Legislative Committee

2021 Legislative Priorities & Positions

MABE’s Legislative Committee is led by Karen Yoho, Chair, and Brenda Wolff, Vice Chair, and includes representatives from all 24 boards of education.

The Legislative Committee holds monthly meetings to guide the association’s lobbying activities in Annapolis, and invites policy and legislative leaders as guest speakers to exchange ideas. During the legislative session, MABE’s bill testimony reflects the association’s resolutions as annually updated and adopted by the full membership, and legislative priorities and positions as adopted by the Legislative Committee.

On November 16, 2020, the Legislative Committee adopted MABE’s Legislative Priorities and Positions for the 2021 Session.

Equity & Excellence
MABE is uncompromisingly committed to the academic success of all students. MABE’s legislative platform reflects the association’s adoption of an equity core value, equity resolution, and equity lens. For MABE, educational equity in Maryland means providing access to essential academic, social, emotional, and economic supports in order to engage each student in rigorous well-rounded instruction toward them achieving their highest potential as learners and citizens. MABE pledges to reflect the core value of equity in the decision-making processes of the association including the priorities and positions of the legislative committee.

The COVID-19 Pandemic & Public Education
MABE recognizes the historic and devastating impacts of the ongoing public health and economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 coronavirus. This is also an educational crisis, forcing school closures, emergency meal distribution, transitions to digital and distance teaching and learning, and reductions in available revenues to sustain and advance Maryland’s outstanding but already inadequately and inequitably funded public education system. The following positions represent MABE’s commitment to equity and excellence and to a strong educational recovery from the ongoing crisis on behalf of each of our nearly 1 million students.

MABE’s top priorities for the 2021 Legislative Session include:

• Support for governance authority for local boards of education to adopt education policies and school system budgets reflecting local priorities and resources. MABE supports broad discretion for local board decision-making authority in exercising legislative, judicial, and executive functions in accord with state and federal law and principles of equity and excellence for all students. MABE opposes state initiatives which would reduce or eliminate local board governance or budgetary authority or create new unfunded mandates.

• Support for full State funding for Maryland’s outstanding public schools. Specifically, MABE supports enacting the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation to fulfill the State’s constitutional duty to adopt a school funding system that ensures equity and excellence in every school. MABE supports increased state funding in the state budget for FY 2022 and opposes legislative and executive proposals to reduce education funding.

• Support for increased State funding for school construction and renovation projects. Specifically, MABE supports enacting the Built to Learn Act to launch a $2 billion school construction program in the Maryland Stadium Authority; and at least $400 million in the FY 2022 capital budget to support all 24 school systems in designing, building, operating, and maintaining high quality learning environments for all students.

• Support for sustained and increased local government investments in education. Funding from Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City plays a critical role in combination with State and federal funding. Therefore, MABE strongly supports preserving the “maintenance of effort” guarantee that local funding must be sustained and increased from year to year.

For additional information, contact John Woolums, MABE’s Director of Governmental Relations.

Legislative Committee Calendar

January 4, 2021

Session Convenes Jan. 13, 2021

February 1, 2021

Virtual Forum with Legislative Leaders – TBA

February 22, 2021

March 15, 2021

April 5, 2021

Session Adjourns April 12, 2021

April 26, 2021

MABE’s Legislative Committee meetings are currently be conducted virtually through Zoom on Monday mornings, 10:00 to 12:00, unless otherwise indicated.

Meeting agendas and materials are posted in advance of the meetings, and updated regularly.

Legislative Committee Meetings and Materials

Next Meeting – February 1, 2021

January 4, 2021

Agenda & Materials – Updated

Guest Speaker: Senator Paul Pinsky, Chair of the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee

Annapolis Advocacy Center

Federal and State Advocacy

Legislative Committee

2021 Legislative Priorities & Positions

Legislative Committee Calendar

Legislative Committee Meetings and Materials

Next Meeting – February 1, 2021

January 4, 2021

December 14, 2020

November 16, 2020

October 26, 2020

September 28, 2020

September 14, 2020 1:00-2:30 p.m.

August 31, 2020Agenda (Updated)

August 3, 2020

June 22, 2020

May 18, 2020

Agenda & Materials

April 27, 2020

March 30, 2020

March 16, 2020 – Cancelled due to Coronavirus Public Health Concerns

March 2, 2020

February 13, 2020

January 27, 2020

January 6, 2020

December 16, 2019 – Cancelled due to inclement weather

2018-2019 Legislative Committee Meetings and Materials (Archives)

2017-2018 Legislative Committee Meetings and Materials (Archives)

August 31, 2020

Agenda (Updated)