Maryland Lawmakers Propose Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program – Time to Care Act

As the 2022 Maryland Legislative Session continues, employers should keep an eye on bills prioritized by the General Assembly. One such bill is the Time to Care Act, proposed by Senator Antonio Hayes and Delegate Kris Valderrama.

Investigation into appraisal bias leads to new legislation

Moore worked with Maryland Sen. Antonio Hayes (D- Baltimore City) who is credited with the passage of SB 895. The bill requires the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to submit a report examining how factors like race, income, and location impact appraisal bias. The report is due by June, but gathering the required data is proving to be a challenge. Officials with the Department of Housing and Community Development said in December a lot of the data points needed to complete their work is unavailable.

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (LBCM) also supports the legislation.

Baltimore delegation urgently working on crime-fighting proposals

(State lawmakers who represent the city are interested in beefing up parole and probation. A significant majority of supervised individuals involved in either homicide or non-fatal shooting, as either a victim or suspect, were in Baltimore City (64%), followed by Prince George's County (16%) and Baltimore County (6.5%). The remainder of the state combined represented 12% involvement in the time period analyzed.

"(We're going to) calls on state agencies to actually step up and to help assist our men and women who are on the front lines," said Baltimore City Sen. Antonio Hayes, D-District 40.

Legislators point out a need for programs to help young people deal with the trauma they experience after witnessing violence.)

Advocates Call for Ghost Gun Ban as Senators Debate Right Approach to Rising Crime Rates

As Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) moved to end the debate on the floor, Sen. Antonio L. Hayes (D-Baltimore City) stood to speak.

Impassioned, and in spite of calls from the president to stop, Hayes said that “year after year” he has sat in the chamber as Republicans railed against crime in the city and Prince George’s counties but offered no solutions other than prosecution.

“Mr. President, with all due respect, I hear you, but I’m tired … and if we want to have this debate every day for the rest of this session, I welcome that opportunity,” Hayes cried out.

The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (LBCM) also supports the legislation.

Westside on the Rise

Do you know someone who may have missed the Westside on the Rise Episode today? No worries! They can watch on-demand with the link below!

https://my.demio.com/ref/fr3NRgSlJ1roy2ET

West North Avenue Development Authority Press Conference

MEDIA ADVISORY-Legislation Establishing West North Avenue Development Authority

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release:

September 29, 2021

Contact:

Rahwa Andemichael

240-277-2588

randemichael@senate.state.md.us

Legislation Establishing West North Avenue Development Authority

Effective Date: October 1st

Join State and Baltimore City Elected Officials as they Announce Senate Bill 783 Going into Effect on October 1st and What It Means for West Baltimore

WHAT: Press Conference Announcing Establishment of West North Ave Development Authority

WHO: The event is open to all in the community that would like to attend. Attendees include: Dr. Anthony Jenkins, Coppin State University President; Senator Antonio Hayes; Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford; Mayor Brandon Scott; City Council President Nick Mosby; Delegate Marlon Amprey; civic leaders and other community partners.

WHEN: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: J. Millard Tawes Ballroom, 2nd floor
Coppin State University
2500 W North Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21216 

Please park on Lot J in the spaces marked with orange cones (see attached map). Also, please complete the visitor symptom assessment form prior to visiting the campus.  It can be accessed here: https://www.coppin.edu/visit

     Senate Bill 783, sponsored by Senator Antonio Hayes and Delegate Marlon Amprey, and signed by Governor Larry Hogan in April, established a West North Avenue Development Authority to work in coordination with residents to create a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy for the area and its buffer zone. The plan will be targeted at benefiting the residents, housing, neighborhoods, economic development, and the transportation of both pedestrians and vehicles. 

Membership of the Authority will be comprised of representatives who are vital to the success of the area and future economic success. They include: elected officials, city/state agencies, anchor educational institutions, and community association groups. This legislation is aimed at having a higher level of transparency and constituent controlled policies, thereby ensuring that the investment will benefit the people who need it most.

Through this legislation, city and state stakeholders will be able to come together to create an overall vision for the future of West North Avenue. Impactful institutions such as Coppin State University, MICA and local community associations have the potential to influence the development of the corridor. These institutions, among others, have the capacity to attract professionals to the area and increase the overall development of the region. The area has the potential to become a vibrant and economic boost for the surrounding community and all of Baltimore. The West North Avenue Development Authority will champion revitalization efforts       through strategic investment, as well as provide oversight to ensure that the community benefits from such investment.

For more information or questions, please contact Rahwa Andemichael at randemichael@senate.state.md.us or 240-277-2588.

1 of 27,290 Workers at BWI and Penn Station to get pay increase under Secure Maryland Wage Act

By Lorraine Mirabella
BALTIMORE SUN

A bill to boost wages for more than 2,000 contracted workers at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and Baltimore Penn Station became law Tuesday.

Union and nonunion workers who earn hourly wages as low as $8.50 per hour plus tips will see their earnings grow to $17 per hour over the next five years under the Secure Maryland Wage Act.

The workers, who are predominantly Black and immigrants, will start making $13.50 per hour Jan. 1. Wages will increase each year to up to $16 per hour, plus a $1-per-hour supplement for benefits or an additional $1 per hour in wages, for a combined $17 per hour in 2026.

The workers include janitors, non-TSA security officers, cabin cleaners, wheelchair attendants, passenger service agents, ramp workers, baggage handlers, ticket and line agents, and others.

The goal of the bill, sponsored by State Sen. Antonio Hayes and Delegate Kriselda Valderrama, was to retain and attract experienced and better-trained workers at transportation facilities with heightened security. Similar raises have taken effect at Los Angeles International Airport, Oakland Airport, the Port of Oakland, Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

In the region, Dulles and National airports adopted wage policies as a way to improve safety and security.

Workers backed by property service workers union 32BJ SEIU have lobbied for the law for three years. The union represents more than 20,000 service workers in the Baltimore/Washington region.

The bill also eliminates tipped wages for wheelchair agents, who have said they often receive no tips.

Doran Brown, a contracted wheelchair agent at BWI, said the law puts him and his co-workers on a path to a living wage.

“This law is a blessing to me and my family,” Brown said in a statement.

2021 Legislative Session-End of Session Overview

WBALTV11: Baltimore Delegation's Crime Plan Seeks Shift in State Resources

The Baltimore City delegation in Annapolis is putting together a comprehensive crime-fighting package that members said turns into law what Gov. Larry Hogan has declined to do.

Delegation leaders said they are disappointed that they need to introduce a crime-fighting package. They said the governor could act on their agenda items with an executive order, which he has declined to do.

The Hogan administration disputes that claim, saying as of February 2019, the governor has done everything in his power to satisfy nearly all of the city delegation's crime-fighting suggestions.

The delegation will pursue alternatives to a "lock 'em up for a long time" crime-fighting approach.

"Those things haven't worked in 30 years," said state Sen. Antonio Hayes, chairman of the Baltimore City delegation.

Hogan and the House GOP caucus have embraced the incarceration strategy.

"Citizens are demanding more accountability for the violent criminals who are shooting and killing people in the city of Baltimore," Hogan said Jan. 14.

"We must make sure violent criminals who commit these monstrous acts are not allowed to walk free in our communities," House Minority Leader Nic Kipke said Jan. 16.

Hayes is taking the lead on what he calls a new direction.

"We are looking at making sure that all the public resources the state provides are adding to, or supplement the crime fight that we have in Baltimore City," Hayes said.

For example, the city delegation is considering putting parole and probation officers back in each police district and increasing home visits; staffing the juvenile booking facility with state officials, freeing up 50 officers for patrol; allowing Maryland State Police and Maryland Transportation Authority police to patrol Interstate 83, Maryland Route 295, Bel Air Road, Greenmount Avenue, York Road, Reisterstown Road, Frederick Avenue, U.S. Route 40 and Monroe Street; and expand the Safe Streets program.

"Getting state agencies off the dime and working to help supplement the efforts in Baltimore City is the way to go," Hayes said.

Hayes said he gave the governor these ideas in 2017. He had hoped the governor would act on them through an executive order.

"I feel like they don't feel that some of the things that state agencies can do to help supplement Baltimore is sexy enough. They don't necessarily poll very well, but if we are really truly in the business of addressing crime, we need out state partners to step up to the plate and be a true partner," Hayes said.

According to the governor's press office, Hogan has implemented nearly everything the city delegation is seeking. Details are outlined in a letter to Hayes dated Feb. 4, 2019. The administration also met with the senator to further discuss the issues.

Hayes said the city delegation's crime-fighting agenda will be introduced soon.

The governor's office said it reached out Tuesday to Hayes to offer to brief the city delegation on ongoing operational efforts.

Maryland Matters: Lawmakers Unveil Plan to Reintroduce Paid Family Leave Legislation

Legislation that would provide partial pay to help workers who need to take time off to care for ailing relatives will be filed again in Maryland’s House of Delegates and Senate, lawmakers said Tuesday.

Sen. Antonio L. Hayes (D-Baltimore City) and Del. Kris Valderrama (D-Prince George’s) announced their intent to cross-file the Time to Care Act.

The measure would ensure Maryland workers up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement, Hayes said.

It would be financed through a payroll tax shared equally by the worker and employer, and would be capped at half of 1 percent, said Del. Ariana B. Kelly (D-Montgomery), a co-sponsor, as is Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel). 

Paid leave would be at least $50 per week and no more than $1,000 per week, according to a fact sheet distributed at the announcement.

Leave would be funded through a state-administered insurance pool.

Because there is no national program for paid family or medical leave, most workers who need to become caregivers find themselves in a tight spot when that need arises. Only 17% of the American workforce has access to such a benefit, Hayes said.

“This forces far too many of our citizens, especially those of us living paycheck to paycheck, to have to choose between economic security and caring for our families in times of need,” Hayes said.

Sponsors and supporters shared stories about difficulties their families faced when they took time to be caregivers to children and aging parents.

Hayes talked about being raised by his grandmother, who he said was “strong as the Rock of Gibraltar,” while his mother struggled with substance abuse issues. 

He said that he and his family members returned the favor, taking care of his grandmother during her struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

“This is a really important piece of legislation for many families throughout Maryland who have the awesome responsibility of being caregivers for loved ones who shepherd them along the way,” Hayes said.

Kelly said her perspective has expanded and shifted during the eight years she has been involved with paid family leave legislation.

“I was first elected when I had toddlers, and I started thinking about this from the perspective of maternity and paternity leave,” Kelly said, “and now, 10 years later, I’m thinking about this from the perspective of the child of a parent with dementia.”

Kelly said she’s seen the number of states that have adopted paid family leave legislation grow from three to nine, and noted it has also been adopted in Washington, D.C.

“It’s because these programs work and they help people and it’s the type of program that everyone can benefit from, and it solves … a problem we have with our economy,” Kelly said.

Political strategist Jayson Williams said he made paid family leave a benefit for his employees after watching his own mother struggle to make ends meet as she cared for his ailing grandmother.

Williams, President and CEO of MD Strategic Consulting, said the policy is crucial to retaining his employees and helps him compete with bigger companies for workers.

“It really is a unique competitive piece because I can’t compete with some corporations that are larger than me, so the way I take care of my employees is extremely, extremely important to me, to our company culture and to the growth,” he said. 

“I can’t give out $10 billion bonuses, but I can take care of the people that have taken care of me and helped me grow.”

Dan Chudy, the art director at Williams’ company, said that having paid leave helped his family in immeasurable ways — so much so that he jokes that Williams’ business is his “forever company.”

Both of Chudy’s parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and he said he is grateful for being able to assist them without fear of losing his job.

“I remember walking into Jayson’s office one morning full of anxiety, you know, not knowing about my job, my future, how will I get paid to be able to take time off to go take care of them,” said Chudy. “He didn’t even bat an eye. He said, ‘Go take care of your family,’ ‘Do what you got to do … you shouldn’t have to worry about that.’”

“I would never dream of leaving a company that takes care of myself and my family as well as Jayson and everyone does.”

Maryland Matters: Night at the Museum - Bill Would Govern ‘Doorstop Donations’

State Sen. Antonio L. Hayes (D-Baltimore City) is sponsoring for the second year in a row legislation that would help sort out a problem unique to Maryland museums: Abandoned cultural property.

According to written testimony submitted to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Thursday, Maryland is one of four states that don’t allow museums to formally claim ownership titles to abandoned objects via any legal process.

Senate Bill 88 would allow for cultural institutions to give notice of the end permanent loan periods and acquire titles to abandoned or unclaimed property 60 days after announcing their intention publicly. Under this legislation, objects would be considered abandoned if the museum and the lender or their proxy haven’t had written communication within seven years and the loan has no expiration date.

“Museum objects without official provenance documents… cannot be loaned, conserved, or in many cases displayed,” Hayes wrote in his testimony to the Judicial Proceedings panel. “Abandoned cultural property in museums occupies valuable space that should instead be used for objects that better fulfill a museum’s mission to serve the public.”

According to the Maryland Historical Society’s director of Grants and Government Affairs, David Belew, at 170 years old and with over 7 million artifacts the museum is the longest-functioning in Maryland and has been facing this provenance problem in recent years.

“There can be a variety of reasons that our property might be considered abandoned,” said Belew in his testimony before the committee, citing shoddy 19th-century record-keeping methods and “doorstop donations” — the phenomenon of anonymous people leaving items outside of the museum after hours.

“It’s not just an issue that affects us,” he said in the hearing. “It affects museums all over the state.”

The Maryland Historical Society, joined by the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Museum and four other cultural institutions across the state, submitted the same written testimony to the committee.

“Museum professionals throughout the state acknowledge that this is a critical issue,” they wrote. “Adopting the proposed policy would enable Maryland museums to more appropriately use their resources to better serve their communities.”

The legislation received support during the hearing from Sen. Christopher R. West (R-Baltimore County), who said he had toured the Historical Society’s storage facilities and saw nearly 30 18th century sofas.

“I’ll bet there are very few records these days as to who donated the couch in 1872,” said West. “There clearly is a need for this bill.”

The bill passed in the Senate last year, but, according to Hayes, failed in the House on the last day of signing because of a disagreement between the Judicial Proceedings Committee and Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) over a bill that would have eliminated the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits.

“I would just urge and ask this committee to respect the process that you did last year and please move this bill forward,” Hayes said.

Baltimore Sun: Delegate Hayes, Other Young Challengers Eye Baltimore Senate Seats

Antonio Hayes, a first-term state delegate from West Baltimore, says he’ll challenge Sen. Barbara A. Robinson for the seat formerly held by Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. Hayes said he will return Saturday to his old neighborhood in Penn North to lay out his plan to take on Robinson in next year’s June 26 Democratic primary, which is tantamount to election in the 40th District.

"I want to bring new energy to the district," he told The Baltimore Sun. "I think I have enthusiasm, a vision and accomplishment."

The race amounts to a generational challenge in a city that could see several of them next year. Hayes is 39. Robinson, who served 10 years in the House of Delegates, declines to reveal her age, but public records show she is 79.

Four of the senators who represent Baltimore are over 70, and all are likely to face primary challenges from younger rivals. Besides Robinson, they are Sens. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, 78; Nathaniel McFadden, who turns 71 Thursday; and Nathaniel Oaks, 70. Oaks, a former delegate who was appointed to his seat this year, could be especially vulnerable because he is under federal indictment on corruption charges. Among his possible rivals is former Mayor Sheila Dixon, 63, who says she undecided but not ruling out a race.

The second-youngest senator in the delegation is Joan Carter Conway at 66. Conway, who as a standing committee chairman is Baltimore's most powerful senator, could face a challenge from Del. Mary Washington, 55. Washington said she has been urged to consider a race and is thinking about it whether Conway runs again or not. Conway, who raised doubts at the end of this year's session about whether she would return to the Senate, now says she's "99.9 percent sure" she will seek re-election.

Nathan-Pulliam, whose district lies mostly in Baltimore County, has filed for re-election but has been in poor health, prompting colleagues to speculate she might not run. She has already drawn a younger challenger in Aletheia McCaskill, a child care provider and union activist who said she's dismayed by Nathan-Pulliam's votes to weaken the paid sick-leave bill that passed the General Assembly this year only to be vetoed by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Nathan-Pulliam insisted Friday that she's in the race to stay.

Sen. Bill Ferguson, who represents South and Southeast Baltimore, is the only Baltimore senator who is ineligible for Social Security. He is 34. Like all members of the city's General Assembly delegation, he is a Democrat.

Robinson was appointed to her Senate seat by the 40th District Democratic State Central Committee in December after Pugh resigned to become mayor. She won over a field of applicants that included Hayes and Councilman Nick Mosby, who was later appointed to Robinson's House seat.

Robinson said she's "absolutely, completely" in the Senate race to stay. She said she found the challenge from one of the district's three delegates "disappointing."

"I kind of wished we had stayed on as a team to run together, but he's learning and I would be a great teacher," she said.

Robinson discounted age as a factor in the race.

"We didn't get here overnight," she said. "We have experience. We have wisdom. We have know-how."

Her challenger is one of several young city delegates sent to Annapolis in the 2014 election. At least one other member of that class, Del. Cory McCray of the 45th, who is 34, said he is about 90 percent sure he will challenge his senator, McFadden.

"My senator was first elected in 1982 to the City Council," McCray said. "So my senator has held elected office as long as I've been born."

Hayes said he will provide a contrast with Robinson on issues including bail reform. Robinson voted for the Senate bill favored by the bail bond industry. Hayes supported the Legislative Black Caucus' successful effort to kill it in the House.

Robinson said she did not want to discuss that bill, saying her record could not be defined by one piece of legislation.

More than issues, Hayes said, he plans to emphasize a broad message of change.

"Folks are frustrated with the status quo," he said. "They want to see folks who are responsive to the issues that they care about."

Among those issues is crime in a city that appears on track to set a new annual record for homicides.

Hayes said he was an assistant mayor with responsibility for overseeing public safety in 2010-2011, when the the city's homicide rate was much lower than it is now. He said he is qualified to advocate for changes at the state level to help the city.

"If the governor were to provide those resources again, we could see some positive results," he said.

Other challengers could still emerge. Mosby said this week that he is "authentically undecided" on whether to try for a Senate seat or to run for his House seat.

"I'm just focused on learning the district," Mosby said.

Del. Curt Anderson of the 43rd District, who supports Conway for re-election, said there can be a downside to any voter purge of the city's veteran senators. He noted that some the incumbents have accumulated a lot of seniority.

"We only have five full-time senators in Baltimore, and they've all got to be sharp and be in the back room when the deals are cut," said Anderson, who is 67.

A Record of Results

We have all been there before- listening to a politician make big promises that never seem to come true. Antonio is no stranger to that feeling. He grew up right here in West Baltimore, listening to those same promises that change was just around the corner. From the moment he began his career in public service, Antonio devoted himself to being a different kind of leader- one whose record of results speaks for itself.

When we sent Antonio to represent us in the House of Delegates, he remained committed to being a different kind of leader- one we can trust. Antonio has earned our trust each year, by getting real wins for District 40 neighborhoods. These wins include:

• Helping combat substance use by guiding the HOPE Act to passage. The HOPE Act addresses the impact of substance use in our communities by:

  • Treating substance use as a health issue, not a criminal issue

  • Increasing funding for the treatment of substance use

  • Creating crisis treatment centers and a 24/7 crisis hotline that connects callers with appropriate resources

  • Requiring hospitals to have a plan for releasing patients who have a substance use disorder, including connecting with them counselors and community-based treatment centers

  • Requiring the State of Maryland to develop a plan for treating substance use in prison or jail

• Helping reduce food deserts by creating a loan program for businesses that offer healthy foods in underserved neighborhoods.

• Protecting our children from predatory businesses by doubling the fines for liquor stores that sell alcohol to minors.

• Protecting our elders from price gouging by giving the Attorney General authority to sue pharmaceutical companies that over-charge for prescription drugs.

• Investing in a tradition of community recreation by securing $300,000 in funding for James Mosher Baseball and $300,000 in funding for Morrell Park Little League.

• Empowering local businesses by helping the Mt. Vernon Marketplace secure a liquor license for its community-friendly restaurants.

• Defending our tax dollars by ending the unfair advantages a state contractor received after it overcharged for its services, and pretended to hire members of the community with special employment needs.

• Fighting to reform the criminal justice system by introducing legislation that would return control of the Baltimore City Police Department to Baltimore City.

• Saving healthcare for our youth by giving a local college authority to offer health insurance plans to its student.

Antonio’s record of results led to his appointment to the Joint Committee for Children, Youth, and Families. The Joint Committee represents both the House of Delegates and the State Senate, giving Antonio a powerful platform to advocate for Baltimore from. Antonio’s service does not end with his wins in Annapolis though. His office delivers year-round constituent service to our communities, helping us navigate state and local government to get the resources we deserve.

A Future for Us All

Antonio believes that Baltimore is a great City filled with great people. When we struggle as a City, it is not because we lack for hardworking men and women who wake up every day and do-right by their community. When we struggle as a City, it is because our hardworking men and women are not always joined by hardworking elected officials who deliver results.

The 40th District’s State Senator plays a crucial role in local leadership, and is our most powerful advocate for real results in Annapolis. If we are not better off now than we were 4-years ago, then our most powerful advocate in Annapolis has not delivered results. Antonio is running for State Senate because he knows the stakes are too high to wait another 4-years for success.

The 40th District’s State Senator should be a powerful advocate for our interests, not one who lets bills like local control of the Baltimore City Police Department fail in the senate, or allows Westside Elementary to be closed.  As State Senator, Antonio would be the leader our neighborhoods need, helping organize our district’s many stakeholders and securing resources to build capacity at anchor institutions like Coppin State University.  This is just the start of what Antonio has planned for the 40th District after his many conversations with community members like you.

Maryland Matters: Delegate Antonio Hayes to Take on Appointed Senator in Baltimore City Primary

Del. Antonio Hayes (D), part of a generation of rising Baltimore city leaders, plans to announce Saturday that he is running for the state Senate seat now held by Sen. Barbara Robinson (D).

Hayes will make his announcement on the 2500 block of Francis St. in the troubled Penn-North neighborhood – half a block from where he grew up. Hayes said the neighborhood is where he first became civically active, through an after-school leadership program.

“My career into elective office really started there as a teenager, in middle school,” he said.

Hayes said the community, plagued by poverty and drugs, symbolizes what’s wrong with the city – but also its promise.

“Just two years ago, CNN brought the world to our doorstep after the death of Freddie Gray,” he said. “It reminded me why I decided to take a leadership role. It’s 20-something years later, and I’m still fighting to make sure that this is a thriving community.”

Hayes, who is 39, was elected to represent the West Baltimore 40th District in 2014, but he has spent several years in politics and local government dating back to his graduation from college. Since 2010, he has been chief of staff at the city’s Department of Social Services.

While not saying so publicly, Hayes will be making a generational appeal against Robinson, who is twice his age. He said he is offering voters “enthusiastic leadership.”

Robinson, a retired educator and court administrator, was elected to the House in 2006 and was appointed to the Senate in December, after the district’s previous senator, Catherine Pugh (D), was sworn in as mayor. Hayes did not get the appointment in part because he had endorsed former Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) – his former boss – over Pugh in the Democratic mayoral primary last year.

Robinson did not respond to a request for comment Friday, but an aide in her Baltimore district office said “she’s running” in 2018. Hayes said he considers himself competing for an open seat rather than challenging an incumbent, because “nobody’s actually been elected to the seat.”

Robinson had just $20,000 in her campaign account as of mid-January, while Hayes had $47,000. Hayes, who has retained the services of powerhouse Democratic fundraiser Colleen Martin-Lauer, had a fundraising event last month at the popular Mt. Vernon Marketplace.

Hayes is part of an emerging set of young African-American leaders in Baltimore city who have taken office in recent years. Friends and allies, the group includes Del. Cory McCray (D), who was elected in the same year as Hayes, and City Councilmembers John Bullock (D), Kristerfer Burnett (D), Brandon Scott (D) and Shannon Sneed (D). Scott is in his second term and the others are freshmen. All are younger than 40.

McCray is also contemplating a run against an older incumbent senator, Nathaniel McFadden (D), who was first elected in 1994. McCray, as Maryland Matters reported last month, recently conducted a poll showing him running competitively with McFadden, who is the Senate president pro tem.

Hayes said he has notified his District 40 colleagues about his intention to run and is reaching out to community groups, faith leaders, labor unions and voters, seeking their support.

“I’m really focused on letting my intentions be known to the community, going out to the community and hearing what their concerns are,” he said.