Senate President Mike Miller Shuffles Committee & Leadership Posts for Brinkley, Feldman, Getty, Hershey, Pugh & Robey

Maryland Juice just received the following press release from the office of Senate President Mike Miller announcing new committee assignments an leadership posts to account for the new members appointed to the body. The shifts impact State Senators David Brinkley, Brian Feldman, Joseph Getty, Stephen Hershey, Catherine Pugh and James Robey. Robey and Pugh are taking the leadership posts previously held by Sen. Rob Garagiola (eg: Majority Leader & Senate Finance Health Subcommittee Chair, respectively). The remaining committee assignments are highlighted below:

PRESS RELEASE

Senate President Miller Announces new Committee & Leadership Positions

Announcement comes after Feldman, Hershey Appointments

Annapolis, MD – Today, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., announced new committee assignments and Democratic leadership appointments resulting from the resignation of Senators Garagiola and Pipkin as well as the appointments of Senators Feldman and Hershey.

“I am pleased to announce these appointments and know that these Senators will be very successful in these roles. We have incredible talent and knowledge in the Maryland Senate and I am certain all of these appointments will serve our State well," said Senate President Miller.

In appointing Senator James Robey as Senate Majority Leader, Senate President Miller remarked that "We have a true and demonstrated leader in the Senate with a career of public service that we all admire and for this reason I am pleased to appoint Senator James Robey as the Senate Majority Leader. While we are all saddened by his decision not to seek re-election next year, we are excited to have him serve in this role in his final year in public service.”

Senate President Miller also announced the appointment of Senator Catherine Pugh as the Senate Finance committee Health Subcommittee chair following the departure of Senator Garagiola, stating, "I can think of no one better than Senator Pugh to help our state move forward in this new and complex era of health care delivery."

Senate President Miller also announced the following committee assignments:

Committee Assignments:

• Senator Brian J. Feldman – Finance Committee
• Senator David R. Brinkley – Finance Committee
• Senator Joseph M. Getty – Budget & Taxation Committee
• Senator Stephen S. Hershey, Jr. – Judicial Proceedings Committee

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PRESS RELEASE: Rob Garagiola Explains Reasons for Retiring from Senate // PLUS: Robin Ficker & Son Running in D15

This morning Maryland Juice received the following press release from State Senator Rob Garagiola's office discussing his looming resignation from public office:

PRESS RELEASE

Statement from Senate Majority Leader Garagiola on his
Resignation from the Maryland Senate
"I have expressed to Governor O'Malley and Senate President Miller that after careful consideration I am resigning from the state Senate on September I, 2013," said Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola (D-Montgomery).

"It has been an honor and privilege to serve in the state Senate, and represent District 15 and Montgomery County," stated Garagiola. "What I have enjoyed most about my many years of public service is the difference I was able to make through the people I was able to help, the policies I affected that helped make Maryland the best place to live, and the friends I have made."

"For nearly 20 years, most of my life has been dedicated to public service of varying forms, and I'm ready to start the next chapter" said Garagiola.

"I want to spend more quality time with my children," Garagiola said. Senator Garagiola has three children, a boy and two girls, ages 15, 13, and 12. "It is time for me to be a father first for them and I realize as I watch them grow and become young adults that I won't be able to get this time back. I look forward to being extremely involved in their lives, which I have not been able to do while in public service."

This year, Senator Garagiola helped spearhead passage of a major transportation revenue bill which was lauded as crucial toward alleviating congestion; he previously served on a Blue Ribbon Commission to address transportation revenue shortfalls. He also helped lead the effort to pass off-shore wind legislation; finish enactment in Maryland of the Affordable Care Act as Chairman of the Health Subcommittee on the Senate Finance Committee; and enact legislation establishing a new scholarship program for career and volunteer firefighters.

In past years, Senator Garagiola authored numerous bills concerning the promotion of solar energy - many in the industry credit Garagiola with putting Maryland on the map as a leading solar energy state. He also founded and served as Co-Chair of the Legislative Veterans Caucus where he authored Maryland's version of the GI bill for Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans, which covers 50% of the their higher education costs.

Senator Garagiola was elected to the Maryland Senate in 2002. He became the Chair ofthe Senate Democratic Caucus in 2007 where he helped develop Senate legislative priorities for four years and re-elect all incumbent Senate Democrats in 2010 along a with a pick-up of two Democratic Senate seats. In 2011, Garagiola was tapped to be the Senate Majority Leader. Prior to being elected to the Senate, Garagiola served as a senior Congressional staffer to U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) from 1994-98. He also served as an airborne soldier in the u.s. Army Reserve from 1995-2003.

He looks to remain active in Democratic politics.

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Meanwhile, anti-tax activist Robin Ficker is planning on running for Garagiola's Senate seat, and his son Flynn is apparently running for District 15 House of Delegates! The following mailer was sent to District 15 voters this week:

WHOA: Sen. Rob Garagiola to Resign from Office // PLUS: The Coming Battle for Majority Leader & An Open D15 Delegate Seat

Maryland Juice's Internet terminal started buzzing this evening with news that State Senator Rob Garagiola is resigning from his District 15 Seat and job as Majority Leader! The Washington Post's John Wagner has the scoop (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Senate Majority Leader Robert A. Garagiola (D-Montgomery), once among the state’s brightest young political stars, said Wednesday he plans to resign his seat this fall and has no plans to seek elected office....

Garagiola said he planned to leave the Senate when his term expires in January 2015 and more recently began thinking about stepping down sooner. His resignation will take effect Sept. 1.

The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will be tasked with recommending a replacement for Garagiola to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D). Several lawmakers and legislative aides suggested Del. Brian J. Feldman (D-Montgomery) would be the leading contender....

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? //  A SENATE BATTLE AND OPEN DELEGATE SEAT IN 2014 - The Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) will nominate a replacement for the District 15 State Senate seat, subject to approval by Gov. O'Malley. Note that there is still one legislation session remaining in Garagiola's term, so his successor will need to be able to hit the ground running. The question then raised is whether the MCDCC will appoint a caretaker who promises not to run in 2014, or whether they appoint a sitting elected who then has a leg up on competition in 2014.

Another interesting dynamic here is that people of color, women and immigrant-based communities have been clamoring for greater representation in Democratic politics, and so that may be a factor in the appointment process. At some points in the past, the MCDCC has faced scrutiny for not recommending the appointment of women and racial/ethnic minorities for past high-profile vacancies. Either way, it is near certain that one of the sitting Delegates will either be appointed to the D15 Senate seat or will seek the office in 2014. That means we will not only have a Senate battle on our hands, but we can likely look forward to an open Delegate seat in District 15.


A NEW SENATE MAJORITY LEADER IS COMING SOON - The resignation of State Senator Garagiola also means that his post as Majority Leader will now be vacant. This too could lead to a showdown, as a large amount of pent up ambition in the Senate now has a rung on the ladder to fight for. Maryland Juice will be keeping his eyes on the coming showdown!


MEANWHILE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY //  SEN. BOBBY ZIRKIN RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION - This is old news by now, but since the make-up of the Senate Democratic Caucus will be changing, I thought it was worth printing that State Senator Bobby Zirkin is running for re-election. We previously printed rumors that he was thinking of retiring at the end of his term, but Catonsville Patch.com reported that he decided to stay put (excerpt below):

PATCH: Democratic State Sen. Bobby Zirkin is running for re-election in 2014 after all. Zirkin, in a text message to a reporter late Friday, write that he "officially filed for Senate today." The decision to run for a third term in the Maryland Senate comes a month after an interview in which he said he was considering leaving public office....

MORE ON THE D15 & SENATE MAJORITY LEADER BATTLES SOON!

Redistricting Fallout: Rep. Bartlett Running in New CD6 // 1 or 2 Lawsuits // A New Senate Majority Leader

UPDATE: Breaking news from Twitter - "MARYLAND - CD-6: State Senate Majority Leader Rob Garagiola (D) files FEC paperwork to challenge Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R)." @Politics1com

Yesterday, the Maryland Assembly finally brought the deliberations over 2012 Congressional boundaries to a close. Though there are still some procedural votes left (ie: the Sun noted 24 typos in the redistricting bill that need to be corrected in the Senate), the State is likely to plow forward in implementing Governor O'Malley's new map. This will kick off a wave of fresh stories for Maryland Juice, but below we highlight a preview of the fallout from the new redistricting plan:

Enter the CD6 Republican Candidates