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Delegate Nicole Williams Newsletter - 3/21/2022


Dear Neighbors and Friends - As of March 20th, we have now reached Crossover in the Maryland General Assembly. This is when the Senate side starts to vote on bills from the House of Delegates, and vice versa, to eventually make their way to the Governor's desk by the end of the legislative session. Some of the bills that passed to go to the Senate for voting before end of Crossover include the Trans Health Equity Act (HB0283), the Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit (HB0680), and a bill to modify the Possession and Permits to Carry, Wear, and Transport a Handgun (HB0824) in response to the U.S. Supreme Court Bruen decision. As we approach the end of the session, I look forward to keeping you all updated on the progress of my sponsored legislation.


-Nicole

 

Women's History Month Highlight: Dr. Aminta Breaux

Our next weekly spotlight is Doctor Aminta H. Breaux. She has served as the tenth president of Bowie State University since 2017 and became its first female president. She brings over 30 years of diverse higher education leadership experience to complement and improve her position.


Dr. Breaux has a tremendous array of educational and leadership experiences that set her up for success in her current position. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Temple University, a master's degree in psychological services in education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a doctorate in counseling psychology from Temple University. Furthermore, she graduated from the Harvard Institute for Executive Management and the American Association for State Colleges and Universities Millennium Leadership Institute. Her extensive knowledge and expertise led her to get tapped into various leadership roles. She got appointed to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council of Maryland. She is also the chair of the Board of Directors for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Additionally, she is a member of the board of directors for the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable, Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Maryland Capital Region Health. Her recent honors include the Educator of the Year Award from the National Council of Negro Women, the Trailblazer Award from the Bowie Business Innovation Center (BIC), the business accelerator located at Bowie State in conjunction with Capital One, and the Capital City Chapter Links Inc. Leadership Award.


Dr. Aminta Breaux inspires many to advocate for underserved populations and constantly keep their minds active. Her ambition, determination, and passion for scholarship helped millions of students in her various roles on several college campuses. She continues to make her mark on Bowie State as its president.

 

Women's History Month Events in District 22


The celebration of excellence does not stop within this newsletter! Check out these March events within District 22 and more within the Prince George's County Memorial Library System to stay educated on female empowerment and to uplift your community:

 

Legislative Updates


The hearing for all of my bills in the House of Delegates has ended, but the job has yet to end. Our team will continue to work diligently to see if we can obtain a favorable vote in the committee assigned to the bill and a favorable vote on the House Floor. Until there are updates on those hearings, here is a rundown of what is going on with some of my proposed legislation:


  • This bill was heard on Thursday, February 2nd at 2:30 PM in the House Judiciary Committee.

  • This bill received a favorable vote in the House Judiciary Committee and was voted favorably by the House of Delegates. The bill will now move on to the Senate where it has been assigned to the Judicial Proceedings Committee.

  • The bill will be heard in the Judicial Proceedings Committee in the State Senate on Wednesday, March 22nd at 1:00 P.M.

  • Synopsis:

    • Provides that a parent, guardian, or other caregivers for a child who uses cannabis do not count as neglect (except in some circumstances) for provisions of laws relating to children who need assistance.

 

Delegate Nicole A. Williams 2023-24 Scholarship

The 2023-2024 scholarship application is now available! Applications will be accepted from now until April 7, 2023. You are eligible for the scholarship if:

  • If you currently attend or will be attending any college or vocational school in Maryland next year

  • If you live in District 22 (to check, visit www.mdelect.net)

  • If you have at least a 2.5 GPA

Click here for more information on how to apply, as well as the link to the official application. Make sure that all parts of your application are complete before you submit it for consideration. Award winners will be announced in mid-May. Best of luck to everyone applying!

 

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

  • If you are in Hyattsville and need financial assistance for post-secondary education, you are in luck. The city of Hyattsville is offering the Hyattsville Educational Path Scholarship Program to support Hyattsville high school seniors and high school graduates fund their journey into post-secondary education. Applications are open from now until March 24th, 2023. To learn more about the scholarship and how to apply, click here.

  • The Emanon’s, Inc. is still accepting applications from high school seniors in the DMV area for their scholarship program, with the deadline now extended to April 15th, 2023. For more information, click here to complete the application.

 

Article of the Week


University Park is continuing its efforts to preserve and beautify their environment. Their town now has an official tree ordinance that protects all large and healthy trees in the area. They started preserving and growing their tree canopy not just for environmental preservation, but also for health benefits such as keeping us cool and reducing summer mortality rates due to the curbing of extreme temperatures. Planting a tree this March will help the planet cool down a little quicker and will keep you and your neighbors safer this summer! Planters will be reimbursed for the expense. To learn more about the tree ordinance and how to help, click here to read more in the March 2023 University Park Newsletter.

 

Bilingual Annual Pharmacy Camp Opportunity


Real change happens slowly and requires diverse representation- meaning having bilingual and bicultural people in every room. To make that happen, the Legislative Latino Caucus continues to partner with Notre Dame School of Pharmacy in their annual high school pharmacy camp to raise awareness among Maryland's Latino youth about the health industry!


This annual Pharmacy Camp is open for registration for Summer 2023! The camp will take place from June 26 to June 30, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. The camp will be led by NDMU School of Pharmacy faculty members, who are experts in their fields and passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of pharmacy professionals. NDMU’s Pharmacy Camp is designed for students in grades 9-12 who want to explore the world of pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. Throughout the week, students will have the opportunity to:

  • Make medications in a lab

  • Explore precision medicine and the pharmacist's role in research and patient care

  • Learn about medication therapy management

  • Discover which pharmacy career best fits them

  • Get tips for applying to pharmacy school


Registration costs $450, which includes meals and activities. Scholarships are available for bilingual students! Registration ends on May 27, 2023, but limited scholarships are available, so we encourage anyone who may be interested to apply now! To register for Pharmacy Camp 2023 or to learn more, visit ndm.edu/pharmacy-camp.


ESPAÑOL


Estimados colegas, amigos y colaboradores comunitarios,


Sabemos que el cambio real ocurre lentamente. Y eso requiere una representación diversa, lo que significa que personas bilingües y biculturales estén presente en todos lados. Para que eso suceda, continuamos asociándonos con la Escuela de Farmacia de Notre Dame en su campamento anual de farmacia de la escuela secundaria para crear conciencia entre nuestra juventud latina sobre la industria de la salud. ¡Lo cual es beneficioso para su carrera Y también mejora la salud de nuestra comunidad!

¡Estamos felices de compartir esta increíble oportunidad por medio de la Escuela de Farmacia de la Universidad Notre Dame de Maryland! Ya abrió la inscripción para la edición anual del Campamento de Farmacia en el verano de 2023. El campamento se realizará del 26 al 30 de junio de 2023, de 9 a.m. a 5 p.m.


El Campamento de Farmacia de NDMU está orientado a estudiantes de grado 9 a 12 que quieran explorar el mundo de la farmacia y las ciencias farmacéuticas. Es una oportunidad única para los estudiantes latinos interesados en los campos de atención de salud. Durante la semana del campamento, podrán:

  • Hacer medicamentos en un laboratorio

  • Explorar el ámbito de la medicina de precisión y el rol del farmacéutico en investigación y atención del paciente

  • Saber más sobre medicación en terapia farmacológica

  • Descubrir qué carrera de farmacia es la mejor para cada uno

  • Recibir consejos para aplicar a la escuela de farmacia


La inscripción tiene un costo de $450, e incluye comidas y actividades. ¡Y hay becas disponibles para estudiantes bilingües! La inscripción finaliza el 27 de mayo de 2023, pero el número de becas es limitado, por eso los interesados tienen que registrarse lo antes posible. El campamento estará encabezado por profesores del equipo docente de la Escuela de Farmacia de NDMU, expertos en su área y apasionados por enseñar y guiar a la próxima generación de profesionales en farmacia. Para registrarse en el Campamento de Farmacia 2023 o conocer más detalles, pueden visitar ndm.edu/pharmacy-camp.

 

COVID-19 Update

According to the CDC, COVID-19 Community levels are measured as Low, Medium, and High. At this time the federal government is planning to end the national COVID-19 state of emergency declaration on May 11th. This will potentially impact health benefits for Marylanders. Older adults (50 years and older), and individuals who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical or cardiac conditions should take necessary precautions to stay safe. Please click here to find the closest COVID-19 testing facility near you in Prince George's County.

 

Resources


Redefining Public Safety

Mediation

If you are in need of conflict resolution and want an informal process to reach a win-win situation, consider reaching out to the Prince George's Community Collaborative Resolution Center! They are a division of Community Mediation Maryland (CMM) that provides free mediation services to all residents of Prince George's County. Their mediators are trained volunteers from the community who can resolve a conflict or situation at any stage. For more information:

  • Call: 301-690-0116

  • Email: pgresolutionscenter@gmail.com

2-1-1 Assistance


As you may know, dialing 9-1-1 is the number to call when you need help and are in immediate danger. When dialing 2-1-1, you can receive information on immediate mental health support, hate-crime support, senior assistance, food and shelter support, and much more. Also, note that this information is provided in multiple languages. To learn more, please click here to explore Maryland's 2-1-1 site.

Housing


Prince George's County Department of Housing Community Development 2023-2024 Affordable Housing Portfolio:

The portfolio lists over forty upcoming and completed senior living communities and multi-family dwellings, now available to County residents. If you want to access more information about the new portfolio, you can watch the promotional video here.

If you are currently facing housing or rental concerns due to financial hardship, the organizations listed below can provide some support:

  • Maryland Homeowner Assistance Fund offers support mortgage relief, weatherization, housing counseling, and legal services.

  • Housing Counseling Services Inc. offers a variety of MD housing and rental assistance resources including but not limited to housing counseling, foreclosure prevention, utility assistance, and veteran support services

  • 211 Maryland's database can connect you with local programs and resources, call 2-1-1 to speak with an Information and Referral Specialist or visit their website

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