Maryland House of Delegates District 43B

A: As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am well-versed on the state budget. Each session brings new challenges that we solve as we are required by Maryland’s constitution to pass a balanced budget. We are always faced with balancing a number of competing and deserving interests. In recent years, we have made substantial cuts, we have limited new spending, and, as a last resort, have raised revenues and fees. We will continue to review the budget to ensure that our public safety, transportation, educational system and infrastructure are properly maintained and funded.

A:

• Affordability, as costs for everything - groceries, energy, gasoline, housing - have increased.
• Healthcare - Ensuring that all people have access to affordable healthcare.
• Education - Improving and maintaining our educational systems from early childhood, K-12, higher education, and libraries.

A: I have supported legislation that includes tax relief for seniors, utility relief for all ratepayers, and a number of provisions that will ensure fairness to consumers like the ban on surge pricing. I will continue to look for and champion legislation that provides relief for working families and the most vulnerable in our community.

A: I have supported the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future as it was designed to improve the quality of education for all children in Maryland, especially those who have been historically underserved. In the first years of implementation, we have seen remarkable gains in student literacy, and the number of children able to access high-quality pre-kindergarten programs has increased by 70%. The Blueprint was conceived after the Kirwan Commission studied the best ways to improve education, as we had a large percentage of our students in Maryland graduating not prepared for college or with career options. The Blueprint makes strategic investments in things proven to work - early childhood education, high-quality teachers, ensuring students are college or career ready upon graduation with an emphasis on technical training, and providing more resources for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We have in past legislative sessions reviewed the Blueprint and made changes to ensure that the efforts are producing results. As the costs in the next few years are expected to exceed the Blueprint funding, we will work to ensure the integrity of the program is maintained, while being cognizant of the affordability issues our constituents are facing.

A: I would like constituents to review my job performance by my availability to the community, my responsiveness to constituent concerns, and my ability to collaborate to solve problems and pass legislation.