Ah, no, I will just go back to my law practice.

What did you do to prepare for that 11-hour debate?

I think the House in particular deserves a great deal of credit. The speaker appointed the gun safety workgroup and we met at least 15 or 16 times for one and a half, two hours, with stakeholders from both sides of the issues, manufacturers, Maryland dealers, all sorts of groups.

We heard you learned to shoot?

I’d never fired a gun before … we thought this would be good for us to get a handle on. So six of us went, and none of us were buying a gun so we paid $50 plus ammunition and we all went one afternoon. It was an indoor range, just pistols, and it was very educational and I’m very glad I did that. After the two-hour classroom part, I have to admit, even though I knew it was a very safe environment, part of me was like, “I’m not really sure I want to.” There was an awful lot of ‘What if I do something wrong?’ Once I shot it I felt very comfortable. I don’t have a burning desire to go back.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in the debate?

I learned a lot. I have much more of an appreciation for people who, guns are a big part of their lives, they’re sportsmen, it’s their pastime, than I did when I came here in 2003. I struggled with parts of this legislation. The handgun licensing I think is very critical and I think is the strongest and most important part. The assault weapon ban I think is very important, but it is the piece that I struggle with.

But I do think there are two sides to that [assault weapons] issue. There are those that own those guns and use them in a safe manner, if they store them safely — I understand their arguments about what a complete ban does to that.

You got a lot of heat, on the one hand, for expressing doubts about the assault weapons ban. But after you spent Wednesday pushing the gun bill through the house, you can’t have many fans in the gun-rights crowd, either. Who are your fans?

I was for a very brief period of time, “a bright light” [to opponents of the gun bill]. However, last night a man came by and told me that he was going to contact everyone that had given money to my last campaign and tell them not to support me because I worked on and voted for this bill. I don’t know who my fans are. I came here to make a difference and hopefully my constituents will recognize that.

So what made up your mind?

To be honest, despite the voices against the ban, I do listen to my constituents and the majority of them want these banned. If you look at the local polling, the national polling, I think that’s where the country is at this time … and we may have to evolve. One of the things I think we might consider in the future is about competitive shooting … let some of this dust settle, come back next January.

You spoke for 11 hours on the House floor Wednesday. Have you ever had to do that before?

Oh yes, when I’m not here, I practice family law, divorce and custody. It’s not unusual to be in a long trial, standing on my feet, handling questions.

What did you do to unwind after 11 hours on the floor?

Well, unfortunately, the chairman [Del. Joseph F. Vallario] and I came back here with staff counsel to prepare a voting list … because there doesn’t seem to be anything that’s not controversial on this committee, we went and voted on the Senate bill for undocumented immigrants’ drivers licences, so that will be the next hot topic.

What are your last words on the gun bill?

Very proud of Maryland for being in the forefront, for taking a stand, for doing what we can to reduce gun violence. Despite the naysayers, I think it will work.

Here’s the “rest of the story.” In the House of Delegates, the Governor’s bill is assigned to two Committees – the Judiciary Committee and the Health & Government Operations Committee, given that the bill encompasses multiple sections of the Maryland code including Criminal Law, Public Safety, Courts, and Mental Health. At the beginning of the session when the bill was introduced, the Speaker appointed a bi-partisan work group composed of 6 members from each Committee. He has done this in the past on complex legislation. The work group spent many hours meeting with various groups interested in the legislation. In fact, over a four week period, the work group met at least 4 days a week for approximately 2 hours. We met with multiple members of law enforcement, including Chief Johnson from Baltimore County who serves on President Obama’s Commission on Gun Safety and Commissioner Batts from Baltimore City; mental health professionals; the Maryland Secretary of the Department of Mental Health & Hygiene, Dr. Sharfstein; the Maryland Gun Dealer’s Association; Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence; the NRA; representatives of gun manufacturers; representatives of gun clubs; the MD Superintendent of Schools; and many others. We also had a presentation by Daniel Webster, the researcher from Johns Hopkins who edited the book “Reducing Gun Violence in America,” — which I’ve read; and reviewed other articles and research regarding what works in the area of preventing gun violence. The concept behind the work group is that there would be a critical mass on the committees with more than a working knowledge of the issues, law and statistics that the Governor’s legislation addresses.

The Committees then had the hearing on the bill on March 1. Over 1300 people came to Annapolis and signed up to testify. We made special accommodations to allow for sign up and to allow for the witnesses to listen to and watch the hearings in other rooms. The hearings started at noon on Friday, March 1 and ended at 3:45 am on Saturday morning March 2.

At this point in time, the House Committees are in the process of working through the bill and making decisions on a final product. It is correct that I recently said to a reporter that based on the research done by the work group and based on my experience on the Judiciary Committee over the past 10 years which includes listening to testimony and reviewing gun legislation and Maryland law, I have some doubt about whether a total “assault weapon ban” is necessary or effective in accomplishing the goal of preventing gun violence. However, no decisions have been made by the Committees and no specific weapons have been identified.

What is disconcerting, disappointing and frustrating is that the work group and the whole Committees have put in an incredible amount of hours and are still working on the bill. To be honest, the House bill will be stronger in many ways than what the Maryland Senate passed. But, before our work is finished — it’s criticized. And, what is worse, it’s criticized by individuals who clearly had no idea what the research on the effectiveness of assault weapons bans shows or the research on other aspects of gun control legislation; what the proposed legislation includes; or what the committee is considering. I wonder if anyone involved in the drafting of the Editorial even knew anything about Maryland’s existing laws regarding purchase of centerfire rifles — particularly how strict Maryland’s laws are compared to other States. I doubt anyone drafting the Editorial considered the number of deaths in Maryland from rifles compared to the number of deaths from handguns when determining what the legislation for MARYLAND should address. In fact, of the 398 deaths resulting from guns in Maryland in 2011, only 2 were from rifles – all of the others were from handguns. Clearly, that is where our focus needs to be.

The components of the legislation that I think will make a real difference in the lives of Maryland citizens are as follows: a limit on the size of the magazines to 10; enactment of a license to purchase process for handguns that includes fingerprinting – based on the empirical research conducted by Dr. Daniel Webster from Johns Hopkins University; strengthening the provisions of our law regarding who is prohibited from purchasing guns if they have had mental health issues; requiring training before the purchase of a handgun; strengthening the ability of law enforcement to review the records of gun dealers on a regular basis; prohibiting the sale of “cop killer bullets”; adding a provision to our laws regarding the reporting of lost and stolen guns; requiring individuals to register specific types of guns when they move to Maryland; and other provisions that are still being considered.

It is easy to jump on a National bandwagon and, no pun intended, take pot shots at legislators doing their jobs in order to advance a particular agenda. But, I really wish someone on the Post Editorial Board had investigated beyond this single, oversimplified issue of an “assault weapon ban.” Or, had even taken the time to understand the rest of the components of the pending legislation.

The House of Delegates is doing a comprehensive analysis and thorough vetting of the legislation. Instead of being commended for taking the time to be thoughtful and fair, we are being slammed for not rubber stamping the Governor’s agenda. I wonder what “special interest group” worked on getting the Post to run the editorial? Please note that the Committees may well decide that a complete ban is the right course for Maryland. We will deliberate this week. Whatever decision is made, it will not be made lightly and will be based on empirical data and research, and a great deal of soul-searching.

Best regards.

Kathleen

In addition, the recent shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., have prompted Gov. Martin O’Malley and others to promise gun control legislation in the upcoming session.

However, with the ongoing fiscal cliff discussions in Washington threatening to dramatically affect taxes and the economy, plans for the 2013 session in Maryland may be severely altered depending on the outcome.

Maryland has a huge public sector workforce, and is home to a multitude of government agencies and military operations. Any cutbacks in government spending or closure of government agencies would dramatically hurt the state.

Delegate Kathleen Dumais, D-Montgomery, the vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said that should the fiscal cliff be avoided, one of the most important issues in 2013 would be the proposed increase in gas taxes to generate funding for transportation projects.

“We have to somehow address transportation funding,” Dumais said.

Dumais said that she, along with the rest of the Montgomery County delegation, has supported raising taxes on gas, even if just by one penny, in order to generate desperately needed revenue. However, she thinks a bill proposing a statewide raise would face challenges because of the disparity between rural and urban areas.

The “Montgomery County delegation has been, generally speaking, willing to do that and vote for that. But it’s more controversial in other areas of the state,” Dumais said. “But I understand when you’re in a rural area and you have to drive farther just for groceries … it is sort of a different equation for a rural community than for a community like Rockville.”

Delegate Kathy Afzali, R-Frederick, represents a county with many rural communities like those Dumais described, and is adamantly against any increase in gas taxes.

“For me, in Frederick County, it’s particularly troublesome because I border three other states … (it is) very easy for people to purchase their gas out of state,” Afzali said.

The proposed increase in gas taxes is part of what Afzali calls “a war on rural Maryland,” and she said it would hurt middle class families already struggling to make ends meet.

“It’s extremely discouraging,” Afzali said. “I will be on the front lines fighting that.”

Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee, said that because of Maryland’s bad, and worsening, traffic conditions, the legislature has to come up with more funding for transportation projects.

“We have a situation where if we don’t start addressing the problems sooner rather than later, you’re going to have tremendous gridlock and that’s going to effectively impact economic growth,” said Fry, a former member of both the Maryland House and Senate.

A “perennial hot-button issue,” the death penalty, is also expected to make an appearance in 2013, said Sen. Brian Frosh, D-Montgomery.

“There will be another effort to repeal the death penalty,” Frosh said. “The members of the Senate have changed since the last time there was a vote.”

Frosh said this new composition of delegates and senators could potentially tip the historically balanced scale towards a successful repeal.

Frosh is one of the legislators who has said he will propose new gun laws in the wake of the killings in Connecticut.

He also said members of the Judicial Proceedings Committee “have some unfinished business,” relating to another controversial issue: pit bulls.

A Maryland Court of Appeals ruling earlier this year that said purebred pit bulls are “inherently dangerous,” and decided property owners also are liable for pit-bull-related incidents, has left the legislature searching for ways to respond.

Dumais said that because the effort to nail down legislation regarding pit bull owner liability during a special session in August failed, it is bound to resurface in January.

“Obviously, during the special session, we tried to do something,” Dumais said. “The House and the Senate have two very different ideas (of what) should be done.”

The Maryland Dream Act, Question 6, which legalized same-sex marriage in Maryland, and Question 7 which approved casino expansion, were all passed as a result of the last two legislative sessions, but, Fry said social issues will not be as predominant in 2013.

“Most of the legislators are hoping that this is a much quieter year than last year,” Fry said. “They’ve gone through a very tough legislative session last year as, well as a number of special sessions … they would hope that this is not going to have the same level of volatility.”

Other issues to watch for include offshore wind, the budget, the implementation of federal healthcare reform, as well as potential legislation promoting transgender equality.

However, House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell said that regardless of what shows up on the 2013 legislative agenda, fiscal security is the most important issue.

“The reality is, that going into the seventh year of the O’Malley administration, we have failed to put our fiscal house in order in the state, and we have not prepared for the looming fiscal problems,” O’Donnell said.

“Our focus should be solely on creating an environment of free enterprise and job creation,” O’Donnell said. “That is more than enough to focus on. That should be our first, foremost and only focus in the upcoming session.”

Source: http://greenbelt.patch.com/articles/maryland-general-assembly-prepares-for-spring-legislative-session

Delegate Kathleen Dumais

Thursday, November 29, 2012 | 6:30 – 8:30 PM

Stella Restaurant (www.TheStellaRestaurant.com)
9755 Traville Gateway Drive | Rockville, MD 20850

Sponsor Levels:

GOLD – $1,000 | SILVER – $500 | BRONZE – $250 | GUEST – $125

Please checks payable to: Friends of Kathleen M. Dumais | 33 Wood Lane | Rockville, Maryland 20850

OR CONTRIBUTE ONLINE

Kathleen M. Dumais, MVC B.A. ’80, is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 15, and serves as vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee. She also is senior counsel at Ethridge, Quinn, Kemp, McAuliffe, Rowan & Hartinger, where she concentrates in family law. Ms. Dumais was named as one of the top 50 divorce lawyers in the Washington Metropolitan area by the Washingtonian and was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record.

WHEN:

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012; 7 p.m.

WHERE:

W Hotel
515 15th St., NW, Washington, D.C.

The Notice announces that Commission will conduct legislative-style hearings on Thursday, September 13, 2012 and Friday, September 14, 2012 (if needed) to review the major outage event reports to be filed by the applicable electric distribution utilities under COMAR 20.15.12.13.

The hearing on each day will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the Commission’s 16th Floor Hearing Room, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

The Commission is also currently in the process of scheduling a total of eight evening public hearings to be held during August, 2012 in the service territories of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, Potomac Electric Power Company, Potomac Edison Company, and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc. The Commission will issue a separate notice identifying the dates and locations of the public evening hearings as soon as possible.

View the Notice(PDF format) here >

Dumais was the floor leader for the bill, meaning it was her job to determine if there were the 71 votes needed to pass the legislation. Exactly how many votes the bill had was “kept very close to the vest,” she said. The vote count, she continued, was kept “under a Cone of Silence.”

On the eve of the vote, however, supporters had only 70 “yeas.” Dumais left her office prepared to propose “Plan B” — civil unions. But when she returned early the next morning, she was summoned to House Speaker Michael E. Busch’s office.

“We have a heroine,” she was told.

Turns out the night before, “a Prince George’s County delegate” as Dumais put it — she did not identify Del. Tiffany T. Alston by name — had requested and received a meeting with Gov. Martin O’Malley. Alston said she would change her vote and support same-sex marriage if an amendment she offered was adopted. The amendment kept the law from going into effect until any litigation related to a potential voters’ referendum on the measure was processed.

Dumais offered the amendment during the floor debate, which was passed.

“That was the key and clue we had the votes for the bill,” she said. “The whole place erupted.”

The voting board soon showed a 71-67 vote in favor of passing same-sex marriage legislation.

“I can’t tell you how exciting it was to be on the floor when ’71′ went on the board,” she said.

Afterward, the vote count was revised to 72-61 because a voting board malfunction left off a “yea” from Del. John L. Bohanan Jr., D-St. Mary’s. Dumais later learned she had her 71 votes Friday morning; Bohanan had texted Busch on Thursday night he planned to support the bill.

“Apparently, the speaker doesn’t like to read texts,” she said to laughter.

Dumais told the lawyers it was the “most exciting day I’ve ever been in the legislature,” drawing a round of applause from the audience.

After 16 years on the WMCCA board, and 16 years compiling the organization’s newsletter, Williams was recognized Wednesday by the local citizens’ association and state representatives for her years of service.

“The WMCCA is Potomac’s most exciting activity, which is why I keep coming,” Williams said.

Maryland Senator Rob Garagiola, District 15 Delegate Kathleen Dumais and Delegate Aruna Miller thanked Williams for her service.

The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM), Maryland’s largest technology trade association with more than 400 biotechnology and technology members employing more than 200,000 in the region, last night announced the winners of its 2012 TCM Tech Awards. The annual celebration drew 850 technology and business leaders from around the state including Senator Jennie Forehand; Senator Rob Garagiola; Senator Nancy King; Delegate Charles Barkley; Delegate Kathleen Dumais; Delegate Brian Feldman; Delegate Guy Guzzone; Delegate Sheila Hixson; Delegate Ben Kramer; Delegate Susan Lee; Delegate Kirill Reznik; Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith and Delegate Jon Cardin.

“Each year at this time, the members of the Tech Council of Maryland pause and collectively reflect upon the outstanding contributions made by Maryland’s life science and technology companies,” said Art Jacoby, CEO of the TCM. “The achievements and contributions of this year’s award winners reflect the breadth, depth and quality of business that resides in our region and makes us one of the most innovative technology centers in the world.”

The winners of the 2012 TCM Tech Awards are:

• Tech Advocate of the Year – Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski: Sen. Mikulski was honored for her strong support of research, innovation, science and technology, as well as advocacy for Maryland’s military facilities and federal agencies. More specifically, TCM recognized Sen. Mikulski for her support of the Medical Device User Fee Act and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act to ensure the safety and availability of new drugs, medical devices and treatments.
• Executive of the Year – Fuad El-Hibri: As executive chairman of the board for Emergent BioSolutions, El-Hibri has made the company one of Maryland’s most recognized leaders in the life science industry. El-Hibri was honored for his entrepreneurial spirit, outstanding leadership and careful stewardship, as Emergent has grown from four employees to more than 800, with revenues approaching $300 million. Emergent is the manufacturer of BioThrax, the only FDA-licensed anthrax vaccine, which is a key component of the U.S. government’s biopreparedness strategy.
• CFO of the Year – Jim Tholen: CFO of BroadSoft, Tholen has ensured the financial position of the Internet protocol (IP)-based communications services provider for the telecom industry, even through challenging economic times. Tholen plays a vital role in BroadSoft’s executive team and his responsibilities extend into other areas, including corporate transactions, acquisitions, negotiating customer contracts and strategy.
• STEM Educator of the Year – Dr. Suzanne Dashiell: A teacher at Urbana High School, Dr. Dashiell stands out for her ability to create a learning environment of mutual discussion, which inspires more students to learn and consider science careers. She has developed more than 20 inquiry-based labs to challenge students to design, perform and evaluate their own labs. Dr. Dashiell strives to make a relevant personal connection to her students by promoting learning of STEM subjects both in and out of the classroom.
• Technology Firm of the Year – TurningPoint Global Solutions: A provider of software solutions for federal government and commercial customers, TurningPoint’s innovative technologies are helping its clients save money, reduce costs and accelerate delivery times. TurningPoint Global Solutions was selected for being one of the region’s fastest growing and most successful companies.
• Emerging Company of the Year – Coherent Technical Services: Focused on providing engineering solutions and services to government and technology markets, Coherent Technical Services is experiencing strong growth: in 2011, revenue increased by 45 percent and staff grew by 70 percent. The company attributes this success to a diverse customer portfolio, the in-house expertise of its staff and strong leadership from its executive team.
• Government Contracting Firm of the Year – Agilex: A provider of solutions for enterprise information technology problems for critical missions related to healthcare, homeland security, national defense, public safety and infrastructure, Agilex has drawn on its extensive experience to redefine a new model for government contracting that focuses on emerging and unmet requirements of federal agencies.
• Life Sciences Firm of the Year – GlycoMimetics: A small molecule drug developer targeting unmet clinical needs with a focus on rare diseases, GlycoMimetrics’s cutting-edge product, GMI-1070, is in clinical trials to treat patients with Sickle Cell Disease and has received Orphan Drug and Fast Track Status from the FDA.
• Hall of Fame Award – MedImmune: The global biologics arm for AstraZeneca PLC headquartered in Gaithersburg, MedImmune best exemplifies excellence in Maryland’s technology and life science industry. The Award recognizes a company that is a pillar in the community, not only through market success and job creation, but also by consistently giving back, getting involved and advancing the climate for innovation.
• Chairman’s Award – Rene LaVigne: Serving as president and CEO of Iron Bow Technologies, LaVigne was honored for his significant contributions to TCM’s success. LaVigne has been a member of TCM’s Board of Directors since 2002, and was a founding member and chair of the Prince George’s Technology Council. Currently he also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Prince George’s Community College Foundation and chairman of the board at Doctors Community Hospital, and former board member of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce and Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, as well as serving on several corporate boards and advisory groups.

ABOUT THE TECH COUNCIL OF MARYLAND, INC.
The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM) is the largest technology trade group serving the advanced technology and biotechnology communities of Maryland. TCM’s mission is to advocate for the interests of the technology community, further the role of technology in the Maryland economy, and nurture an environment where technology companies can collaborate, grow and succeed. For more information, visit www.techcouncilmd.com.

This disturbing revelation, contained in a 2008 study in the Journal of Emergency Medicine, lies at the heart of a worthy Maryland proposal to decrease the incidence of homicides related to domestic violence by increasing the penalties for attempted strangulation.