Maryland General Assembly: The 2012 Legislative Session

Later today, the annual legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly will begin in Annapolis. For the next 90 days, 47 Senators and 141 Delegates will discuss and debate a range of issues of importance to the residents of our state.  Once again, I will have the honor to represent the people of the 18th District in the State Senate. The 18th District includes Chevy Chase, Kensington, Wheaton and parts of East Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring. Joining me in representing these communities are Delegates Al Carr, Ana Sol Gutiérrez and Jeff Waldstreicher. 

As with recent legislative sessions, the state budget will once again be the dominant issue.  By the time we finish in early April, we will need to close a billion dollar deficit and balance the state budget as mandated by the state constitution.  Other topics to be considered include job creation, education funding, transportation improvements, environmental protection, marriage equality and legislative redistricting.

As a member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and chairman of its Education, Business and Administration Subcommittee, I will have the opportunity to craft many of the policies we develop to address these issues. 

Your participation in this process is critical to our efforts. Your opinion is valued, and I encourage you to stay connected with my office during the legislative session. This new blog is one way that I will try to keep residents informed of our work.  

To submit personal comments or inquire about legislation, please feel free to contact me at 301-858-3137 or email me at Richard.Madaleno@senate.state.md.us any time during the session. For additional information concerning specific legislation, briefings and reports, I encourage you to visit the official Maryland General Assembly website. Here, current and past legislative action is provided in detail, complete with bill texts, fiscal notes, amendments and votes. Floor debates and committee hearings can also be listened to live on this site. 

While not all residents participate in the legislative process, all are eligible to and are equally affected by the laws passed by the state legislature. I encourage you to ensure your voice is heard — write an email, call in, join a listserv — and help us move Maryland forward. As always, your District 18 Delegation will be there to assist you in this process and represent the local priorities of our community. 

I hope to use this space over the course of the session to keep you up-to-date about developments in Annapolis and ways that you can participate in the decision making process.