“I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.” – Langston Hughes Dear Friends and Neighbors, The Maryland General Assembly just concluded the 446th Legislative Session and I am extremely proud of what we were Read more about We did big things: The 446th Legislative Session[…]
April 14, 2023 “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. – President John F. Kennedy Dear Friend, The Maryland General Assembly recently concluded the 445th Legislative Session and I am extremely proud of what we accomplished to move every Marylander forward. Unlike in years past, this session was particularly successful because the Legislature had Read more about Success: 445th Session of the Maryland General Assembly[…]
March 20, 2023 “The emphasis must be not on the right to abortion but on the right to privacy and reproductive control.” – Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dear Friend, Though the Supreme Court, through its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Whole Women’s Health, removed the egis of constitutional protection for the right to choose, we Read more about I will always fight to protect reproductive health care[…]
November 10, 2022 “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela Dear Friend, Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the Maryland Senate for Read more about Humbled and honored[…]
July 20, 2022 “A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.“ – Frederick Douglass Dear Friend, Thank you for the honor and privilege of representing you in the Maryland Senate for another term. We’ve been through Read more about My sincerest thanks![…]
June 24, 2022 “No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body.” – Margaret Sanger Today, in a long-anticipated decision, the Supreme Court did something it has never done before – it chose to take away a fundamental constitutional right. The Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturned a half-century of precedent and Read more about Protecting Reproductive Rights in Maryland[…]
May 31, 2022 “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it’s an international embarrassment… The idea that we have so many people dying every single day from gun violence in America is a blemish on our character as a nation.” – President Joseph R. Biden (April 8, 2021) Like many of you, I Read more about Guns in Maryland[…]
Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee: Historic Progress 2020-2022 The work of the Maryland General Assembly’s Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee touches the life of every Maryland resident and I believe has the potential to shape their prospects more intimately than any other element of state government. It is a solemn responsibility, and my commitment as chair Read more about Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee: A Record of Historic Progress[…]
April 15, 2022 “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.” – Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut Dear Friend, The Maryland General Assembly recently concluded the 444th Legislative Session and I am extremely proud of what we accomplished to move every Marylander forward. Despite challenges associated with the continued COVID-19 crisis, we Read more about 2022 End of Session Report[…]
April 23, 2021 “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou Dear Friend, This was, in many respects, a historic legislative session. In the midst of a global pandemic and the latest iteration of a generational conversation over racial Read more about 2021 End of Session Report[…]
My first act as Chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee was to arrange for a briefing from the Justice Policy Institute as they had recently published a shocking report which revealed devastating disparities in our criminal justice system. The report found that whereas African Americans make up 32% of Maryland’s population more than 70% of Read more about Reforming Parole in Maryland[…]
“The changes in this package increase accountability and transparency, and in turn can keep someone else from having to lose their life in a police encounter” – LaToya Holley, sister of Anton Black, a Black Maryland teenager who was killed in 2018 after being chased and subdued by police. “Duty to intervene, duty to report, accountability in Read more about Ensuring Accountability, Transparency, and Trust in Policing[…]