Legacy Talk Radio Interview: July 17, 2015
By John Riley
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…
MyMcMedia Interview, April 28, 2015
Sen. Cheryl Kagan on the Purple Line
MyMCMedia interview, April 24, 2015
The Kojo Nnamdi Show, April 22, 2015
Men in the Maryland Women’s Caucus
Bethesda Magazine, April 16, 2015
Maryland Reporter, April 10, 2015
By Rebecca Lessner

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…
Maryland Reporter, April 6, 2015
By Rebecca Lessner
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
Maryland Lawmakers Work to Provide Fertility Benefits for Married Lesbian Couples
By Kirstin Garriss
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
Maryland Senate panel approves watered-down charter school bill
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…
Metro Weekly, March 31, 2015
Infertility coverage, transgender birth certificate bills pass first hurdle in Md.
By John Riley
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
Equal IVF Treatment for Same-Sex Couples Passes Senate
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
Fertilization coverage for same-sex couples causes Senate debate
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
In vitro mandate bill for same-sex couples passes both chambers
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
Budget debate unfolds at opportune time for Van Hollen
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
Bill would require fertility benefits for lesbians
By Michael Dresser

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
Senator Kagan Sponsors Bill to Save Lives
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
State Government Must be Language-Accessible Under Senator Kagan’s Bill
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
Organ Donor Signups Would Be Expanded Under Maryland Lawmaker’s Bill
Maryland ranks in the middle among states nationally when it comes to organ donation, but one state senator from Montgomery County wants to move that ranking higher.
Democrat Cheryl Kagan says Maryland ranks 27th out of 50 states in percentage of residents who are organ donors. The problem, she says, is that there are only a few places people can sign up to be donors, with the most notable being with the Maryland Vehicle Administration when they get a driver’s license. Listen here…
Sen. Kagan Press Release, March 10, 2015
Senator Cheryl Kagan, Along with 43 State Senators, Sponsors Bill to Save Lives
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
VIDEO: Organ Donor Expansion Bill Aims to Save Lives
By Gillian Morley
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
Maryland Bill Would Help Secure Fertility Coverage For Lesbian Couples
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
Senator Kagan Bill Seeks to Align Insurance Benefits with Marriage Laws
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
Maryland Senate votes to raise maximum speed limit to 70 mph
The top speed on some Maryland highways could go to 70 miles per hour under a bill passed by the Senate Thursday.
The measure carried by a vote of 39 to 7, with dissenters warning increasing speed limits could cause more crashes and traffic fatalities.
Sen. George C. Edwards, a Garrett County Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said the bill authorizes but does not require the State Highway Administration to raise speed limits on some interstates and expressways. Most interstate highways are built to handle vehicles going 70 miles per hour, he said, noting that neighboring Pennsylvania and West Virginia already have that as their top speed. Read more…
Comcast Newsmakers, January 29, 2015
Senator Cheryl Kagan, District 17
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
Senator Cheryl C. Kagan Sworn-In in Annapolis

Montgomery Gazette, January 28, 2015
Annual legislative briefing empowers women, including next generation
The Montgomery County Commission for Women on Sunday held its 35th Women’s Legislative Briefing in Rockville. After 3½ decades of the annual conference, organizers decided it was time to foster the next generation of female leaders in the county.
“We really feel like in terms of advocacy we need to be sure our young women are doing advocacy,” said Chandra Walker Holloway, immediate past president of the commission. “Many of our advocates are aging.” Read more…
Washington Post, January 21, 2015
Hogan sworn in as Maryland’s governor