Dear Friends,

The 442nd Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly began yesterday. I am proud to serve in the Maryland Senate representing the residents of District 11. The ongoing public health crisis ensures that this session will be unlike any other. The Senate floor is divided by plexiglass shields. The usual hustle and bustle of my office, chatting with colleagues and constituents on my way to and from caucus and committee meetings, will be replaced by zoom.

Despite the added safety protocols and limitations on in person activity in Annapolis, it's never been easier to keep up with the work of your state lawmakers through the MGA website. Set-up email notifications for bills you want to follow in the MyMGA Bill Tracker and these video tutorials will help you navigate to the information you need - from tuning into floor proceedings and committee meetings to reading bill text. As always, District 11 residents are encouraged to reach out to me and my staff with any questions or concerns.  And, we'll definitely have virtual "Shelly @ the Deli" events throughout session where constituents will have the opportunity to talk with me about any issue.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. Stay safe & healthy,
Shelly's Signature
Much of our work this session will be focused on addressing and relieving the suffering caused by the coronavirus. Among the pressing needs of Marylanders are: addressing unemployment insurance issues, expanding access to telehealth, ensuring access to broadband, helping the thousands of small businesses that are reeling, and aiding renters that are behind on their payments because they've lost their jobs. Of course, there are others.

We'll also be spending time on police reform, brought especially to light this summer with the tragic killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and others, resulting in nationwide community protests. Finally, this pandemic has exposed other inequities that have resulted in so many deaths in the Black and Latinx communities. The Senate President Advisory Committee on Equity and Inclusion recently issued a report that outlines priorities for making our society more equitable. http://www.mgaleg.maryland.gov/pubs-current/SenatePresidentAdvisoryWorkgrouponEquityandInclusion.pdf
In the next few newsletters, we'll provide you with information about my legislative agenda. This year, I'm introducing more than 20 bills on a variety of important issues. We were asked to submit bills early so that we could hit the ground running when session began. These are a few of the bills I've pre-filed:

Establishes a right to counsel in evictions and other landlord/tenant disputes and provides individuals with legal representation, resources and education

Expands the definition of protected categories under the hate crimes statute to include gender identity, gender expression, and age as well as requires a formal curriculum to be developed for offenders to complete
Establishes the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Health as an independent unit of the state to ensure that there is transparency and accountability for the nearly one third of our budget that is overseen by the Department of Health.
Strengthens existing environmental requirements for state funded green building projects
Creates a pilot program of Overdose Prevention Sites only in communities that desire them and work with local community based organizations
Requires a person 85 years or older to appear in person to renew a driver’s license
Establishes the right to counsel in immigration proceedings for individuals who are being held in detention
Requires jurisdictions to provide a comprehensive report of employment discrimination complaints to the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights
Alters the statute of limitations and allows retroactive application, for a defined period of time, for those who were previously barred by current law in certain civil action related to child sexual abuse
SLAPP suits are used to intimidate and quash free speech. This bill updates and clarifies the current SLAPP statute to extend speech beyond just those before government entities and assists defendants by eliminating certain requirements
Enhances liability protections for our frontline health care workers for a defined period of time, during a public health emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic
Removes an action that criminalizes poverty by requiring the state or local jurisdiction to assume the cost of pretrial home monitoring for certain individuals - Baltimore Co. just did this!
Enables Baltimore County librarians and other library workers to form a union and participate in collective bargaining to advocate for better working conditions. You can read about this bill in a recent article in The Baltimore Sun.
COVID -19 Vaccine Update
There are understandably many questions concerning the COVID-19 vaccine and timelines. Rest assured we continue to press for a more efficient and effective distribution process. The Governor will have an update today at 5pm and the District 11 team will be hosting a town hall-details will be forthcoming. You can also get the latest update on Maryland's vaccine rollout by visiting the MDH website .
Update on Testing for COVID-19
As our rates of the Coronavirus infection continue to climb, please take precautions to protect yourself and our community by following all recommended guidelines.

  • Wear a mask
  • Stay at least 6ft. apart
  • Wash hands frequently

Baltimore County testing sites can be found HERE.
Contact Card- Final