Going into the Maryland General Assembly’s 442nd Legislative Session, it was clear to all of us that the stakes had rarely been higher to respond to the compounding crises facing our State.
Responding urgently to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had to be our top priority as the public health and economic consequences have devastated every aspect of our society. Longstanding disparities in health outcomes, employment and opportunity, and educational achievement have been drastically exacerbated over the last year. Our health and economic responses are intrinsically linked and a safer State means a healthier and more sustainable economy as we begin to collectively recover.
At the same time, like the rest of the nation, Maryland is in the midst of a public reckoning to reimagine policing to restore trust, transparency, and accountability between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. Meeting this moment meant passing historic and comprehensive police reform, but doing it thoughtfully so public safety is strengthened as coordination between residents and police increases.
I am extraordinarily proud of what the General Assembly achieved in our 90-day Legislative Session. We provided immediate financial support to our most vulnerable residents, improved Maryland’s vaccine rollout, passed a generational police reform package, provided funding to reverse COVID-19 learning loss, and passed a budget that will create good jobs and get Marylanders back to work.
Thank you to the residents of Maryland's 46th Legislative District for your ongoing trust in allowing me to represent you in the Senate of Maryland, and my colleagues for electing me President of the Maryland Senate for a second year. We accomplished some monumental things together.
