Greetings from the Lieutenant Governor
Dear Friends,
February’s storms gave way to warm spirits across Maryland.
We celebrated Black History Month through stories, gospels, and reflection. Governor Moore delivered the State of the State. And we welcomed the Venerable Theravada monks on their Walk for Peace to our State Capitol. In a time when the world feels loud and unsettled, their presence brought a welcome stillness and a reminder that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to meet our daily lives with patience, understanding, and compassion.
That same spirit guides our work in Annapolis. Together with the General Assembly and partners across Maryland, we are doing the steady work of building a Maryland rooted in opportunity, community, and care for one another.
I am grateful to do this work with and for you. Thank you for the privilege of serving you.
With Peace and Love,
Lt. Governor invites "Walk for Peace" to Annapolis
 Lt. Governor Aruna Miller welcomes Theravada Buddhist Monks on Walk for Peace to the Maryland State House.
The Venerable Theravada monks of the Walk for Peace, who have journeyed more than 2,300 miles on foot from Texas to Washington, D.C., had originally removed Maryland from their route due to the prolonged winter storms. But after Lt. Governor Aruna Miller reached out personally, the monks restored Annapolis on their journey, bringing their extraordinary pilgrimage of peace and compassion to the State House.
The Venerable monks were greeted by more than 12,000 Marylanders who lined the streets of Annapolis to greet the monks on the final leg of their journey to the Maryland State House.
The Lt. Governor and the monks met with members of the Governor’s Interfaith Council and other local elected officials before joining Governor Wes Moore and First Lady Dawn Moore at Government House for lunch. This marked the first time the monks visited an official residence of a First Family along their entire voyage. The monks were also introduced to both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly and presented with resolutions honoring their journey.
To see more of the monks’ visit to Annapolis, CLICK HERE.
Lt. Governor Miller Hosts Second Annual Overdose Prevention Awareness Day
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller stops for a photo with advocates at the second annual Overdose Prevention Advocacy Day.
Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller hosted the second annual Overdose Prevention Advocacy Day in Annapolis, bringing together health care providers, faith leaders, advocates, lawmakers, and Marylanders with lived experience to share stories, elevate solutions, and urge continued action to sustain progress and close remaining gaps.
A recent report from the Maryland Overdose Response Advisory Council, chaired by Lt. Governor Miller, shows fatal overdoses dropped by almost 26 percent from 2024 to 2025, bringing fatal overdoses to a 10-year low.
The Moore-Miller administration has taken major steps to drive this decline, including expanding critical investments with opioid settlement funds like strengthening the behavioral health workforce in rural areas, funding low-barrier services that meet people where they are, and increasing access to the overdose reversal medication, naloxone.
Also under the leadership of Lt. Governor Miller, Maryland’s Office of Overdose Response is working to promote collaboration across all state and local agencies working to address substance use disorder and overdose in the state.
To hear more from Lt. Governor Miller at Overdose Prevention Advocacy Day, CLICK HERE.
Governor Wes Moore Delivers State of the State
 Lt. Governor Aruna Miller stands below Gov. Wes Moore as he delivers his State of the State address in the House chambers.
Governor Wes Moore delivered his fourth State of the State address before a joint session of the Maryland General Assembly, members of his cabinet, other state and local elected officials, and special guests at the Maryland State House.
The Governor highlighted Lt. Governor Aruna Miller’s work as chair of the Governor’s Work Zone Safety Work Group. Since the Moore-Miller administration took office, roadway fatalities have been cut by 18 percent — the first time annual roadway fatalities have fallen below 500 in over a decade.
The Governor also highlighted a drastic decline in overdose deaths, bringing numbers to a ten-year low, according to the Maryland Overdose Response Advisory Council, chaired by Lt. Governor Miller.
To see more of the Lt. Governor from the Governor’s State of the State address, CLICK HERE.
Lt. Governor Miller Talks with Students About the Future of AI
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller stands with faculty, staff, students and panelists at the St. Francis Academy AI Town Hall.
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller visited Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore for an AI Town Hall and panel discussion focused on how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of education and the workforce. During the visit, the Lt. Governor delivered opening remarks to students and moderated a discussion with representatives from Maryland’s higher education community about the opportunities and challenges AI presents.
In her remarks, Lt. Governor Miller encouraged students to approach emerging technology with curiosity and responsibility, emphasizing that while AI can process information quickly, leadership, ethics, and judgment remain uniquely human strengths. She also highlighted how Maryland is already using AI to improve public services—such as helping residents navigate unemployment benefits and identifying infrastructure repairs before they become dangerous—while committing to transparency through the state’s Public AI Inventory.
The panel featured presidents from three HBCU's, Morgan State, UMBC, and Coppin State, and took place at St. Frances Academy, one of the oldest predominantly African-American Catholic high schools in the United States. The event gave students an opportunity to ask questions about AI, careers in technology, and the role their generation will play in shaping how these tools are used in the future.
To see photos from the event, CLICK HERE.
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller Joins Doris Kearns Goodwin for Fireside Chat on Mental Health, Leadership in Turbulent Times
 Lt. Governor Aruna Miller (right) joins Doris Kearns Goodwin (left) for a fireside chat with the Mental Health Association of Maryland.
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller joined acclaimed historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin for a fireside conversation at the annual legislative briefing hosted by the Mental Health Association of Maryland. For more than 60 years, the event has brought together legislators, providers, advocates, families, and community leaders to advance meaningful mental health policy in Maryland.
During the conversation, Lt. Governor Miller reflected on leadership during turbulent times and the importance of mental health. Together, they discussed how history shows that the greatest leaders do not lead through certainty alone, but through empathy, resilience, and the courage to care for the well-being of others.
Lt. Governor Miller thanked MHAMD for convening leaders from across the state to continue the important work of reducing stigma, strengthening behavioral health systems, and ensuring every Marylander has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
To see more photos from the event, CLICK HERE.
Celebrating Black History Month
Governor Wes Moore (left), First Lady Dawn Moore (center), and Lt. Governor Aruna Miller (right) gather for a Black History Month Reception at Government House.
This month, the Moore–Miller Administration marked Black History Month by welcoming leaders, families, and community members to Government House to reflect on the legacy of Black Marylanders who helped shape our state and nation. During the reception, Governor Wes Moore and Lt. Governor Aruna Miller honored trailblazers like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thurgood Marshall while recognizing the next generation carrying their work forward.
The Moore–Miller Administration is committed to turning the values of Black History Month into action. Through initiatives like the Just Communities program, which directs significant state investment to neighborhoods historically impacted by redlining and disinvestment, the administration is working to close opportunity gaps and expand pathways to work, wages, and wealth.
The administration has also taken steps to advance equity through historic clemency actions for low-level cannabis convictions and reforms designed to expand access to work, wages, and wealth for communities that have long faced barriers to opportunity.
Honoring Black history, the Governor and Lt. Governor emphasized, means not only remembering the past—but continuing the work of building a more just and equitable Maryland for all.
To see more from the Black History Month reception at Government House, CLICK HERE.
Looking Ahead: Women's History Month
Lt. Governor Aruna Miller greets guests at the Maryland Women's Forum.
This Women’s History Month, the Moore–Miller administration is celebrating the women who make Maryland strong. From trailblazers like Harriet Tubman and Clara Barton to leaders like Lt. Governor Aruna Miller, U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks, and the many women serving in Governor Wes Moore’s cabinet, Maryland is stronger when women lead.
Lt. Governor Miller’s own story reflects that progress. An immigrant from India who learned English in Maryland’s public schools, she became a civil engineer and made history as the first woman of color and first immigrant elected statewide in Maryland.
The Moore–Miller administration has assembled the most diverse cabinet in state history—nearly half women and more than half people of color—and is advancing policies that expand opportunity for women, including raising the minimum wage to $15, strengthening pay transparency laws, investing in child care, and expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage to support more than 25,000 Maryland mothers each year.
Throughout Women’s History Month, Lt. Governor Miller will also appear on news networks to highlight the contributions of women in Maryland and across the country.
LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Governor Wes Moore signed SB 245 / HB 444 into law, prohibiting Maryland state and local law enforcement from entering into federal immigration enforcement agreements. The legislation ensures that local officers remain focused on protecting public safety and not carrying out federal immigration actions that can create fear in communities.
As an immigrant, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller noted the moment was deeply personal. She emphasized that immigrants strengthen Maryland every day and that communities are safest when everyone feels protected and respected.
To learn more about the legislation, CLICK HERE.
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Lt. Governor Aruna Miller recently testified in support of Senate Bill 189, also known as Mason’s Law, which would require protective grating systems on open storm drains across Maryland.
She testified alongside the family of Mason Kearns, a 13-year-old from Mount Airy who was tragically swept into a storm drain during heavy rains. Standing with Mason’s family was a powerful reminder of why this legislation matters. In her testimony, the Lieutenant Governor emphasized that while nothing can undo that loss, Maryland can take action to prevent similar tragedies and make infrastructure safer for families across the state.
The Lt. Governor also thanked Mount Airy Mayor Larry Hushour and Senator Karen Lewis Young for their leadership in advancing this important bill.
For more information on Mason's Law, CLICK HERE.
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Lt. Governor Aruna Miller testified before the Senate Finance Committee in support of the VAX Act, a key Moore–Miller Administration priority to protect Marylanders’ access to vaccines and preventive care.
The legislation would allow the Maryland Secretary of Health to issue vaccine and screening recommendations based on trusted medical experts and require insurers to cover recommended services at no cost to patients. It would also allow pharmacists to administer recommended vaccines.
The VAX Act keeps Maryland’s public health guidance grounded in science and protects access to lifesaving preventive care.
To hear some of Lt. Governor Miller's testimony in support of the VAX Act, CLICK HERE.
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Office of the Lieutenant Governor Welcomes New Team Members
Rachel Sawicki joins the team as the Lt. Governor's Director of Communications. She will serve as the primary spokesperson and media contact for the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, leading strategic communications efforts to amplify the Lieutenant Governor’s policy priorities, initiatives, and work on behalf of Marylanders.
Rachel most recently served as the Press Secretary for Delaware Governor Matt Meyer where she played a key role in expanding public engagement and media access. Prior to the Meyer Administration, she was a breaking news reporter at WBAL NewsRadio in Baltimore covering local breaking news and state politics, and served as the New Castle County reporter for Delaware Public Media, the First State’s NPR station, covering both local and state politics and other community issues.
A lifelong Delawarean, she holds a B.A. in English and Communications from the University of Delaware.
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Erin Sibel Sezgin joins the team as the Lt. Governor's Opioid Policy Advisor. As a political appointee in the Biden-Harris administration at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Erin led the stakeholder engagement portfolio in support of the President's National Drug Control Strategy. Her work included coordinating initiatives to engage with the communities at the heart of the overdose crisis.
Prior to serving in the Administration, she created and taught a course on the opioid epidemic within the Department of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley. She also served as an advisor to UC Berkeley's student health center, where she established campus-wide harm-reduction initiatives to promote health and safety.
Her professional background further includes serving as a Senior Associate at a DC-based public affairs firm, an Advance Associate for the Vice President of the United States, and several research roles in academia. Erin earned her M.S. in Addiction Policy and Practice from Georgetown University and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
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MARYLAND IN THE NEWS
The Maryland Corps/Service Year Option Application is now live!
In Maryland, we know that service will save us. And right now, Marylanders can apply to join Class 4 of the Maryland Corps/Service Year Option program, which connects passionate adults in our state to work with organizations that strengthen communities, address the state's most pressing issues, and develop Maryland's talent across diverse sectors.
Visit serve.maryland.gov to apply.
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If you have any feedback or concerns you'd like to share,
please email our team at ArunaK.Miller@Maryland.Gov
   
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