Dear Friends, 

The Council and I have been hard at work on several important topics that all focus on the advancement of Montgomery County. We have taken significant action on Thrive 2050, and after years of reviewing, critiquing, and working on this document, we have finally passed the plan.

I was pleased to join the Council in passing Thrive 2050, the general plan that provides policy guidance for future land use in Montgomery County. I’m aware that Thrive 2050 isn’t a perfect document and that the community has concerns about the plan, but this document is necessary for the betterment of this county. I am committed to ensuring we implement Thrive 2050 in a very measured way that reflects community concerns and hopes for housing, transportation, and development. For more on my views of Thrive 2050, listen to this panel discussion I had the pleasure of being part of with County Executive Marc Elrich, moderated by WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi.

The Council also enacted legislation I authored, Bill 17-21, the Community Informed Police Training Act.  This legislation has been in the works for nearly two and a half years. The Community Informed Police Training Act is about building the next generation of police officers that serve as community guardians. Bill 17-21 will create new requirements related to the recruitment, training, and continuing education of police officers. We have many excellent public servants who effectively guard the communities they swore to protect. However, the system needed reforms, so I’m thankful to my colleagues for seeing the importance of passing this critical legislation.

Lastly, I’d like to encourage you to signup for the Biden Administration’s student loan forgiveness program. If you meet the income requirements, eligible borrowers can have a full or partial discharge of loans up to $20,000 for Federal Pell Grant borrowers and up to $10,000 for non-Pell Grant borrowers. The signup for this program will be open until December of 2023.

I look forward to updating you more about my work on the Council in the coming weeks. Please feel free to contact my office with your questions and concerns.