Dear
Friend,
As
many of you know, the 2005 session proved to be important for the
Maryland environment. Land preservation has been an essential part
of Maryland public policy for decades, but last year the policy of
acquiring and preserving open space was thrown overboard. The Ehrlich
Administration was working on a deal to sell more than 800 acres of
State parkland in St. Mary's County to a developer. Almost 3,000 acres
of state land were declared excess, and all while the Administration
cut open space purchases dramatically.
The
General Assembly took action and passed Senate
Bill 102. This bill is a constitutional amendment that requires
sales of open space or park lands to be approved by the General Assembly.
The bill passed with overwhelming support from both the House and
the Senate and will go to the voters for approval in November 2006.
While the 2006 election will see competitive races it is important
that we not forget about this important referendum. Please make sure
that your friends, colleagues and neighbors know about this crucial
issue and encourage them to vote for the constitutional amendment.
Articles
about the land sale amendment:
Md.
GOP Now Backs Parkland Measure
Md.
Land Sell-Off Proposals Resisted
Upcoming Events:
There are several upcoming events that I thought you might be interested
in.
Fixing
Our Broken Democracy
When: Sunday, October 23 from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
Where: The Leland Center, 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy
Chase
On October 23, I will be participating in a forum on Fixing Our Broken
Democracy sponsored by Common
Cause. Other speakers include Del. Karen Montgomery and Prof.
Avi Rubin, whose 2003 study of Maryland's voting machines sparked
a nationwide debate. The forum will cover both our voting systems
as well as the fight to bring public financing of campaigns to Maryland.
Click here
for more information.
The
Cost of Not Protecting Maryland's Environment: A Forum on the Economics
of Ecology
When: Saturday, November 12, starting at 9 a.m.
Where: College Park City Hall, 4500 Knox Road, College
Park
The Maryland
Conservation Council's fall forum focuses on the cost of not protecting
our environment. Speakers include Dr. Bob Constanza, Dirctor of the
Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont,
Dr. Don Boesch, Professor of marine Science and president of the University
of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Harriet Tregonig, executive
director of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, director of government
programs for the MD/DC Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
Maryland
Consumer Rights Coalition Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony
Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2004
Location: The Elkridge Furnace Inn, 5745 Furnace
Avenue, Elkridge, Maryland
I'm honored that the Maryland
Consumer Rights Coalition has awarded me its "Consumer Legislator
of the Year" award. If you are interested in attending their
annual meeting and awards ceremony, please follow this link.
I'd like to thank Coalition members for this award and congratulate
them for their efforts to protect, educate and advocate for the people
of Maryland.
