Student attorneys successfully represented the LDDC this week in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in Annapolis. The Committee heard testimony on House Bill 280, which would disallow the suspension of driver’s licenses for merely failing to pay traffic-related fines and fees. Nearly a dozen testifying witnesses in support of the bill were present, including student attorneys Emily Schultheis and Nick Jordan of the Legal Data & Design Clinic. This semester, at the request of the Office of the Attorney General, the LDDC analyzed MVA license suspension data and presented the results as justification for the new bill.
Emily Schultheis presented the clinic’s findings that the current suspension scheme disproportionately impacted African-Americans and poorer, rural areas. Additionally, Nick Jordan advocated for the bill’s cost-saving potential and the economic benefits of less Marylanders losing their licenses. Even Attorney General Brian Frosh himself testified on the impact of automatic MVA suspensions as an ineffective revenue-raising mechanism and “a hammer that lands the hardest on poor people and people of color.” The hearing concluded with powerful personal testimonies delivered by individuals whose lives were derailed by the brutal consequences of not paying fines and living without a license. With the wealth of support and seemingly little opposition surrounding the bill, HB0280 is sure to receive a favorable report from the committee and advance to a second reading. If HB0280 passes into law, it will become effective October 1st of this year.
Click here to watch the full hearing and testimony on HB0280
