It's really not too early to be think about the 1997 Maryland General Assembly session. We are about at the midway point of the nine-month period of time in which the legislature is not in session. But it's really not too early to be think about the 1997 Maryland General Assembly session. Even though we are in the middle of the summer, many legislative committees are now busy at work reviewing proposals which were submitted during the past session but held over for further study. They are also grappling with some issues which are sure to be on the legislative agenda come January.
Most committees also conduct tours of areas pertinent to their work.
My Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee, which visited St. Mary's and Calvert last year, will be looking at the Port of Baltimore and going to the lower Eastern Shore this year. We are also only several months away from the deadline for pre-filing a bill. Pre-filed bills get the first crack at the legislative process and thus get a better chance of passing if they have merit. That's a good reason why we like to review bill ideas as early as possible. There is another deadline which is looming even larger.