Track: Government Relations

Link to article: https://thedailyrecord.com/2022/05/09/hannah-powers-garagiola-3/

Link to list: https://thedailyrecord.com/top-100-women/winners/?fbclid=IwAR2saQzaA3OZC-MaiPE2YRRzq9lSyWu2yYw3JqEwuwhD_pLFQxZ9mzK9lWw

Author: The Daily Record Staff

Why is community service critical to your career and your personal leadership journey?

From the beginning of launching my current venture, I decided giving back was going to be a major part of our firm’s core values. We launched the ‘Compass Cares’ committee of our firm to give back to the community that has been so good to us. It also serves as a team-building opportunity for us as well. In politics, the pinnacle of civic engagement, being involved in the community is an absolute must. We also are very fortunate to represent some very crucial nonprofits that we are pleased to support.

Self-care connects everything in life: career, interactions and one’s personal life. Is this something you are doing well or is this a goal? What are your secrets if you are succeeding and what are your goals if this is a focus area where you want to learn from others?

Our work as a contract lobbyist is very intense for 90 days. We work around the clock and right at the moment things get extremely stressful and you feel like the pressure cooker is about to explode, the legislature is finished for the year. Although we work on procurement and planning for the next session and other government relations services, the craze of running against such a serious deadline is over. We encourage family time, leave, PTO, etc., so that our team all gets an opportunity to recharge.

A Hybrid Session

Maryland’s 90-day legislative session began with a lot of uncertainty due to the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our presiding officers, Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones worked all interim on health and safety protocols, incredible technology upgrades and some significant tweaks to the legislative process. This session saw historic changes and a divergent approach – the session started virtually and eventually the Senate of Maryland moved to in-person meetings and bill hearings. For the House of Delegates, members of the public were required to use Zoom to testify in bill hearings, attend work sessions, and meet with legislators for all 90 days.

Big Issues Leading Up to Election Season

The Maryland General Assembly had a busy session which included re-drawing and approving redistricting maps, enacting landmark greenhouse gas emissions goals, passing a ballot initiative that will ask voters if they support recreational cannabis, creating a program and framework to give all Marylanders access to twelve weeks of paid family leave, enacted tax relief for retirees, and provided record funding for education.

With 3,114 bills introduced over the course of the session, it was a busy final year before election season. Governor Larry Hogan is term limited and cannot run again, but tough primary fights are shaping up for both the Democratic and Republican contenders. The Maryland General Assembly is up for election too, and between retirements and redistricting, we anticipate some significant turnover in both chambers.

This session, Compass monitored the state operating and capital budgets and worked with the Maryland Alliance to introduce legislation to protect club access to critical federal background check legislation and weighed in on the future of cannabis funding.

The Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 1; legislation that will let voters choose whether recreational, adult use cannabis becomes legal in Maryland. The measure to approve recreational cannabis is expected to be overwhelmingly supported by voters in November 2022.

This year (as in past years) Compass’ clients have worked with sponsors in both chambers to advance language that would open up funding from cannabis sales tax revenues to youth development organizations. Although some clients do not take a position on the question of recreational cannabis, it’s important to advocate for sustainable funding sources where they exist. The Senate adopted our recommended language, but the House adopted and passed broader funding language in House Bill 837 that creates a Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund. The Fund will receive at least 30% of all adult use, or recreational cannabis sales tax revenue and a portion of licensing fees. The fund will be apportioned based on cannabis policing and counties will have authority over how to reinvest their proceeds from the fund in community programming. The enormous racial disparities in criminal enforcement of cannabis were a clear factor to adopt broader community reinvestment language, and there will absolutely be opportunities for clubs to apply. Compass anticipates additional regulations and future legislation on recreational cannabis and how it is taxed and regulated in Maryland.

These are the 40 whom we believe are the most powerful in the state.
– the Daily Record

Author: Daily Record Staff
February 25, 2022

Hannah Powers Garagiola
President and CEO
Compass Government Relations Partners

Since 2018, Hannah Powers Garagiola has served as president and CEO of Compass Government Relations Partners, a government relations practice that represents Fortune 500 corporations, trade associations, and nonprofits across sectors. She has more than 13 years of experience as a private sector lobbyist and is a graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

I was the lead lobbyist in passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act. The bill increased Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to 50% by 2030. My work on the bill started far before the 2019 legislative session. I convened a legislative coalition comprised of environmental and climate justice advocacy organizations, renewable energy developers, trade associations, labor and faith groups.

What’s the most important life lesson you learned?

There are always going to be setbacks or tough days, and you just need to get through those days by focusing on the bigger and more complete picture. Wallowing in each tiny negative thing that happens is not productive and as a team leader you need to lead your team with optimism and focus.

What do you do for fun and why?

My family and I live in Annapolis. We love the water, the town itself, the seafood and obviously the politics. As much as we love to travel there is no place like home.

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Article linked here: https://thedailyrecord.com/2022/02/25/introducing-the-daily-records-power-40-government-lobbying/

The Maryland House of Delegates will have a new look this year as the Economic Matters and Ways & Means Committees, two of the six standing House committees, have new leadership.

Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary, the former Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee, has taken the reigns as the Chair of Ways and Means. The Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over tax policy and a significant portfolio of education matters, and we are eager to see the approach of the new Chair. She replaces Former Chair Anne Kaiser who will not be seeking re-election to assume a leadership role at the University of Maryland.

There is a great deal of change in the Economic Matters Committee following the departure of Chairman Dereck Davis, the newly elected State Treasurer, and Vice Chair Kathleen Dumais after her appointment to a judgeship. Delegate CT Wilson, an attorney by trade, assumed the chairmanship while Delegate Brian Crosby was named Vice Chair. Both delegates were members of the Economic Matters Committee and have a rich understanding of the myriad issues the committee handles, including energy and labor policy.

We look forward to working with our clients as they work with these new leaders. Additionally, more change is incoming as current Appropriations Committee Chair, Maggie McIntosh, and Health and Government Operations Committee Chair, Shane Pendergrass will be retiring at the end of this session.