By Adam Pagnucco.
A proposal to ban self-appointments to state legislative office by the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) advanced yesterday. This indicates growing momentum in favor of this reform.
The ban faces a number of process steps. First, a sub-group of the rules committee recommends whether it should be placed on the rules committee’s agenda. Second, if it is on the agenda, the rules committee then votes on it, thereby potentially sending it to the full MCDCC. Finally, the full MCDCC must vote to approve it.
Yesterday, the ban passed the first step as a rules committee sub-group unanimously supported sending it to the rules committee. The sub-group members were Liza Smith (who is leading the reform effort), Michelle Whittaker, Edward Fischman and Peter Witzler. Whittaker is already on the record opposing self-appointments and both Whittaker and Fischman support special elections.
Some of the credit for the advancement of the ban goes to Town of Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin, who signed the petition advocating for it and wrote, “Individuals who run and serve on the Central Committee should do their job of party building, fundraising, advocacy etc and not use the position for their own ambitions, Hopefully the legislature will change the law next session to provide for special elections and put an end to this foolishness.”
Slavin’s petition comment, which pulled no punches!
Slavin is a former officer of the state Democratic Party and a member of the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame. His petition comment was read to the sub-group before they approved the ban. Will any other prominent officials stand up for the voters like Slavin?
So what now? MCDCC’s rules committee is scheduled to vote on December 7, and if it passes the ban, the full MCDCC is scheduled to vote on December 13. Looming over all of this is a vacancy for District 14 Delegate Eric Luedtke’s position and possibly more vacancies if the Moore administration hires more MoCo state legislators. The outcome is not assured. If you would like to aid this reform, it’s not too late to sign Liza Smith’s petition to her colleagues advocating for it. This is a heavy lift and MCDCC will make this change only if they believe that the public favors it.