Week 10 Annapolis Report (3/20/09)

It's March Madness both on the Court and in the Maryland General Assembly. There are just a few days left to get the bills passed out of the respective houses on third reader before the crossover deadline of March 30th. Which bills will survive with a chance to make it out of committee and to the Big Dance of the House and Senate and eventually be signed by the Governor? Time will tell.

Although the Environmental Matters committee remains skeptical, I am gratified by the attention that my bicycle safety bill, which would require a safe 3-foot bubble around a cyclist when being passed by a car, has received. It is encouraging to see such an overwhelmingly positive community response on the issue.

Michael Dresser's column in Monday's Baltimore Sun cogently addressed the opposition to the legislation. He wrote, "Whatever the rights and wrongs of… [bicyclists] …on the roads, the mismatch in weight and vulnerability between motor vehicles and bicycles is extreme. And the law protects the vulnerable, even when the vulnerable get on our nerves."  Read the whole column by following this link.

Encouraging healthy lifestyles is an important step in revitalizing our healthcare system and combating the obesity epidemic. I introduced two bills this week which would promote a healthy Maryland. On Wednesday, I introduced a bill which would establish the second Wednesday in May as a commemorative day for health improvement and disease prevention. This bill would provide awareness for the many health-related problems facing our state. ...