A New Legislative Session with New Possibilities

The Maryland General Assembly begins the 441st Legislative Session on the second Wednesday in January.  During the 90-day session, 188 elected officials will consider almost 3,000 bills. The 2020 session is expected to be dominated by discussion of the Kirwan Commission’s recommendation for Education Excellence and the spending formula that accompanies it.  
The 2020 session will also feature new leadership in both chambers. Del. Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) was elected Speaker of the House in April. Sen. Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) is expected to be formally elected President of the Senate on January 8th.  Both have a history of consensus building within their party.  
Choptank Electric Cooperative will monitor all of the bills introduced to identify those that may have an impact on the service we provide to our co-op members.  Our goal continues to be affordable, reliable service to the membership. In that vein, we will also pursue our Broadband Initiative with legislation to streamline regulatory hurdles so we can move forward.  
Our first-lines of offense and defense will be the Eastern Shore Delegation. These 16 legislators who caucus every Friday morning during session to protect the interest of the Eastern Shore are worth getting to know. They divide up to sit on every committee in the House and Senate and they hold leadership positions. They rely on each other, and on their constituents, to know what is important for our region.
Members can visit the Maryland General Assembly website to view additional information, including contact information, for their local representatives at http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/.