Testimony By Amy Waychoff

Please send emails to the House Ways and Means Committee (see email addresses below) before January 29, when the Maryland General Assembly (MGA) will hear the bill. If possible, please submit testimony on the MGA website between 8 am and 6 pm on Monday. Contact Amy Waychoff, [email protected], 240-393-5550, for help.

By Miriam Gutierrez, January 21, 2025

Among the 50 states, Maryland currently ranks 14^th in economic growth, falling behind Virginia’s current robust growth. Certain counties in Maryland have competitive positions in healthcare, life science, and pharmaceutical and medical research.  However, there are major economic, demographic, and political challenges that could deteriorate the economic growth in these counties, and in the entire state of Maryland.  Among these challenges are:

1. The Trump administration plans to drastically downsize the federal workforce, abolish, reduce, or relocate 60 federal facilities currently operating in Maryland, and reclassify some civilian positions (converting them into short-term political appointees). Defunding or displacing federal facilities could bring drastic revenue reductions in the 2025 Maryland budget.

The displacement of federal workers will reduce local and state government budgets through taxation. (Giacomo Bologna, in The Baltimore Banner and also at [email protected])

This reduction in tax revenues will be inevitable since the federal labor force in Maryland represents 6 percent of its total labor force, or 10% if those who commute to DC. (US Census Bureau)

Weekly Report to Montgomery County

Quote of the Week:

“The Trump administration immigration policy is a threat to immigrants like criminals.” Representative Ilian Omar

Illegal Immigration NOT undocumented………..

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during preparations for the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

The Trump Effect: Gov. DeSantis Reminds Woke Reporter It's OK To Call Illegal Aliens Illegal Again

 By C. Douglas Golden  January 24, 2025 at 5:52am

One of the themes in President Donald Trump’s inaugural address on Monday was a “revolution of common sense.”

“It’s all about common sense,” Trump said, before announcing his executive order “declar[ing] a national emergency at our southern border.”

That there is a national emergency there should be, well, common sense. Consider the fact that, under the previous president, roughly 10 million illegal aliens were encountered trying to enter the United States in an unlawful manner. However, doing anything about this was considered impolitic. In fact, it was impolitic to even call illegal immigrants “illegal,” or referring to the process of letting them free in the United States pending an immigration court date as “catch and release.”

In 2025, our "award-winning" newsletter will be sent to you the first week of each month. For the other weeks, we plan to send out a weekly digest, starting with this one. The MCGOP Digest is a compilation of items sent to us by our Friday 5pm deadline. Send items to [email protected] We value your engagement and appreciate your continued support. God Bless America!

From Doreen Rubin (United Against Racism in Education)

The following link gives parents, grandparents, community members, and clergy members the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with the MD Comprehensive Health Education Family Life Unit which in 2019 included topics on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation for grades PreK - 12. Parents should take the lead in discussions surrounding these sensitive issues.

We need everyone to fill out this form and voice their disapproval and encourage its removal from the curriculum! Thanks! Dee

https://ujoin.co/campaigns/3419/actions/public?action_id=4541

TELL THE COUNCIL “NO” TO AHSI AS PROPOSED 

MCCF applauds announcements from Montgomery County Councilmember At- Large Will Jawando and District 5 Councilmember Kristin Mink, opposing moving forward on the proposed Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative, “AHSI”. These were the first announcements of opposition to AHSI among the current eleven members of the Council. See their statements here and here.

By Amy Waychoff

Delegate Kathy Szeliga (District 7) is once again putting forward her Fairness in Girls’ Sports Bill (HB 156), ensuring that only biological girls can compete in girls’ JV and varsity high school sports in Maryland. According to Delegate Szeliga, “we are on the right side of history by seeking to protect young female athletes in Maryland, and we will not wait until there is another victim of violence, stolen record, or missed scholarship before we act.”

Please help get this important bill passed by doing the following:

I join in your excitement for Monday's inauguration and what will surely be a brighter future for America and the world.

We're ready to go - to help solve some of the major problems left from the past four years - and to tackle our future challenges with a fresh and winning perspective. We finally have some optimism, let's enjoy it.

These next few years will bring issues on the Homefront. Both our County and our State are fully prepared to raise taxes and increase spending and over regulate whatever they can touch to make the cost of living even higher for most of us in MoCo and our region. 

I pledge to you that we'll be vigilant, call out the bad actors and encourage good, common sense candidates to come forward and work for sincere solutions county-wide, to make our lives better, easier, healthier and more productive. Thanks for joining me, for working with me, and moving ahead to make Montgomery County great.

Stacey Sauter

2025 MCGOP Chair

Yep, WE LISTEN - what do you think? Write me at [email protected]

L to R, Dennis Melby 2024 Chairman administers the oath of office to 2025 Officers - Vice Chair Del Lamiman, Treasurer Brigitta Mullican and Secretary Lori Jaffe (Chair Stacey Sauter and Vice Chair Monte Gingery not pictured)

Leadership elections were held Tuesday evening in Rockville for the MCGOP Leadership team. Stacey Sauter, current first Vice Chair was chosen as Chair while former Chairman Mayor Del Lamiman was elected first Vice Chair. The remaining officers kept their current positions. All pledged to continue the great progress we experienced in 2024 - and to build on that momentum.

Send ideas for new initiatives to [email protected].

By Lori Jaffe

Common sense is making a comeback. All across the nation, and even in blue Maryland and bluer Montgomery County, people are realizing that their governments need more of it. People are speaking up and it’s making a difference. We encourage you to continue to speak up for common sense. After all, our government is led by “we the people.”