LAST CALL: MoCo Council Votes on Minimum Wage Today // Leggett Seeks Changes As Numerous Advocacy Groups Arm Up

LAST CALL TO CONTACT MOCO COUNCILMEMBERS: The Montgomery County Council is due to vote today on whether to increase the minimum wage in the county and establish a regional standard with Prince George's and the District of Columbia. Specifically, Councilmembers Marc Elrich, Nancy Navarro and Valerie Ervin are proposing: 1) an $11.50 an hour minimum wage in Montgomery County, 2) that would be phased in by 2016, and 3) would be "indexed" to rise with increases in the cost of living. Last Friday we published a whip count indicating where the County Councilmembers and County Executive candidates stand on this, and we noted that the effort needs one additional vote to pass without weakening amendments.

EMAIL NOW TO SUPPORT AN $11.50/HOUR MINIMUM WAGE: You can email all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. 

Prince George's County Councilmembers are poised to pass a parallel $11.50 an hour wage rate this week, but not until Montgomery County acts on the effort. Please bear in mind that the $11.50 figure was established by a coalition of Councilmembers from MoCo, D.C. and Prince George's, and a deviation from that arrangement will throw unpredictability into the proposed regional minimum wage and potentially derail the effort. Below Maryland Juice provides numerous updates on the current state of play, including proposed alterations being suggested by County Executive Ike Leggett and action alerts from numerous advocacy groups.

JUICE #1: MOCO EXECUTIVE IKE LEGGETT PROPOSES $10.75 TO $11.10 MINIMUM WAGE, PHASED IN BY 2018 - County Executive Ike Leggett is calling a last-minute audible and trying to lower the proposed $11.50 an hour minimum wage proposal to somewhere between $10.75 and $11.10.  Last night he released a memo outlining an alternate minimum wage plan that deviates in significant ways from the Elrich-Ervin-Navarro $11.50/hour proposal:

$10.75 OR $11.10 MINIMUM WAGE RATE: Leggett's proposal purports to establish a minimum wage of $11.50 an hour or $1 over the state minimum wage -- whichever is lower. Leggett would also establish a floor of $10.75 an hour, which is the lower rate proposed by an amendment from Councilmember Hans Riemer. Given that the state is likely to consider a $10.10 minimum wage, it seems extremely unlikely that the MoCo wage will reach $11.50. The actual likely wage rate under this slightly convoluted plan is going to be between $10.75 and $11.10.  

FIVE YEAR PHASE-IN PERIOD UNTIL 2018: The Elrich-Ervin-Navarro plan would phase-in an $11.50/hour rate by the year 2016, while the Leggett plan would phase in a maximum rate of between $10.75 and $11.10 by 2018.

EXEMPTION FOR PART-TIME EMPLOYEES 18 AND UNDER: The Leggett plan would also exclude the new minimum wage requirement for part-time employees age 18 and under. This position was also adopted by the members of the County Council's Health and Human Services Committee. Interestingly, Councilmember Riemer's Chief of Staff Adam Pagnucco posted the following comment about this exemption on Facebook:

ADAM PAGNUCCO: I am extremely upset that Nancy Navarro and the rest of the HHS Committee voted to exclude all employees age 18 and under from the minimum wage.

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett's Proposed Amendment to Minimum Wage Hike

JUICE #2: CASA DE MARYLAND ACTION ALERT ON MOCO MINIMUM WAGE - CASA de Maryland released the following action alerts and press releases on today's minimum wage vote:

CASA DE MARYLAND: We need your urgent participation. Please call now the office of Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Reimer and ask to vote YES for the minimum wage increase to $11.50 an hour.  To this moment, he has said that he would only increase it to $10.75 an hour. Please tell him that it would be unacceptable to vote for anything less than $11.50. 

His contact information is: 240-777-7964 /  councilmember.riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO CONTACT HIM. We need his vote to pass this bill.

Also, we will be holding a rally with CASA de Maryland and allies tomorrow at 12noon at the Montgomery County Council. We will proceed to the hearing room at 1:30pm to witness the vote. PLEASE COME SUPPORT.  Flyer attached / CASA press statement below.

PRESS RELEASE

CASA de Maryland Urges Montgomery County Council to Increase the Minimum Wage to $11.50, Eliminate 90-Day Temporary Worker Restriction
"As we approach Tuesday’s vote in the Montgomery County Council to increase the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by 2016, we remind people about the faces of low-wage workers who make our county move forward. Take the case of worker Wilfred Mokoko, he states:

For many years, I worked in a hotel making the minimum wage. At the start, the wages were fair, but as the cost of food, rent, electricity, and water increased I saw my wages were too low. Over the past few years here in Montgomery County, I have seen the Ride On Bus Fare increase from $1.20 to $1.35 to $1.70 and today it is $1.80. To many people these changes do not make a difference, but they matter to me. There are days I put $14 on my bus pass and I am shocked when it is empty before the end of the week. Some weeks, I spend more than $20 on bus transportation. Working people are suffering and we are looking to political leaders to bring relief to our community. If the cost of living rises then so must the wages that people need to survive.

"Increasing Wildfred’s hourly rate to $11.50 makes a significant difference to support his family. CASA de Maryland, the largest Latino and immigrant organization in the state, urges members of the Montgomery County Council to support the minimum wage increase to $11.50 an hour by 2016.

"At the same time, CASA strongly urges members of the County Council to eliminate the 90-Day provision that excludes temporary workers from obtaining the minimum wage increase. Day laborers and temporary/seasonal employees perform some of the most grueling work in the County and should not be paid less because of the short-term nature of their employment. All workers deserve to live in dignity and be able to afford to protect their families. No worker should be left behind."

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JUICE #2: COALITION LETTER SUPPORTING $11.50 AN HOUR  - Several groups released the following letter to the County Council calling for an $11.50/hour wage, including SEIU Local 500, CASA, Jews United for Justice, MoCo Young Democrats, Progressive Maryland, Progressive Neighbors, and UFCW Local 400:

Montgomery County Minimum Wage Sign-On Letter

JUICE #3: PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND ACTION ALERT TARGETS RIEMER - Progressive Maryland released the following action alert on the minimum wage vote:

PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND: Riemer still waffling on $11.50 minimum wage with indexing, email now - Despite all the  calls and emails to Councilmember Hans Riemer's office in support of a $11.50 minimum wage in Montgomery County that is indexed to inflation, Councilmember Riemer has still not assured his constituents that he will vote in favor of Bill 27-13. This is shameful. At-Large Councilmember Hans Riemer needs to hear from you right now. Tell Riemer to raise the minimum wage to $11.50 per hour and to index it with the cost of living. Anything less will put workers in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Washington, DC in jeopardy of not receiving the vital pay raise they are due.
 
Take 30 seconds to email Councilmember Hans Riemer right now. Let him know that you won't settle for anything less than $11.50 per hour with indexing. Make sure he knows that you won’t forget his vote at election time.

JUICE #4: JEWS UNITED FOR JUSTICE ACTION ALERT - Jews United for Justice released the following action alert on the minimum wage vote yesterday (excerpt below):

JEWS FOR JUSTICE: Call for a Higher Minimum Wage in Montgomery County, One more push to victory! - In the past two weeks more than sixty JUFJers have called Councilmember Hans Riemer asking him to support raising the minimum wage in the county to $11.50 by 2016. The pressure is starting to build - but we need to keep it up.

The bill passed out of committee on Thursday and will be voted on in the full Council on Tuesday, November 26th. Four Councilmembers have committed their support for the bill. We need to keep the pressure on to secure the fifth vote. The county is ready and our workers deserve a raise.

JUFJ and our allies will be keeping the phones ringing off the hooks in the County Council on Monday, November 25th to make sure this message is heard loud and clear.  

Please sign up to call At-Large Councilmember Hans Riemer at (240) 777-7964.

JUICE #5: MONTGOMERY COUNTY YOUNG DEMOCRATS PRESS RELEASE ON MINIMUM WAGE VOTE - The MoCo Young Dems released the following statement regarding the minimum wage vote:

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County Young Democrats Support $11.50 Minimum Wage Increase, Urge Council to Remove Youth and Temporary Worker Exemptions
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Young Democrats are urging the Montgomery County Council to vote favorably to increase the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour by 2016.

For member Gabriel Acevero, “The minimum wage is not just a story about income inequality, but rather it’s about achieving the American dream, and no one can achieve the American dream on $7.25 an hour.” Gabe is one of several members actively working on the state-wide campaign to raise the minimum wage, which the Young Democrats see as equally important to move the state forward economically and progressively as the County measure.

At the same time, MCYD is standing with organizations like CASA de Maryland in calling for the Council to eliminate the 90-Day provision that excludes temporary workers from obtaining the minimum wage increase. In addition, they are asking the County to remove the exemption for workers under 19 working less than 20 hours a week.

Board member Emily Shetty, who shared what raising the wage means personally to her at last Wednesday’s rally to raise the wage, states: “Above all, we want to see Bill 27-13 pass and change the lives of millions in the region when Prince George’s and DC pass similar bills. We do hope the Council will consider removing the temporary and youth workers exemptions. All workers in Montgomery County deserve the dignity of this higher wage.”

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JUICE #6: BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE CHAMBER ACTION ALERT ON MINIMUM WAGE VOTE - BethesdaNow.com reports that the BCC Chamber sent out the following action alert calling for a MoCo minimum wage of no more than $10.10/hour:

BCC CHAMBER: For the past several weeks, the B-CC Chamber has been working with other chambers and business groups in Montgomery County to persuade Council members to delay consideration of Council member Elrich’s bill that would set the minimum wage in Montgomery County at $11.50 an hour that would be phased in over three years, beginning in July 2014 and indexed to increase with the consumer price index in future years.  Based on a survey of businesses in the county, this increase is too much too fast and the indexing could result in a county minimum wage that is far higher than the state’s, unless the state legislature also passes a minimum wage tied to indexing.  Yesterday, the County Council HHS Committee voted (2-0) in favor of Elrich’s bill, this despite the fact that the proponents’ own economists told them that $11.50 is too high.  They did amend the bill to exempt teens age 18 and under working fewer than 20 hours per week and set the minimum wage for tipped employees at 50% of the County minimum wage. This bill will go to the full Council for a vote this Tuesday.  IT WILL PASS – possibly unanimously — unless the business community is able to persuade some Council members to make some changes that would make it less burdensome for employers.

LAST CALL: EMAIL NOW TO SUPPORT AN $11.50/HOUR MINIMUM WAGE: You can email all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. 

ACT NOW: One Vote Needed to Pass MoCo Minimum Wage // Fate of Prince George's & DC Hike Rests on $11.50/Hr in MoCo

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL OFFICIALS NOW:  In recent weeks, a battle has been brewing among government officials in Montgomery County, Prince George's County and the District of Columbia over efforts to pass minimum wage increases at the local level. Councilmembers in all three jurisdictions are poised to move a "regional minimum wage" of $11.50/hour that is indexed to the consumer price index (aka a minimum wage that increases as the cost of living rises). Note that a person working 40 hours week and who takes no vacations would make $23,920/year under the proposed $11.50/hour rate -- keeping them just above the $20,000 poverty line. Given the record high wealth inequality we've witnessed over the past few decades, this hardly seems like a radical proposal.

But efforts are afoot to weaken the bills in a way that threatens to derail the tenuous arrangement between a coalition of Councilmembers in MoCo, Prince George's & DC, who have all agreed to move an $11.50/hour minimum wage. While compromising on the amount of the wage increase would normally seem like fair game, in this instance, Prince George's lawmakers have a ready majority for $11.50 an hour but are waiting for Montgomery to act before pulling the trigger. A failure to pass the same rate increase will throw all sorts of unpredictability in the process and threaten to derail a historic economic justice pact between governments in the ever-expensive DC Metro region.

WHIP COUNT: Here's the current status of the $11.50/hour minimum wage proposals within the three participating jurisdictions:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: The $11.50/hour minimum wage bill in MoCo is being sponsored by Councilmember Marc Elrich and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Valerie Ervin. Additionally, Councilmember George Leventhal has publicly supported an $11.50/hour minimum wage but tells Maryland Juice he would support a lower amount, "if that's what it takes to get a bill out of the full Council." That means there are currently four votes for an $11.50/hour minimum wage in MoCo, but one more vote is needed to pass the bill without weakening amendments. We also need to shore up Councilmember Leventhal's vote. The full MoCo Council votes on Tuesday and the members need to start hearing from you now - you can email all nine Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. In the meantime, here's a whip count for the nine Councilmembers:

• Marc Elrich - Sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Nancy Navarro - Co-sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.navarro@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Valerie Ervin - Co-sponsor of an $11.50/hour minimum wage - councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov

• George Leventhal - Would support $11.50/hour or less if the votes aren't there - councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Hans Riemer - Sponsoring an amendment to lower the rate to $10.75/hour or $1 over the state minimum wage - councilmember.riemer@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Nancy Floreen - Position unknown - councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Roger Berliner - Position unknown - councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Craig Rice - Position unknown, but stated he would prefer to table the bill until the state acts - councilmember.rice@montgomerycountymd.gov

• Phil Andrews - Position unknown, but stated he would prefer to table the bill until the state acts - councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov

Note that a key element to the MoCo wage hike is a plan to index the pay rate to the cost of living, so that we don't have to have this fight every few years. But all Councilmembers need to hear that you support an "indexed $11.50/hour minimum wage."

Meanwhile, County Executive Ike Leggett has indicated he will sign a minimum wage hike into law but prefers a $10.75/hour increase with no increase with rises in the cost of living. He has not yet declared whether he would veto an $11.50/hour minimum wage if approved by the County Council. Former County Executive Doug Duncan has stated he has problems with a county minimum wage increase and wants to wait for the state to act. The County Council votes this TUESDAY, so please email all nine Councilmembers and the office of the County Executive NOW by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY: Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich, the sponsor of MoCo $11.50/hour proposal, indicates that a majority of the Prince George's County Council is prepared to approve the same plan in their county. However, P.G. lawmakers want certainty that Montgomery County to act and are scheduling their vote to occur immediately after MoCo passes an $11.50/hour wage rate. Meanwhile, County Executive Rushern Baker has expressed concerns about the proposal, and it is unclear whether he would sign it into law or veto the plan. Please contact Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker to urge his support for a minimum wage increase at: (301) 952-4131 or countyexecutive@co.pg.md.us. And please do the same for the P.G. Councilmembers - their contact info is available here.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Councilmember Vincent Orange and his colleagues are pushing an $11.50/hour minimum wage proposal, though Mayor Vincent Gray wants an "independent commission" to study the exact rate. If Montgomery and Prince George's pass an indexed $11.50/hour minimum wage, it seems likely that the D.C. Council will follow suit. Please contact Mayor Gray and urge his support at (202) 727-6300 or eom@dc.gov. You can also find contact info for the D.C. Councilmembers here.

BOTTOM LINE?  IT'S NOW OR NEVER FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE - On Tuesday, all eyes in the region will be on the Montgomery County Council. If they pass an $11.50/hour minimum wage, I predict the Prince George's and D.C. Councils will do the same, and their Executives will more likely than not sign the bills into law. This would also help lay the political groundwork for a robust state minimum wage increase in Maryland. But if Montgomery County cannot summon the will to get this done, all bets are off, and the wrong message will be sent to lawmakers in Annapolis. Please contact all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the MoCo Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com. You can read some more context on the MoCo fight below:

The MoCo Council staff memo regarding the minimum wage proposal describes two amendments to the minimum wage hike proposal that will be considered by Councilmembers. The bill's lead sponsor Councilmember Marc Elrich proposes reducing his proposed $12/hour minimum wage to $11.50/hour to create a regional standard in tandem with the District of Columbia and Prince George's County:

MOCO COUNCIL STAFF MEMO: Councilmember EIrich intends to introduce an amendment to reduce the minimum wage in 2016 from $12.00 per hour to $11.50 per hour to be consistent with the anticipated regional minimum wage that may be adopted by Prince George's County and the District of Columbia.

Meanwhile, Councilmember Hans Riemer proposed an amendment to reduce the MoCo minimum wage increase even further to $10.75 (or $1 over the Maryland minimum wage). His amendment would stop MoCo's minimum wage from rising with increases in the cost of living. This foreshadows a fight that may begin brewing in Annapolis, if state lawmakers similarly try to stop the Maryland minimum wage from rising with the cost of living. The County Council's staff memo also described Riemer's amendment and its rationale (excerpt below):

MOCO COUNCIL STAFF MEMO: Councilmember Riemer intends to introduce an amendment that would set the County minimum wage in 2016 at the greater of $10.75 or $1 over the State minimum and remove the index to the CPI-U. Councilmember Riemer's amendment would make similar changes to the County minimum wage during the phase-in period....

COUNCILMEMER HANS RIEMER: Of the 45 states that have minimum wage laws, eleven (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington) have inflation escalators. No state or locality in the Washington D.C. area currently has one. As of this moment, there is no assurance that the State of Maryland will adopt one.

Riemer's amendment may help explain why the advocacy group Jews United for Justice hosted a call-in day with its members asking Councilmember Riemer to support an $11.50 minimum wage. You can see the script they are asked members to read (excerpt below):

JEWS UNITED FOR JUSTICE: I'd like to thank the Councilmember for his commitment to raising the minimum wage in Montgomery County and for his leadership on raising the local EITC. Also, I appreciate the Councilmember proposing to amend certain provisions of the current minimum wage bill that would weaken the bill.

I think the Councilmember is a leader on progressive issues, however, I was disappointed to see he does not support a timeline that would raise the minimum wage to $11.50 by 2016. Workers in Montgomery County can't wait any longer.

I'm calling to ask Councilmember Riemer to join his colleagues in supporting an increase in the minimum wage to $11.50 per hour by 2016....

ONE LAST TIME: CONTACT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS NOW - Please contact all nine Montgomery County Councilmembers and the office of the MoCo Executive by sending a message to montgomerycounty@lockheedwelfare.com

JUICE: MoCo Exec Ike Leggett Wants 3rd Term, Sen. Zirkin Wants GOP HoCo Exec & Is Del. Feldman Next Sen. Garagiola?

Below Maryland Juice provides a few updates to percolating stories of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE IKE LEGGETT TO SEEK THIRD TERM - Several insiders began telling Maryland Juice yesterday that MoCo Exec Ike Leggett was preparing to make an announcement about his future. No surprise here - he's running for re-election to seek a third term as County Executive. Check out the following Tweet from MoCo Councilmember Hans Riemer and a report from WTOP's Kate Ryan:

WTOP: Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett is expected to announce he's running for re-election, WTOP has learned. The official announcement is expected online Tuesday night....

JUICE #2: DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOBBY ZIRKIN ENDORSES GOP SEN. ALLAN KITTLEMAN FOR HOWARD COUNTY EXECUTIVE // IS SEN. LISA GLADDEN NEXT? - The Owings Mill Patch.com's Bryan Sears reported today that State Senator Bobby Zirkin (a Democrat) is endorsing Republican State Senator Allan Kittleman for Howard County Executive -- before HoCo Democrats have even had a chance to choose their nominee:

PATCH.COM: Howard County Republican State Sen. Allan Kittleman is getting an unusual endorsement at his campaign event Tuesday afternoon for a run for Howard County executive. Baltimore County Democratic State Sen. Bobby Zirkin said he is supporting Kittleman's run for his new role at an event at Lake Kittamaqundi. "Yeah, I'm supporting him," Zirkin said by phone on his way to the afternoon announcement....

A Twitter user responded that Democratic State Senator Lisa Gladden was apparently also endorsing GOP State Senator Allan Kittleman for Howard County Executive. Maryland Juice has not confirmed the report below:

What's going on here? As I understand it, should Kittleman win the 2014 GOP primary, he's likely to face off against Democratic HoCo Councilmember Courtney Watson for County Executive. I know some folks will say there's nothing wrong with breaking ranks on party, but even they must admit this is a very unusual circumstance. The cynic in me thinks that someone might be a bit paranoid about losing a General Election next year. On the other hand, maybe these State Senators are all best pals or something. Then again, Maryland Juice did name State Senator Allan Kittleman our 2012 Marylander of the Year for breaking ranks with his own party to support marriage equality. I don't feel too bad about it either since he even took the spirit of the award to heart by supporting death penalty repeal the following session. Win or lose, perhaps some of Kittleman's GOP colleagues could steal a page from his playbook.... But I'm still rooting for the Dems, of course. My party is (in my opinion) still the better vehicle for attempting to advance progressive politics & civil liberties (*cough*) and challenge corporate power (*cough cough*)  -- notwithstanding the betrayal of many, many elected Democrats on these issues.


JUICE #3: DEL. BRIAN FELDMAN EARNS ENDORSEMENT OF D15 CAUCUS IN QUEST TO BE APPOINTED TO REPLACE STATE SEN. ROB GARAGIOLA - Maryland Juice previously wrote about the District 15 State Senate vacancy being caused by the resignation of Rob Garagiola. We also noted that Del. Brian Feldman wanted to be chosen by the MoCo Democratic Central Committee to replace Garagiola. I guess that makes sense since they both sponsored and voted for legislation forcing Montgomery County taxpayers to give weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin $4.5 million every decade. Oh, but I kid the good Democrats of Montgomery County; nobody remembers the great lobbyist-driven Lockheed giveaway of 2013, right?....

In any case, today we received the following announcement from the District 15 Democratic Caucus (a political club in D15), noting that they endorsed Del. Feldman to replace Garagiola. The news was sent via a copied message from the D15 caucus leaders addressed to MCDCC Chair Gabe Albornoz:

June 10, 2013

The Honorable Gabriel Albornoz
Chair, Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee
3720 Farragut Ave.
Kensington, MD 20895

Re: Unanimous Support for Appointment of Delegate Brian J. Feldman to Maryland Senate Seat Being Vacated by Hon. Rob Garagiola

Dear Chairman Albornoz and Members of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee:

Please receive this letter from the District 15 Democratic Caucus announcing our unanimous support and unconditional recommendation for Delegate Brian Feldman to be appointed by the Central Committee to succeed Sen. Rob Garagiola in the Maryland Senate. While we are saddened by Sen. Garagiola’s resignation after his many years of outstanding service to District 15, the board of directors of the District 15 Democratic Caucus unanimously voted for and recommends Brian to the Central Committee. We proudly urge the Committee to submit his name at the appropriate time to Governor O’Malley in accordance with the Maryland Constitution.

Delegate Feldman, an attorney, was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2002 and was reelected by substantial margins in 2006 and 2010. Prior to his election, Brian served as President of the District 15 Democratic Club. Before 2002, Republicans occupied three of the four legislative seats in District 15. With the assistance of a strong Democratic precinct organization, Brian worked with his District colleagues over the next decade to transform a legislative district that had leaned Republican into what is now a district represented entirely by Democrats. The nature of District 15’s demographics does not allow us to assume a Democratic victory in every election. As a result, Brian’s reputation and his broad voter support will enhance the likelihood that the Senate seat will remain Democratic. Brian has been a member of the MCDCC Democratic Forum for many years and he was an Obama Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Brian has risen to leadership positions in the House of Delegates and received the respect of the House leadership and from his peers. After being re-elected in 2006, he was selected by the Speaker of the House to serve as Chair of the House Subcommittee on Banking, Economic Development, Science and Technology. In 2007, he was elected unanimously by his colleagues in the 24-member Montgomery County House Delegation to serve as its Chair and served in that capacity for 5 consecutive years. After the 2010 election, the Speaker appointed Brian to the leadership position of House Parliamentarian where he is responsible for making parliamentary rulings on the House Floor, often during contentious debates involving the General Assembly’s most controversial proposals, including involving special legislative sessions called by the Governor. In each position he held, Brian distinguished himself and received the admiration of his colleagues for his performance.

In the House of Delegates, Brian has been a remarkably effective legislator having sponsored and gained passage of numerous key bills that have enhanced the quality of life in Montgomery County and benefited Maryland’s economy in many ways. Brian is well known for being a pioneering legislator for the state’s emerging biotechnology sector, an industry which has become a leading economic engine in Montgomery County and which is critical to the county’s future. In 2005, the Biotechnology Industry Organization named Brian as its “State Legislator of the Year” for the entire nation. Brian has also sponsored legislation and navigated it through the General Assembly process including the landmark law which required for the first time that reliability standards be established for Maryland electric companies, including PEPCO; providing service disabled veteran owned small businesses enhanced opportunities; and supporting economic development programs which create new jobs.

Brian is part of House Speaker Mike Busch’s senior leadership team. Working collaboratively with other Democratic leaders of the General Assembly and with Governor O’Malley, he most recently helped pass an agenda that received national attention. It included the Marriage Equality Act, Death Penalty Repeal, Gun Control, and Off-Shore Wind projects. We believe Brian’s success as a senior House of Delegate’s leader, his proven ability to collaborate with colleagues from across the state, his knowledge of the nuances of the legislative process, and his dedicated work ethic would make him an outstanding Senator.

Brian’s background and extensive experience, both in the General Assembly and as an experienced attorney, are valuable assets for our County and District 15 in the State Senate. His proven electoral success in District 15 is also critically important as we seek to successfully defend the Senate seat in this legislative district that was the most recent District in the county to elect a Republican. Finally, we understand that the other three current District 15 state legislators - Delegates Kathleen Dumais and Aruna Miller and Senator Garagiola - support Brian’s appointment to the Senate. Their voices should be seriously considered as they are committed to continuing to achieve success for District 15 and Montgomery County in the General Assembly.

For all of these reasons, the District 15 Democratic Caucus unanimously recommends and respectfully requests that the Central Committee support Delegate Brian J. Feldman for the soon to be vacated Senate seat. If you have any questions, please contact Chairman Jeff Williams at jwilliams@xxxxxx.xxx or at (301) XXX-XXXX.

Very truly yours,

Jeffrey Ross Williams Tim Whitehouse
Chairman Vice Chairman 

MOCO POLICY WAR: County Council Divided on Protections for Janitors // Chambers of Commerce & Rival Unions Weigh In

UPDATE: Montgomery County Council passes the displaced workers bill in a divided 5-4 vote. See the vote split below.

• Voting FOR: Valerie Ervin, Marc Elrich, Nancy Navarro, Hans Riemer & Craig Rice. 
• Voting AGAINST: Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Phil Andrews & Roger Berliner.
  

MOCO COUNCIL DEBATES WORKER PROTECTIONS FOR JANITORS - Today, the Montgomery County Council is scheduled to vote on legislation that would grant janitors and other low-wage service workers temporary protections in the event that their employer suddenly terminates their contract. Indeed, it is a common story to hear about janitors and other service workers whose lives are upended after their contracts are suddenly terminated. The proposed MoCo bill would simply provide a 90-day transitional period for the displaced janitors and service workers to stay employed while seeking new employment or transitioning to unemployment.

NOTE: Any workers (ie: bad employees) could still be fired for cause, and the provisions of the law are only temporary. This policy is the law in numerous bastions of "socialism" like D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. In fact, in 2010 the Obama administration created similar temporary protections for federal contractors.

SPECIAL ELECTION: Jarrett Smith Wins Takoma Park City Council Seat // BACKDROP: Diversity, Endorsements & More

A COMPETITVE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION IN TAKOMA PARK YESTERDAY: For those of you who pay attention to Montgomery County municipal politics, we now have the results of a new election to present. Voters yesterday cast ballots to fill a vacancy on the six-member Takoma Park City Council. Last Spring, The Gazette's Aaron Kraut reported that Ward 5 Councilmember Reuben Snipper was resigning his seat to move to Italy with his wife:

EVENTS: The DOJ's Tom Perez on Redistricting, MoCo Town Hall with Councilmember Hans Riemer & More...

Maryland Juice decided to flag a few upcoming events that may be of interest to readers, starting with an upcoming event on redistricting:

Event #1: American Constitution Society on 2012 Voting Rights and Redistricting // Keynote: Tom Perez (former Montgomery Councilmember). More details & RSVP link on the ACS website:

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: A NATIONAL CONVERSATION
EXAMINING THE STATE OF VOTING RIGHTS FOR 2012

Thursday, December 1, 2011 - 10:00am - 2:00pm

American Constitution Society
1333 H Street NW, 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20005