Thread by @msanderson_MACo

I’m disappointed that @MDCounties is going to miss a bill hearing, and a pretty big one, this year. Not something that happens often. But weird scheduling quirks compel it. The 2021 session really requires a “waiting week.” I’ll lay out my case. #MDpolitics #MDGA21 …1/x

The bill is #SB496, the Governor’s RELIEF Act, doing multiple things amidst the wake of the COVID crisis. A billion dollars, we hear. Lots for businesses and families. Some will affect county governments, even retroactively. We’re a stakeholder for sure. …2/x

However, the bill got introduced on the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan 20. The bill itself had not been available until then. Then quickly scheduled for its public hearing in the Senate on Tuesday, Jan 26. …3/x

Sounds like that gives everyone a week to prepare, right? Well, not really. For 2021, with safety protocols, testimony is being requested two business days in advance of a public hearing. Today. Testimony was already due… today. …4/x

Okay, everyone could have watched the schedule like a hawk, cuddled up with the bill Thursday night, sort out its multiple provisions, and decide in a day what they think about it. Staff at @MDCounties have been fielding these calls from counties, that’s pretty normal. …5/x

But for technical calls like the one I just took an hour ago from a county official, I had to follow up with… “sorry, though, you already missed your chance to sign up, the deadline was today at three.” Then a sigh. …6/x

And what about MACo itself? Surely @MDCounties staff be there to speak on behalf of the county community? Can’t do it. Our positions come through our elected officials who sit as a Legislative Committee. …7/x

They do their job well, they take it seriously, and we ask a lot of them – a weekly meeting through the heart of the legislative session to slog through, bill by bill, and direct the staff on positions to take. …8/x

It lends MACo a lot of our credibility. When we show up to testify, it’s not just what I think, or what my staff colleagues conclude… it’s a vote of elected officials. That helps our message and effectiveness in Annapolis immeasurably. …9/x

Asking them to meet (usually that means a drive to town) every week is a big lift, but it’s important. Weekly meetings mean we’ll have time for them to guide our positions and then go deliver them before the committees at their hearings. …10/x

Except… not this time. The bill text didn’t exist when they last met. And their next weekly meeting is far too late to get things in on time, under this year’s special rules. We’re out. …11/x

It’s not the end of the world. If our officials eventually take a position, we’ll submit something after the fact. But we won’t speak at the hearing, when members are most focused. It’s a loss, an important one in a session where one-to-one followup is nearly impossible. …12/x

And, we can’t be alone in this. I know the @MDCounties process, but lots of stakeholders need to do their analysis, get approval, and take votes (or some combination of these) to take formal positions on policies… that’s really common. …13/x

The hearing on this bill is almost surely going to be incomplete. That’s a missed opportunity for the public, for stakeholders like @MDCounties, and to be candid, for the General Assembly. Public input is important. …14/x

We understand, everyone is trying to run the show smoothly and safely. Nobody disagrees with that. It’s a balancing act, and for the most part I think legislative leaders have been smart and reasonable in the setup for this year. …15/x

Here, there’s a weakness. The most plugged-in supporters of the bill may have been raring to go two weeks ago. Others didn’t even get to read the bill until a day before submissions and signups were due. Stuff will trickle in after the fact. It’s not ideal. …16/x

Years ago, I was professional staff to a legislative committee in Annapolis. Among my jobs was to help the Committee schedule bill hearings sensibly. Not a simple matter, I get it. Back then, though, a few days’ notice was enough in just about every situation. …17/x

This year, with the overlay of early-signups and the like… it just isn’t. We need to give everyone at least a real week between the bill being made available and the deadline to participate in the hearing. A “waiting week.” It can work. …18/x

If you’ve read this far… well, wow. Probably written for the insiders and diehards around Annapolis, mainly. But I think this rule of thumb would be good for the General Assembly, your work is at its best when fully informed by the public and affected stakeholders. 19/19 fin

...a post-script. Really not trying to trash anyone here. I realize it might sound like I am. I just wanted to point out a weakness, in hopes it can get better. We've got time to fix it. I love #MDpolitics and the institutions that harbor all of it.