I have been talking to lawmakers – calling everyday for status of our bill, HB 1335. It appears that the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Anne Healy, is holding the bill up and has not yet called for a vote at the direction of House and possibly Senate leadership. If you remember we need a two-thirds majority to get it out of this Committee because the HB 1335 bill was submitted late. Trying to get information out of these lawmakers is like pulling teeth. Well I can assure you that by the time this is over they will be wearing dentures.
Until the Chairman brings it to a vote, the members of the Committee cannot vote. So a handful of people are holding our reinstatement bill in limbo. You got it. Out of 141 people in the House of Delegates – Eight people determine whether this bill gets out of the House Rules Committee. EIGHT People! Let that sink in. If THEY won’t support you now – how can YOU support them for re-election in 2022?
So I need everyone to flood their phone lines. Why? Each message is logged, either by the person who picks up the phone or by the person who has to retrieve the voice mail. Emails can be deleted( after receipt of an automated response) , faxes can be thrown away, but a phone call to a live body could make the difference for our cause. I hope that we call so much that we get that beautiful message – Sorry we are unable to take your message because the voice mail is full. Can you do this? Can you get HB 1335 out of committee? If you can commit to calling these eight people once a day – it should make a difference.
So call and tell them that you want HB 1335 voted out of committee. Tell them we worked for the State of Maryland for countless years and that WE pay THEM to work for us! Tell them that State retirees are UNITED in this issue. Tell them that if that you worked for this benefit – you earned it. Tell them that if they can’t work this bill - State retirees will show them at election time that WE MATTER.
Delegate Anne Healey, Chairman (410) 841-3961, (301) 858-3961
Delegate Marvin E. Holmes, Jr. , vice Chair (410) 841-3310, (301) 858-3310
Delegate Adrienne Jones, Speaker of the House, (410) 841-3800, (301) 858-3800
Delegate Sheree Sample Hughes, Speaker Pro Tem (410) 841-3427, (301) 858-3427
Delegate Eric Luedtke, Majority Leader, (410) 841-3110, (301) 858-3110
Delegate Talmadge Branch, Majority Whip, (410) 841-3398, (301) 858-3398
Delegate Nicholaus Kipke, Minority Leader (410) 841-3421, (301) 858-3421
Delegate Kathy Szeliga, Minority Whip (410) 841-3698, (301) 858-3698
Senator Bill Ferguson, President, (410) 841-3600, (301) 858-3600
Ken Fitch
President