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2021 Legislative Session
In 2021, working with my fellow Delegation members, in coordination with the Governor’s Office, I helped to secure over $10 million in funding for the district, including restoring the "Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT)" program for the City of Annapolis. This $760,500 program supports services that the City provides to State buildings, including police, fire, first responder, and snow removal. Additional funds will be used for capital projects for numerous different community organizations, including:
In my first year, I helped to secure
the following:
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Local Parks and Playgrounds ($9,000,000)
for Anne Arundel County and ($1,000,000)
for the City of Annapolis
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St. John's College Renovations ($5,000,000)
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City Dock Stormwater & Flood Mitigation ($1,400,000)
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Historic Annapolis ($1,000,000)
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Stanton Community Center ($500,000)
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Anne Arundel Medical Center ($336,000)
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Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating
(CRAB) ( $325,000)
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Undergrounding of utilities ($250,000)
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Brewer Hill Cemetery ($100,000)
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Banneker-Douglass Museum ($75,000 )
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Peerless Rens Club ($70,000)
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PAL Park Athletic League ($45,000)
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Chesapeake Children’s Museum ($25,000)
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Chesapeake Conservancy Community
Garden of Edgewater ($10,000)
Violence Intervention
I joined many of my colleagues in overriding a number of vetoed bills that aim to address public safety, including;
● SB 708 which would bolster the Maryland Violence Intervention and Prevention Program,
● SB 907 which creates a statewide crime plan
● SB 929 which increases coordination between State and local agencies.
Additionally, we passed SB 800, the Inmate Training and Job Act of 2021, which expands educational and vocational training opportunities for individuals re-entering society to minimize recidivism.
Voting Rights
Protecting voteing rights is a priority to me, not only as a voter but as a member of the Election Law subcommittee. I was proud to support several bills that protect and expand voter access including;
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SB 683, which will create a permanent absentee ballot list to make it easier to vote by mail. This incredibly secure but easy way of voting will help simplify the voting process.
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HB 745 which expands the number of Early Vote sites in almost every jurisdiction.
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HB 206 expands the hours of operation for early voting sites to match the hours of operation of election day sites to increase voter access and cut back on any confusion.
Education Reform
As a member of the House Education Subcommittee, and as a mother myself, making sure our students have access to the resources they need to succeed is one of my top priorities. I was a proud supporter of overriding the veto of HB 1300, known as “the Blueprint” for Maryland's future. The Blueprint will revolutionize Maryland’s education system. The plan expands pre-kindergarten access, prioritizes hiring practices to attract and retain the most qualified teachers, and dedicates resources to help more Maryland students become college and career-ready. The bill also addresses inequities in schools through reworking our current funding formula. These students often rely on their schools not only for education but for essential mental and physical healthcare services, which would be expanded under the Blueprint.
HB 1372, the "Blueprint 2.0" will build upon the original legislation to address pandemic-related learning loss and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed. I was proud to support this bill as it came through my committee and voted yes on the House floor. The majority of our students had switched to remote learning due to the pandemic causing learning loss, often referred to as the “COVID Slide.” This has been especially impactful for students from lower-income families with limited access to high-quality internet.
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