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As the Maryland legislature has settled in for its 446th session, state lawmakers will consider thousands of pieces of legislation — including dozens of measures that tweak local laws.
Most of those local issues are initially settled at the local level, with lawmakers organized into their respective regional, county and city delegations. While there are some changes to delegation leadership in 2024, several delegations will be led by familiar faces.
Several delegations held their first meetings online this month, with members voting to retain the same leadership. That includes Frederick County, where House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy (R) will continue as delegation chair and Sen. William Folden (R) as the vice chair.
“I look forward to working on behalf on everyone in the delegation this year,” Pippy said Jan. 12.
Delegations schedule regular meetings during the 90-day session to hear presentations from community, business and education leaders and discuss proposed state legislation to benefit their jurisdiction.
Del. Nicole Williams (D), the recently appointed chair of the Prince George’s County delegation, said her county has two main priorities in this year’s session: ensure the $400 million state investment remains intact to redevelop communities near four Metrorail stations called the Blue Line corridor, and increase health care resources in the state’s second-largest jurisdiction of nearly one million people.
“This session is going to be a very interesting one,” Williams, who replaced now-Sen. Nick Charles (D-Prince George’s), said in a recent interview. “Everyone is aware of the budget deficit that we’re facing [and] the hard decisions that are going to have to be made”
Del. Andrea Fletcher Harrison will be vice chair.
Besides new leadership in Prince George’s, there weren’t many other changes among the state’s delegations, according to the General Assembly website.
Del. Stephanie Smith (D-Baltimore) will continue as chair of the city’s House delegation, but Del. Robbyn Lewis (D-Baltimore) will now serve as first vice chair. Former Del. Tony Bridges (D) served in that role for part of last year, but he resigned in May to become assistant secretary for transportation equity and engagement at the state Department of Transportation.
Here’s the remaining leadership of the House and Senate delegations.
House of Delegates
- Allegany – House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R), chair
- Anne Arundel – Del. Heather Bagnall (D), chair; Del. Dana Jones (D), vice chair
- Baltimore County – Del. Eric Ebersole (D), chair; Del. Carl Jackson (D), vice chair
- Calvert – Del. Mark Fisher (R), chair
- Caroline – Del. Jefferson Ghrist (R), chair
- Carroll – Del. April Rose (R), chair
- Cecil – Del. Kevin Hornberger (R), chair (R); Del. Jay Jacobs (R), vice chair
- Charles – Del. Debra Davis (D), chair
- Dorchester – Del. Thomas S. Hutchinson (R), chair
- Garrett – Del. Jim Hinebaugh Jr. (R), chair
- Harford – Del. Teresa Reilly (R), chair; Del. Susan McComas (R), vice chair
- Howard – Del. Jessica Feldmark (D), chair
- Kent – Del. Jay Jacobs (R), chair
- Montgomery – Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D), chair; Del. Emily Shetty (D), vice chair
- Queen Anne’s – Del. Steven Arentz Jr. (R), chair
- St. Mary’s – Del. Todd Morgan (R), chair
- Somerset – Del. Charles Otto (R), chair
- Talbot – Del. Christopher Adams (R), chair
- Washington – Del. William Wivell (R), chair
- Wicomico – Del. Carl Anderton Jr. (R), chair
- Worcester – Del. Wayne Hartman (R), chair
House Regional committees:
- Eastern Shore – Adams serves as the chair and Anderton as vice chair
- Southern Maryland – Del. Edith Patterson (D-Charles)
- Western Maryland – Wivell serves as the chair and Del. Barrie Ciliberti (R-Frederick) as vice chair
Senate
- Anne Arundel – Sen. Dawn Gile (D), chair
- Baltimore – Sen. Jill P. Carter (D), chair
- Baltimore County – Sen. Charles Sydnor III (D), chair; Sen. Katherine Klausmeier (D), vice chair
- Harford – Sen. Jason Gallion (R), chair
- Howard – Sen. Clarence Lam (D), chair
- Montgomery – Sen. Benjamin F. Kramer (D), chair
- Prince George’s – Sen. Michael Jackson (D), chair; Sen. Ron Watson (D), vice chair
- Carroll and Frederick counties – Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready (R-Carroll), chair
- Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties – Sen. Paul Corderman (R), chair; Sen. Mike McKay (R), vice chair
- Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties – Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles), chair
