“I hate to say this, but I don’t think we have much choice. At this late hour, we have to accept the Senate amendments. That being said, what do the amendments do?” I emailed our committee counsel on election law.

          I had just read the changes that a Senate committee had made to the House bill requiring disclosure of independent expenditures in campaigns for state or local offices.

          Prompted by the Supreme Court’s United Citizens decision, my objective when helping to draft this bill was to impose the same requirements for campaign spending by groups acting independently of a candidate that we have long had for committees formed by a candidate.

           I was far from elated when I read the lengthy Senate amendments. So I emailed our staff person.

            “They’re technical,” he responded.

              I hope that’s the case for the amendments that may be added to other bills in the approaching final days of the session.

April 7

           Many games will be played between now and midnight on April 11, when the session ends.

           And I don’t mean baseball games.

           A senator may delay action on your bill because the committee you serve on hasn’t voted favorably on the senator’s bill.

           In response, the House committee can amend your bill onto the Senator’s bill, if they both deal with the same subject.

           I have encouraged this in the past and may do so again in the near future.

           Do unto others as they have done unto you.

           Sometimes, a delay can be only a delay, without any Machiavellian intentions.

           I spoke with an advocate who was concerned that inaction on our bill was a bad sign.

           “I don’t think so,” I replied. “Besides, with seven work days left in the session, we don’t need to be paranoid yet.”

            We also talked about getting publicity for our bill the day it is signed into law by the Governor.

            “I’m not going to request that our legislation be signed on a certain day until it passes both houses,” I said. “I may not be paranoid, but I am superstitious.”

April 1

            I got most of my work done today by running into people. 

            Just before the Senate went into session, I walked into that chamber, looking for a senator who had delayed a vote on one of my bills in committee yesterday. 

            I didn’t find that person but did run into the chair of another committee.  We talked briefly about another bill of mine.  He told me he supported it. 

           Outside of my committee, I ran into the government relations for a non-profit association.  He agreed to put in writing his group’s position on a certain bill of mine. 

            After testifying in the Senate on a bill that I had co-sponsored, I had a conversation with a for-hire lobbyist.  I told him about my strategy for a bill at next year’s session.  He liked it.  He then lobbied me about a bill that will be voted on by the Baltimore City delegation tomorrow. 

            I won’t have discussions like this when I swim at the Naval Academy later today.

March 31

         “I love to be over here.”

          That’s how one of my House colleagues began his testimony before a Senate committee.

          My sentiments exactly. You’re testifying in the Senate only if your bill has passed the House.

          My legislation would prohibit the use of force, threat or intimidation by those gathering signatures to petition onto the ballot a recently enacted law or a zoning decision. It would apply the same standards to those opposing the referendum effort.

          Afterwards, I emailed someone who knows the Senate committee well to get his assessment of how my bill was received.

           While I was at the hearing, my last bill that’s likely to make it to the Senate this session began its journey there.

           My legislation to allow law students to receive grants for lower-paying summer jobs in State’s Attorneys offices and non-profit legal groups received a favorable report from the education subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee.

March 24