Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day is Feb. 3, and the Baltimore Jewish Council, Jewish Federation of Howard County and Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington are heading to Annapolis to meet with elected officials and discuss the legislative priorities of the local Jewish community.
“The surge we have seen in antisemitism and hate, and the surge that we’ve seen in threats to the Jewish community, drove a lot of our thinking on priorities, both for legislation and for budget requests,” said Howard Libit, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council.
This year, Jewish community representatives will urge support for five new legislative bills for 2026.
House Bill 14, sponsored by Del. Linda Foley, on information collection and reporting requirements, would change the contents of school bullying, harassment and intimidation forms to include a requirement for the identification of certain motivators behind the incident. Motivators include, but are not limited to, race, national origin, religion or mental or physical ability.
According to a draft of the legislative priorities shared with Baltimore Jewish Times, “By collecting this information, schools can better assess what hate bias areas are most prominent in their school systems, and can tailor their required antibias staff training that must be completed every two years.”
House Bill 109, sponsored by Del. Joe Vogel, on Title VI coordinators, would require higher education institutions in the state and local school systems to designate a Title VI coordinator to ensure compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and allow students to file a complaint for alleged discrimination with said coordinator.
Senate Bill 140 and House Bill 216, sponsored by state Sen. Chris West and Del. Aaron Kaufman, would make “benefits exploitation” a criminal offense. This would establish a felony charge for knowingly recruiting, harboring, transporting or obtaining an individual for the purpose of exploiting government benefits, including but not limited to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Senate Bill 177, sponsored by state Sen. Chris West and Del. Sandy Rosenberg, would establish a misdemeanor penalty for those who block access to the entrance of religious facilities, including places of worship, a cemetery, religious school, educational facility, community center and the grounds adjacent to them.
According to testimony from the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, “This bill establishes protections for religious communities in a way that respects other important, and constitutionally protected, activity, striking an appropriate balance in a way that will survive constitutional scrutiny.”
Criminal Law – Jurisdiction, sponsored by state Sen. Will Smith and Del. Sandy Bartlett, requests a change to criminal law proceedings with regard to minors. This change to criminal law will ensure children are sent automatically to juvenile court rather than adult court, unless they are charged with a “heinous” crime.
“Today, there are 33 offenses that automatically send Maryland children to an adult detention center upon arrest. 85% of them ultimately return to juvenile court or have their cases dismissed. In the meantime, many spend up to 180 days housed in adult jail while awaiting trial. In this setting, they are vulnerable to adult criminals and are not eligible to receive educational support or behavioral health services that would be provided in the juvenile system,” the draft stated.
Also being presented in conjunction with Maryland Jewish Advocacy Day are the local Jewish community’s budget requests.
Capital Budget Request
The University of Baltimore intends to take ownership of the building in an expeditious manner from The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore’s former headquarters. The University of Baltimore utilizes the space as a gathering point for prospective students, academic advisers, visitors and others, primarily for the purpose of enrolling new students. It also hosts office space for all central University offices, including the president, provost, vice presidents, and administrative staff. Currently, the university is paying rent through its operating budget as it waits to receive funding from the state capital budget, as part of the Maryland Capital Improvement Program. This requests the purchase price of $7.6 million to be included in the FY27 budget to save the University of Baltimore operating dollars, also saving The Associated maintenance and utility costs.
Legislative Bond Initiatives
CHAI’s Fallstaff Apartments, an affordable housing community serving low-income families, people with disabilities and formerly homeless households, is requesting $475,000 to repair ceilings, drywall and leaking showers.
“These improvements are necessary to protect resident health and ensure the long-term preservation of affordable housing on the property,” the budget request stated.
Operating Budget Requests
The BJC is asking legislators to increase the Schools and Childcare Centers at Risk of Hate Crimes Grant Program from $3 million to $5 million.
“According to the Center, they have received over $6 million in requests for funding each year for the past two years and less than half of that has been able to be funded. Secondly, due to federal budget uncertainty and changes to the Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, most Jewish institutions that have received funding since the Grant’s inception in 2005 will likely not receive funds again in the future. This is because of specific changes in the awarding system, which now favor those who have never received funding,” the request stated.
The budget request also asks to maintain a level of funding for the Maryland Israel Development Center, the Protecting Against Hate Crimes Grant Program and safety net programs such as SNAP, Medicaid and child care subsidies.
“Rooted in Jewish values of speaking up, judging righteously, championing the poor and the needy (Proverbs 31:9), we must ensure that all safety net programs currently established across the state remain fully funded and functional, regardless of impacts made at the federal level,” the request stated.
“Coming together shows the legislature that we’re in alignment … Speaking in one voice makes us more effective collectively,” added Libit.
mresnicow@midatlanticmedia.com
