January 18, 2024

January 14 marked 100 days since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel. I mourn the lives lost in the ongoing war. There are an estimated 136 hostages– including American citizens. Today, many of us heard devastating personal stories from family members of those still held captive by Hamas. #BringThemHomeNow

Going Green

In the midst of our ongoing Climate Crisis, my bill to help nonprofits transition to “green energy” was well-received. SB169 creates an interest-free revolving loan fund. Thirty-seven Senators signed on as co-sponsors; the bill was a key legislative priority for Maryland Nonprofits. Given the unanimous Senate endorsement the past two years, I am hopeful that the bill will be approved in short order so it can move to the House.

Even More Transparent & Inclusive Elections

• Did you know that roughly 20 percent of the General Assembly was appointed rather than elected? Voters should be able to pick their elected officials, and my Constitutional Amendment would mandate this for most legislative vacancies.

• Unaffiliated voters are limited to casting a ballot for the Board of Education in Primary Elections. This fast-growing segment of our electorate would have better “Ballot Access” under SB 99. It allows re-registration with a political party during Early Voting and the right to cast a full ballot during Primary Elections.

• Bills addressing our election recount process and clarifying campaign finance laws both passed the Senate unanimously last year. SB 115 aims to update how recounts are handled, increasing accuracy and efficiency. SB 16 would increase transparency and close the campaign finance loopholes for Exploratory and Draft Committees by requiring disclosure and itemizing which equipment, services, and other expenditures would be permitted.

Great Turnout!

Last night, along with Delegates Julie Palakovich Carr, Joe Vogel, and Ryan Spiegel, I hosted a virtual Town Hall meeting for our constituents. We covered a wide range of topics, including the State budget, the environment, and public safety. If you missed it, you can watch the recording on my YouTube channel!

All the best,

Cheryl

Cheryl C. Kagan

State Senator, District 17

(Gaithersburg & Rockville)

www.CherylKagan.org

PS: Have you seen the latest episodes of my podcast, “Kibbitzing with Kagan?” Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld and I chatted about Metro, the ICC, BWI Airport, the proposed expansion of I-270/495, and much more! Greg Minoff of Blue Wall Mail was another fun recent guest. Among other things, we talked about crafting effective direct mail and strategic messaging that results in campaign victories! You can find all of my episodes here.