From Kathy’s Desk

HB 359 – Save Women’s Sports Act sponsored by Delegate Kathy Szeliga and 32 Republican Delegates will have a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, February 15 at 1 p.m. To testify on this bill you must sign up on the General Assembly “MyMGA” account on their website at: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov.  
 
Biological females are being required to compete against biological males identifying as females in high school and college interscholastic and intramural junior varsity athletic teams or sports sponsored by public schools. This is not a level playing field. Biological males have greater lung capacity, longer and stronger bones and other physical strength advantages over biological females. The bill provides strong documentation in support of the need to protect girls’ and women’s sports for girls and women.  
 
You’ll probably remember the University of Pennsylvania case where a male student competed for 3 years on the men’s team without distinction, and then identified as a female and competed and won all the awards on the women’s team.

Girl’s and women’s opportunities for scholarships and competitive sports in colleges or professionally are at stake. It’s very important that we speak up loudly that girls’ and women’s sports should be reserved for biological females.  
 
HB 359 provides that there be three types of teams:

1. a boys, male, or men’s team or sport
2. a girls, female, or women’s team or sport
3. a coeducational or mixed team or sport

 
No one is excluded but separate categories allow for fair and equal opportunity to compete.
 

HOW TO TESTIFY:

1. Sign up Monday, February 13th between 8am-3pm at MyMGA – Witness Signup (maryland.gov)

2. Give written testimony. 

– A PDF format for written online testimony. 

– Describe why you like the bill.

– At the very least you can just select FAV (favorable) and that will act as your testimony. 

3. Give Oral Testimony in person or via Zoom.

– Sign into Zoom live for the hearing. – Come to Annapolis in person on February 15th at 1pm.

Maryland State Scholarships

The scholarship application will be open from January 30 – April 24, 2023; 

• To be eligible for this scholarship, you must 1) Reside in Maryland Legislative District 7A or 7B; 2) Complete the FAFSA by March 1; 3) Attend a college, university, or private career school in Maryland (or apply for a Unique Major Status for an out-of-state institution)
• If you received a scholarship before, you must reapply to be eligible for another scholarship
• Further information about the Delegate Scholarship Program can be found here
• Please email sanscholarshipcommittee07ab@gmail.com with any questions about the process

I-95 Extension and I-695 Tolls
Members of the public may submit comments for the official record of the proposed I-95 Northbound Extension and I-695 ramps tolling plan through April 13, 2023. All comments received during the toll rate range setting process are given equal consideration.

Comments may be submitted by visiting here.BCPS Stakeholder Survey
The brief online survey will be available on the BCPS home page from January 30 through Friday, March 3, 2023. The survey is again available in multiple languages for students, parents, and community members.

In the News…

Gov. Wes Moore supports package of bills to protect abortion services, patient and provider data – Baltimore Sun In a statement, Baltimore County delegates Kathy Szeliga and Ryan Nawrocki and Harford County Del. Lauren Arikan, all Republicans, said “Maryland’s current abortion laws are radical and should not be enshrined in our constitution.”   “Maryland has some of the most extreme abortion laws and services in the entire country,” they wrote. “This proposed constitutional amendment is nothing more than a political ploy to scare voters for next year’s election.” Maryland Democrats file bills backing abortion; GOP leaders oppose – Herald-Mail Media “When preborn life is so easily discarded, we are not working in the best interest of ALL Marylanders,” said Republican Dels. Kathy Szeliga, Ryan Nawrocki, and Lauren Arikan, representing Baltimore and Harford counties, in a statement.​ Moore, Miller, legislative Democrats announce legislation protecting abortion rights – Baltimore Fishbowl “Claiming that abortion access needs to be expanded is outrageous when Maryland has some of the highest abortion rates in the nation due to the permissive language used in our state laws and a lack of regulation,” said Del. Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore; Del. Ryan Nawrocki, R-Baltimore, and Del. Lauren Arikan, R-Harford, in a joint press release Thursday. “Abortion is already ‘enshrined’ in Maryland and the argument that abortion is a fundamental right is false when healthy full-term babies are aborted at will.” Democrats put on a muscular show of support for abortion rights measures – Maryland Matters Separately, GOP delegates from District 7A in Baltimore County, Kathy Szeliga and Ryan Nawrocki and District 7B in Harford County, Lauren Arikan, issued a statement calling the push for a constitutional amendment “nothing more than a political ploy to scare voters for next year’s election.”   “Maryland’s abortion laws already permit abortion on-demand for the entire nine months of pregnancy,” the lawmakers said. “Late-term abortions are done in Maryland. Insurance companies must pay 100% for abortions. Your minor daughter can get an abortion without parental notification or consent. Taxpayers pay for abortions in Maryland. Maryland’s current abortion laws are radical and should not be enshrined in our constitution.”   State leaders introduce legislation to protect abortion access WMAR2 News Pro-life advocates feel that putting abortion protections in the constitution goes too far. “Aborting babies is quite insulting to many of us,” said Delegate Kathy Szeliga.