E e all right let’s go ahead and call the Senate to order Sergeant arms will please secure the chamber Doors members please take your seats Madame clerk please call the role Mr President all right Senators we are very pleased this evening to have Elder George White from Locker Presbyterian
Church in Gwen Oak Maryland guest of the distinguished senator from the 11th District please rise for the invocation okay good evening everyone peace Shalom assalam alaikum dear father God we prayer warriors come before you today to this Senate chamber seeking your blessings on the task before us As We Gather in this political
Chamber we ask that you father God for your presence in this place your guidance and your wisdom to be with us father God may we have a clear insight as we deliberate on important matters that affect our community and this state of Maryland father God grant us the clarity and
Accuracy we need to do our work effectively and efficiently help us to make decisions with impartiality always keeping in mind the greater good and finally father God we ask for your blessings on all those who serve in public office and who volunteer their services that they may lead with in integrity and
Compassion may your light father God shine upon us and guide us on this day and always for Father God you are the source of all being amen thank appreciate you thank you thank you very much recognizing senator from District 11 thank you very much Mr President it is so wonderful to see
Elder George White here um he is joined by with his wife B and granddaughter Jayla who is uh at Buie um many people might recognize him he is a photographer who is around in and around Anapolis and Baltimore city and Baltimore County at a lot of our events he’s just a wonderful
Resident of 11th of the 11th District but I know I share him with the senator from uh District 44 because his church is there so he’s really it’s it’s such a pleasure to see him here and his family and um I’d ask that his uh invocation be journalized without objection most
Certainly Senator we will journalize the remarks and whenever whenever you see that smile you know you’re at the right event that’s what I’ve always learned is that you you you’ve come to the right place uh so thank you so much appreciate you thank you so much all right has everyone recorded their presence
Almost okay the clerk will take the call with 43 members in the chamber and ACC Corum being present the Senate of Maryland is now again in session uh let’s go ahead and start with the senator from the 22nd District thank you Mr President uh ladies and gentlemen esteemed guests and
Fellow members of the Maryland Senate Tonight We Gather not just as lawmakers but as witnesses to history we stand on the precipice of a momentous occasion celebrating the illustrious journey of alpha Fraternity Incorporated as they make a mark on the hallowed Halls of the Maryland Capital but before we delve
Into the significance of this evening let us take a brief Journey Through Time picture the year 1906 a time when the Echoes of change reverberated Across America it was amidst this backdrop that seven Visionary men dared to dream of a Brotherhood that transcended boundaries of race and
Prejudice thus Alpha ala was born at Cornell University becoming the first in Collegiate Greek letter fraternity established for African-American men from those humble beginnings emerged a legacy of leadership scholarship and service that would span Generations through times of Triumph and adversity Alpha V ala has stood as a
Beacon of Hope and empowerment for communities across this great nation and now on this Alpha night here in Annapolis we have the privilege of welcom welcoming Alpha alfra to the Maryland Senate their presence here tonight symbolizes more than just mere representation it embodies the resilience and perseverance of a fraternity that has tirelessly
Championed the cause of equity and Justice on the floor and if the brothers of ala can stand in the gallery with us if the brothers of ala can stand in the gallery with us on the floor I had to get that signal again on the floor I
Want to recognize uh Jack cerille uh the max Civic and political engagement Cher Dam Thompson uh co-chair of alpha legislative Knight Shan Burns co-chair of the alpha legislative Knight Ryan Turner president of Delta Lambda chapter and Anthony Mills past Eastern region vice president permission to use the Senator’s name senator may proceed thank
You I would also like to recognize our Senator here Senator Charles sner who’s also brother of Al Al for attorney Incorporated and and not to brag Mr President but the governor West Moore is also an alpha a brother of Al Fraternity Incorporated so my colleagues can we
Give a warm Senate welcome to the brothers of Al FR attorney incorporated as we welcome them here to the Maryland Senate I move that the clerk read the resolution in full the cler will read the resolution in full be it hereby known to all the the Senate of Maryland
Offers sincer congratulations to alpha alpha Fraternity in recognition of 118 years of Brotherhood working for equity and Justice in Maryland Across the Nation the entire membership extends its best wishes on this memorable occasion and directs this resolution be presented on this 25th day of March 2024 the clerk will call the role Mr
President has everyone recorded their vote if so the clerk will take the call to the gentlemen of alpha alpha Fraternity Incorporated we celebrate you and honor your 118 years of Brotherhood working for equity and Justice in Maryland and Across the Nation congratulations thank you all for joining us tonight hope you enjoy
Democracy and action here this evening good to have some friendly faces for some brothers in the in the Frat all right we let’s go to cator from Baltimore County cator from District 10 uh thank you Mr President uh colleagues would you join me in extending sincerest congratulations to the Maryland
Financial education and capabilities Award winners no matter what path one takes in life it is predicated on Good Financial stewardship Financial education teaches students of all ages an essential life scale and I congratulate this year’s winners for their hard work and dedication to teaching Financial education this year’s
Award go to Amy carulo education I’m sorry Elementary education in Howard County uh Nicholas berui middle school education in Montgomery County Susan bestran high school education in Prince George’s County and Mary Ellen Mitchell communication champion in Frederick County and also the United Way of Frederick County for best organization your achievement serves as
A testament to your exceptional talent and passion for learning thank you for your commitment in and dedication to financial literacy I always want to acknowledge the cash campaign of Maryland and the Maryland Council on Ed on economic education for developing these Awards and for their dedication to financial education in Maryland I would
Also like to recognize uh permission to use the delegates name and the Senator’s name s May proceed uh Senator clausm uh Kathy clausm as the outgoing co-chair of the commission for her longstanding commitment to financial education thanks Mr President and would you read the uh the clerk will read the resolution
Resolution be hereby known to all the Senate of Maryland offers it sincerest congratulations to United Way of Frederick County budget coaching program and recognition of winning the financial education and capability award for outstanding organization and your dedication to financial education in Frederick County the entire membership extends its best wishes on this
Memorable occasion and directs this resolution be presented on the 25th of March 2024 clerk will call the role Mr President has everyone recorded their vote if so the clerk will take the call to the folks of United Way Frederick County and the cash campaign and all those who are the experts
Specialists in teaching budgeting and economic education we thank you and celebrate your work congratulations all right thank you all so much for joining us today is the last day of resolution so we have we’re we’re loaded up with them uh let’s go to the senator from District 8
Thank you Mr President ladies and gentlemen of the Senate today I would like to take the time to recognize those who are working to increase awareness about pprom you might not know what that is but it is very important topic pprom or pre-term premature rupture of membranes is a serious pregnancy complication in
Which the amniotic sac ruptures before 37 weeks of gestation it is the leading cause of pre-term Labor and can result in pregnancy loss and from the pprom survivors it can have long-term Health impacts according to research by the pprom foundation pprom impacts nearly 150 pregnancies per year in the US pprom
Can happen at any stage of pregnancy and research shows that black women are are twice as like likely to experience pprom compared to their white counterparts today we have individuals on the floor who have personal experience with pprom who are working to raise awareness and fund Research into this devastating
Condition they have been advocating around the country on behalf of families like theirs and have been working here in Maryland to have June 1st declared as pprom awareness day we have uh Julie odor representing making ways for corl and her her representative that she works for could not get here she is in
Denver right now as we speak and she has brought her own photographer wherever he is oh up top there so I thank you all for your attention and hope that um that it goes to June 1st and for all those women that have been through this
I say let’s get it done all right the clerk will read the resolution in full be hereby known to all the s of Maryland offers it sincerest congratulations to Making Waves for Coral in partnership with the pprom foundation and recognition of your dedication and commitment to Bringing
Awareness to pprom during the month of June the entire membership extends its best wishes on this memorable occasion and directus resolution be presented on this 25th day of March 2024 the clerk will call the role Mr President has everyone recorded their vote if so the clerk will take the
Call to the advocates for making ways for Coral in partnership with pprom Foundation we celebrate your work and thank you for your advocacy on this important issue congratulations all right let’s go to senator for mcer County thank you Mr President today is Maryland day and we have someone really wonderful
To celebrate and that’s Michael Jay Wilson who I suspect many of you know as an advocate as a leader as a creative Problem Solver and as the longtime 10 more than 10 years director of Maryland hunger Solutions he is here to we’re here to celebrate Michael Jay but also
He’s here with his son David his daughter-in-law Chanel his grandson baby uh baby Adonis is up there and we’ve got Mitchell Stevenson who’s very dear to him and uh in addition to them I just want to recognize Rachel Robin on the floor on my staff uh that
We do have a resolution Mr President the cler will read the resolution in full be hereby known to all the s of Maryland offers sincer congratulations to Michael J Wilson and recognition of 10 years of service as the executive director of Maryland hunger Solutions a nonprofit seeking to
End Hunger and promote well-being thank you for your dedicated dedication effective advocacy and thoughtful leadership the entire membership extends its best wishes on this memorable occasion and directs this resolution be presented on this 25th day of March 2024 clerk will call the role Mr President has everyone recorded their
Vote if so the clerk will take the call to Mr Mr Michael J Wilson congratulations on 10 years of service and we appreciate all your advocacy thank you so much and our last resolution for the day but certainly not our least a very very important one right uh senator from the
36 District thank you very much Mr President I am pleased to recognize one of my constituents but somebody that you all know tonight we’re honoring Colleen white and thanking her for 20 years years of service in the first aid room just right downstairs here in the State
House Colleen resides in Ken island with her husband Mike she has three grown children Ryan Phillip and with her tonight her daughter Megan who also helps in the first aid room as well so please join me in thanking Colleen for 20 years of caring for us and all those
That come to visit her in the first aid room look the clerk will read the resolution in full be it hereby known to all the Senate of Maryland offers sincerest congratulations to Colleen white in recognition of 20 years of dedicated service to the Maryland general assembly in the first aid room the entire
Membership extends its best wishes on this memorable occasion and directs this resolution be presented on this 25th day of March 2024 the clerk will call the role Mr President has everyone recorded their vote if so the clerk will take the call to Colleen white thank you so so so
Much for your 20 years of dedicated service we’re all personally very very thankful for you and your daughter and all the great work that you all do thank you thank you thank [Applause] you all right does it for our resolutions for the day um senator from
The 30th District thank you very much Mr President colleagues I have the great privilege of representing two of the more unique institutions of higher education not just in the state but in the nation and uh some students from one of them specifically midshipman from the Naval Academy are visiting today if they
Could stand they’re from all around the country uh not Future Leaders current leaders and I just want to thank them for spending a little time earlier today and visiting their uh State House thank the midshipman for joining us today thank you all for being with us thanks for your service as well
Additional introductions uh recognizing senator for Rundle uh thank you Mr President I’m I’m not sure what gallery they’re in but we had our district night tonight and we have members of the Democratic Club District 32 as well as the West County Democratic Club and our Central Committee members here wonderful
Welcome to the members from the 32nd District thank you from Baltimore County yes thank thank you Mr President I just would like to say besides being Maryland day today it’s Greek Independence Day so hoay for Greek imp Independence Day excellent well thank you for that had a
Nice walk through Greek Town on Sunday yesterday it was a packed parade as always Creek Town was rocking and rolling first time where we didn’t have the VIP reception at the icaros restaurant uh so changes in Greek toown changes in Greek toown um all right let’s see any other any other
Introductions any other yes senator from the 33rd thank you very much Mr President we have another uh well our group of pages that are back with us for another week with us if I could just take a moment to introduce them again please uh we first have uh Sydney Assan
From pis georgees County District [Applause] 24 next we have sidar go from M Comico County District 37b next we have Margaret mantler from Baltimore County District 11 and next we have Rodney mcra Jr from Baltimore City District 8 next we have Annabella mccurnin from an Ronda County District
30 next we have pretam seia from Howard County District nine and last but not least we have pragna yalamanchili from Frederick County District 3 thank you Mr President welcome back welcome back we’re pleased to have have you all it should be a little bit of a busy week this week at
Least at the end the first few days may be a little bit slower but uh the end might get a little bit spicier we’ll see you never know depends on any given day um happy Maryland Day to everyone beautiful day we’re going to have a presentation at the end uh we just have
A little bit of work to get through and then we’re going to um hear from our senator from uh the founding City and so we will uh uh do that in just a moment any other introductions before we jump in if not so be consider the reading of the journal from the previous
Legislative day uh we are uh we have an announcement for the president clerk read the announcement in accordance with rule 33d the found legislation has been reassigned as indicated below house Bell 148 delegate ersa Department of Transportation human trafficking awareness training and response see someone save someone act reassigned to
Judicial proceedings all right the bill will be reassigned to its appropriate standing committee we have another announcement clerk will read the announcement in accordance with rule 33d the following legislation has been reassigned as indicated below House Bill 1023 Prince George’s County delegation and Montgomery County delegation Prince georgees County and Montgomery County
The Washington sperman Transit Commission Reform Act reassigned to finance all right the bill will be reassigned to its appropriate standing committee we have two messages these are Senate bills that were amended in the house okay all right um if we could uh Madam Kirk please read the bill Senate Bill 360 the president
Budget Bill all right uh recognizing the vice chair of the committee uh we will not concur all right the uh the the vice chair moves that we not concur on the budget uh so the motion before the Senate is whether to not concur any objections without objection the motion carries
Clerk will read the message by the majority leader ladies and gentlemen of the House of delegates the Senate refuses to concur in the house amendments and respectfully requests the house received from its position should the house prefer a conference committee to confir on the disagreeing votes of the two houses the
Senate appoints Senator gazon chair Senator rosap Senator McCrae Senator King senator cman in addition the Senate has appointed in advisory capacity Senators Bailey Jackson and Zucker said bill is returned air withth by Nicole by order Nicole Alexander secretary we’re done message having been read is adopted
We have one more I know uh we’ve got another bill if the clerk could read the bill Senate Bill 362 the president budget reconciliation financing Act of 2024 budget and Taxation recognizing the vice chair we’re no for two no for two no for two all right the senator moves
That we not concur with the house amendments any objections without objection the motion carries the clerk will read the message by the majority leader ladies and gentlemen of the House of delegates the Senate refuses to concur in the house amendments and respectfully request the house received from its position should the house
Prefer a conference committee to confir on the disagreeing votes the two houses the Senate appoints Senator kazone chair Senator alred Senator soling Senator Benson Senator Jackson in addition the Senate has appointed in advisory capacity Senators rosap pep Jennings and Zucker said bill is returned air with by order Nicole Alexander
Secretary motion uh excuse me the message having been read is adopted uh normally we would explain the Amendments but it’s the budget we’re going to conference committee all standard this is just we got to get we got to get the messages sent back and forth so we can
Get the conference up and running um all right that does it the desk is clear so that’s all we have for tonight except we do have an important uh presentation before we do the presentation let’s see if we have anything to announce do we have any meetings in the morning chair
Of Finance um thank you Mr President it’s not a meeting but I’m asking that um the Senators realize that the house bills that have come over the local bills still need a senate confirmation letter to come to us and we’d like to have that by Thursday so even though
They wrote one for the Senate Bill we need to hear from them on the house bills that are local alcohol bills excellent okay thank you for that uh let’s see let’s see committees any committee announcements before the tomorrow morning delegations caucuses chair of the democratic caucus thank you
Very much Mr President the Senate Democratic caucus will be meeting in person tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. minority whip thank you Mr President the rep Senate Republican C caucus will be meeting at 8:30 a.m. please be prompt we have a very special guest all right very
Good very special um all right any further uh yes chair Rec cater from the prince georgees uh thank you uh Mr President uh colleagues I just want to point your attention to today in the uh city of Buie was a very very significant condominium fire the residents of the
Wood Lake condo shortly after 1:00 the entire top three floors of the building were gutted and residents of 16 units tonight are being assisted by the Red Cross I ask you to keep them in your players prayers thank you Mr than and I’ll tell you I was just at a fire to
The Red Cross are remarkable the volunteers that show up for the Red Cross are truly something else thank you for that um senator from Baltimore County thank you Mr President um you guys have all been blessed with more humash that was delivered to every office today CH of Baltimore Jewish
Council and the Jewish community relations Council of Washington so enjoy all the HK for porum yes thank you thank you all right any other announcements before we have our presentation on M on Maryland day if not uh like to invite our uh senator from the founding
City from the front would like to do from the front as a presentation on Maryland’s founding Senator if you could just hit the red button perfect good evening and happy Maryland day today marks the 390th anniversary of the founding of Maryland when the ark and the dove
Landed at St Clement Island in St Mary’s County the mother County of Maryland District 29 by the way Southern Maryland was not only the site where Maryland began but a foundation story for our entire nation ours is a national story it is in Maryland specifically Southern Maryland that religious freedom
Was codified into law for the first time in the entire Western World the first time ever that any type of religious toleration this founding principle this basic human right was put into law was here the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649 the ACT concerning religion provided the foundation for Religious
Freedom within the United States Constitution in establishing their new town the church and the State House were placed at opposite ends a physical Testament to this beginning this start of the separation of church and state it is there that the first person of African descent ever served in a
Legislature in America maias Tusa in 1641 it was there that the first woman ever petitioned for the right to vote Margaret Brent in 1648 history began here long before Maryland was established our region is a land of first people the pasca way and Southern Maryland stands on their Shores and on
The shores of this contact between the worlds Southern Maryland has a UNESCO slave root site of remembrance historic soly honoring the resistance Liberty and Heritage we are crisscrossed with National Trails we have National Religious Freedom byway national network to Freedom sites places impacted by early Wars and sites and people that
Help this Nation defend itself in later Wars and let’s not forget that southern Maryland is home to the National Marine Sanctuary at mow Bay the bomic river is a it is the very first national Marine Sanctuary to be located on a river is also the largest collection of historic
Shipwrecks in the entire Western Hemisphere spanning more than three centuries of American ship building Southern Maryland is indeed Where it All Began but it’s not all ancient history we still work the land and the sea with our Maritime and agricultural Heritage essential to who we
Are as we are all familiar the seal of Maryland includes two people a fisherman and a farmer we were the first we are also where the first astronauts trained at pet Naval Air Station and this region continues to be a center for Innovation and Discovery because Maryland and Southern Maryland informs
Our nation’s story in vital ways we are now a National Heritage area with Southern Maryland National Heritage area Act passed into law in December of 2022 by the United States Congress and signed by the president in January of 2023 National Heritage areas connect communities through activities that promote awareness and Foster interest in
And stewardship of our national and our natural resources as a National Heritage area Maryland’s Waters and Landscape will see more restoration products which will be a great benefit to all of us the profound Heritage and history of this region it is what makes Maryland so special it is the power of these stories
The land and in the water of this specific Place through time it’s very comforting to just be standing on the shore down at St Mary’s City and hear the water just lapping on the shoreline it is a really comforting thought and it just slows things
Down as always I invite each of you to join us in southern Maryland to experience this Rich history from St Clement’s Island to Historic St Mary City to Historic solder and so much more 10 years from today we will be observing Maryland’s 400th anniversary I thank each of you for your continuing support
Not only of the important historical sites in my district and Southern Maryland but also of the for to 400 commission which has been tasked with planning the state’s observance and celebration of this milestone for each and every one of us and each and every one of your districts because it’s every
One of our districts that make up the story of Maryland thank you again for the opportunity to speak this evening and share with you part of our story on this Maryland day thank you senator for that reflection and remarks recognize the senator from uh district 6 uh thank you Mr President uh
We most definitely have to record this great speech from our good from our good Senator thank you without objection so order we will uh certainly journalize the remarks and thank you for taking the time to to share them with us today thank you all right any further any further business before
We head out if not Madam clerk Corum call Mr President has everyone recorded their presence if so the clerk will take the call with 43 members in the chamber and ACC cor being present the Senate Maryland remains in session chair recognizes the majority leader thank you Mr President I move the Senate of
Maryland stand adjourned until uh Tuesday March 26th at 10: a.m. 10: a.m. without objection so ordered have a safe night see you tomorrow morning e e
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