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, passed the Senate on Friday. These bills now go to the House of Delegates for their consideration.
The Senate also passed Senate Bill 94 on Thursday. Senate Bill 94 includes the provisions from Senator Bailey’s Senate Bill 76 to combine the current subtraction modification for volunteer fire, rescue, and emergency medical services members and police auxiliaries and reserve volunteers, as well as raise the amount of both deductions to $10,000.
More Bill Hearings
Senator Bailey presented and testified on five more bills before Senate committees this week. On Tuesday, the Senator presented Senate Bill 208 to the Judicial Proceedings Committee. This bill would create enhanced penalties for indecent exposure within the sight of a minor when done with prurient intent. The Committee also heard Senate Bill 336, which would create a workgroup to study creating a Waterway Incident Notification System (WINS) in Maryland. This system is intended to notify members of the public, including recreational boaters and commercial watermen, of active waterway emergencies involving a person at risk of death or serious bodily harm and other emergency marine events. The Senator was honored to be joined by two of his constituents to testify in support of this legislation.
On Wednesday, Senator Bailey presented Senate Bill 275, which would require a person who uses a snare, a trap, or another similar device to capture wildlife to ensure the person’s Department of Natural Resources number is affixed to the device, to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. This requirement would not apply to an owner or renter using one of these devices on the property that they own or rent. Senator Bailey also spoke in support of another bill which would permit Sunday hunting for waterfowl in Maryland. He was joined by his son Taft to testify for this important bill for youth hunting in our State.
The Senator also presented Senate Bill 395, which would correct an error regarding service time that has specifically affected employees of the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission, to the Pensions Subcommittee, on Thursday.
Lincoln Day Speech
On Monday night, Senator Bailey had the great honor of delivering this year’s Lincoln Day Speech to the Senate. In his remarks, Senator Bailey discussed Lincoln’s ability to use events like Thanksgiving and Christmas to unify our country around a common culture. The Senator also tied Lincoln’s efforts back to the founding of Maryland in St. Mary’s City nearly 400 years ago and to the need to bring our country together in the present day. Senator Bailey’s speech can be viewed in full at: youtube.com/watch?v=EIiG28s0Dr8.
Recognition of Student Page
This week, Senator Bailey was able to meet with Henry Meiser, a student at St. Mary’s Ryken High School, who was able to attend session this week as one of the General Assembly’s pages, to thank him for his work in support of the General Assembly.