Meet the So. Md. delegation

Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., Sen. Thomas ‘Mac' Middleton, Sen. Roy P. Dyson, Del. Murray D. Levy, Del. Peter F. Murphy, Del. Sally Y. Jameson, Del. John F. Wood Jr.

Friday, Jan. 9, 2009

Party: Democrat

Age: 66

Occupation: Defense attorney

Residence:Chesapeake Beach

Key committee assignments: Senate president; co-chair, Legislative Policy Committee; member, Executive Nominations Committee

Key issues: Budget, criminal law, environment

Annapolis phone number: 301-858-3700

E-mail: Thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us

Like a fine wine, Miller has gotten better with age. A member of the Senate since 1975, he enters his 23rd legislative session at the rostrum and has shown no signs of slowing down.

In fact, he ended speculation that this term could be his last by announcing this summer that he plans to run again in 2010.

But this year will be no cakewalk for Miller, arguably the state's top political power broker. The state's budget woes will make for a challenging session in which any new programs are likely toast and maintaining existing ones won't be easy. That it comes in the third year of a term when lawmakers like to flaunt achievements makes it that much more difficult to stomach.

Still, Miller wields tremendous influence over members on both sides of the aisle. Senators know that the road to a bill's passage is a lot smoother with Miller's support.

The passage of slots November was a big victory for Miller, who advocated for expanded gambling for years. Lawmakers may try to alter the percentage that slots operators get from gaming revenue and tie up some loose ends from the legislation that passed in 2007.

Miller's fingerprints are certain to be on any major pieces of legislation that the General Assembly passes, most notably the budget.

Sen. Thomas ‘Mac' Middleton

Party: Democrat

Age: 63

Occupation: Owner and operator of Cedar Hill Farm

Residence: Waldorf

Key committee assignments: Chair, Senate Finance; Senate chair, Joint Subcommittee on Program Open Space and Agricultural Land Preservation; member, Executive Nominations

Key issues: Energy, health care, agriculture

Annapolis phone number: 301-858-3616

E-mail: Thomas.mclain.middleton@senate.state.md.us

The four-term senator is one of the body's most versatile lawmakers. His committee tackles a range of complex issues – utility regulation, health care reform, financial services oversight and real-estate practices, among others – and this session is shaping up to be no different.

A report drafted by the state Public Service Commission on whether to re-regulate the state's energy industry and a looming electricity shortfall would likely produce heavy debate and numerous legislative proposals.

Various reforms of the state's embattled Medevac system will be considered in Middleton's committee, as will proposed changes to the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund that would allow customers to pay their premiums in installments, rather than in one lump sum.

A leading health care advocate who championed Medicaid expansion to uninsured Marylanders, Middleton will fight efforts to scale back the program in light of the state's fiscal crunch. He will also defend the authority of local governments in land use decisions and continue his advocacy of farmland preservation and other agriculture issues. As one of only four standing committee chairmen, Middleton is able to curry favor for Southern Maryland in budget negotiations

He represents Charles County's District 28.

Sen. Roy P. Dyson

Party: Democrat

Age: 60

Occupation: Part owner of Dyson Building and Supply

Residence: Great Mills

Key committee assignments: Vice chairman, Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs; Senate chair, Joint Committee on the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area; Senate chair, Joint Committee on Base Realignment and Closure

Key issues: Environment/land use, election law, vehicle safety

Annapolis phone number: 301-858-3673

E-mail: Roy.dyson@senate.state.md.us

The former congressman-turned-state senator is poised to have a busy 2009.

Look for Dyson to take the lead on issues related to military base realignment, which will brings tens of thousands of new residents to Maryland in the coming years. His up-close experience related to the 1980s expansion of Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

In his third year as vice chairman of the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, Dyson is sure to have his hands full with environmental and agriculture legislation. He's a staunch advocate of Chesapeake Bay cleanup, which could be targeted for cuts as lawmakers seek to fill a potentially $2 billion gap.

One of the few lawmakers who commutes daily to and from Annapolis, Dyson will continue to push for more transportation funding for the choked road system in Southern Maryland. His efforts to mandate funding for a new span of the Gov. Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge have flopped in recent years and chances are once again nearly non-existent.

He represents District 29, which includes all of St. Mary's County, the lower half of Calvert County, and a sliver of eastern Charles County.

Del. Murray D. Levy

Party: Democrat

Age: 63

Occupation: Full-time legislator. Retired businessman/ accountant

Residence: La Plata

Key committee assignments: Member, House Appropriations; vice chair, Transportation and Environment Subcommittee; chair, Charles County Delegation

Key issues: Budget, pension system, relationship between local and state government

Annapolis phone number: 301-858-3325

E-mail: murray.levy@house.state.md.us

With the economy in turmoil, this could be Levy's year to shine. In just four years in Annapolis, Levy has built a reputation as a fiscal maestro who can navigate the complex budget like few others. Expect him to play a significant role in helping Democratic leaders shape the fiscal 2010 budget.

As a former Charles County commissioner, he's not a fan of shifting the cost of state-funded teacher pensions to the counties, since that only puts the burden at the local level. He also thinks the General Assembly should eliminate bond bills for the coming year in light of the fiscal troubles.

Despite the money woes, Levy wants to work on improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, developing smart land-use policies to counter rapid growth in Southern Maryland and identifying a plan to thwart looming energy blackouts.

Levy represents District 28 in Charles County.

Del. Peter F. Murphy

Party: Democrat

Age: 59

Occupation: Full-time legislator. Former field director to Sen. Paul Sarbanes, microbiologist, middle school teacher university testing program director and court mediator.

Residence: Bryans Road

Key committee assignments: Member, House Ways and Means

Key issues: Foster/kinship care, aging environment

Annapolis phone number: 301-858-3247

E-mail: Peter.murphy@house.state.md.us

With two legislative sessions now under his belt, the junior member of the Southern Maryland delegation may look to come out of his shell and expand his portfolio. The first two years certainly provided a crash course in policy and politics, particularly during the 2007 special session when he sat on the committee that put together the $1.4 billion in tax increases that eventually passed the legislature.

He's likely to resubmit a pair of bills that sought a sales tax exemption for nonprofit groups that purchase goods to donate to another nonprofit and to extend until June 2012 the sales tax exemption for veterans organizations that is set to expire in June 2009.

Murphy's top interests are improving foster and kinship care, advocating for senior citizens programs and environmental preservation.

He represents Charles County's District 28.

Del. Sally Y. Jameson

Party: Democrat

Age: 56

Occupation: Full-time legislator. Former Charles County Chamber of Commerce executive director

Residence: Bryantown

Key committee assignments: Member, House Economic Matters; chair, Consumer Protection & Commercial Law Subcommittee; chair, Southern Maryland Delegation

Key issues: Consumer protection, utilities, natural resources

Annapolis phone number: 301-858-3337

E-mail: sally.jameson@house.state.md.us

The Southern Maryland delegation chairwoman will look to bounce back from last year, when she was absent for roughly half the session due to medical reasons. Now healthy and sounding as energetic as ever, Jameson will look to play a more visible role on business issues.

She chairs a consumer protection subcommittee and has always been concerned with small business issues as the former director of the Charles County Chamber of Commerce.

Jameson also wants to focus on affordable and environmentally sound ways to conserve energy as well as making government programs more efficient through initiatives like Gov. Martin

O'Malley's StateStat. As head of the region's delegation, Jameson will make the case for Southern Maryland's fair share of school construction and transportation dollars allocated through the capital budget.

She represents District 28 in Charles County.

Del. John F. Wood Jr.

Party: Democrat

Age: 73 (as of Jan. 13)

Occupation: Partner, Cross and Wood Insurance Brokers

Residence: Mechanicsville

Key committee assignments: Member, House Appropriations; member, Legislative Policy Committee

Key issues: Insurance, workers compensation, natural resources

Annapolis phone number: 301-858-3170

E-mail: john.wood@house.state.md.us

Entering his 23rd year in Annapolis, Wood has been through just about everything in Annapolis from the economic bust of the early 1990s to the tech boom later in the decade to the current recession. Only Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller and Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. have longer legislative tenures among Southern Maryland lawmakers.

One of the legislature's few remaining conservative Democrats, Wood is never shy to speak his mind even if it's not the party line. He always keeps an eye on local priorities and has been a leading voice on workers compensation issues in recent years. His insurance background also serves him well in the State House. His assignment to House Appropriations gives the region some extra heft on the chamber's most sought-after committee.

He represents District 29A, which includes northern St. Mary's County and Benedict in Charles County.