This year, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. According to the National Women’s Law Center, Maryland women earn 85.5 cents for every dollar earned by a man. When employers use salary history to decide pay, these gender wage gaps follow applicants from job to job.

 

Last year, Montgomery County unanimously passed Councilmember Evan Glass’s bill, which prohibits County government hiring managers from inquiring about an applicant’s salary history. While my bill SB400 would have expanded this law statewide, I was thrilled thatSB217/HB123, a broader bill, passed. (Passed. Sen. Kagan Co-sponsor)

 

Under Jewish law, women must receive a “Get” (a Jewish divorce) from their husbands before a marriage is considered terminated. Women without this document do not have the right to remarry within the faith. While most Jewish men are willing to grant a “Get,” some withhold it as a means of revenge or leverage related to alimony, visitation rights, or domestic abuse charges.

 

I worked with Jewish communal leaders, a Constitutional scholar, and the Attorney General’s office to draft a bill that respects the separation of Church and State. SB536 would have created a legal tool for women to receive a “Get” before a divorce decree is granted. Although this bill did not pass, we must protect women from this type of abuse. (Failed. Sen. Kagan lead sponsor.)

 

I was proud to once again co-sponsor the “End of Life Option Act.” SB701 would have created a process for a patient to request aid in dying from an attending physician. Terminal illnesses and degenerative diseases can make end-of-life care excruciating for both patients and their loved ones. Eight states and DC allow compassionate choice; I hope Maryland will take action next year. (Failed. Sen. Kagan co-sponsor)

An increasing number of businesses require swiping of customers’ driver’s licenses during a transaction, which captures and stores our personal information. Swiping can make us more vulnerable to identity theft via hacking. SB34 passed the Senate unanimously in 2019; this year, some powerful business lobbyists fought the bill, demanding amendments and killing the bill in Committee. (Failed. Sen. Kagan lead sponsor.)

 

 

Last year, I enacted legislation to require that our State Board of Elections live-stream its meetings and post agendas and minutes on its website.  This session, I expanded that practice to the Emergency Number Systems Board (the 9-1-1 Board); Maryland Stadium Authority; Maryland Transportation Authority; and the Public Service Commission. I believe in government transparency, especially when agencies have significant fiscal responsibility. (Passed! Sen. Kagan lead sponsor.) 

 

The Urban Institute reported that 80% of Maryland’s nonprofit grantees work with more than one State agency. Many of the required forms are complex and duplicative, requiring nonprofits and State employees to spend an inordinate amount of time on paperwork. SB630 establishes the Maryland Efficient Grant Application (MEGA) Council to review current procedures with an eye toward simplification. It will develop a “Common App” grant process across State agencies, similar to those students use when applying to colleges. Modeled on the innovative program created in Illinois, this will save time and money for both nonprofits and the State. My bill attracted strong, bipartisan support among my colleagues– every Senator signed on as a co-sponsor! (Passed! Sen. Kagan lead sponsor.)