Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
Motto Facing The Rising Sun of a New Day Begun
Formation 1970
Type Political organization
Legal status 501(c)(4)
Purpose public policies
Headquarters Lowe House Office Building
Location
Region served
Maryland, United States of America
Membership
48 members
Official language
English
Chairman
 Cheryl D. Glenn
Parent organization
 National Black Caucus of State Legislators
Affiliations Maryland Legislative Black Caucus Foundation
Staff
1
Volunteers
10
Website www.legislativeblkcaucusmd.org

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (also known as The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus) is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly.[1] Incorporated in 1970, the Caucus membership has grown from 17 to 44 and is one of the largest state legislative black caucuses in the country.

Role

By drafting and sponsoring legislation to address constituent needs and by examining all bills that affect the black populace, the Caucus acts as a legislative body on behalf of the black community. Currently, of Maryland's 24 sub-divisions, only Baltimore City, Prince Georges, Baltimore, Montgomery, Howard and Wicomico Counties have elected members to the Maryland Black Caucus. So additionally the Caucus presents a black perspective from the entire state to the Legislature and advocates public policies that promote black social, cultural and economic progress, statewide. In addition, the Caucus serves as a research study group to generate pertinent data in support of appropriate public policies.

2009 legislation

During the 2009 session of the Maryland General Assembly, the following Caucus general priorities were passed: SB 186- Correctional Facilities-Released Inmates-Identification Cards Sponsored by Senator Catherine Pugh. This bill will require the Commissioner of Correction to issue an identification card to an inmate before being released from confinement in a State Correctional facility. The identification card must comply with the requirements for secondary identification for the purpose of an identification card issued by the Motor Vehicle Administration.

SB 489- Minority Business Enterprise Certification-Cap on Personal Net Worth Sponsored by Senator Catherine Pugh. This bill requires that the personal net worth cap for eligibility in the State’s Minority Business Enterprise program be adjusted annually according to the Consumer Price Index. Personal net worth does not include up to $500,000 of the cash value of any qualified retirement savings plan or individual retirement account. The Maryland Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Attorney General’s office and specified legislative committees must evaluate whether the personal net worth cap should be further adjusted, and report its findings to the General Assembly by December 1, 2010.

SB 568-Minority Business Enterprise Program-Directory of Minority Business Enterprise Sponsored by Senator Catherine Pugh. This bill requires the Maryland Department of Transportation to include in its directory of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) a list of all MBEs that are ineligible to participate in the State’s MBE program because (1) one or more of its owners has a personal net worth that exceeds the statutory cap; or (2) the MBE no longer qualifies as a small business under federal guidelines.

HB 637- Task Force on Prisoner Reentry Sponsored by Delegate Gerron Levi, this emergency bill establishes a Task Force on Prisoner Reentry. The Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services, or the Secretary’s designee, must chair the task force and provide staff support for the taskforce from the Department. An interim report to the Governor and the General Assembly is required by December 31, 2010 and final report of findings and recommendation is required by December 31, 2011.

During the 2009 session of the Maryland General Assembly, the following Caucus budgetary priorities were passed:

2007 legislation

During the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland pushed several bills through both Houses and had them signed into law. One of which was a bill that required state contractors to pay their employees a “living wage.” For fiscal year 2008, the living wage is set at $11.30 in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties and Baltimore City. It is set at $8.50 for all other areas of the State. Additionally, the Caucus pushed for SB 488. This bill allows an individual convicted of any crime, with the exception of buying or selling votes, to register to vote if not actually serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any term of parole or probation, for a felony conviction.[2] Another Caucus bill, SB 543-2007 Darfur Protection Act-Divestiture from the Republic of Sudan, requires the Board of Trustees of the State Retirement and Pension System to encourage companies hold actively traded accounts in its portfolio that conduct business in Sudan to act responsibly and avoid actions that promote or enable human rights violations in Sudan.[3] Additionally, the Caucus pushed for Senate Joint resolution 6 which requires the state to express regret for the role that Maryland played in instituting and maintaining slavery and for the discrimination that was slavery’s legacy.[4] The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland also supported the creation of state debt for funding for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. $500,000 was awarded to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation.

Current membership

Officers 2016-2018

District Officers Position
45 Delegate Cheryl D, Glenn Chair
25 Delegate Darryl Barnes 1st Vice-chair
28 Delegate Edith J. Patterson 2nd Vice-chair
26 Delegate Benjamin Brooks Treasurer
37A Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes Secretary
14 Delegate Pamela Queen Financial Secretary
24 Senator Joanne C. Benson Chaplain
44B Delegate Charles E. Sydnor III, Esq. Parliamentarian
45 Senator Nathaniel McFadden Historian
- Andy-Evens Pierre Executive Director

Senators

DistrictCounty(s) RepresentedMember SenatorPartyFirst ElectedCommittee
24 Prince George's Joanne C. Benson Democratic 1998 Finance
43 Baltimore City Joan Carter Conway Democratic 1997[5] Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs (Chair)
25 Prince George's Ulysses Currie Democratic 1994 Budget and Taxation (Chair)
41 Baltimore City Lisa A. Gladden Democratic 2002 Judicial Proceedings
10 Baltimore County Delores G. Kelley Democratic 1994 Finance
26 Prince George's C. Anthony Muse Democratic 2006 Judicial Proceedings
44 Baltimore City and County Shirley Nathan-Pulliam Democratic 1994
40 Baltimore City Catherine E. Pugh Democratic 2006 Finance
45 Baltimore City Nathaniel J. McFadden Democratic 1994 Budget and Taxation

House members

DistrictCounty (-ies) RepresentedMember DelegatePartyFirst ElectedCommittee
10 Baltimore County Adrienne Jones Democratic 1997[5] Appropriations
13 Howard Frank S. Turner Democratic 1994 Ways and Means
18 Montgomery Alfred Carr Democratic 2007[6] Environmental Matters
21 Prince George's, Anne Arundel Joseline Pena-Melnyk Democratic 2006 Health and Government Operations
22 Prince George's Tawanna Gaines Democratic 2001[5] Appropriations
22 Prince George's Alonzo Washington Democratic 2012 Ways and Means
23B Prince George's Marvin Holmes Democratic 2002 Environmental Matters
24 Prince George's Carolyn J.B. Howard Democratic 1988[5] Ways and Means
24 Prince George's Michael Vaughn Democratic 2002 Economic Matters
25 Prince George's Dereck E. Davis Democratic 1994 -
25 Prince George's Angela Angel Democratic 2015 Health and Government Operations
26 Prince George's Jay Walker Democratic 2006 Ways and Means
26 Prince George's Veronica Turner Democratic 2002 Health and Government Operations
27A Prince George'sCalvert Suzie Proctor Democratic 1990[5] Appropriations (Vice-Chair)
28 Charles C.T. Wilson Democratic 2010 Environmental Matters
37A Wicomico, Dorchester, Democratic 1998 Environmental Matters
40 Baltimore City Frank Conaway, Jr. Democratic 2006 Judiciary
40 Baltimore City Barbara Robinson Democratic 2006 Appropriations
41 Baltimore City Jill P. Carter Democratic 2002 Judiciary
41 Baltimore City Nathaniel T. Oaks Democratic 1982 Health and Government Operations
43 Baltimore City Curt Anderson Democratic 1982 Judiciary
43 Baltimore City Mary L. Washington Democratic 2010 Ways and Means
44A Baltimore City Keith E. Haynes Democratic 2002 Appropriations
45 Baltimore City Talmadge Branch Democratic 1994 Appropriations
45 Baltimore City Cheryl Glenn Democratic 2006 Environmental Matters
45 Baltimore City Cory McCray Democratic 2015
47 Prince George's Diana Fennell Democratic 2015

History

Former chairmen Trotter and Anderson with Rev. Jesse Jackson during a Caucus meeting in Annapolis, Maryland (1988)

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland was formed in 1970 as the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus. The Caucus has increased from it original membership of 17 to its present membership of 44.[7] From its inception to the 1990s, only Prince George's County and Baltimore City had sent members to the Caucus. The present membership of the Legislative Black Caucus now includes elected representatives from Baltimore and Montgomery counties as well as the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Former chairs

Parren Mitchell receiving a Maryland House of Delegates citation from the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and House Speaker Ben Cardin on the occasion os his retirement. (from l-r: Delegates Elijah Cummings, Clarence Davis, Hattie Harrison, John Douglass, Nathaniel Oaks, Ben Cardin, Pete Rawlings, Parren Mitchell, Curt Anderson, Ruth Kirk, Ralph Hughes, Larry Young, Wendell Phillips, Margaret "Peggy" Murphy

Maryland Manual-List of Black Caucus Chairman

Name Tenure County
Delegate Barbara A. Robinson 2014 - 2016 Baltimore City
Delegate Aisha Braveboy 2012-2014 Prince George's County
Senator Catherine E. Pugh 2010-2012 Baltimore City
Delegate Veronica L. Turner 2008-2010 Prince Georges
Senator Verna L. Jones 2006-2008 Baltimore City
Delegate Rudolph C. Cane 2004-2006 Wicomico
Delegate Obie Patterson 2002-2004 Prince Georges
Delegate Talmadge Branch 2000-2002 Baltimore City
Delegate Carolyn J. B. Howard 1998-2000 Prince Georges
Senator Larry Young 1996-1997 Baltimore City
Delegate Joanne C. Benson 1995-1996 Prince Georges
Delegate John D. Jefferies 1992-1994 Baltimore City
Delegate Christine M. Jones 1991-1992 Prince Georges
Delegate Curt Anderson 1988-1990 Baltimore City
Senator Decatur "Bucky" Trotter 1986-1988 Prince Georges
Delegate Elijah E. Cummings 1984-1985 Baltimore City
Senator Clarence W. Blount 1982-1984 Baltimore City
Delegate Frank Conaway, Sr. 1981-1982 Baltimore City
Senator Robert Douglas 1978-1980 Baltimore City
Delegate Arthur Murphy, Sr. 1978 Baltimore City
Senator Robert Douglas 1976-1978, Baltimore City
Delegate Lloyal Randolph 1972-1975 Baltimore City
Delegate Arthur King 1970-1972 Prince Georges

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/07leg/html/caucus/black.html#senate
  2. ↑ "SB488". Maryland Legislative Information System. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
  3. ↑ http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/sb0543.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17813609/
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Originally appointed to office to fill an open seat, rather than elected. Each member so marked has been elected in their own right since their appointment.
  6. ↑ Originally appointed to office to fill an open seat, rather than elected.
  7. ↑ "About Us". Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.