The morning walk from the garage to the Miller Senate Building on March 6 was freezing at 27 degrees. Once inside, my guest and I were greeted by league volunteers, warm coffee and well organized topic papers to peruse.

As a League newbie, we were ushered to a fabulous tour of the legislative complex by well informed State guide, Sue Williams. A memorable stop was visiting “Mr. Bill” in the Department of Legislative Services. Only a month into the 2018 session, nearly 3,100 bills were recorded, with many more to arrive in the months ahead. Upon asking, we learned that the public’s most requested bills involve gun control. The House of Delegates was in full session and acknowledged us LWVMD members in the Gallery.

At our February discussion of William Barber’s The Third Reconstruction, members asked how the author’s fusion coalition movement is relevant to the League’s mission, and agreed that the overlap is voter enfranchisement. Our second Books for Learning selection, The Color of Law, documents de jure segregation in the U.S. over the past century. Deeply disturbing to read, it reinforces another key LWV principle, that of open and accountable government. The Color of Law will be the subject of our meeting on Tuesday, April 10 at 1:30 p.m. hosted by Arlene Gavin; please let her know if you’re able to attend.