November 1, 2021

Dear Friend:

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather! The past month has been jam-packed with notable events– I wanted to share some of the latest news with you.

Election Day is TOMORROW, Tuesday, November 2nd. The Mayor and two new Councilmembers will be elected. I am strongly supporting my friend and longtime partner on all things Gaithersburg, Mayor Jud Ashman. To learn more about the five dedicated and impressive Council candidates, visit the City’s website. NOTE: This year, the only voting location will be at Bohrer Park.

The Next Generation 9-1-1 Commission I chair has accomplished SO MUCH over the past four years! We had our final meeting, which was live-streamed on my YouTube Channel. As we wrapped up, I shared a brief video of Commission memories, which is worth watching.

Maryland is incredibly fortunate to have such talented experts supporting our 9-1-1 services. While we have already made significant progress, I will be sponsoring an additional six legislative initiatives next year! (I’ll share the details as we get closer to starting our session.)

Did you know that over 400 bills were introduced nationally in 2021 to support the nonprofit sector? With the help of the National Council of Nonprofits, I established a legislative caucus, bringing legislators together from across the country to swap ideas and advocate for nonprofits. We recently connected to discuss our passion for these vital community organizations.

After 3 years as an invaluable member of my team, Ryan Kirby is leaving as my Chief of Staff. I’m thrilled that he has accepted a job working on Ranked Choice Voting– a legislative initiative of mine for two years. Ryan has been a dedicated, thoughtful, and hard-working partner on issues including my 9-1-1 and election reform legislation. I’ll miss learning from him… and razzing him about his passion for NASCAR. Please join me in thanking him and wishing him the very best moving forward!

My talented Legislative & Communications Director, Abby Snyder, has accepted my offer and will be stepping into Ryan’s role shortly. Among other projects, she has coordinated our work on environmental, equity, and nonprofit bills and has been remarkably successful at getting Unemployment Insurance benefits for my constituents. Look for more staff news as we prepare for the legislative session!

Along with a handful of legislators from other states, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) invited me to Denver, Colorado to observe two counties’ election administration. At the forefront of mail-in voting and much more, Colorado’s systems are impressive. I appreciated the opportunity to learn from other election leaders… as well as Maryland’s own Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, the House Elections Subcommittee Chair.

While I was in Colorado, I caught up with my key 9-1-1 consultant; toured Denver’s impressive 3-1-1 Center; and met with NCSL environmental and fiscal experts about some of my 2022 legislation. It was a tiring, but productive trip! (And, it was the first time I’d been on a plane in almost 1.5 years!)

In case you missed it, I have posted a few “Kibbitzing with Kagan” episodes since my chats with candidates for Governor. You can watch my recent conversations with the fabulous Jake Weissmann (too many cool titles to list!), Gaithersburg Mayor Jud Ashman, and Peerless Rockville’s Executive Director, Nancy Pickard. You can catch other episodes of my podcast on my YouTube Channel and Apple Podcast.

Best,

Cheryl

Cheryl C. Kagan

State Senator, District 17

(Gaithersburg & Rockville)

PS: The Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission will meet in Montgomery County this Friday, November 5 at 6pm, at the Universities at Shady Grove. You can learn more and participate by visiting the Commission’s website.