Kristen Harbeson, Political Director
By Kristen Harbeson, Political Director
I always get a charge out of the first day of Session. There is a “back to school” feel to the campus, as everyone returns to the halls of Annapolis with big dreams and freshly minted New Year Resolutions. Many legislators are returning with new committee assignments or leadership appointments, so they will be finding their way to new offices and learning the ropes of new policy briefs. Six new members (five in the House of Delegates and one in the Senate) – will be moving into their offices for the first time, and both the House and Senate will have new faces behind the rostrum, gaveling their chambers to order. And, of course, there are changes in the environmental community, with new leadership in many partner organizations – including our own!
The energy around a new session is electric – but it is only a matter of hours after the rush of greetings before everyone buckles down for work. I look at my newly polished shoes and know that at the end of 90-days, they will have traversed miles and climbed mountains (all within the same ¼ mile and three buildings), in the interest of pursuing strong environmental policy. The notebook where I keep a record of meetings and conversations, currently crisp and empty, will be full. I will be a stranger to the desk in my office, in favor of the floors outside of the committee rooms.
Over the next 90-days, I’ll be updating you weekly on the stories from the halls of Annapolis, and giving you a look behind the scenes at my life as a lobbyist for “The Political Voice of the Environment,” and help to pull back the curtain of how bills become laws here in Maryland. I hope you’ll take this as an opportunity to ask questions as we go along, and as we work together to pass ground-breaking environmental legislation. Don’t forget to sign up to receive our weekly “hotlist” of legislation we’re tracking (or you can find it here: https://www.mdlcv.org/weekly-hotlist). I can’t wait to hear from you!