House Speaker Jocelyn Peña Melnick (D-Prince George and Anne Arundel) warned that weekday and weekend sessions would be extended so the House could keep up with its work. (File photo Brian P. Sears/Maryland Affairs)
A longer House debate on the bill could hamper representatives’ after-hours and weekend plans.
Work is being backed up. House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk told the House she was prepared to do whatever it takes to advance the legislation.
“We have over 60 days left, so I want you to plan your schedule ahead of time,” Peña-Melnyk told the House at the end of Friday’s session.
Earlier this week, the House spent four hours debating House Bill 488, the congressional redistricting bill. There have also been long and sometimes heated debates over legislation that would ban police from wearing masks, ban 287(g) agreements and limit utility executive pay. Not to mention the procedural delays proposed by Republicans — a tactic that Peña-Melnyk said could lead to rule changes.
“We’re going to be very busy over the next few weeks,” Peña-Melnyk said. “So for planning purposes, don’t be surprised if we end up here late at night. Don’t be surprised if we have to come on Saturday. Don’t be surprised if we have to come on Monday morning because we’re not going to fall behind on our work.”
senate subtext
As Woody Allen once said, eighty percent of life is manifestation.
Those percentages have risen sharply in the Maryland Senate, where who was present and what that meant has been a topic of discussion after Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles) protested. Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) appeared to address the issue, calling for a final quorum vote during Friday’s pro forma session.
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“The Maryland Senate is still in session because of three members who were physically present at the pro forma session,” Ferguson said.
For those unfamiliar with the subtext of the Senate, the message sent by a senator’s “in-person presence” is that staying in the Senate is what matters. It’s likely intended for one senator — Ellis — who wasn’t here Friday.
Ellis angrily walked out of the Senate on Thursday after calling for a vote on House Bill 488, a congressional redistricting bill that is now stalled in committee. While the exact nature of Ellis’ protest is unclear, it appears to involve his decision not to register his presence during the quorum call. At least 24 senators must be present during regular meetings of the Chamber of Commerce to conduct business.
Therefore, the value of Ellis’s decision not to register his presence during a quorum call may have been eliminated by Senate rules, which provide that it is sufficient for enough senators to be present to constitute a quorum, whether present or not.
Under Senate rules, everything depends on presence.
One man’s protests sweep the country
Ellis took one of his senatorial protests to a national level during a nearly 13-minute appearance on Roland Martin Unfiltered Thursday night, just hours after he staged a live protest.
Ellis wanted Ferguson to bring a congressional redistricting bill up for a vote, and he didn’t hesitate, saying he objected to leadership “not debating the issue, not even in back rooms.”
“We hear behind-the-scenes politics, and I’m right behind the scenes, and there’s silence even behind the scenes about the debate,” he said.
The redistricting bill has been stalled in the Senate Rules Committee, of which Ellis serves as vice chairman, since it passed the House earlier this week.
Ellis said he felt compelled to speak out.
“So I had to really delve into the history and our ancestors and how they stood up and how they were able to stand up and be able and willing to be ostracized, to be beaten. I mean, we think about John Lewis, and all the women who really led the way — Paulie Murray and Fannie Lou Hamer — and it’s amazing how they stood out and left their comfort zones and made the statement that had to be made at that time,” he said. “I believe my protest on the Senate floor today is the statement I have to make at this very, very critical moment in American history.”
Senator Arthur Ellis (D-CH) on Roland Martin Unfiltered. (screenshot)
Ferguson remains a staunch opponent of redistricting efforts.
“I can’t understand what was going through the president of the Senate’s mind, why he did what he did,” Ellis told Martin. “But the thing is, the president of the Senate is not my boss. Other senators may call him a boss, and they do, but he is not my boss. He didn’t hire me, and he can’t fire me for this position of power.
“I will never be hired by a white man, and I’m 64 years old, in the Air Force, fighting for promotions, fighting discrimination, working for civilian agencies and the federal government. It’s all harassment and it’s blocking my advancement. A lot of my constituents have the same experience, whether it’s working for a private company or working for the federal or state government. So I’m sent here to be that independent voice that says I have zero bosses in the capital, the state capital. Annapolis.”
So far, Ferguson appears to have the support of most of his 34-member caucus except Ellis.
“I think for me, the whole thing is, have the courage to vote. If you don’t want to do it, then have the courage,” Ellis said. “Have a debate. Cast your vote, yes or no, and listen, and if it fails in Maryland like it did in Indiana, so be it. But if it goes to the Senate, it won’t fail in Maryland. Guaranteed it won’t fail.”
Ellis is the only Democratic senator to speak publicly in support of the bill so far. He told reporters Thursday he was not the only one, but declined to be named. He repeated the claim on Martin’s show and said others “said so privately.”
“I’m the only one so far who has stood up and said, ‘No, we will not be suppressed,'” Ellis said. “We will not remain silent. We will not roll over and play dead in the heart of Maryland. We will use every tool at our disposal to address this issue and cause this level of discomfort.”
There, Part 2
During a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Proceedings Committee on Thursday, Sen. William C. Smith Jr., D-Montgomery, paused to offer an unusual apology to lobbyists, community leaders and others who came to testify or simply attend the hearing.
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That’s because about five of the 11 committee members were absent after the panel discussed several bills for more than three hours. The entire meeting lasted nearly 4 1/2 hours.
“As the chairman of this committee, I want to apologize on behalf of the committee because some of our members were not present,” Smith said. “We all run for office. We asked for this job. You all came here from all over the state to petition your government and demand change.”
He continued: “Part of our core responsibility is to be here to hear your testimony. I know there are members who have medical emergencies, who are dealing with family issues. There are members who are just going to committee to testify on other bills. Obviously, that’s part of our responsibility, but we really should be here as much as possible when we’re not on other official duties during the session. We’re going to try to do better. That’s my commitment.”
Seconds later, a woman walked up to the podium and said, “Thank you for saying that.”
