Let your voice be heard
From Delegate Al Carr
November 11, 2009
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| Greetings! |
As we give thanks to our Veterans past and present, I want to alert you to upcoming opportunities to participate in our democracy. Four public meetings in Rockville offer a chance for you to tell me and other state legislators what you think our priorities should be. |
| Transportation "Road Show" Meeting Thursday, November 12th |
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Each year the Maryland Department of Transportation travels to each County to present a draft of the state's six year "consolidated transportation plan" to County officials and State legislators. It is nicknamed "The Road Show".
The Montgomery County meeting is on Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.
The public is welcome to attend, but no public comment or testimony will be taken. Elected officials will have the opportunity to ask questions of state transportation agencies. The meeting will also be broadcast on County Cable Montgomery (Channel 6 on Comcast/RCN and Channel 30 on Verizon FiOS TV).
This is an opportunity to learn about the state's most current plans to fund projects such as Metro, the ICC, the Purple Line, MARC Train, BRAC/Bethesda Naval Hospital improvements, the Georgia/Randolph intersection and repaving of state roads such as University Boulevard.
For more information about the draft CTP, go to:
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| Joint House and Senate Priorities Hearing, Thursday November 19th |
This hearing is an opportunity for the public to respond to the Road Show and to bring other issues of importance for the 2010 Session to the attention of the legislators. Individuals, civic associations, municipalities and other organizations are welcome to testify and let us know their views.
The Hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. also at the 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.
This meeting will also be also be televised on County Cable Montgomery (6 on Comcast/RCN, 30 on Verizon). |
| House Hearing for Local Bills - Tuesday, December 1st |
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Local bills refer to state legislation that only affect issues specific to Montgomery County. They must be approved by a majority of the 24 Montgomery County Delegates and 8 Senators before being introduced in the General Assembly. The first step is a hearing before the Montgomery County Delegates.
All local bills that were submitted before November 4th are included in the House Hearing for local bills - 7:00 p.m. - 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850. The hearing will be televised on County Cable Montgomery.
A listing of local bills can be found on the Montgomery County Delegation web site:
Local bills submitted after November 4th are considered "late filed" and must be approved by a vote of the House Delegation before they can be heard. If they are approved, they are heard in Annapolis at Delegation meetings during the legislative session. Please check the Delegation web site throughout the session for the most up to date list of bills and the status of each bill. |
| House Hearing for Bi-county bills - Thursday, December 3rd |
| Bi-County bills refer to legislation that requires the approval of both the Montgomery County and the Prince George's County Delegations. Examples are bills affecting the governance of our bi-county water agency, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission or our bi-county park and planning agency, MNCPPC.
Bi-County bills follow the same steps outlined above for local bills but with an added step that they must be approved by the Prince Georges County Delegates and Senators.
The House Hearing for bi-county bills will be on Thursday, December 3rd at 7:00 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Hearing Room, Stella Werner Council Office Bldg., 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850. The hearing will be broadcast on County Cable Montgomery (channel 6 on Comcast/RCN or channel 30 on Verizon FiOS TV).
A listing of bi-county bills can be found on the Montgomery County Delegation web site:
Bi-county bills submitted after November 4th will be heard in Annapolis if accepted by the House Delegation. Again, check the Montgomery County Delegation web site for the most up to date list of bills and the status of each bill. |
| Montgomery County Delegation Committees |
All local and bi-county bills are assigned to one of the committees for study and review before being voted on in the full House Delegation. The local committee then votes to make a recommendation to the full delegation. Each of the local committees is made up of a representative from each of the eight Montgomery County state legislatve districts.
The three current committees are:
- Bi-County Agency Committee (typically deals with WSSC legislation)
- County Affairs Committee
- Land Use and Transportation Committee
The Montgomery County House Delegation is chaired by Delegate Brian Feldman (District 15) and the Montgomery County Senate Delegation is chaired our own Senator Rich Madaleno (District 18). The House Delegation vice chair is Delegate Susan Lee (District 16) and the Senate Delegation vice chair is Senator Jamie Raskin (District 20). | |
Please let us know what you would like to hear about in future newsletters. I am available to meet with you or your group to discuss issues of concern. My Annapolis office can be reached at 301 858-3110 or alfred.carr@house.state.md.us. Sincerely, |
Delegate Al Carr
Maryland's 18th Legislative District
Del. Carr (left) with D18 colleagues Madaleno, Gutierrez & Waldstreicher |
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