June 2020 Newsletter
This email contains a Vaccines Update, my trip to the CDC in Atlanta to learn about de-bunking vaccine myths, the Dobbs decision fallout, my MHA Legislator of the Year Award and more!
The end of session email highlights my Top 10 legislative accomplishments of 2022 and announces my promotion to Vice Chair of HGO.
- Time to Care Act (Paid Family & Medical Leave)
- Abortion Care Access Act
- Climate Solutions Now
- Banning Ghost Guns
- Healthy Babies Equity Act
- Retiree Tax Cuts
- Supporting Healthcare Heroes
- $100M+ Investment in Childcare
- Expanding Dental Coverage to 800k Marylanders
- Eliminating Waitlists for Home & Community Based Services for the Elderly and Disabled.
Read the whole newsletter HERE!
Week 9 (Mid-Session) Update!
Description of the Abortion Care Access Act and Reproductive Liberty Amendment
Contains a Covid Update, breakdown of my 2022 legislative agenda and my wedding news!
Filing for re-election, Covid Update, Special Session and Community News
COVID Update, Mask Mandates, Hospitalization Numbers etc.
Summer 2021 Newsletter (June/July 2021)
Covid, Equity Data, VAccine Requirements, Delta Variant
April 2021 End of Session and Covid Update
March (Week 16) Covid Update (Building a better world)
March 2021 Week 15 COVID Update
March 2021 (Week 14 Covid Update)
SUMMER 2020 UPDATE
July 20, 2020
Dear Neighbor,
Greetings from my home to yours! Normally I spend the interim months meeting in person with constituents, touring facilities in District 16, attending commission meetings and preparing for the next legislative session. Obviously, this spring and early summer are very different and I miss being out in our community. I am very grateful for the essential workers, healthcare workers, in-home and center-based child care providers, restaurant workers, and delivery drivers who make this time at home possible for so many of us. I am also thankful that technology can keep us connected and safe in this trying time. We had a great turnout for our first District 16 legislative wrap-up via Zoom and I look forward to connecting with many of you again soon.
“Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble” -Representative John Lewis (1940-2020)
While recent events and the state of our country can be discouraging, I’m finding lots of inspiration too. I am inspired by the high school students who organized a peaceful, poignant Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Bethesda a few weeks ago. I am heartened by the many voices and communities in our district who have come together to lend their support to this historic movement. I am glad that we are having hard conversations on the local, state, and federal levels about police reform. I am hopeful that we can work together to address the systemic racism and inequality that is embedded across all facets of our society. In the spirit of the late civil rights icon, Representative John Lewis, let’s continue to “get in some good trouble” and make Maryland a better place for all.
COVID-19 UPDATE
My office has been busier than ever assisting constituents and working with state officials to address the pandemic and help mitigate its effects. While the positivity rate is slightly higher over the past few days, in general, rates continue to trend in the right direction in our county and state. As of today, statewide infection rates are around 4% and our ICU bed usage is at its lowest since late March. I am cautiously optimistic that the measures Maryland has in place will keep us on this trend line but we must remain vigilant. The virus hasn’t left us so we must continue to wear masks, practice social distancing, and take the proper precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
With two children in MCPS, I anxiously await final word on plans for the fall and have been in communication with school officials throughout the past few months to ensure that plans for the fall are inclusive, robust and most importantly safe for students, teachers and their collective families. While a final decision is expected in mid-August, you can find details of the proposed plans on the MCPS website.
Even though the General Assembly is not in session, I continue COVID related oversight work behind the scenes as a subcommittee chair on the Health and Government Operations Committee, and am in constant contact with our health officials in the county and state. In particular, I am keeping a watchful eye over our assisted living and long term care facilities and working to ensure that each facility has the supplies and resources necessary to keep our vulnerable seniors and their caregivers safe. I am an active member of the National Conference of State Legislatures Health and Human Services Committee, working with colleagues across the country on pandemic response policies. In addition, I serve on the Commission to Study Mental and Behavioral Health in Maryland. In both capacities, we are working on health care financing and continued access to tele-health services during the COVID crisis.
We must also make sure that our child care centers can survive the crisis. The affordability and availability of childcare are crucial to the recovery of our economy. I am working with the state Department of Education and local child care advocates on creative staffing solutions and to redirect funding towards the survival of these essential businesses. Particularly with the possibility that public elementary schools will remain closed through the fall, child care centers and home-based child care paid for by already financially strapped parents will be filling in this gap.
For many individuals and most small businesses, this is a trying economic time. My staff has put together a list of COVID related resources which has information on available financial assistance for individuals and businesses, where to get tested, and links to data about infection rates in Maryland.
Unemployment Insurance
The District 16 delegation has helped more than 200 constituents get the unemployment benefits they deserve. The Governor’s Department of Labor was unprepared for the pandemic, and while I am pleased that progress has been made in resolving the initial backlog of claims, I know that many residents are still waiting on their benefits. The D16 team will continue to press the Department to resolve every case and use our oversight capacity as legislators to hold the agency responsible and accountable. If you need help with your unemployment claim, please email my office at Ariana.Kelly@house.state.md.us.
Importantly, small businesses should be aware of the Work Sharing Unemployment Insurance Program. This is an under-utilized, voluntary program designed to avoid layoffs by allowing employers to reduce hours by a percentage equal to the reduction in hours that would be achieved by a layoff. Employees can receive unemployment payments equal to the missing wages and employers benefit by retaining a trained workforce. For more information visit: https://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/worksharing/.
ENDING POLICE BRUTALITY/ADDRESSING RACISM
I’ve heard from so many of you in support of efforts to reduce police brutality. Like you, I’m angry and heartbroken over these incidents. I am wholeheartedly committed to enacting change on the state level and am pleased that key members of the General Assembly are already hard at work crafting a reform package. Their work over this summer and fall will jumpstart our legislative efforts in the coming 2021 session and these reforms will be top of our agenda come January. The Democratic Caucus is also pushing Governor Hogan to make immediate changes to the police operations throughout the state under his jurisdiction, sending this letter in late June. I am very optimistic that we will see real reforms on the state level in the coming days.
Police brutality is but one part of a much larger problem – systemic racism exists across our education, healthcare and economic systems. My service on the Health and Government Operations Committee in particular gives me the opportunity to advance policies that reduce disparities in healthcare. Last session we passed bills to improve maternal mortality review boards, to require implicit bias training for healthcare workers and my legislation to improve the availability of mental health care Maryland. However, data coming out of the pandemic only proves that our work is far from over and we have much left to do.
2020 LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP
Even though the pandemic cut the 2020 session short, the General Assembly passed five of the seven major initiatives I proposed:
- HB 1120 – Bans discrimination in healthcare on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
- HB 978 – Allows independent pharmacies to negotiate better contract terms which will lower drug costs for consumers.
- HB 781 – Updates and expands Maryland law regarding insurance coverage for in-vitro fertilization treatment.
- HB 455 – Requires insurance carriers to submit a comprehensive set of reports to the MIA to ensure that carriers adequately provide care for mental health and substance abuse.
- HB 1615 – Protects seniors from unscrupulous referral agencies and unlicensed assisted living facilities.
I also played a critical role in the passage of emergency legislation in the last days of the session that promotes the delivery of tele-health and expands unemployment insurance. You can find more details on these bills and other key legislation passed this year in my 2020 Session Summary.
During the session, we heard from and worked with many D16 residents on topics ranging from the environment to animal welfare to mental health. Below are a few pictures from the 2020 session. So many of you came to Annapolis to meet with us, testify before Committees, and watch the session in progress. Others of you emailed and called to share your views. It’s always my pleasure to see you in Annapolis and to witness your activism!
2021 SESSION LOOK AHEAD
I anticipate that police reform measures, overriding the Governor’s veto of the Blueprint measure, and addressing budget shortfalls will be the top items on the MGA’s agenda once we reconvene. As yet, it’s unclear how we will proceed with the 2021 session. Session days usually find hundreds if not thousands of people visiting the buildings and we operate in close quarters in our offices, in committee rooms and on the floor of the State House. With so many people in such proximity, operating as usual is likely to be too big of a risk and it’s possible that some or all of our activities will take place virtually. Regardless of how the session functions, my office is always reachable and I look forward to working with you to address the many challenges we face.
ELECTIONS/POLITICAL NEWS
Last week, Governor Hogan issued an order that will have this November’s critical elections taking place in person at the polls. I am concerned that in-person voting will place voters and poll workers at risk given the current environment. The Governor plans to mail an absentee ballot request form to every voter, which then must be turned in and processed before an absentee ballot will be mailed out. This extra step is unnecessary, confusing and essentially just creates a barrier to voting.
The Attorney General, the Montgomery County Democratic Party, and others have weighed in against the decision and I am hopeful that with enough pressure the Governor will reverse course and mail-in voting will be in effect this fall. You can register your opinion by signing the petition or calling the Governor’s office at 1-800-811-8336.
Volunteer Opportunities
Do you typically knock on doors and otherwise volunteer during election season? There are lots of ways that you can help out from the safety of your home. Check out the Montgomery County Democratic Party’s Volunteer for Victory effort.
Virtual Reception Coming
As my Spring fundraiser with Speaker Jones was postponed, look for details on a rescheduled, re-imagined virtual event sometime this fall. In the meantime, if you’d like to make a contribution to my campaign, you can donate online HERE.
LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
A record number of applications were received for the Delegate Kelly Legislative Scholarship. Recipients will be announced in the fall newsletter. Interested applicants for next year can find more information at delegatearianakelly.com/scholarship/
CONSTITUENT ASSISTANCE
My office and I are always happy to assist District 16 residents. If you have an issue with a state agency, please reach out via email and we will do our best to assist you.
Until this fall, please remember to wear your masks, practice social distancing, and stay safe!
Best,
Ariana
senatorarianakelly.com 