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Baltimore County delegation fails to advance bill on school-board voting after amendment withdrawn
Summary
The Baltimore County delegation declined to consider an amendment and failed to move a favorable recommendation on Senate Bill 656, which would have examined voting for the Baltimore County School Board. A roll-call vote produced 9 yeses and 4 nos, two votes short of the constitutional majority required to report the bill favorably.
On Wednesday, April 1, the Baltimore County delegation considered Senate Bill 656, a proposal “to take a look at the voting for the Baltimore County School Board,” but did not advance the bill after members failed to reach the required majority.
Delegate Forbes, chair of the delegation’s education subcommittee, told the group an amendment she helped draft would not be offered. “Idont feel that this is an amendment the delegation generally wants to go forward with. So Im going to choose not to move my amendment at this time,” she said. Forbes described the amendment as one that would have left next years election unchanged while creating a work group to study the issue going forward.
The meeting record shows another amendment was raised by Delegate Long but not presented before the delegation moved to the main motion. Long asked the body to reconsider because of electronic/connection problems, saying she had intended to present an amendment and was delayed by technology difficulties. The presiding chair said the amendment was not put forward in the allotted time and the delegation had already moved the bill as presented.
After the motion to report the bill favorably was moved and seconded, the chair conducted a roll-call vote. Vice Chair Delegate Pastor voted yes. The transcript records these named votes: Delegate Pastor — yes; Delegate McCaskill — yes; Delegate Phillips — yes; Delegate Ross — yes; Delegate Ruth — yes; Delegate Stein — yes; Delegate White Holland — yes; Delegate Guyton — no; Delegate Long — no; Delegate Forbes — no. The chair announced a final tally of 9 yeses and 4 nos and noted the delegation required a constitutional majority to move the bill favorably; the measure fell two votes short and therefore was not reported favorably at this time.
Technical problems surfaced during the roll call: Delegate Carden could not join the virtual meeting and staff said they would try to reconnect him before the vote, but the transcript shows the delegation proceeded without his vote. Several members were listed as excused or not present when the roll call was completed.
With the favorable motion not achieved, the chair closed the delegations business for the session and said members would "check in with you on the floor." The delegation did not record any formal referral, amendment adoption, or other action on SB 656 during the meeting.
