Maryland
Molding Tomorrow’s Civic Leaders—From Firsthand Experience
Shetty’s son visits her at work during a debate on the House floor. (Photo courtesy of Emily Shetty)
Shetty first started volunteering in fourth grade, donating her time to the children’s department of her local public library in High Point, N.C. She went on to volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Habitat for Humanity and at a day care facility for young adults with developmental disabilities.
Shetty knew intimately how important it was to have a community of people who cared. Her father abandoned her family when she was young, leaving her mother with heavy debt. Soon, her mother was working multiple minimum-wage jobs: the overnight shift at a factory, as an activity coordinator at a nursing home and in an interior design furniture showroom. She also went to community college to earn a nursing degree—an extra challenge for a woman born in Bulgaria who spoke English as a second language.
“We were frequently unable to afford electricity or hot water,” said Shetty. “It was really hard. She was gone a lot.”
Still, Shetty worked her way into Duke University and on to law school at the Catholic University of America. “I wanted to be here in the nation’s capital so I could learn more about ways to help people on a broader scale,” said Shetty. She worked for Ed Towns, a member of Congress from Brooklyn, and did advocacy work for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In 2014, Shetty decided to run for office herself. “I really like solving problems and helping people, and I had a lot of experience in legislative advocacy at the federal level, so I wanted to bring some of that federal experience—and in particular a strong belief that our health care system is very broken, and some concrete ways I wanted to help fix that,” she said. She lost then but was successful when she ran again in Maryland’s 18th District, in Montgomery County, in 2018.
Two years ago, Shetty joined the launch of the Maryland Fellows program, a collaboration among the Federal and Global Fellows programs, the Department of English’s Maryland General Assembly Writing internship and the Department of Government and Politics. In the Fall semester, students choose from among three courses, and in the spring, they intern in the public and nonprofit sectors—many choose the Maryland General Assembly. (Shetty teaches only in the fall, since Maryland’s legislative session runs from January into April.)
“I had zero idea how any of these processes worked before” taking Shetty’s class, said Jillian Waxman ’25, who took the course last fall and is a teaching assistant this semester. “I’d heard of delegates and senators, but this class fully developed my understanding from the ground up.”
Over the semester, students heard from guest speakers, including delegates, county council members, leaders in law enforcement, and professionals working in housing policy and criminal justice. “I’d say it’s one-third focused on individual leadership development, one-third about how our government operates and one-third building a network of practitioners who share their experiences with the class,” said Shetty.
For students, it’s a chance not just to learn about leadership, but also about the importance of dialogue. “I lean pretty left, and before taking this class I was kind of stuck in that mindset,” said Divyasri Malavathu ’27. “Taking this class made me realize that it’s not just about political parties—civic leadership is about everyone, regardless of what you believe in or what your personal values are.”
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Governor Moore has signed House Bill 1532 — Utility RELIEF (Reducing Energy Load Inflation for Everyday Families) Act into law today, providing limited relief to Maryland ratepayers while advancing critical protections for property owners impacted by large-scale energy infrastructure projects.
Several Republican-led amendments aimed at delivering broader, long-term cost savings for Maryland families were ultimately rejected, including:
• Ending the EmPOWER Maryland Program;
• Adjusting Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards; and
• Withdrawing from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Senator J.B. Jennings successfully secured an amendment to the Utility RELIEF Act, strengthening transparency and notification requirements for landowners impacted by major transmission line projects. The amendment incorporates key language from his bill, Senate Bill 584 — Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and Transmission Lines — Notice to Landowners, introduced during the 2026 legislative session in response to concerns surrounding the Brandon Shores Retirement Mitigation Project (PSC Case #9748). Senate Bill 584 requires clear, direct and documented notice to affected and adjacent property owners, including formal notice of their right to intervene in Public Service Commission proceedings, and received favorable testimony from Protect Our Streams, The Valleys Planning Council and the Maryland Farm Bureau.
Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly wrote in support of the measure, saying, “This legislation does not prevent necessary projects from moving forward; it simply ensures that affected citizens are properly notified and afforded due process.”
Joanne Frederick, leader of Stop MPRP, also testified in support of the bill, stating, “Maryland property owners should not have to rely on rumor or last-minute meetings to learn that their land is under consideration for a transmission corridor.”
Although SB584 received a strong hearing before the Senate Energy, Education and the Environment Committee, it was never brought forward for a final vote.
Supporters of the Jennings amendment pointed to major inconsistencies in how utilities interpreted Maryland’s existing notification laws. While developers of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project directly informed landowners and local governments of their rights to intervene, BGE relied primarily on a legal advertisement, website posting and social media notice for the Brandon Shores project.
“When this bill didn’t leave committee, I knew that we had to throw a Hail Mary and amend the Utility RELIEF Act to meet the needs of Marylanders like my constituents, who are struggling to navigate an unclear process,” said Senator Jennings.
When facing pushback on the Senate floor, regarding the inconvenience the amendment would cause for utility companies, Jennings said, “It’s somebody’s family’s home, where they raised their children. And to sit there and say to them, ‘I’m sorry you didn’t get notified, tough luck,’ That’s why we are down here, to fight for our constituents… This amendment can fix that, to make sure they’re notified properly and it’s done the right way. It’s simple. I’m disappointed that this is the attitude we are going to take, when I try to fight for my constituency.”
As he fought for the amendment, he warned, “They’re going to be calling each and every one of us, saying I wasn’t notified, they’re taking our family farm and taking my home,” emphasizing that the measure would address a problem many lawmakers will otherwise be forced to confront.
“The statute, as previously written, was too ambiguous and allowed utilities to decide how much, or how little, notice to provide,” Senator Jennings said. “Maryland families deserve a fair and transparent process regardless of which utility is involved.”
The signing of the Utility RELIEF Act comes as Senator Jennings, and several regional lawmakers continue to challenge the Brandon Shores Retirement Mitigation Project before the Public Service Commission. On April 9, 2026, Senator Jennings joined Senators Chris West, Johnny Ray Salling and Mary-Dulany James in filing an appeal. He later submitted a detailed Memorandum of Appeal on April 19, 2026, outlining constituent concerns, alleged deficiencies in the CPCN process and evidence suggesting the proposed transmission infrastructure may extend beyond immediate reliability need.
Among the concerns raised was a 2014 rendering mailed to landowners depicting a second transmission line designated for “future capacity,” raising additional questions about the long-term scope and purpose of the project. During evidentiary hearings last October, a Public Utility Law Judge cited Senator Jennings’ earlier letter challenging the redaction of project files and acknowledged the validity of transparency concerns raised by affected communities. In that letter, Senator Jennings wrote, “My constituents deserve transparency and assurance that there is a genuine and immediate reliability crisis, not that this infrastructure is being justified by speculative, future commercial needs.”
An independent report prepared for the Power Plant Research Program similarly concluded the project could create transmission capacity exceeding identified reliability needs.
The Public Service Commission is now expected to issue a final order in Case #9748 in the coming months.
Related
LEONARDTOWN, Md. – A Mechanicsville man was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for killing another man outside a Maryland liquor store in 2023.
What we know:
Leroy Christpher Neal, 50, was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years, and life plus five years of active incarceration for the attack, the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office announced.
Neal was convicted in December.
SUGGESTED: Alabama man charged after gun pulled in Maryland road rage incident, deputies say
The murder happened on Nov. 4, 2023, at a liquor store in Great Mills. That day, deputies said, Neal lured the victim to a secluded part of the parking lot behind the building, close to the edge of the woods.
What they’re saying:
State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling said Tuesday that Neal “executed the victim in cold blood by shooting him in the back as he tried to escape,” calling it “a merciless and premeditated killing that stole a man’s life and devastated his family.”
“For years, his loved ones have carried the weight of this unimaginable loss while waiting for justice and accountability,” Sterling said. “My heart remains with them, and I hope this outcome brings them a measure of peace and closure.”
The Source: Information in this story is from the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Police said Dequan Gravely, 23, of Charles County, was driving northbound on Route 210 near Pine Drive when his Mercedes collided with the school bus turning left from the southbound lanes.
The driver of a car involved in a crash with a Prince George’s County school bus in Accokeek, Maryland, on Friday has been identified.
Prince George’s County police said Dequan Gravely, 23, of Bryans Road in Charles County, was driving northbound on Route 210 near Pine Drive around 7:20 a.m. when his Mercedes collided with the school bus turning left from the southbound lanes.
Investigators said the crash happened in the intersection, causing the school bus to flip onto its side. Gravely died at the scene.
The school bus driver was transported to a hospital and treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Police said no students were on the bus at the time of the crash.
Investigators said they believe debris from the collision damaged a third vehicle. The driver of that vehicle “declined medical attention,” police said.
The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 301-731-4422.
WTOP’s Acacia James contributed to this report.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
-
Nevada3 minutes agoArbor View beats rival Centennial for 5A boys volleyball state title
-
New Hampshire9 minutes agoEmily (Em) Madeline Peters
-
New Jersey15 minutes agoOlder NJ residents consider leaving as costs rise, survey shows
-
New Mexico21 minutes agoNew Mexico elementary school partners with NASA and earns elite STEM certification
-
North Carolina27 minutes agoPolice: North Carolina man charged after high-speed chase in Erie County, arrested in the Town of Perry
-
North Dakota33 minutes agoND Emergency Services receives wildfire prevention award
-
Ohio39 minutes agoA unique project asks Ohioans to map Revolutionary War graves
-
Oklahoma45 minutes agoOklahoma teacher turns PB&J’s into a lifeline for students