For local lawmakers, 2021 session was a grind, lacked impromptu chats

Apr. 13—ANNAPOLIS — Before delegates and senators began work on the last day of the 2021 legislative session in Maryland's capital, overall activity was relatively quiet near the statehouse.

When floor sessions began, the mood of each chamber was subdued versus prior days and weeks — when lawmakers worked on important issues such as police reform, parole eligibility for those convicted of major crimes and sports wagering, among other topics.

Lawmakers worked out the final kinks on sports wagering Monday, but the day was mostly spent finalizing whatever legislation seemed to have a chance to reach Gov. Larry Hogan's desk.

It was an interesting session for Del. Karen Lewis Young (D-Frederick), who chaired the Frederick County delegation during a time when committees completed most of their work via Zoom calls. The House chamber itself was split between the statehouse and House office building.

Lewis Young said precautions due to the pandemic made some aspects more difficult.

"Communication has been a major challenge, and the art of negotiation is somewhat compromised by the inability to speak in a group face-to-face ... I know you can get on a screen, but it's not quite the same," Lewis Young said.

That applies to either working with fellow delegates or, in a typical year, walking the short distance from the House to the Senate in order to grab a senator for a quick chat, she said.

Despite those logistical challenges, there still were multiple floor debates, with Democrats arguing with Republicans on issues such as police reform and major education legislation.

Del. Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick and Carroll) was frank when assessing the mood of the House of Delegates in 2021. He said there seemed to be more "partisan activity" than in prior years.

Pippy took the lead on arguing for House Republicans multiple times this session, whether on police reform, supporting Hogan's veto on the Kirwan education bill or other items. He said he was "honored" to serve in that role.

There is an art to making arguments on the House floor, especially given the amount of proposed legislation each year, Pippy said.

"There are some people that get up, they get up too frequently, they get up too often ... in Annapolis, to be effective, you need to be a workhorse and not a show horse, and sometimes I think people get the two confused," Pippy said.

"It's important to kind of pick and choose your battles because we hear almost 3,000 pieces of legislation [each year]," he added.

Pippy, Lewis Young and Sen. Michael Hough (R-Frederick and Carroll) said they were proud of money the delegation secured for capital projects and other needs in Frederick County. According to an analysis by Lewis Young's staff, roughly $24.6 million was secured for county capital improvement projects in 2021. Another $685,000 was secured in bond initiatives.

Hough called the session "grueling," saying it was full of long floor sessions and committee hearings. Part of that, he said, was Republicans spent a lot of time trying to moderate and fight bills they felt were bad legislation.

Republican senators used the filibuster and tried to sway their colleagues across the aisle in both chambers to change legislation but failed more times than not, Hough said. He said it's clear to him more Republican senators are needed in Annapolis to give his party a fighting chance.

"Every time I was coming into committee, it was another pile of bills stacked on my desk, and we were constantly on the defense trying to stop all these from going into law," Hough said.

Del. Ken Kerr (D-Frederick) didn't dispute Hough and Pippy's assessment that the 2021 session was sometimes more contentious than in his prior time in Annapolis. And there was evidence of that on the session's last day, as debate occurred about not only legislative policy but also parliamentary procedure, especially in the afternoon.

Kerr said part of the partisan mood was because police reform and other topics are tough policy issues to talk about. But there also were challenges due to the pandemic safety precautions, he added.

Democrats often sparred with Republicans on issues, Kerr said, but there is also a "leadership vacuum" among House Republicans because Del. Nic Kipke (R-Anne Arundel), the minority leader, and Del. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore and Harford), the minority whip, are stepping down from those posts after this session.

Kerr stayed in the same hotel as Pippy during their time in the capital city. The two spoke a lot, but it's unclear whether Pippy—given his activity on the House floor this session—is interested in either of those leadership posts.

It does seem, though, that Pippy is interested in a "more elevated profile" among House Republicans, Kerr said.

In any case, Kerr — a third-year delegate and former community college professor — hopes Annapolis in 2022 looks more like the conversations he had with his colleague in that hotel.

"I guess I hadn't appreciated the value of just that three-minute conversation, walking from my office to the committee room, where someone will come up and give me that perspective that I haven't considered yet," Kerr said, echoing Lewis Young. "That was so valuable, and that's what was missing this year."

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