For Immediate Release: Friday, October 28, 2022
The Public Safety (PS) Committee will meet on Monday, Oct. 31 at 9:30 a.m. to discuss Expedited Bill 21-22, Weapons – Firearms In or Near Places of Public Assembly, which would prohibit the possession of firearms in or near places of public assembly, with certain exemptions.
The members of the PS Committee include Chair Sidney Katz, Council President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmember Tom Hucker.
The joint Education and Culture (E&C) and Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to receive updates on the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, the County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity. In addition, the committee will receive its fourth briefing on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.
The members of the E&C Committee include Chair Craig Rice and Councilmembers Will Jawando (Lead for Libraries) and Nancy Navarro.
The members of the HHS Committee include Chair and Council President Albornoz, Council Vice President Evan Glass (Lead for Homelessness & Vulnerable Communities) and Councilmember Craig Rice.
More detail on each agenda item is provided below.
Expedited Bill 21-22, Weapons – Firearms In or Near Places of Public Assembly
Review: The PS Committee will review Expedited Bill 21-22, which would prohibit the possession of firearms in or near places of public assembly, with certain exemptions. In addition, the bill would remove an exemption that allows individuals with certain handgun permits to possess handguns within 100 yards of a place of public assembly.
The goal of this bill is to reduce gun violence in Montgomery County. The lead sponsor is Council President Albornoz. All other Councilmembers are cosponsors.
In the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision of New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. Bruen, Superintendent of new York State Police, the Supreme Court overturned a requirement of New York’s handgun carry law. The New York law had required an applicant for a handgun carry license to show proper cause for the license, and the Supreme Court held that the requirement violated the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms. The Court explained, however, that longstanding laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings are constitutionally permissible.
Like New York, Maryland has a proper-cause requirement for wear-and-carry handgun licenses. Gov. Larry Hogan, in response to Bruen, instructed the Maryland State Police not to enforce the proper-cause element of the Maryland law. As a result of the Supreme Court ruling and Governor Hogan’s order to the Maryland State Police, more individuals in Maryland likely will carry firearms, regardless of whether the individuals have any good or substantial reason to carry them.
Review: The joint E&C and HHS Committee will receive an update from the Children’s Opportunity Alliance, the County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity. The County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity will work to improve access, equity and inclusion in early care and education programs while helping the sector recover from challenges caused by the pandemic. In addition, the entity will also improve the availability of affordable quality early care and education in the County.
On July 12, 2022, the Council approved a resolution to designate the Children's Opportunity Alliance of Montgomery County as the County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity. On Feb. 15, 2022, the Council approved Bill 42-21, sponsored by Council President Albornoz and Councilmembers Navarro and Rice, which requires the Council to designate a nonprofit corporation to serve as the County’s early care and education coordinating entity.
High-quality and affordable early child care and education is an essential service for the well-being and future of children and families, as well as employers. The group would serve as a neutral convener of all major stakeholders to develop a community consensus for the County's early childhood education sector and must adopt and implement a racial equity and social justice policy consistent with the County's policy.
Bill 42-21 builds upon the Montgomery County Early Care and Education Initiative (ECEI), which was spearheaded in 2019 by Councilmember Navarro, then serving as Council President, and County Executive Marc Elrich, in partnership with MCPS and Montgomery College. This four-year action plan earmarked $7 million in funding to expand quality early care and educational opportunities for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Briefing: The joint E&C and HHS Committee will receive an update on the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. This meeting will focus on early childhood education and related early care and education initiatives. The Blueprint is Maryland's legislative framework to enable school systems from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 to perform as the best school systems in the world.
The committee met on Oct. 24 to receive a presentation covering recent steps taken to meet the Blueprint requirements and discuss student pathways and teacher readiness. The committee also met on Oct. 3 to receive an update on high-quality and diverse teachers. This meeting followed the committee's first comprehensive briefing on the Blueprint that was held on March 10.
Approximately $3.8 billion is provided during a 10-year period to support specific education policy recommendations in five key areas: high-quality early childhood education and expansion; high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders; college and career readiness pathways; more resources to ensure all students are successful; and governance and accountability.
The Committee meeting schedule may change from time to time. The current Council and Committee agendas, Council staff reports and additional information on items scheduled for Council review can be viewed at: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/ondemand/index.html.
The Council recommends that residents, who choose to attend in-person Council or committee meetings, get fully vaccinated to protect themselves and others against COVID-19. If this is not possible, virtual participation is encouraged.
Council and committee meetings are streamed live on the Council’s web page via YouTube and on Facebook Live and can be watched on County Cable Montgomery on Xfinity/RCN 6 HD 996/1056, Fios 30, and on the CCM live stream.
Release ID: 22-373