Read Full Digest Here: March 3rd Digest
This week, nine of our remaining UULM-MD priority bills will be heard in committee, with two more bills scheduled in the following week (one was rescheduled and the other was filed late and only recently assigned to a committee). At this point, we will be directing our efforts to urging committees to bring important bills to a vote and advance them to the floor of their respective chambers. Some of these bills have appeared on committee work sessions or voting lists (without a vote), indicating that some action is expected. However, no further priority bills came out of committee last week, and we need to press lawmakers to vote them to the floor of the House or Senate. So now is the time to speak out for policies you support.
Medical Aid in Dying Featured This Week
The coming week will focus our energies on the passage of the End-of-Life Option Act named in honor of the late Congressman Elijah Cummings and the outstanding former Chair of the House Health and Government Operations (HGO) Committee, Shane Pendergrass. Monday at 2:00 pm, HB 1328 will be heard by the HGO and Judiciary Committees, and was supposed to heard on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., SB 926 will be heard in Senate Judicial Proceedings, but that hearing has been postponed.
On Tuesday, Compassion and Choices will hold its annual Lobby Day beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Governor Calvert House, followed by meetings with lawmakers. Stephen Buckingham, UULM-MD’s Advocacy Lead, will be the opening speaker for the event, along with Rev. Alexa Fraser, Lynn Cave, and UU Annapolis's Membership Coordinator, Laura Schrank.
We Need Your Help!
Committee voting sessions are usually scheduled as the Committee Chair deems them ready, and little public notice is provided. We are constantly scanning the official meeting schedules for voting sessions and monitoring House and Senate sessions for any verbal announcements. While we cannot guarantee advance notice to our readers, we are constantly updating our Upcoming Hearings table with any new information.
Keep an eye out for any alerts from our Issue Leads asking you to contact your lawmakers who sit on specific committees! This is the best time to reach out to your representatives and make an impact on their vote.
For information on specific bills filed, see the Maryland General Assembly website and enter the bill number in the search space.
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