Dear Friends,

Monday marks the 50th day of the 2024 legislative session and with 26 bill hearings and hundreds of people testifying, there has been no shortage of work to be done. The Finance Committee has been assigned 300 bills. It's been a busy week, but we're committed to ensuring that every bill is given the attention it deserves.

This week, four of the bills I’m sponsoring have had hearings.

• SB0441 - Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program - Nancy Grasmick Public School Professional Award - School Nurses expands the program eligibility to include school nurses. It is hoped that providing this benefit to school nurses will boost the number of school nurses available to care for our students, currently the local school systems do not even have one nurse per school. The hearing from the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee can be viewed here.
• SB0442 Street Racing and Exhibition Driving - Prohibited Acts, Enforcement, and Penalties will prohibit exhibition driving on our highways and private roads; it includes certain penalties associated with exhibition/street racing. This kind of behavior recklessly and puts lives at risk. The hearing from the Judicial Proceedings Committee can be viewed here.
• SB0702 Income Tax - Biotechnology Investment Incentive Tax Credit Program - Pass-Through Entities seeks to align Maryland with the venture capital industry standards by collecting the tax credit at the entity level. The hearing from the Budget & Taxation Committee can be viewed here.

• SB0614 Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance - Coverage for Orthoses and Prostheses which expands coverage for Marylanders who are in need of an additional prosthetic to engage in physical activity and exercise. I had the honor of being joined by an amazing panel of athletes to testify on SB 614. This legislation is a crucial step towards ensuring equity for all, and the panel's message on the importance of this component was truly inspiring. Thank you to Sheryl Sachs, John-Edward Heath, and the rest of the panel for their valuable contributions!  The hearing from the Finance Committee can be viewed here.

As always, you can view all of the legislation that we are working on the General Assembly website.

Chairman Reception

It was an honor to attend the reception hosted by Governor Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller at the Government House on Monday for the Chairman of Senate and House Committees.

Maryland Library Association Breakfast

On Tuesday, I had a wonderful time attending the Maryland Library Association’s Legislative Day Breakfast Reception. The event was a great opportunity for librarians, stakeholders, and legislators to come together and discuss the importance of libraries in our communities.

MGA Pages

I had the pleasure of meeting Annabella McKernan, a talented student page from District 32. She attends Archibold Spalding High School, where she is an editor for the student newspaper, The Spalding Spirit.

The MGA Page Program is a great experience for students who are interested in careers in government. Although the deadline for the 2024 session has passed, I highly recommend checking out the program for future sessions. If you are interested in becoming a page for the next session, you can learn more about the Page Program by clicking here.

Visits this Week

My office had a busy and productive week meeting with several advocates and representatives from various organizations. Thank you to the Alzheimer's Association, Council of State Government-East, Aerospace Alliance, Nurse Practitioner's Association, and Occupational Therapists for taking the time to share their legislative priorities!

Senate Office Schedule

My office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm during the session to schedule appointments and provide constituent service.  We are scheduling virtual and in-person appointments with myself or staff. You can schedule by calling or emailing the office at pamela.beidle@senate.state.md.us or 410-841-3593. We are always happy to assist you.

I enjoy hearing all my constituent's thoughts and concerns. Please continue to stay in touch with me. I encourage everyone to be involved in government and have their voice heard.

Thank you to all of District 32 for allowing me to serve as your State Senator.

Sincerly,

Pamela Beidle

Senator, District 32, Maryland General Assembly