LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS OF MARYLAND

The 'Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland', 'aka:' 'The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus' is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly.[1] Incorporated in 1970, the Caucus membership has grown from 17 to 42 and is one of the largest state legislative black caucus in the country.

Contents

Role of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

2007 Legislation

Current Membership of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

House Members

Notes

Former chairs of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Role of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

By drafting and sponsoring legislation to address constituent needs and by examining all bills that affect the black populace, the Caucus acts as a legislative body on behalf of the black community. Currently, of Maryland's 24 sub-divisions, only Baltimore City, Prince Georges, Baltimore, Montgomery, Howard and Wicomico Counties have elected members to the Maryland Black Caucus. So additionally the Caucus presents a black perspective from the entire state to the Legislature and advocates public policies that promote black social, cultural and economic progress, statewide. In addition, the Caucus serves as a research study group to generate pertinent data in support of appropriate public policies.

2007 Legislation

During the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland pushed several bills through both Houses and had them signed into law. One of which was a bill that required tate contractors to pay their employees a “living wage.” For fiscal year 2008, the living wage is set at $ 11.30 in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties and Baltimore City. It is set at $8.50 for all other areas of the State. Additionally, the Caucus pushed for SB 488. This bill allows an individual convicted of any crime, with the exception of buying or selling votes, to register to vote if not actually serving a court-ordered sentence of imprisonment, including any term of parole or probation, for a felony conviction.[2] Another Caucus bill, SB 543-2007 Darfur Protection Act-Divestiture from the Republic of Sudan, requires the Board of Trustees of the State Retirement and Pension System to encourage companies hold actively traded accounts in its portfolio that conduct business in Sudan to act responsibly and avoid actions that promote or enable human rights violations in Sudan.[3] Additionally, the Caucus pushed for Senate Joint resolution 6 which requires the state to express regret for the role that Maryland played in instituting and maintaining slavery and for the discrimination that was slavery’s legacy. [4]
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland also supported the creation of state debt for funding for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. $ 500,000 was awarded to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation.

Current Membership of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

'District' 'Officers' 'Position' 44 Verna L. Jones Chair 26 Veronica L. Turner Vice-chair 47 Gwendolyn T. Britt Secretary 24 Joanne C. Benson Treasurer 24 Nathaniel Exum Chaplain 41 Jill P. Carter Parlamentarian

'District' 'Member Senators' 'Party' 10 Delores G. Kelley Democrat 24 Nathaniel Exum Democrat 25 Ulysses Currie Democrat 26 C. Anthony Muse Democrat 40 Catherine E. Pugh Democrat 41 Lisa A. Gladden Democrat 43 Joan Carter Conway Democrat 44 Verna L. Jones Democrat 45 Nathaniel J. McFadden Democrat 47 Gwendolyn T. Britt Democrat

House Members

District	County(s) Represented	Member Delegate	Party	First Elected	Committee
10	Baltimore County	Emmet Burns	Democratic	1994	Economic Matters
10	Baltimore County	Adrienne A. Jones	Democratic	1997	Appropriations
10	Baltimore County	Shirley Nathan	Democratic	1994	Health and Government Operations
13	Howard	Frank S. Turner	Democratic	1994	Ways and Means
14	Montgomery	Herman Taylor	Democratic	2003	Economic Matters
15	Montgomery	Craig L. Rice	Democratic	2006	Ways and Means
21	Prince George's, Anne Arundel	Joseline Pena-Melnyk	Democratic	2006	Health and Government Operations
22	Prince George's	Tawanna Gaines	Democratic	2001	Appropriations
23B	Prince George's	Marvin Holmes	Democratic	2002	Environmental Matters
24	Prince George's	Joanne C. Benson	Democratic	1990	Health and Government Operations
24	Prince George's	Carolyn Howard	Democratic	1988	Ways and Means
24	Prince George's	Michael Vaughn	Democratic	2002	Economic Matters
25	Prince George's	Aisha Braveboy	Democratic	2006	Economic Matters
25	Prince George's	Dereck E. Davis	Democratic	1994	Economic Matters (Chair)
25	Prince George's	Melony Griffith	Democratic	1998	Appropriations
26	Prince George's	Jay Walker	Democratic	2006	Ways and Means
26	Prince George's	Veronica Turner	Democratic	2002	Health and Government Operations
27A	Prince George'sCalvert	Jim Proctor	Democratic	1990	Appropriations (Vice-Chair)
37A	Wicomico, Dorchester,	Rudolph C. Cane	Democratic	1998	Environmental Matters
40	Baltimore City	Frank Conaway	Democratic	2006	Judiciary
40	Baltimore City	Barbara Robinson	Democratic	2006	Appropriations
40	Baltimore City	Shawn Z. Tarrant	Democratic	2006	Health and Government Operations
41	Baltimore City	Jill P. Carter	Democratic	2002	Judiciary
41	Baltimore City	Nathaniel T. Oaks	Democratic	1982	Health and Government Operations
43	Baltimore City	Curt Anderson	Democratic	1982	Judiciary
44	Baltimore City	Keith E. Haynes	Democratic	2002	Appropriations
44	Baltimore City	Ruth M. Kirk	Democratic	1982	Economic Matters
44	Baltimore City	Melvin L. Stukes	Democratic	2006	Ways and Means
45	Baltimore City	Talmadge Branch	Democratic	1994	Appropriations
45	Baltimore City	Cheryl Glenn	Democratic	2006	Environmental Matters
45	Baltimore City	Hattie N. Harrison	Democratic	1973	Economic Matters
47	Prince George's	Jolene Ivey	Democratic	2006	Ways and Means

Notes

Originally appointed to office to fill an open seat, rather than elected. Each Delegate so marked has been elected in their own right since their appointment.

Former chairs of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland

Name	Tenure	County
Delegate Rudolph C. Cane	2004-2006	Wicomico
Delegate Obie Patterson	2002-2004	Prince Georges
Delegate Talmadge Branch	2000-2002	Baltimore City
Delegate Carolyn J. B. Howard	1998-2000	Prince Georges
Senator Larry Young	1996-1997	Baltimore City
Delegate Joanne C. Benson	1995-1996	Prince Georges
Delegate John D. Jefferies	1992-1994	Baltimore City
Delegate Christine Jones	1991-1992	Prince Georges
Delegate Curt Anderson	1988-1990	Baltimore City
Senator Decatur "Bucky" Trotter	1986-1988	Prince Georges
Delegate Elijah E. Cummings	1984-1985	Baltimore City
Senator Clarence W. Blount	1982-1984	Baltimore City
Delegate Frank Conaway, Sr.	1981-1982	Baltimore City
Senator Robert Douglas	1978-1980	Baltimore City
Delegate Arthur Murphy, Sr.	1978	Baltimore City
Senator Robert Douglas	1976-1978,	Baltimore City
Delegate Lloyal Randolph	1972-1975	Baltimore City
Delegate Arthur King	1970-1972	Prince Georges

Maryland Manual-List of Black Caucus Chairman