Maryland Senate opens session with guests, committee schedules and memoriams

The Maryland Senate convened Thursday with an invocation and a series of guest introductions that included a clergy guest, interns and multiple visiting delegations, then moved on to committee briefings and procedural items before adjourning to a pro forma session.

President Ferguson introduced Reverend Abhi Janamanche of Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethesda to offer the invocation; the Senate moved to journalize the prayer on a senator's motion. Members then welcomed student interns Trinity Barnhill and Jordan Wolford, guest David Hamlin, representatives from the Maryland Bankers Association (in Annapolis for advocacy day), the Transportation Association of Maryland, pages named from several counties, and other visitors in the gallery.

Committee chairs announced schedules for the day: Finance will brief on health-insurance policy developments and private-passenger auto insurance affordability; the Education, Energy & Environment Committee listed briefings on the Maryland Climate Smart Agriculture Report and a DLS briefing on federal policy changes; Budget & Taxation and Judicial Proceedings announced hearings and briefings, with Judicial Proceedings noting 12 bills on its agenda.

The chamber also observed a moment to adjourn in memory of Edward Reisinger, a former Baltimore City council member who died the prior night; that request was granted without objection. The majority leader moved that the Senate stand adjourned until Friday for an 11:00 a.m. pro forma session, and the motion was ordered without objection.