Chamber of Commerce Pre-Legislative Breakfast

Two days before the 2020 Maryland Legislative Session begins, the 36th District Delegation spoke at the annual Chamber of Commerce Pre-Legislative Breakfast. This year’s breakfast was held in Rock Hall in the Chesapeake Room of the Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company.

The meeting opened with Bryan Matthews acknowledging Loretta Lodge, the organization’s retiring Executive Director. He then introduced Rock Hall Mayor Dawn Jacobs who welcomed the attendees to Rock Hall.

All four members of the 36th District delegation, Senator Steve Hershey, Delegates Steve Arnetz (QA), Jeff Ghrist (Caroline) and Jay Jacobs (Kent) presented their views on the upcoming session.

A year after there was quite a few changes in the legislature due to the 2018 election, they all viewed concerns that with the death of Speaker Busch at the end of the 2019 session and resignation of Senate President Miller due to health issues, that even greater changes are happening in the legislature. Many committee chairs and vice-chairs are now under different leadership.

The ‘elephant in the room’ discussion dealt with the Kirwin Commission recommendations regarding education funding. The biggest issue seems to be how will the price tag be funded without raising taxes. And how moving funds around will affect the counties and the City of Baltimore.

As is usual, resident delegate Jay Jacobs was the last to speak. He talked about a meeting at the Hospital in Chestertown with Senator Bill Ferguson, who is tapped to become the next president of the Maryland Senate, regarding rural health care. He also talked briefly about a positive meeting with MD Department of Health Secretary Robert Neall regarding rural health care. While he couldn’t elaborate Jacobs did say he felt that good things may be happening.

All agreed that the upcoming session will be an interesting one. But then again aren’t they all.