October 2, 2024Dear Neighbor,Election Day is November 5. The ability to vote for our representatives is the foundation of a free society. It is critical not only to cast your ballot this year, but also to remind your friends and family to vote as well. I encourage you to vote however works best...

Dear Neighbor, I am proud to share with you that 15 bills that I sponsored during this year’s legislative session have been signed by the Governor and will become law.  Each bill that passes the General Assembly includes an effective date, except emergency bills, which become law when they are...

Senator Bailey providing remarks on Maryland Day before the Senate. Like many of us, Senator Bailey was shocked and saddened by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday.  His prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives and the communities that have been impacted...

The Maryland Veteran's Caucus Breakfast with the Governor & Lt. Governor(Credit: Executive Office of the Governor) This week, the Senate passed two bills sponsored by Senator Bailey in support of Maryland’s veterans.  On Tuesday, Senator Bailey presented Senate Bill 1178 to the Education, Energy and Environment Committee.  This legislation removes...

On Friday, the General Assembly honored the Teachers of the Year from each of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions.  Senator Bailey was pleased to welcome Calvert County’s Teacher of the Year John S. Allen from Huntingtown High School and St. Mary’s County’s Teacher of the Year Alisha Swann from Spring Ridge Middle...

Senator Bailey and SMAR members during Maryland REALTORS® Lobby Day in Annapolis on Tuesday, February 14th. This week was very productive in Annapolis, as five more of Senator Bailey’s sponsored bills advanced out of Senate committees. On Thursday, the Judicial Proceedings Committee voted unanimously in support of two bills from...

Senator Bailey & Senator J.B. Jennings participated in the Polar Bear Plunge on Friday with a group of legislators to support Special Olympics Maryland. On Tuesday, the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee gave a favorable report to Senate Bill 108.  This legislation was introduced by Senator Bailey to combine the...

Today is the end of the first full week of the 2024 Legislative Session.  One of Senator Bailey’s top priorities continues to be passing legislation to improve public safety in Maryland.  In addition to bills that he has introduced to increase the maximum sentences for vehicular homicide and indecent exposure...

On Thursday, Senator Bailey introduced Senate Bill 974 – State-Owned Nursing Homes – Deficiencies, Citations, and Fines – Contractor Reporting Requirements, in response to recent reports of the mistreatment of veterans at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home.  This bill would require increased reporting of deficiencies cited and enforcement actions imposed at...

Monday is crossover day for the 2023 Legislative Session.  This is the date by which the Senate and the House must pass a bill for that bill to be guaranteed a hearing in the opposite chamber, giving them a greater chance of passing this year than those that do not....

This week, Senator Bailey’s legislation continued to advance through the General Assembly.  Senate Bill 275, which will require snares, traps, and other similar devices used for hunting to have an identification number, passed the Senate on Thursday.  On Friday, Senator Bailey presented Senate Bill 457, which gives St. Mary’s County...

This week, two more of Senator Bailey’s bills continued advancing through the Senate.  Senate Bill 69, which creates a uniform process for collecting positive community feedback about law enforcement officers, and Senate Bill 74, which treats drunk driving and drunk boating the same when considering whether someone a repeat offender,...

Senator Bailey’s first bill of the session passed the Senate this week.  On Thursday, Senate Bill 80, which would reinstate a license to catch invasive species of catfish, was approved unanimously.  This bill now goes to the House of Delegates for their consideration. The Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee also...

This week was the first full week of the 2023 Legislative Session.  As the Senate’s Committees begin to consider legislation, two of Senator Bailey’s bills to support Maryland’s first responders received hearings this week before the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee: Senate Bill 61 – Property Tax Credit – Public...

April 18, 2022 Dear Neighbor, I wanted to personally thank you for your civic engagement during the 2022 Legislative Session. It was a pleasure to be able to welcome many of you back to Annapolis this year as the legislative complex reopened for in-person meetings and bill hearings. During this...

Happy Maryland Day!  The Senate took time during today’s floor session to commemorate the anniversary of Maryland’s founding, and Senator Bailey looks forward to participating in the observances of Maryland Day at Historic St. Mary’s City tomorrow. Redistricting Ruling Today, a judge in Anne Arundel County ruled that Maryland’s Congressional...

On Tuesday, Senator Bailey presented two bills related to education and public safety.  The first, Senate Bill 583, would create a system for parents to report classroom disruptions to the Maryland Center for School Safety to collect data on disruptions and ensure that local school systems are responding appropriately to...

On Thursday, two more of Senator Bailey’s bills passed the Senate.  Senate Bill 79 – Higher Education – Senatorial Scholarships – Program Accreditation and Senate Bill 454 – Marine Contractor License - Authorization, Requirements, both, passed unanimously.  These bills will now go to the House of Delegates for their consideration....

This week, Senator Bailey presented three more bills to Senate Committees.  On Tuesday, the Senator testified in support of Senate Bill 454 - Marine Contractor License - Performance of Services - Licensing Requirements and Fees which is a priority for our local governments, particularly in Calvert and St. Mary’s County,...

Senator Bailey returned to floor of the Senate on Wednesday after testing positive for COVID last week.  He would like to thank everyone who has contacted him in the last week for their kind words and well-wishes. This week, Senator Bailey introduced five more bills and one joint resolution for...

On Wednesday, January 12, 2022, the Maryland General Assembly convened for this year’s regular session.  Senator Bailey looks forward to providing available, approachable, and committed leadership for St. Mary’s and Calvert Counties and working to advance our priorities in the Senate again this year.  As a result of the General...

I invite you to read my End of Session letter summarizing the 2021 Legislative Session and welcome you to check back on this site as I will be posting updates when the General Assembly reconvenes for the 2022 Legislative Session in January. April 26, 2021 Dear Neighbor, I wanted to...

On Thursday, the Senate took time to celebrate Maryland Day.  As the Senator representing St. Mary’s City, Senator Bailey gave remarks during the day’s floor session about the important role that our area has had in our State’s history.  This observance follows action taken by the Senate earlier this week...

Final Two Bills Presented This week, Senator Bailey had two more bills heard before the Senate’s Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.  On Tuesday, Senator Bailey was joined by representatives of Historic St. Mary’s City to present Senate Bill 946, which would create the Historic St. Mary’s City Fort to...

This week, two more of Senator Bailey’s bills received favorable reports from Senate committees.  Senate Bill 15, which would ensure that all current holders of a handgun permit receive a notification from the State Police before the expiration of their permit, received a favorable report with amendments from the Judicial...

Police Bills The Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee continued to discuss bills this week related to policing in Maryland.  The most controversial of these bills is Senate Bill 627, which would repeal the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights.  This current law does not afford any special legal rights to law...

Senator Bailey is continuing to work with the Hogan Administration to help the residents of District 29 during the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.  Today, the Senator met with Secretary Tiffany Robinson from the Department of Labor and members of the Governor’s staff to discuss constituents’ unemployment benefits and to assure that...

This week, Senator Bailey presented three more of his bills to Senate committees.  On Wednesday, the Senator presented Senate Bill 104 and Senate Bill 239 to the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.  The first bill, Senate Bill 104, would require schools to install safety sensors on electric retractable room...

This session, Senator Bailey has pre-filed 14 bills for consideration by the General Assembly.  Some of these bills have been re-introduced from last session, when the early adjournment of the legislature caused a number of bills to not have time to complete passage through the General Assembly.  Others are bills...

On Wednesday, October 9, Delegate Matt Morgan and I spoke with representatives of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources regarding oyster leases that are currently being applied for in the Patuxent River off of the shoreline of the Golden Beach/Patuxent Knolls community.  In this conversation, I relayed the concerns that...

As the state of emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Senator Bailey wanted to ensure that resources and information related to the State’s response are available to everyone in District 29.  General Information The Maryland Department of Health is posting updates about COVID-19 in our State, along with background...

Today, Governor Hogan announced that the 2020 Primary Election will be postponed from April 28 to June 2 due to the coronavirus outbreak.  More information on this announcement and other actions announced today are available from this press release from the Governor’s Office: https://governor.maryland.gov/2020/03/17/governor-hogan-issues-proclamation-to-postpone-april-28-primary-implement-vote-by-mail-system-to-fill-7th-congressional-district-seat/. This afternoon, the Senate’s Budget and Taxation...

The General Assembly is continuing to meet, although access to the legislative complex is currently restricted to members and essential staff only.  The legislature will be in Session this Saturday and Sunday to ensure that critical work can be completed.  Although the Senator values hearing from constituents, please be aware...

Today, the Senate’s Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs committee began considering amendments to House Bill 1300, the proposed legislation to implement the recommendations of the Kirwan Commission.  The Senate amendments have the potential to drastically improve the Kirwan bill that passed the House last week.  The proposed changes are significant...

Senator Bailey presented three legislative bond initiatives to be considered by the General Assembly this session for projects in District 29.  These bond initiatives are requests for funding local projects in the State’s Capital Budget.  On Saturday, Senator Bailey presented a bond initiative he has sponsored for the Calvert Marine...

There have been 52 murders in Baltimore City so far this year. We are more than halfway through this legislative session, and Rome is still burning. Republicans and Democrats agree on more than they disagree on when you look at proposals from the Governor, Republicans in the House, and our...

Last night, Senator Bailey and his Senate Republican colleagues introduced an emergency bill intended to address the rampant crime in Baltimore City.  This bill would allow the Governor to declare a State of Emergency in a jurisdiction with a high murder rate.  These emergency powers would allow the Governor to...

As the Chairman of the Southern Maryland Senate Delegation, Senator Bailey is happy to announce that Senate Bill 805 – Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland – Funding passed the Senate today.  This bill increases funding for the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.  Through their work bringing together Calvert, Charles, and...

Today, Senator Bailey was honored to present a Senate Resolution to Special Agent Augustus “Gus” Aquino.  Special Agent Aquino recently retired after a 34 year law enforcement career working for Homeland Security and specializing in child exploitation cases.  Senator Bailey worked with Special Agent Aquino when the Senator first started...

This weekend, to celebrate the Senator’s wife’s birthday, Karin and their children came to Annapolis.  On Saturday morning, the Baileys ate breakfast at Chick and Ruth’s Delly, where the children led the Pledge of Allegiance.  The Baileys spent the day touring and shopping around the State’s Capital City. Today, Senator...

Throughout the day, Senator Bailey met with various groups regarding issues coming before his committee.  He met with local members of the Maryland State Licensed Beverage Association as well as representatives from the Brewers Association of Maryland to discuss legislation relating to the regulation of alcoholic beverages.  He also met...

Today, Senator Bailey presented a bill to stop children in St. Mary’s County from using tobacco related products in schools.  As introduced, Senate Bill 508 – St. Mary’s County – Possession of Tobacco Product or Electronic Smoking Device by an Individual Under the Age of 21 Years – Prohibition would...

Senator Bailey was reminded this morning of why he was elected to represent the issues facing our community and the importance of his legislative priorities this session. This morning, Senator Bailey met with an opponent of his opioid bill, SB710.  These meetings are an important part of the legislative process,...

Senator Bailey has introduced a bill to help our local governments fight the ongoing opioid crisis across our State.  Senate Bill 710 – Health – General – Prescription Drug Monitoring Program – County Health Officer will give each county’s health officer the ability to access the State’s Prescription Drug Monitoring...

On Saturday morning, Senator Bailey and his children attended the Mid-Shore Maryland National Wild Turkey Federation Chapter Youth Waterfowl Hunt near Chestertown.  The youth were treated to some fantastic hunting opportunities, with professional guides who donated their services.  After hunting, the participants and guides met at the Rock Hall Fire...

Last night, Senator Bailey attended a legislative reception for the State Law Enforcement Officers Labor Alliance.  He was able to meet with police officers from throughout Maryland and discuss with them ways to combat crime in Maryland.  Improving public safety is one of Senator Bailey’s priorities for this legislative session....

Senator Bailey with representatives of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Community at the Rural Maryland Council and Soil Conservation District Luncheon Today, Senator Bailey presented Senate Bill 258 – Public Schools – Electric Retractable Room Partitions – Operation Requirements to the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.  This legislation is...

Senator Bailey, with representatives from the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, Historic St. Mary’s City, Tri-County Council, and the Governor’s Office at the Rural Maryland Council luncheon in Annapolis. Senator Bailey with Maryland Secretary of Veterans Affairs George Owings Senator Bailey finished this week in Annapolis working with his colleagues...

Senator Bailey with constituents David McCaskill, President of the Southern Maryland Chapter of the National African-American Gun Owners Association, and John Mountjoy, Vice President of Maryland Shall Issue. Senator Jack Bailey with St. Mary’s County Government Officials who came to Annapolis to testify on Senate Bill 261. Pictured: Chief Financial...

Before the start of another busy week in Annapolis, Senator Bailey was able to spend most of Monday attending events in District 29. This morning,Senator Bailey met with Captain Christopher Cox, the Commander of Naval Air Station Patuxent River, to get an update on issues related to the base.  This...

Senator Bailey with, from left, Delegate Brian Crosby, St. Mary’s County Commissioner President Randy Guy, Delegate Matt Morgan, Calvert County Commissioner Buddy Hance, Delegate Jerry Clark, Calvert County Register of Wills Margaret Phipps, St. Mary’s County Commissioner Todd Morgan, Calvert County Commissioner Steve Weems, and Leonardtown Mayor Dan Burris at...

Last night, Senator Bailey attended an organizational meeting for the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.  Senator Bailey serves as the Senate Chair of the Caucus.  This meeting began the discussion on what bills the Caucus would support.  Caucus leadership decided to support to its first bill of the session. Senate Bill...

Senator Jack Bailey, Senate Chair of the Sportsmen’s Caucus, with (from left) Delegate Ned Carey, House Chair of the Sportsmen’s Caucus; Senator Katie Fry Hester, Senate Co-Chair of the Sportsmen’s Caucus, Colonel Baker, Superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Bill Miles, Lobbyist for the Sportsmen’s Caucus, and Senate President...

Senator Jack Bailey with St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron Senator Jack Bailey with Mike Merican from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday began with Senator Bailey meeting with an independent consultant who is studying the need for a new outdoor sports complex and indoor field house in St....

Judge Tanavage with Senator Bailey Senator Bailey, Deputy State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling and members of the rescue squad. Presenting Senate Citation with Commissioner O’Connor Brady family receiving Governor and Senate Citation from Bryan Barthelme On Friday afternoon, Senator Bailey returned to St. Mary’s County to attend the installation ceremony for...

Senator Jack Bailey with Maryland Natural Resources Police Superintendent Col. Adrian Baker, and officers of the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Senator Jack Bailey with St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron, Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans, and Commanders from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office....

From Left to Right Christina Vigorito, Senator Bailey, Matt Arnold The 2020 Legislative Session will begin tomorrow, Wednesday, January 8. Senator Bailey has assembled a diverse and talented staff to best serve the residents of District 29. Christina Vigorito serves as the Chief of Staff for Senator Bailey. In addition to...

On Thursday, December 12, Senator Jack Bailey addressed the Leonardtown Rotary Club.  In his remarks, Senator Bailey spoke about his legislative priorities for the 2020 Legislative Session.  He also discussed his work in Annapolis with other legislators from both parties to address the needs of the residents of St. Mary’s...

On Wednesday, December 11, Senator Jack Bailey participated in the Maryland General Assembly Veterans Caucus Summit in Annapolis.  Senator Bailey serves as the Senate Vice-Chair of the Caucus, which works to pass legislation that improves the quality of life of Maryland’s veterans.  The Summit included discussions on disability and mental...

On October 29, Senator Jack Bailey met with a group of local public safety officials and community leaders to develop an evacuation plan for large events on St. Clement’s Island.  Earlier this year, representatives from three local churches contacted Senator Bailey while planning a Youth Pilgrimage to St. Clement’s Island...

Senator Jack Bailey has been recognized for supporting policies to help promote public health in Maryland. Senator Bailey received an award from the Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (MSEPS) in appreciation of his “efforts to protect high quality medical and surgical eye care for patients in Maryland” during...

On Tuesday, October 8, Senator Jack Bailey and members of our community celebrated the opening of Senator Bailey’s new district office in Hollywood. The office is located in the Dorsey Professional Park, 23680 Three Notch Road, Unit 101, Hollywood, MD 20636, and will be open regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays...

Senator Jack Bailey has sent a letter to Governor Hogan in strong support of state funding for agriculture initiatives and land preservation in Southern Maryland. The letter encourages the Governor to continue funding the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) in the state’s operating and capital budgets. In the letter,...

On October 1, 2019, a number of bills that were passed by the Maryland General Assembly during the 2019 Legislative Session will become law.  These bills included a number of important initiatives that Senator Jack Bailey supported to help improve public safety and protect vulnerable individuals in Maryland, including: Senate...

On September 19, Senator Jack Bailey attended the oath of office ceremony for Colonel G. Adrian Baker, who has been appointed to serve as the new Superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police. The Superintendent is the commanding officer for Maryland’s Natural Resources Police Force, which enforces the state’s conservation...

On Tuesday, July 23, Senator Jack Bailey addressed the St. Mary’s County Board of Commissioners with an update on legislation and his efforts in Annapolis on behalf of the residents of St. Mary’s County. In addition to providing the commissioners with a summary of bills impacting St. Mary’s County during...