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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) is declining to put his signatures on two pieces of legislation that seek to advance LGBT rights, instead allowing them to become law without committing to either measure.
The two bills in question are one measure dealing with insurance coverage for infertility treatments for female same-sex couples by giving them parity with heterosexual couples, and another measure allowing transgender and intersex individuals to obtain new, unmarked versions of their birth certificate reflecting their correct name and gender.
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Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery Co.), the chief sponsor of the Senate version of the infertility treatment parity bill, told Metro Weekly that as far as she knows, Maryland is the first state in the country to require insurance companies to provide the same type of coverage for infertility treatments for married lesbian couples as it would for married heterosexual couples with a similar plan. She said she was glad that Hogan chose to allow the bill to take effect without his signature. Read more…
MyMcMedia.com, May 22, 2015
Sen. Cheryl Kagan at a bill-signing with Del. Steve Lafferty, municipal leaders, Senate President Mike Miller, Gov. Larry Hogan, and House Speaker Mike Busch.
The Maryland Municipal League (MML) honored Senator Cheryl Kagan Thursday evening for her effective advocacy on issues affecting Maryland’s cities and towns during the 2015 legislative session, according to a news release from the league.
Kagan, in her first year as a state Senator, is one of just seven senators and delegates to be recognized as a “Super Star” for her work on behalf of municipalities. The awards are given to legislators who go “above and beyond,” according to the Maryland Municipal League. Read more…
In the first four decades of the Maryland Women’s caucus, not one man requested to join. This year, all that changed. Listen here [starting at 31:23]…
Washington Blade, April 17, 2015
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh this week said a bill that would ensure lesbian couples have equal access to fertility treatments may subject heterosexual couples to discrimination.
Frosh in a letter he sent to Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday wrote that Senate Bill 416 and House Bill 838 may violate the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits health insurance plans covered within it from discriminating based on sexual orientation.
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State lawmakers last month approved the bill that state Del. Terri Hill (D-Baltimore and Howard Counties) and state Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery County) introduced in their respective legislative chambers. Read more…
Photo of Sen. Bobby Zirkin by Marylandreporter.com
The fatal shooting on Saturday of an unarmed black man in South Carolina by a white police officer now charged with murder was clearly on the minds of Maryland senators as they debated a 28-year old cap on damages in lawsuits against towns and counties in similar wrongful injuries.
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“There are a lot of small cities and towns that do not have police forces…these little towns could be vulnerable to lawsuits that could bankrupt them,” said Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery. Read more…
With one-week left to go in the 90-day session of the Maryland General Assembly, here is the status of legislation MarylandReporter.com has been following.
Monday after the first meeting of the conference committee on the state budget is scheduled to meet and start resolving differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget.
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SAME-SEX INFERTILITY:A bill providing infertility service coverage for same-sex couples, SB 416 sponsored by Sen. Cheryl Kagan, passed the Senate with a 37-10 vote. It moved onto the House for review where it received a favorable report with no amendments from the House Health and Government Operations committee. CLARIFICATION 4/6/2015, 10:30 a.m. The House version of the bill, HB838 by Del. Terri Hill, passed 94-44 March 24 and was sent to the Senate. Read more…
WHAG TV, April 2, 2015
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – In 2013, same sex marriage became law in Maryland. Two years later, lawmakers are working on bringing equality to health benefits.
“This is about updating our laws in order to reflect the reality that two women can be married and want to start a family. They deserve the same kind of health care coverage that straight couples would have if they’re having trouble conceiving ” said Senator Cheryl Kagan, (D) Montgomery County. View video…
Washington Post, April 1, 2015
A Maryland Senate committee voted Tuesday to approve a watered-down version of a bill proposed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) that was designed to increase the number of charter schools in the state.
Hogan’s original bill made sweeping changes to the state’s charter law, giving schools the ability to hire and fire teachers, doing away with a requirement that charters fall under state collective bargaining rules and giving charters more say over who can attend. Read more…
The Maryland House of Delegates and Senate last week successfully passed, by large margins, their own versions of two bills containing pro-equality provisions that will benefit members of the Free State’s LGBT community. All four bills — two from the House and two from the Senate — will now “cross over” into the opposite chamber, where they will again be considered and voted upon. If passed, both bills will head to Gov. Larry Hogan for his signature into law. Read more…
The Seventh State, March 27, 2015
By David Lublin
Sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Cheryl Kagan (D-17), SB 416 requires insurers to give equal coverage for in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination to lesbian couples. The bill passed third reading in the Senate by 37-10. Read more…
Maryland Reporter, March 26, 2015
By Rebecca Lessner
Legislators debated the meaning of “equality” as they considered a bill that will guarantee insurance benefits for same-sex couples seeking artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.
The proposal, SB 416, expands fertility benefits for all insurance plans in Maryland to include same-sex couples. It passed the Senate Tuesday in a 37-10 vote. A similar bill passed the House Tuesday. Read more…
Baltimore Sun, March 24, 2015
By Michael Dresser and Timothy B. Wheeler
Senate and House pass bills extending insurance mandate for in vitro fertilization to lesbian couples.
Proponents say it’s a matter of equal treatment but foes say it misses mark.
Legislation intended to put lesbians on a par with straight couples on health insurance coverage for advanced fertility procedures has passed both the Senate and the House. Read more…
Baltimore Sun, March 21, 2015
Just two weeks after Rep. Chris Van Hollen announced his candidacy for the Senate, the legislative calendar has thrust him into a high-profile fight over the federal budget on Capitol Hill that will almost certainly have implications for his campaign in Maryland.
The Montgomery County Democrat, the first to enter the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, will have a national platform in coming days from which to present a message that’s just as compatible with the fledgling Senate race as it is for the budget debate.
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“So many times I happen to randomly turn on my television and see my own congressman,” said state Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan, a Montgomery County Democrat who endorsed Van Hollen this week.
He has been a frequent guest recently on national television and radio, and has held daily media events to hammer the GOP budget proposal for cutting financial aid for students, rolling back the Affordable Care Act and trimming food stamps. Read More…
Baltimore Sun, March 19, 2015
Fiona Jardine, right, and her wife Jo Arnone will benefit if the General Assembly passes a bill to extend in vitro health benefits to same-sex couples. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)
If Fiona M. Jardine had a husband, the expensive fertility treatments she’s now undergoing would be covered by her health plan.
But Jardine, 29, is married to a woman, so she and her wife have to pay out of pocket.
A bill that would grant married lesbian couples the same fertility treatment benefits as husbands and wives is advancing in the Maryland General Assembly. The measure passed unanimously in a House subcommittee Tuesday, and full Senate and House committees are likely to vote this week. Read more…
Montgomery County Media, March 18, 2015
by Sonya Burke
State Senator Cheryl Kagan of District 17 has introduced an organ donation bill to expand entry points to Maryland’s registry in order to enlarge the donor pool and shorten the wait for those in need of transplants.
“This bill is about saving lives,” said Kagan. “Expanding our transplant registry will allow us to find a match for the approximately 3,600 Marylanders on waiting lists.” Read more…
Sen. Kagan Press Release, March 16, 2015
On Wednesday, March 18 at 1pm, Senator Cheryl Kagan (D/17) will be joined by a disparate group of witnesses advocating for making state government easily understandable to Marylanders of Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Read more…
WAMU, 88.5 FM, March 12, 2015
Sen. Kagan Press Release, March 10, 2015
In Maryland, 54 percent of residents are registered as organ donors. Unfortunately, that ranks us an embarrassing 27th among states. Sen. Cheryl Kagan, of Rockville and Gaithersburg, has introduced a bill to expand entry points to Maryland’s registry in order to enlarge the donor pool and shorten the wait for those in need of transplants. SB415, the “Enhancing Organ Donor Rates Act,” will be heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings (JPR) Committee tomorrow at 1pm. Read more…
Capital News Service, March 10, 2015
ANNAPOLIS — An estimated 3,600 Marylanders are currently awaiting life-saving organ transplants. Lawmakers in Annapolis are considering legislation that would help facilitate organ donation and raise the state from 27th in the nation for organ donation registration. See video…
WAMU, 88.5 FM, March 9, 2015
The state of Maryland has been at the forefront nationally regarding equality laws for same-sex couples. But advocates say there are still plenty of gaps, and a state senator from Montgomery County intends to close one of them.
Democrat Cheryl Kagan says health insurance carriers can still deny coverage for fertility treatments to lesbian couples. Listen here…
Sen. Kagan Press Release, March 2, 2015
Annapolis, MD: On Wednesday, the Senate Finance committee will hear a bill that will update existing law to include pregnancy and infertility insurance coverage for all married couples. SB416, introduced in February by Senator Cheryl C. Kagan (Rockville and Gaithersburg), would allow all married women, including lesbian couples, who have exhausted other attempts at pregnancy for two years, to receive the same infertility benefits. Read more…
Baltimore Sun, Feb. 9, 2015
Yolanda Vazquez is on location in Annapolis Maryland with Maryland State Senator from District 17 Cheryl Kagan. They discuss the the 2015 Legislative Session. Follow Maryland State Senator Cheryl Kagan on Facebook and Twitter. Taped 01/28/15.
For more videos and information on your your community, go to comcastnewsmakers.com.
Washington Jewish Week, January 29, 2015
Montgomery Gazette, January 28, 2015
Maryland’s 62nd governor Larry Hogan (R) addressed a crowd in front of the Maryland State House in Annapolis, pledging to make Maryland a place of “unlimited promise.” Gov. Larry Hogan took office Wednesday calling for a new era of bipartisan cooperation even as he declared that Maryland fell short economically under the policies imposed by Democratic leaders. Read more…
Delmarva Now, January 21, 2015
When Republican Gov. Larry Hogan was sworn in Wednesday, he brought with him promises of bipartisanship in government — and at lunch.
At Chick and Ruth’s Delly, a restaurant on Main Street in Annapolis known for naming its menu items after Maryland politicians, the newest offerings include “Hogan’s Bipartisan soup” ($5.99), which features Maryland crab and cream of crab “working together.” In addition, the new governor will also have a “Hogan’s Hero,” a cheesesteak with American cheese and grilled onions. ($7.79 for a half; $10.79 for a whole sandwich.) Read more…
Montgomery Gazette, January 20, 2015
Rockville city officials’ wish list for its state lawmakers this session include more state money for schools and road projects, plus clarity in how a municipality’s master plan should be adopted.
The session, which started Jan. 14, runs through April 13.
The city is focused on these priorities:
• Getting more money for school construction to allow schools in Rockville and throughout Montgomery County to deal with increasing enrollment and aging buildings.
• Finding a permanent way for municipalities to get money for road and infrastructure projects through highway user revenues. Read more…
Town Courier, January 14, 2015
by Pam Schipper
The upcoming 2015 legislative session in Annapolis looks a bit daunting. Maryland’s budget shortfall is estimated at $1.2 billion, and new Republican Governor-Elect Larry Hogan was elected on a platform that promised to curb state spending. In December, Governor-Elect Hogan released a statement cautioning “that Marylanders understand that these latest downward numbers mean the upcoming budget choices will be even harder and more difficult than expected.” Read more…
Montgomery Gazette January 13, 2014
Staff writer
Gov.-elect Larry Hogan must understand Montgomery County’s needs and the role it plays in Maryland’s success, incoming District 17 Sen.-elect Cheryl Kagan told Rockville’s mayor and City Council on Monday.
Gov.-elect Larry Hogan must understand Montgomery County’s needs and the role it plays in Maryland’s success, incoming District 17 Sen.-elect Cheryl Kagan told Rockville’s mayor and City Council on Monday.
In the days before taking office, Hogan (R) — an Annapolis businessman — is “not expressing his love for Montgomery County,” said Kagan (D) of Rockville. Read more…
(301) 858-3134
Cheryl.Kagan@senate.state.md.us