The two new faces of the Harford County delegation are ready to get to work and learn the ropes next week with the start of the 2011 session of the Maryland General Assembly.
Harford’s six veteran delegates will be joined next Wednesday, the start of the 90-day session, by Republicans Glen Glass in District 34 and Kathy Szeliga in District 7.
Glass won the second Harford seat in District 34, southern Harford, which had been held by Democrat Dan Riley, who was defeated in the September primary.
“I’m excited for the session to start,” Glass said, adding that his mother, sister and some other family members will be there next week. “I’m going to spend the first two weeks getting to know the process.”
Szeliga was elected to the District 7 seat, serving western Harford County and eastern Baltimore County, previously held by Republican J.B. Jennings, who had served eight years as a delegate.
Jennings was elected to the District 7 Senate seat vacated by Andy Harris, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I am very excited about starting as a new delegate,” Szeliga said. “I got my appointment and I am excited to be serving on the Appropriations Committee.”
Szeliga said she plans to spend the first month getting to know how her committee works and those who serve on it.
“I want to learn what I should, and what I need to be doing,” she said.
Szeliga said she hasn’t been assigned an office, a phone number or an e-mail yet, but she said she knows all of that will come with time.
As for legislation, Szeliga said she met with Harford Sen. Barry Glassman, a Republican representing northern Harford County’s District 35, and Roy Whitely, founder of Marylanders for Fair Property Taxation, before Christmas to talk about legislation, including a bill establishing a task force to study property taxes in the state.
“I won’t be the lead, but I will be jumping in to help get the task force bill passed,” she said. “Outside of that, I’m not coming in with a legislative agenda, I’m coming in to learn the job.”
Glass said he has hired two aides for his office.
“I know most legislators only have one aide, but I decided to have two because three brains are better than one,” he said.
To offset the cost of the additional aide, Glass said he plans to put used furniture in his office.
Glass said other legislators cautioned him against introducing any legislation his first year, but he said he may introduce a bill requiring the re-regulation of BGE.
“People just don’t have enough money to pay their utility bills,” he said.
Regardless of his personal legislation, Glass said he wants to work with other legislators toward achieving a reasonable budget with reasonable cuts.
“I want to make cuts, reasonable cuts, in the budget without raising taxes on the citizens in Maryland or Harford County,” he said.