Delegate Aisha
Braveboy had a very productive legislative session where bills she sponsored or
cosponsored passed both houses of the Maryland General Assembly and was sent to
the governor for signature. All of the
legislation spearheaded by Delegate Braveboy was designed to improve the
economic security of working families and to promote Justice for All
Marylanders. Below is a brief summary of
some of the major legislation advocated by Delegate Braveboy that is set to
become law:
Raising
the Minimum Wage
After being the chief sponsor of legislation to raise the minimum wage on three prior occasions, the
Maryland General Assembly has finally voted to raise the state minimum wage to
$10.10 by July 2018. The bill that ultimately passed the General Assembly contained several major provisions that were
initially introduced by Delegate Braveboy.
Aisha has been a tireless advocate for raising the minimum wage for the
past four years because she believes that raising the minimum wage is the
single most effective way to lift thousands of Maryland families out of
poverty. This law will especially benefit women and families because women comprise approximately 2/3 of minimum wage workers.
Marijuana
Decriminalization
Based
on the strong leadership of Delegate Braveboy, Delegate Keiffer Mitchell and other members of the Maryland
Legislative Black Caucus (MLBC), legislation to decriminalize small amounts of
marijuana passed both houses of the legislature. This legislation is important to address
racial disparities related to the current law.
Even though white and black Marylanders use marijuana at the same rate,
studies have shown that black Marylanders are three times more likely to be
arrested and face incarceration for marijuana possession. The marijuana decriminalization law will
promote drug rehabilitation instead of mass incarceration for individuals
caught with possessing less than 10 grams of marijuana.
Public Safety Diversity Act
The Public Safety Diversity Act of 2014 passed both
houses of the legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature.
Delegate Braveboy sponsored the bill to increase diversity among the
Maryland State Police. In recent years, Maryland has lost 37% of its
African-American state troopers. Of the 1,453 officers employed by the
Maryland State Police, only 198 are black and 29 are Hispanic. This law
will require the State Police, when it advertises for or recruits new
employees, to include advertising that is targeted toward individuals from
underrepresented communities. This bill was a top priority for the MLBC because
it will facilitate increased diversity and cultural sensitivity among the ranks
of the State Police.
These are a few of the many legislative victories
that Delegate Braveboy delivered during the session. We will follow up with future posts about some of her other
legislative accomplishments.
Anthony Jones, Policy Director
Braveboy for Attorney General
