the Education Subcommittee of our City Delegation and we will be holding an information session about the Education Blueprint for Maryland (legislation based on the Kirwan Commission) in November. I’ll post more information when we have it on my Facebook page!
Come meet Speaker Adrienne A. Jones & Democratic Party Chair Maya Rockeymoore Cummings!
Join me at my annual Women’s Breakfast! Every year I host a Women’s Breakfast at a great woman-owned restaurant in District 46. Generally we have over 100 women from all over Baltimore (and Central Maryland!) join or support this event to bring women together to hear from and learn from other women. I hope you will join me this year – or support the event if you can’t make it!
You can RSVP here
September was full of visits with advocacy groups, non-profit organizations, and meetings with Baltimoreans. I joined hundreds of city students to take part in the worldwide climate strike day. I was so inspired by the passion, focus and determination shown by these young people, and was proud to let them know that they are leaders in this movement. We must act on climate change now, and these young students are ready to help lead the charge.
Earlier this month, I was honored to be a part of an Enoch Pratt Panel Discussion about being a woman in public office. I was joined by Councilwoman Shannon Sneed, Councilwoman Danielle McCray, Delegate Stephanie Smith and Kate Black, the author of Represent: The Woman’s Guide to Running for Office & and Changing the World. You can check out the full podcast of our discussion by clicking here.
In South Baltimore, I convened a meeting with MTA representatives and Brooklyn and Curtis Bay residents to discuss modifications to bus routes so residents can access a senior center and grocery store more easily. Adequate funding for transit matters: we may need additional busses and drivers to make this route work and when the Governor cuts MTA’s budget, real people – and businesses – lose out. Last Friday, I joined other City Delegates, Senators, and Councilmembers to attend the MDOT “Road Show” – the visit when Secretary Pete Rahn and the MDOT Agency heads come discuss the latest six-year capital budget with CIty officials. You can read here about how that went…
Other great visits include a visit to the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (amazing research!), the Junior League of Baltimore, the Greater Baltimore Committee Transportation Committee, a meeting with workers at Spring Grove Hospital, and a meeting with ROCA to learn more about its work with young men in Baltimore. See a few photos from these events below. If you’d like me to visit with you or an organization you know, just reach out to schedule it!
s always, I am here to serve the residents of District 46! If there is something that my legislative director, Dani DiPietro, or I can do to help, please email me at brooke.lierman@house.state.md.us. If you’d like me to attend your neighborhood meeting or any other event, please send us the information so we can add it to the calendar!
Keep in touch!
My best,
Brooke
PS: Keep an eye on my Facebook page or check out my website for two Breakfast with Brooke events this fall – one at Broadway Market and one at Cross Street Market.
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