With a passion for leading change, Del. Wilkins has earned a collection of firsts during her two terms representing District 20. She is the youngest person elected to represent Montgomery County as well as the first Black woman to serve as a District 20 delegate and the youngest and first Black woman to serve as parliamentarian. Further, in the history of Maryland’s Legislative Black Caucus—the largest in the country—she is the first person from Montgomery County as well as the youngest and first woman to chair the organization. As chair, Del. Wilkins strives to take the organization to the next level by leveraging its strong voice and presence in Annapolis. Working closely with the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Secretary of State, the Black Caucus will take the lead on policies that address many Black communities’ priorities.
In the following interview, Del. Wilkins discusses how her role both as a delegate and the chair of the Black Caucus empowers her to push forward legislation that removes financial barriers to cancer screenings and treatment, ensures protections for reproductive health care, and provides more affordable housing, ultimately benefiting all Marylanders.
Do you see synergies among the issues that both your District’s residents and the Legislative Black Caucus consider priorities?
I find that the Black Caucus’s priorities—health, wealth, cannabis legislation, education, and housing—address issues that disproportionately impact Black communities as well as align with the values of most of my constituents, members of the General Assembly, and Maryland families. For example, because Blacks are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than any other ethnic group and have the lowest survival rate, the Black Caucus put forth a package of three different bills dealing with cancer disparities and access to cancer training, treatment, and care. With passage of these bills, my constituents and all Marylanders will have greater access to cancer screenings, treatment, and care.
How does the Black Caucus shape legislation that pushes forward its priorities?
The Black Caucus is lucky to have active members in positions of power, including five committee chairs, three in the House and two in the Senate; the House and Senate pro temps; the House and Senate majority whips; and the Speaker of the House. We began our process for shaping legislation for the 2023 session last summer. Based on our constituents’ needs and input from conversations with community members and advocates, we developed an agenda that outlined five areas of importance—health, wealth, cannabis legislation, education, and housing—and aligned three or four bills to each priority. Every time a bill for one of these priorities comes out, the Black Caucus fiercely advocates for its passage. This includes putting out a message to the committees stating the bill is a Black Caucus priority and meeting with stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page and to win support.
By March 20, the deadline for bills to crossover from one chamber to the next, 15 of the Black Caucus’ bills had moved forward. Then, the focus changed to advancing these pieces of legislation to passage.
What are the top three bills you would like to see passed during the 2023 session?
My work around cancer legislation, which is composed of three bills, is near and dear to my heart. For example, while breast and lung cancer screenings are free under the Affordable Care Act, many insurance companies do not cover costs for additional diagnostic testing, causing women to drop-off and not return for treatment. With passage of this bill, financial barriers to additional screenings will be removed.
I also have proposed a bill to help low-income individuals access affordable housing. Many people are familiar with the federal housing voucher program that helps families get back on their feet by providing payment assistance for affordable housing. However, this oversubscribed program has left many on long waiting lists. My bill will create a $15 million program that mirrors the federal program using state funds. Under this bill, we anticipate housing 700-1,000 people from the most vulnerable populations—seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and families with children—already on the federal program waiting list. More than likely, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development will leverage the formula for the federal voucher program that already exists to distribute the $15 million among Maryland’s jurisdictions based on need. For example, because of Montgomery County’s population, location, and housing costs, it would receive more funds than Garrett County. Following federal qualification guidelines, each jurisdiction will use the funds it receives to provide state vouchers to people on the waiting list from the priority populations. By mirroring the federal program and selecting people already vetted, this will not create an administrative burden for Maryland’s housing agencies.
Another priority is passage of the package of reproductive justice bills. With the bills’ passage, women living in Maryland and who come here for reproductive health services know that Maryland is a safe haven and will protect their abortion rights. The bill to enshrine the rights granted under Roe v Wade into the Maryland constitution will protect Maryland women as well as women who come into the state for reproductive health services. Another bill will ensure the privacy of women’s health care records, preventing women’s reproductive health information from being shared with other states.
What role can the Women’s Democratic Club play in helping push forward your legislative priorities?
While there is support for my “just cause” eviction bill (HB0684) in the House, WDC could help ensure the bill’s passage by building support among Montgomery County senators. It also would be impactful if WDC issued a statement of support for the Black Caucus’s agenda, especially since the chair is from Montgomery County, which could help ensure passage of its priority bills.
[Editor’s Note: The closing day of the legislative session—Sine Die—was on April 10, after this interview was conducted. The Legislative Black Caucus did have a successful session with all but two of their “top bills” passing both chambers and moving to the Governor’s desk. Wilkins’ “just cause” eviction bill did not get a vote in the Senate.]