King of Jordan Visits Annapolis, Discusses Business Development with Gov. Moore, Local Leaders
A historic visit from a foreign dignitary was hosted at the Annapolis State House, as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) played host to King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan alongside a contingent of prominent Maryland business leaders and several Cabinet officials.
While full details aren’t currently available, as members of the press were escorted from the meeting a few minutes after it began, the governor’s office said in an official statement that the conversation focused on “trade, investment and partnership opportunities between Maryland and Jordan.”
Moore has previously met other heads of state, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but this was his first opportunity to host a foreign leader. According to the Governor’s Office, this was the first time that the Statehouse hosted a foreign dignitary on official business.
With Jordan’s king, the governor touted Maryland’s large and high-skilled workforce and the state’s top rank in the proportion of graduates with science and engineering degrees as signs of Maryland’s economic strength.
“This is where you come together to talk about common goals, talk about common interests and talk about collaboration,” Moore said, opening the meeting. “We have brought leaders from across the state to engage in this historic visit. We look to have a very vibrant discussion about our people and our economies and our opportunities ahead.”
The king offered thoughts on the state’s efforts toward education and research, which University of Maryland, Baltimore County President Valerie Sheares Ashby was ecstatic to hear during the discussion. Both she and University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman attended the roundtable discussion.
“As a president of a university, you’re always the person talking about the transformative power of education, but to have the king and the governor say it and start the conversation with that basis was inspiring to me,” she said after the meeting. “It was just a wonderful day. Wonderful for the state. Wonderful for our global visibility and a fantastic day for higher education.”
Sen. Van Hollen, Rep. Ivey Introduce Legislation
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has introduced bills to fight corporate insider trading and improve care for Americans struggling with sickle cell disease.
The bill to combat corporate insider trading would prohibit stock sales during a four-day period leading up to the legal disclosure of bankruptcies, mergers, and other major corporate events.
The legislation surrounding sickle cell, a disease that disproportionately impacts Black Americans, was personal for the Maryland senator.
“Having lost a beloved member of my staff to this disease, improving access to care and services is personal to me,” said Van Hollen.
His bill would establish an annual grant to expand sickle cell treatment from existing treatment facilities to community health and outpatient clinics.
“For the tens of thousands of Americans living with sickle cell disease, the difficulty of finding care is not just an inconvenience – it could be the difference between life and death. By giving existing sickle cell centers the capacity to share their resources beyond their walls, we can more easily expand treatment to the countless communities that don’t yet have it. Better care and support is out there for sickle cell patients – and our legislation will help bring it within closer reach,” Van Hollen explained.
He also helped pass legislation to extend the protections of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program, which he introduced when it was first passed a decade ago.
“Since our creation of the ABLE program a decade ago, it has empowered tens of thousands of people with disabilities to bolster their financial stability and support critical needs,” Van Hollen said. “We’re fighting to make these key ABLE provisions permanent so those Americans and many more can count on this vital program for years to come – giving them the tools to grow their savings and strengthen their economic independence.”
Congressman Glenn Ivey (D- Md.) has also been busy in the House. He introduced a bill on Sept. 23 alongside Florida Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R) to protect children from private online solicitations by predators.
“We must protect children from pedophiles. As a former prosecutor, Congresswoman Laurel Lee understands, like I do, that criminal cases against online sexual predators must have solid legal predicates. This bill would assure that anywhere across the federal legal landscape that any notice or advertisement from adults to children for explicit acts or images is consistent and clear,” Ivey said. “When it comes to one-to-one communications with minors from these purveyors of child pornography, this conduct harms kids.”
The Maryland congressman emphasized that the bill will help protect children and prevent pedophiles from targeting young people online.
“I fully support this legislation and commend Rep. Lee’s partnership on this matter and stand with her to protect our young people,” he said. “We must deter these predators from acting on their worst impulses, this bill helps us do that.”