COLLEGE PARK, Maryland — After three months of legislating, the 2017 Maryland General Assembly session ended Monday at midnight. The end of the session is formally known as “Sine Die,” which is Latin for “without day.” Basically, it means “no scheduled follow-up.”
And it’s a bit of a celebration.
Annapolis-bound. #billsbillsbills #sinedie
— Jheanelle Wilkins (@JheanelleW) April 10, 2017
Gah, don’t you hate it when your BFF from the other party wears the EXACT same patriotic outfit on Sine Die? Not pictured: matching shoes pic.twitter.com/fdpHUMp18h
— Erin Cox (@ErinatTheSun) April 10, 2017
Happy Sine Die! 2017 Session almost in the books pic.twitter.com/uEy0tDn38q
— colin dennis (@Colin_Dennis725) April 10, 2017
Here’s how sine die works: On the last day of the session, state legislators address as many bill proposals as they can before midnight. When the clock strikes 12, that year’s lawmaking session is over. Unaddressed bills will have to wait until the next session, which begins in January, before they could be reintroduced.
It’s been an intense few months of delegation, legislators said. But now that the session is over, lawmakers have (a bit) more down time. So what are their post-session plans?
Finish this sentence: “Now that the session is over, I plan to…”
Delegate MaryAnn Lisanti, D-Harford: “Reacquaint myself with my family and reintroduce myself to my pets.”
Senator Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery: “Tomorrow night, I will return to Scrabble Club. I am a nationally ranked Scrabble player, and I haven’t been able to go for three months, and so I’m going to make, hopefully, a triumphant return tomorrow night.”
Senator Roger Manno, D-Montgomery: “I’m looking forward to going fishing.”
Delegate Curt Anderson, D-Baltimore City: “With the grandchildren, I’ve got an Oriole baseball game, and with the kids in the general neighborhood, I help run the Northwood baseball league. Our opening day is the last Saturday in April.”
Finish this sentence: “When I’m not legislating, I’m…”
Delegate Christian Miele, R-Baltimore: “Playing the drums. Hanging out with my wife. Traveling.”
Delegate Cory McCray, D-Baltimore City: “Working on electrical work.”
Delegate Chris West, R-Baltimore: “ Reading books, being with my wife, and trying to relax. I just finished ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ which is really good.”
Delegate Charles Barkley, D-Montgomery: “Reading a lot more than I have time for during the session. I read Patterson, John Grisham.”
Senator Roger Manno, D-Montgomery: “Fishing.”
Delegate Curt Anderson, D-Baltimore City: “ I’m a grandfather. I’m a lawyer. I’m a teacher and a coach. All the things I love to do.”
Finis! That’s Latin for, “the end.”