BERLIN — There were dozens of new faces and many of the same old issues when the Maryland General Assembly reconvened for the 2015 session on Wednesday.
There were sweeping changes in the make-up of the Maryland General Assembly during the mid-term elections in November as the state followed a nationwide trend to displace many Democratic incumbents with their Republican challengers. In Maryland, a total of 69 new members of Senate and House were elected, representing a changeover of nearly 37 percent in the state legislature.
Among a handful of Democratic incumbents to survive the remarkable transition was Senator Jim Mathias (D-38), who represents Worcester County and much of the Lower Shore. Mathias survived a challenge from former Lower Shore Republican Delegate Mike McDermott in a race ultimately decided by absentee ballots.
“The people of Maryland have spoken,” he said. “I’m just appreciative and very thankful the people of our district had the faith in me to return me to Annapolis to represent them.”
With a significant changeover, the Democratic incumbent said he has already been working the phones and making the rounds in advance of the real meat of the session.
“The most effective thing is building and nurturing relationships,” he said. “That’s the best way to get things done and make real progress. I’m going to build new relationships and improve on the ones I already have.”
It appears, at least on the surface, the state leadership in Annapolis is embracing the spirit of cooperation and partnership as they embark on 2015 session. Mathias said that spirit was evident during the largely ceremonial speeches opening the session on Wednesday.
“Governor-elect Hogan said during his introduction address we have to work together and he was earnest,” he said. “[Senate President] Mike Miller said the same thing. I think the leadership agrees the best way to move forward is working together.”
Freshman Delegate Mary Beth Carozza, elected to the newly-created District 38C seat, which includes Worcester and a section of Wicomico, spent her first day being sworn in and attending the ceremonial opening session. She then hosted family, friends and colleagues at an open house in her new office.
Carozza was named to the all-important House Appropriations Committee late last year, which was considered a coup of sorts for the Lower Shore, which lost long-time committee chairman Norman Conway during the November election. Carozza said the first organizational meetings for the Appropriations Committee were set for yesterday during which subcommittee assignments would likely be made.
With the pomp and circumstance of the session opening dispensed with early, state lawmakers were ready to hit the ground running yesterday. Before the session even opened, 54 bills had been pre-filed in the Senate and House and before the session is over, lawmakers will debate and act on thousands of proposed new bills. Many of the issues will be the same, perhaps most importantly the budget and the state deficit.
Closer to home, there are a handful of issues of local importance to be resolved during the session. State lawmakers will begin anew the debate on Maryland’s phosphorous management tool, a holdover from the O’Malley administration that holds farmers accountable for the nutrients that run off their farms and ultimately into the Chesapeake.
“Agriculture is not the top industry in the state, but it’s certainly near the top,” he said. “We have to get the Phosphorous Management Tool right and that’s a top priority during this session.”