State Delegate
State Delegates represent districts within Baltimore City in the House of Delegates in Annapolis. They draft, sponsor, and vote on state legislation.
We sent our questionnaire to all filed candidates in the Democratic Primary. Candidates displayed in black in white did not respond to our questionnaire by the submission deadline. Responses marked with a [...] indicate the candidate didn't directly answer yes or no, but may have provided a written explanation. Responses were edited for typos, but not substance.
You can find the full candidate surveys below, or scroll down to see candidate responses side by side for agree/disagree questions.
CANDIDATES FOR district 46 delegate
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Answer Comparison
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Maryland and its jurisdictions should be required to “fix-it-first,” funding deferred maintenance of bridges and roads and safety retrofits like road diets, sidewalks, ADA compliance, and other infrastructure prioritizing vulnerable road users before spending on new roads and infrastructure.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
Maryland should adopt a funding rubric for all transportation investment that follows a modal hierarchy prioritizing pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders over personal automobile use, and mandates that these investments prioritize racial and economic equity.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
Highway User Revenues continue to decrease as cars become more efficient, and semi-autonomous driving technology is allowing more comfortable long distance commutes. To address this, Maryland should introduce and income-based Vehicle Miles Traveled tax.
I do need to better understand the specifics of the VMT as these transportation taxes can often be regressive, disproportionately impact low-income earners.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
I believe we should reconsider how we fund Highway User, as a larger number of Marylanders drive cars that do not require gasoline. I would like to learn more about how an income-based Vehicle Miles Traveled tax would work before taking a position.
Maryland should require and fund all-ages-and abilities bicycle infrastructure in retrofits of existing roads and construction of new roads, including fully separated infrastructure or sidepaths/trails on collector roads, arterial roads, state highways, and interstates.
Fully agree. Unfortunately, I have limited my biking in the city to only those routes that have protected lanes because I have had too many friends get hit by vehicles.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
There has been a dramatic increase in car crashes that injure and kill people walking and biking, who are then frequently sued by a driver’s insurance. Maryland should move from a contributory negligence to a strict liability model for crashes involving vulnerable road users.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
The contributory negligence system is inadequate when it comes to protecting pedestrians and cyclists. We need to move to a strict liability model wherein drivers who hit a pedestrian or cyclist with their car are at fault, regardless of blame. At the very least, we should move to quickly adopt a comparative negligence structure so those injured or killed by negligent drivers can recover damages accordingly.
I'm happy to speak to the members of Bikemore more about this issue, but I have significant concerns about applying strict liability to car accidents. I have, however, in the past sponsored Jake's Law that created a criminal penalty for deaths involving distracted driving.
Paired with a requirement for income-based fines, Maryland should authorize jurisdictions to utilize additional types of automated enforcement like bus lane cameras and stop sign cameras, remove geographic restrictions, and allow a reduced threshold for triggering speed cameras.
This has specific relevance to Baltimore and, from my conversations with people at the doors, has a good base of support
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
Maryland should allow local jurisdictions to lower their own speed limits based on roadway typology instead of based on expensive engineering studies for each road segment, and should set a statewide upper urban speed limit of 25 miles per hour.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
I broadly agree with this, however, I would assume that the 25 mile per hour speed limit would not apply on limited access highways in urban areas.
Maryland should require employers provide “Parking Cash-Out,” valuing the cost of parking subsidized or paid for by employers and allowing employees the option of taking that benefit as a cash payout in the amount of the parking subsidy instead.
These market-based approaches are very important to the long-term transition away from a car-based transportation model.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
Maryland should require jurisdictions to eliminate parking minimums and institute parking maximums in new development, as well as require the cost of parking be unbundled from rent, giving individuals the choice to rent without paying for parking.
I need to learn more about the state eliminating parking minimums and instituting parking maximums for local jurisdictions. I do believe the state should pass laws which assist in the unbundling of the cost of parking from rent and which give individuals the choice to rent without paying for parking.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
I would like to see this change made in concert with investments in public transportation. I am fully in favor of this model, but recognize that we also have to offer people viable alternatives to personal vehicle use, which we simply do not have at this time.
I am not familiar with this issue, as I serve on the Judiciary Committee and parking limits for apartment buildings are generally addressed at the local level. I would be happy to speak with the members of Bikemore to learn more about this issue.
It’s widely accepted that single family zoning advances racial and economic segregation. Maryland should ban single family zoning at the state level, allowing both single family and multifamily residences to be built in all zoning areas.
I fully believe we need to end racial and economic segregation. Banning all single family zoning at the state level is not a sufficiently nuanced policy to address the myriad reasons why a certain jurisdiction may be zoned as single family.
As a Delegate, I will objectively review legislation and consider the viewpoints of all stakeholders
As Chair of the Judiciary Committee, I'm not as familiar with issues related to zoning, particularly as zoning issues are mostly handled at the local level. I would be happy to speak with the members of Bikemore to learn more about this issue.