Montgomery County leaders were the center of attention at opening day of the Maryland General Assembly’s 446th legislative session at the Maryland State House in Annapolis on Wednesday afternoon.
“There’s going to be a lot of challenges this session, but I’m really excited to get back to work for our Maryland families,” Del. Joe Vogel (D-Dist. 17) told MoCo360 in the General Assembly lobby as legislators milled around after the House of Delegates adjourned.
Montgomery County has nine legislative districts, with 26 delegates and nine senators. The session runs for 90 days, adjourning on April 8.
In a 41-minute meeting Wednesday, the House elected and appointed leaders and confirmed rules of order for the coming session.
Del. Marc Korman (D-Dist. 16) received a standing ovation from several members of the House of Delegates when he was formally announced as the chair of the House Transportation and Environment Committee. Korman was one of several Montgomery County delegates who was officially assigned a new leadership position Wednesday. He represents the Bethesda and Rockville area.
The new role is considered a move up for Korman, who was previously House Majority Leader. Committee chairmanships are considered higher leadership positions in Annapolis than most leadership posts, except for House speaker and Senate president.
The role of House Majority Leader will remain with a Montgomery County delegate, as Del. David Moon (D-Dist. 20), who represents Silver Spring and Takoma Park, will take the helm. Moon will lead the debate for the Democratic Party on the House floor.
Montgomery County leaders rounded out several other positions in the House of Delegates:
- Del. Jared Solomon (D-Dist. 18), appointed deputy speaker pro-tem
- Del. Emily Shetty (D-Dist. 18), appointed chair of the House Democratic Caucus
- Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-Dist. 17) and Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-Dist. 19), appointed deputy majority whips
- Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Dist. 19), appointed vice chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee
- Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D-Dist. 20), appointed vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee.
“Every session is consequential, but this one is special because we have particular challenges with budget cuts,” Wilkins told MoCo360.
A $761 million budget shortfall is projected, and Gov. Wes Moore (D) must introduce his budget bill by Jan. 17. Cuts to the Maryland Department of Transportation budget already have lawmakers reeling.
Wilkins said she’ll be uplifting the priorities of the Legislative Black Caucus, which she chairs. She said the list of priorities will be formally released Thursday and will broadly include housing, health, wealth, public safety and education.
Solomon voiced the same concerns about potential budget cuts.
“We have to make sure what we prioritize in the budget the things that are most important, including housing, investing education, and helping working families,” Solomon told MoCo360.
County Executive Marc Elrich (D) attended Wednesday’s opening ceremonies. He told MoCo360 that he enjoys working with the current legislature and Moore because “the stuff we value [in Montgomery County]” aligns with what state lawmakers are working on. He said it’s a “world of difference” from when former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) was in office.
The Maryland General Assembly will reconvene Thursday to start taking up legislation.
