Craig’s Blog
1/26/2012: Craig introduces Child Identity Lock Bill in the House
[January 26, 2012] – ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND – In a press conference today with members of the Maryland Senate and House of Delegates, Delegate Craig Zucker announced his sponsorship of new legislation in the House to ensure parents and guardians have the right to place a security freeze on their child’s credit in order to prevent identity theft.
“We all know how important to your success your credit rating is in today’s world. Like any parent, I want to make sure that my son has a fair chance to succeed as an adult. This bill gives millions of Maryland families peace of mind by protecting the credit of their children,” Zucker said.
1/5/2012: Legislative Session starts next Wednesday
Happy New Year!
I just wanted to make sure that you knew that the 2012 legislative session begins next Wednesday, January 11th. As I enter my second year as your Delegate, we face a lot of tough challenges from creating jobs, tackling the budget and finally passing marriage equality for all. However, I know that we are up to the task as long as we work together. I encourage you to keep in touch with me during the session. You can always email me at craig.zucker@house.state.md.us and call me at (301) 858-3380.
Don’t forget that I frequently update my Facebook and Twitter pages, so you can find out about the latest news from the House of Delegates there.
Please never hesitate to contact me if you need anything and have a happy and healthy new year.
-Craig
6/17/2011: Summer Barbecue Fundraiser on July 13th!
Join Craig, Speaker of the House Michael Busch and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Norman Conway for our second Summer Barbecue! Last year’s barbecue was such a success, we decided to have another one this year.
Come on out and enjoy good food and good company as we celebrate Craig’s first legislative session. This event will be family friendly and will be moved indoors if there is inclement weather.
Tickets: $50
RSVP: by July 8th to Christian@CraigZucker.com or (301) 476-0914
Donate online at CraigZucker.com/donate or make checks payable to “Friends of Craig Zucker” and mail to P.O. Box 1037, Olney, MD 20830
4/12/2011: End of Session
On Monday, April 11th, Maryland’s 2011 Legislative Session came to a close. It was an honor to serve you over the last few months as we debated some of the most important issues facing Maryland. I wanted to make sure you got a chance to see the letter I’ve written wrapping up this legislative session. Please take a look and feel free to give me your thoughts. Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in the Maryland General Assembly this year! Click here to view the letter.
-Craig
3/19/2011: Latest Survey
As you know, after I was sworn in earlier this year I was assigned to the House Appropriations Committee. Tomorrow, Friday, March 18th, the Appropriations Subcommittees will be presenting their findings to the Full Committee before the budget bill is sent to the House floor. Because of these tough economic times, Maryland has a host of issues confronting it this year. I have already heard from many of you about your priorities but I’m asking for your continued input.
Please fill out my 2011 Budget Priorities Survey by clicking here. You can also find my latest surveys by navigating to the “Latest Survey” section above.
I know that everyone is going to have to tighten their belt as we rebound from the national recession, but I believe if we work together that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you very much for your thoughts.
-Craig
3/17/2011: HB913 Has Passed the House!
Today I passed my first bill out of the House of Delegates by a vote of 140-0! House Bill 913 will create a new eligibility requirement for the Homestead Tax Credit, requiring that anyone who receives the credit may not be in arrears on their child support payments. This will give the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) a compliance tool to make sure that non-custodial parents are paying what they owe to their children. It will also give an opportunity to a person who is in arrears to negotiate a payment plan with CSEA in order to be considered in compliance.
I am honored by all the support I have received from my colleagues in the House. This bill will now be sent to the Senate, where my friend, Senator Nancy King, is taking the lead.
You can read more about the bill at the Maryland General Assembly’s website.
-Craig
3/11/2011: Statement from Craig on Marriage Equality Bill
Today, the Civil Marriage and Religious Freedom Protection Act was sent back to the Judiciary Committee, making passage this legislative session that much more difficult. Although this is a setback, I believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” Those of us in the state legislature who believe that everyone deserves to have the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation, will not stop fighting for marriage equality. I believe that we will be successful one day soon.
-Craig
3/9/2011: Civil marriage gets one step closer
Despite a series of poison pill amendments targeting civil marriage, our allies in the House of Delegates held strong and defeated all of them. On Friday the civil marriage bill will be on the floor again for third reading and final passage. The District 14 Team and I can’t wait to finally cast our yes votes.
I’ll be live tweeting session again Friday morning. You can follow me on twitter starting around 11AM by clicking here or going to twitter.com/delegatezucker. You can also listen into the debate by going to the Maryland General Assembly website (note: you’ll need RealPlayer and Internet Explorer to listen to the debate.)
Let’s make this happen!
-Craig
(Note: the original version of this post stated that the final vote would happen on Thursday, March 10. It has been corrected to show that the final vote is now expected to occur Friday, March 11.)
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