Opinion: An Open Letter to Senate President Ferguson on Hearing Testimony

Dear Senate President Ferguson,

I live in District 16 and appreciate the Maryland General Assembly’s quick action to enable public remote participation when COVID-19 laid us all low.

The option for remote participation was an extraordinary expansion of democracy. What a civic gift.

This new window into how our government works, and how our elected, publicly-funded officials carry out the people’s business is the best civics course of all.

Virtual participation and observation also let students and working parents and mobility-limited residents, all be ACTIVE participants in our state’s democratic governance.

So let’s not go back to the “Only paid-lobbyists need apply” model. Please don’t go back to the model of requiring people to drive to Annapolis and cool their heels for hours waiting to testify for two minutes.

Talk about not climate-friendly. And not democracy-friendly.

Regarding your list of access options, most already existed. Further, NO ONE in my civic community of education, environmental and GOTV activists considers written testimony equal to live. Nor is recorded testimony equivalent, especially if it’s not necessarily made part of the record, which is the word on the civic street. We are waiting for the sound reasoning behind your decision to exclude all non-paid lobbyists from equal footing. In its absence, please return to the broadening, inclusive model of virtual/remote testimony and participation.

Like you, I am a Democrat, and like you I am also an American. We are the country, and party, of NOT-exclusion, and NOT- suppression. Right?

The people of Maryland deserve an accessible legislative process. I respectfully urge you to adjust the plan to ensure the public can continue to testify remotely.

Thank you,

Diana E. Conway

Immediate Past President

Montgomery County Women’s Democratic Club

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