Reflections on Winter Growth

Like many of us after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I experience a bit of a let-down.  All of the busyness associated with the end of the year fades as we gear up to endure the long darkness and cold temperatures of the winter months.  As I write this brief note, I am sitting at my desk and feeling both uncomfortable and at peace.  I am uncomfortable because after the huge storm we encountered throughout the East Coast and clean up that followed, my telephone, television, and internet are out of order.  A snow plow inadvertently cut my line.  As a result, I feel somewhat isolated.  At the same time, I am at peace because I have found a way to remedy this temporary inconvenience to communicate with my clients appropriately (cell phones are truly a blessing) and I am also enjoying a bit of a break from the rapid pace of modern life. While I am generally not a fan of a huge drift of snow that impedes freedom of movement, I do appreciate its value.  Snow also functions as a protective blanket to cover the earth to allow it to rest and prepare for a season of growth in the spring.  So, too, can we learn from the winter season accept some of the tedium that may precede change.   A whirlwind of activity by itself does not necessarily mean productivity. In applying this lesson from nature, it is my hope to reflect thoughtfully instead of reacting immediately to any situation whether it pertains to my life or the concerns of my clients.  While occasionally emergencies...

A Blizzard of Bills

The 2016 session of the Maryland General Assembly began officially in mid-January and is now in full swing.  After Assembly’s prompt override of five bills vetoed by the Governor in 2015, we are now expecting a blizzard of new bills.  This year, following the completion in 2015 of the freshman year of many new legislators in Annapolis, we are going to see a huge bump in the number of bills that will be introduced in 2016.  New legislators, as well as the veterans, wish to make their mark on the Maryland Annotated Code.  The deadline for legislators to timely introduce their bills is rapidly approaching. As is true every year, much of the Assembly’s energy will be taken up with considering the Governor’s budget, and this year, our representatives will spend significant time dealing with the Governor’s agenda on taxes – essentially wrangling over which group should receive tax breaks under the Governor’s plan.  Some other expected hot topics will deal with reform of the criminal justice system in the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death in Baltimore last year, end of life decisions, and changes in voting eligibility requirements. Advocates in the domestic violence arena will be seeking change in the definition of stalking.  HB 155 and SB 278, bills cross-filed in both the House and Senate, alter the definition of stalking as a course of conduct that includes approaching or pursuing another where the person intends to cause or knows or reasonably should have known that the conduct would cause serious emotional distress.  Under current law, the State must prove that the course of conduct is malicious and...