Maryland Catholic Conference

Despite strong opposition from across Maryland, the State Senate will consider the dangerous physician-assisted suicide bill next week.

After hours of deliberation and dozens of amendments adopted, the Senate Judicial Proceeding Committee voted 8-3 Friday in favor of advancing SB 311, the "End of Life Options Act," to the full Senate floor for a vote. 

The Senate committee heavily amended the bill in an effort to protect Marylanders from the poorly crafted bill, which put many people at risk, and to advance the bill through a committee where many members held strong reservations about the dangerous legislation.

Despite the changes, advocates against assisted suicide remained firm in their position that no amendments could fix the bill in a way to adequately protect those who it places at greatest risk: the disabled, veterans, the elderly, those with mental illness or a terminal prognosis.

The bill now moves to the full Senate for a vote and it is expected to be voted on next week  

Only 18 days remain in the 2019 legislative session.

To stay up-to-date with calls to action on assisted suicide, visit: www.mdcatholic.org/actions

As the bill moves to a vote next week, be sure to look for more MCC updates on where your help is needed. Thank you to everyone who has answered the call to help in opposing this bill. Your calls and emails make a difference!

While the General Assembly works out the final details of the budget, the State Department of Education is already accepting applications for BOOST scholarship for the 2019-2020 school year. 

Applicants only have until April 17 at midnight to submit their application to the state. Applicants must have completed their 2018 tax return and applied to the school of their choice to be considered for a scholarship. 

"There are just a few weeks left to apply for BOOST and we are encouraging every family that is interested to apply,"said Garrett O'Day, deputy director of the Maryland Catholic Conference. "If you know someone who is interested, please share this link with them as soon as possible!"

To learn more about the requirements and to apply for BOOST, visit: http://marylandpublicschools.org/pages/boost/index.aspx

Maryland's Senate voted this week to keep all $10 million of proposed funding for the BOOST Scholarship program in the 2019-2020 budget, a move that comes just days after the House voted to cut the program. 

The differing spending plans passed by the two chambers means that legislators now must reach a compromise before the budget deadline of April 1. 

"We are grateful for the Maryland Senators who see the incredible value that BOOST provides to so many low-income students and families across our state," O'Day said. "We hope our General Assembly can agree on a final budget that maintains scholarships for the more than 3,000 existing students who are part of the BOOST program, and expands the program to allow even more deserving families the ability to choose the educational option best suited for their child."

Governor Larry Hogan proposed increasing the BOOST Scholarship Program's funding to $10 million for the coming fiscal year, an increase of just shy of $3 million from the current budget. The Senate kept his recommendation intact. However, the House voted to reduce the program to about $5.5 million, a cut of roughly $2 million from the current year's funding. 

The differing spending plans passed by Maryland's two legislative chambers requires the budget be discussed by a conference committee. The conference committee's job will be to reach a compromise on the budget. 

Maryland has until April 1 at midnight to pass its fiscal year 2019-2020 budget through both chambers.

Human trafficking: It’s not a common subject taught in high school, but at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, a group of students are making sure their peers know not just what trafficking is, but what they can do to help stop it.

Each year, the all-girls Catholic high school holds a day-long seminar on trafficking — also known as modern-day slavery — and invites a neighboring school, as well as area advocates, to join them in learning more about the issue from experts in the field. Throughout the year, the group of students works to engage their peers in action and education about the issue.

“For me, it all started freshman year when I got into Scholars here at Seton,” said Lauren Gomes, a junior.

The origin of the school’s involvement in the anti-trafficking movement is School President, Sr. Ellen Marie Hager. Sr. Ellen Marie, a Daughter of Charity, said her order made addressing human trafficking a priority in the mid-2000s. When she came to Elizabeth Seton High in 2009, she said she presented the subject to a group of top students known as “Scholars” and helped them to get involved in the anti-trafficking movement. Those Scholars, she said, took the issue and ran with it.

From hosting the day-long seminar each year, to doing special presentations to the student body, and individual advocacy both online and in the community, the students at Seton High have become some of the area’s most outspoken voices against trafficking.

For 17-year-old junior Sophia Cooney, the subject touched her so much she decided to focus her Girl Scout Gold Award on combating human trafficking.

After showing videos and putting together a presentation for underclassmen to educate her peers on the issue, Sophia said she started a petition in 2018 to gather signatures asking the Maryland General Assembly to take meaningful action against trafficking. Trafficking, while mostly universally condemned, is something that Maryland law only partially criminalizes.

Sophia made it her mission to demonstrate to Maryland lawmakers the amount of community support there is for criminalizing all trafficking.

“Right now, labor trafficking is a misdemeanor in Maryland and the state is trying to make it a felony,” she said. A bill to criminalize labor trafficking failed to pass in 2018, so Sophia said sponsors are trying again to pass it in 2019. She hopes her petition can help move it over the finish line. Sophia presented her petition to her Senator, Douglas J.J. Peters (D-23) in February.

In addition to the petition, Sophia also organized a collection drive at the school to make care packages for individuals rescued from trafficking. She collected enough supplies to make 80 packages. To make sure those packages reached victims, the school partnered with The Samaritan Women Institute for Shelter Care, an organization that works to build a stronger, more stable landscape of providers serving survivors of human trafficking.

When victims are able to escape their traffickers, often they have nothing, said Lauren. The drive aimed to provide victims with some basic necessities like toiletries and clothing to help get them through that time of transition.

Lauren Gomes (left), Sophia Cooney (center) and Macy Granzow (right) are part of a group of students at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg that are working to combat human trafficking.

(photo courtesy the Governor’s Office)

Maryland’s General Assembly and the Hogan Administration declared March 21, 2019 as World Down Syndrome Day in Maryland, recognizing the importance of persons with Down syndrome and their contributions to our state. This is the second year that the Maryland Catholic Conference partnered with The Arc Maryland and Maryland Department of Disabilities to celebrate people with Down syndrome and those that support them. 

The partnership of the Maryland Catholic Conference, The Arc Maryland, and the Maryland Department of Disabilities is dedicated to ensuring that people with differing abilities are empowered to live, work, and succeed in our communities, including persons with Down syndrome.

“We were thrilled to have almost 100 people join us for the World Down Syndrome Day celebration in Annapolis. Today was a great success and we hope this annual event continues to grow and promote the inclusion of people with Down syndrome in society,” said Jennifer Briemann, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference. 

First Lady Yumi Hogan stopped by the event to meet the individuals with Down syndrome who came to Annapolis to celebrate the day, as well as their families and advocates. Maryland Department of Disabilities Secretary Carol Beatty presented a proclamation from Gov. Larry Hogan declaring March 21, 2019 as World Down Syndrome Day, and both Senator Douglas J.J. Peters and Del. Nicholaus Kipke presented resolutions in their chambers in recognition of the day.

The Conference thanks Governor Hogan, the First Lady, Secretary Beatty, Maryland Department of Disabilities Deputy Secretary Christian Miele, Senator Peters, and Delegate Kipke, for their efforts making March 21, 2019 a great day for all involved.

Globally, World Down Syndrome Day has been celebrated since 2012.

Maryland's Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee was expected to vote this week on HB 399/SB 311 — the bill that would legalize the dangerous practice of physician-assisted suicide in Maryland — but the committee delayed consideration until next week.

Proponents of the bill, the heavily-funded Oregon-based group Compassion and Choices, issued a press release on Thursday, March 14, calling on the committee to not make any "excessive amendments" to the bill, amendments which it specifically said included protections for those with mental illness. The committee was likely going to meet to discuss amendments that same day but postponed.

The delayed vote pushes the issue into the final three weeks of the 2019 legislative session. However, the House version of the bill has already crossed over from the House to the Senate ahead of the Monday crossover deadline, an important hurdle each session. 

"Thank you to each and every person who has taken the time to speak up against this dangerous bill," said Jennifer Briemann, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference. "We know that each message sent has an impact and this committee has heard loud and clear that many of us in this state don't support physician-assisted suicide."

To stay up to date with the latest calls to action against assisted suicide, join the Catholic Advocacy Network by visiting: www.mdcatholic.org/joincan

Sen. Justin Ready (right), sponsor of SB 561, speaks at a press conference in February for the introduction of Laura & Reid's Law. He is joined by Mark Wallen (center right, father of Laura and grandfather of Reid) as well as cosponsor Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (center left) and House sponsor Del. Trent Kittleman (left)

An amended version of Laura & Reid's Law (SB 561) was passed Friday, March 15 by the Maryland Senate. The bill now moves to the House of Delegates for consideration.

"Today's vote was a critical step in protecting pregnant women from domestic violence," said Therese Hessler, associate director at the Maryland Catholic Conference. "Pregnant women in Maryland are at increased risk of domestic violence because we don't have laws on our books that allow our prosecutors and our courts the ability to take additional action when pregnant women are violently attacked and their unborn children killed. While we would have liked to have seen the original bill pass, we are pleased that something significant is being done to protect Maryland women and their children."

As introduced, the bill would have expanded the state's existing fetal homicide law to allow for prosecution when a fetus younger than 24 weeks is killed through a violent attack on a pregnant woman.

However, the bill was amended to instead create an enhanced penalty of up to 10 years in prison that courts can apply when a pregnant woman is a victim of violence, regardless if her unborn child is or is not harmed, at the hands of someone who knew she was pregnant. Maryland's existing fetal homicide law, which allows prosecutors to seek an additional murder charge when a pregnant woman, who is 24 weeks or more, is attacked and her unborn child is killed, remains unchanged. 

Sine Die, the last day of session, is less than 4 weeks away. The bill must pass both chambers before midnight on April 8 to go to the Governor for a signature. 

A crowd of more than 1,000 students and teachers came to Annapolis on March 12 to advocate for Maryland's nonpublic schools 

More than 1,000 students and teachers from nonpublic schools across Maryland gathered in Annapolis on March 12 for Nonpublic Schools Advocacy Day to ask lawmakers to continue funding programs like the BOOST Scholarship program.

Started in 2016, BOOST provides scholarships to students from low-income families to attend the nonpublic school best fit for their educational needs. More than 3,000 students attend nonpublic school through the BOOST program, many who attend Catholic school.

Governor Larry Hogan has proposed increasing the budget for BOOST to $10 million from the current $7.6 million. The Legislature has until April 1 to finalize the budget so exact funding for the 2019-2020 school year is unclear. But the state is now accepting applications for BOOST for the 2019-2020 school year.

Hogan met with students at the rally and said that he is calling on the legislature to not take scholarships away from Maryland kids, but to ensure funding for both public and nonpublic schools.  

In addition to the BOOST scholarship program, students asked legislators to continue their support by way of funding for school safety, aging schools and textbooks. 

Every year CAPE hosts Nonpublic Schools Advocacy Day and generally more than 1,000 students each year make the trip to Annapolis. 

To view more images from the day, check out Gov. Hogan's Flickr.