Let's give credit where credit is due, and clarify that the passage of state legislation banning panhandling in Anne Arundel County was due to the tireless efforts of two key lawmakers: Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-District 21) and Del. Pamela Beidle (D-District 32).

Peña-Melnyk actually campaigned on this issue in 2006 because Anne Arundel voters told her they were frustrated and fearful that the panhandlers frequenting busy intersections along Route 198 were distracting drivers and creating a serious public safety problem. The bill to ban roadside solicitation, as it was officially known, was the first piece of legislation Peña-Melnyk introduced following her election.

The Anne Arundel delegation did not support it initially, and it faced an uphill battle in the House Environmental Matters Committee. Beidle's support and hard work was pivotal to getting the bill through that committee and she and Peña-Melnyk continued to shepherd it through the legislative process in the House and then worked with state Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-District 21) to win passage in the Senate.

John Leopold, who by then was Anne Arundel County executive, was supportive of the legislation, but had a very limited role in getting it through the Maryland General Assembly. The ban on roadside solicitation in Anne Arundel has been successful, on that much we can agree. But let's give the credit to those who worked to make the law possible -- the residents of Anne Arundel who saw a problem and insisted it be addressed, and to delegates Peña-Melnyk and Beidle who did the heavy lifting to get it passed, not John Leopold.

B.J. Taylor

Russett

user comments (0)