Brothers and Sisters,
After a week of waiting, things are moving quickly in the General Assembly. The House and Senate are both working through the cross-over bills and the debate has been direct and eye-opening for some members.
If you have watched any of the Senate debate you know many of them are struggling with the product that they are working on. The current political climate makes it more difficult as even the most mundane amendments with positive remarks on both sides of the aisle are tough votes. We very much appreciate those who are helping ensure our side of the story is told and the real-life ramifications that occur if some of these provisions become law.
Unfortunately, there has been little to no help from the Chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. His actions as the floor manager have made difficult every attempt to create a better bill.
We need your voices NOW to show Chairman Smith the full force of our membership. We need you, and everyone you know, to call and email him with a message.
It’s simple. In order to perform our jobs effectively and safely, Maryland law enforcement officers need him to help:
- Fix the Use of Force provisions in the bill,
- Remove the provisions that force law enforcement officers to immediately be suspended without pay,
- REMOVE THE PROVISIONS THAT WOULD STRIP OFFICER PENSIONS.
You can reach Chairman Smith by:
Calling: 410-841-3634
Emailing: will.smith@senate.state.md.us
You should speak with your own voice, but please feel free to email or say something along these lines. Remember, be polite, but state our concerns forcefully.
Chairman Smith,
Thank you for your efforts in the Maryland State Senate. We appreciate the time you have taken in crafting police reform legislation. However, as a member of the military, we thought you would better understand the stresses, split-second decisions and difficult nature of policing that those of us in law enforcement face. So, it’s even more disappointing when we watch the floor debate and you don’t seem to recognize the gravity of some of the decisions that are being made by the Senate. For us to be successful police officers for our communities, it’s important that the use of force provisions be fixed, that the provisions that require law enforcement officers to be suspended immediately without pay be taken out of the bill, and remove the provisions that would require officers to forfeit any pensions based on any disciplinary or punitive process. Thank you for your work on behalf of the state of Maryland.
Sincerely,
We need your voice as this debate heats up. There are only 12 days left of session. It’s now or never.
The Senate goes back into session tonight at 7.
Our collective voices are critical to this effort. Please send your friends and family to KeepMarylandSafe.com/take-action and utilize the easy email system to send Chairman Smith a message.
Keep up the good work and making your voice heard.
