In addition to receiving a $3,000 college scholarship, seven contest winners from across the nation will win an all-expenses-paid trip to NFWL’s Annual Conference (November 18-22, 2010) which will be held at The Ritz – Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida.  At the conference, winners will be able to network with, be mentored by and speak to hundreds of women lawmakers from across the United States.

Entries must be received or postmarked no later than July 30, 2010, after which an NFWL selection committee will judge each essay and determine the seven winners.  The judges will primarily weigh the factors of storytelling, understanding of the Bill of Rights and original insight.

Visit www.votehaddaway.com for details or for an application!

If there was ever a time to come together on Maryland’s budget woes, now would be the time.  With a cumulative $8 billion deficit by 2015 on the horizon, we have to make systemic changes in Maryland’s budget unless we want future generations to inherit the burden.

Recently the Democrat leadership of the Maryland General Assembly invited the Republicans to share their ideas on how to resolve the structural deficit.  The House Republican Caucus accepted that invitation and unveiled a plan that would end the structural deficit, fully fund the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund, eliminate the need for state employee furloughs and allow Maryland to roll back the tax increases from 2007.

I realize that with 188 legislators there are 188 different opinions on how to balance the budget and I also realize that the devil is always in the details.  However, the challenge for this legislative session will be choosing options from both sides of the aisle that will ultimately result in a balanced budget without the need for future tax increases.  While some have chosen to stand on the sidelines and pick the Republican plan apart or criticize the Democrats for inviting us to the table, the exercise was never meant to be a fait accompli.  Rather, it is a starting point.  In the words of one Democrat Senator who attended the meeting, “we need all hands on deck” and in the words of Ronald Reagan, “all great change in America begins at the dinner table”.

Delegate Bill Frank (R-District 42) has suggested that we move to a defined contribution plan instead.  I think he has a great idea for two reasons.  First, it could save the state $700,000-$1,000,000 every year.  Second, in these tough fiscal times, the State must address looming and growing obligations such as pension funding.  A debate on Delegate Frank’s plan will take place on the House floor tomorrow and I will be supporting his plan.

The legislation would freeze in place the existing American Cancer Society guidelines for mammograms which recommend regular annual screenings for women age 40 and up. Last year the United States Preventive Services Task Force proposed changing the existing guidelines to annual mammograms only for women age 50 and up. Many members of the medical community have rejected these recommendations.

Knowing that early detection is key to surviving breast cancer and given the fact that I know someone in their early thirties who is fighting it right now, I gladly cosponsored this legislation. The bill has broad bi-partisan support and will hopefully pass this legislative session.

For more information on breast cancer and breast cancer screening, visit www.breastcancer.org.

Unfortunately, Maryland was named as one of the worst states in the survey with over 30% of children held at the Backbone Mountain Youth Center in Maryland reporting to have been sexually abused.  Many of the incidents involved staff members. 

This is truly astounding and unacceptable.  Maryland can do better and so can our Department of Juvenile Services.

It is according to Delegate Don Dwyer (R-Anne Arundel County).  Delegate Dwyer points to the fact that Article 15, Section 2 of the Maryland constitution states that an elected state official that is convicted or enters a plea shall be suspended by operation of law without pay or benefits from the elective office”.  Further, Article 15 requires that once the individual is sentenced and the conviction becomes final, they be permanently removed from office.

Due to a lack of response from the Attorney General’s Office, Delegate Dwyer will be introducing legislation.  In his own words, the legislation will, “clearly state when any elected official is convicted by a jury, the official must be immediately suspended without pay or benefits upon the jury’s conviction”.

He also makes a very valid point that as elected officials, we take an oath of office to uphold the constitution and the laws of Maryland.  While everything is subject to interpretation, it seems that the constitution is pretty clear on this matter. 

So the next natural question is, will the Maryland General Assembly give serious review to this issue?  Stay tuned …

The fact of the matter is that International Marriage Brokers bring tens of thousands of women into this country every year promising them the American dream.  In some cases it turns out to be a nightmare instead.  Not in Maryland you say?  Just ask Natalyia Fox who was brought to the US by Encounters International in Bethesda, Maryland and matched with a man who had a known history of violence.  In one incident, her husband assaulted her for two hours because she asked him to help with their new born baby.  When she asked Encounters International for help, they did nothing.  They actually told her that this was normal behavior in American culture and that she should learn to deal with it or get deported.

Furthermore, these web sites treat women like commodities and use gender and ethnic stereotypes to promote their “services”.  One web site goes so far as to say that “a Russian woman will rarely leave a husband (really BAD) husband because of the fear that she won’t find another one”.  I don’t know about you, but this is not the “Maryland with Pride” I had in mind.  My legislation would not eliminate or shut these businesses down, but would simply provide guidelines for how they operate in our State.

Failures at the federal level to implement and enforce the current federal law have left it up to the States to take leadership and to find a better way.  I hope that Maryland can be one of those states in the upcoming session.

One incentive that has been effective is the Maryland Historic Tax Credit.  Unfortunately, without action from the Maryland General Assembly, the program will expire next year.

While legislation was introduced last year, it failed to pass before the end of session.  One of the main points of contention was how much funding any one jurisdiction should be allowed to receive (75% being the magic threshold).  I think we should spread the tax credits across the state focusing on areas where there is an urge to “control growth” (i.e. the Eastern Shore) and downtown areas that are in the process of revitalizing (i.e. – Cambridge, Frederick, Takoma Park, Denton, Berlin and other Main Street Maryland towns).  Unfortunately these areas might not have enough political clout in an election year to argue for an equal share.  

More importantly, I think the program is too effective to let lapse and this will definitely be an issue of interest in the 2010 Legislative Session.