With Session Under Way, Local Lawmakers Wield Clout

As the General Assembly session opens in Annapolis, Montgomery County lawmakers have increased their clout.

And District 18 — which includes Kensington, Wheaton and Chevy Chase — is well-represented in the House and Senate leadership.

Sen. Rich Madaleno, of Kensington, chairs the Education, Business and Administration Subcommittee of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, which manages appropriations and tax matters.

Del. Jeff Waldstreicher, also of Kensington, serves as the chairman of the Estates and Trusts Subcommittee, which falls under the House Judiciary Committee.

Del. Ana Sol Gutiérrez, of Chevy Chase, is the House chairwoman of the Joint Committee on the Management of Public Funds, which oversees the state treasurer's handling of public dollars.

Del. Al Carr, of Kensington, is a member of the House Environmental Matters Committee, a 22-delegate group that deals agriculture, conservation and natural resources.

As a whole, the county's influence extends throughout the 141-member legislature. For example:

• Sen. Jamie Raskin, a Takoma Park Democrat, has been appointed majority whip in the Senate, a position where he'll be asked to find vote counts on legislation important to the majority party.
• The Senate's majority leader, Sen. Robert Garagiola, is from Germantown. The House's majority leader is Del. Kumar Barve of Gaithersburg.
• Garagiola is also chair of the health subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee.
• Two Montgomery lawmakers chair standing committees in the legislature. Sen. Brian Frosh of Bethesda chairs the Judicial Proceedings Committee. Del. Sheila E. Hixson of Silver Spring chairs the Ways and Means Committee.
• Del. Kathleen Dumais of Rockville is the vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
• And, in addition to Waldstreicher, two other Montgomery County delegates chair Judiciary subcommittees: Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons of Rockville chairs the Civil Law and Procedure Subcommittee, and Del. Susan Lee of Bethesda chairs the Family Law Subcommittee.
• Del. Heather Mizeur of Takoma Park is vice chair of the education and economic development subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. 
• Del. Brian Feldman of Potomac serves as the House Parliamentarian, who makes rulings a procedure. He's also the Montgomery County House delegation chairman as well as the chairman of the Banking, Economic Development, Science and Technology Subcommittee of the House Economic Matters Committee. 
• Del. Anne Kaiser of Burtonsville serves as Chief Deputy Majority Whip in the House. She also chairs the Education Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee.
• Del. C. William Frick of Bethesda is the chairman of the Revenues Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee.
• Del. Charles Barkley of Germantown serves as chairman of the Alcoholic Beverages Committee of the Economic Matters Committee.