WHO IS MICHELLE RAVERT ?

PERSONAL

• 28-year resident of Chesapeake City
• Two children who attended public schools K-12
• Grandchildren currently attend public schools

PROFESSIONAL

• Former director of a Maryland State Agency
• 29 years of professional experience in the Financial Services Industry
• Former Vice President of a mid-sized investment management firm

PUBLIC SERVICE

• 20+ years of volunteer work with the Boy and Girl Scouts in Cecil County
• Served on the Board of Directors for two Cecil County non-profits

EDUCATION

• A.A., Cecil College (2021)
• B.S. in Legal Studies (Pre-Law) with a minor in Political Science, University of Maryland Global Campus (2022)

WHY AM I RUNNING FOR OFFICE?

TO GIVE CECIL COUNTY A VOICE FOR DISTRICT 36 IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES

There are three elected Delegates for District 36.  One is from Kent County, one from Queen Anne's County, and one from Caroline County.   There has not been a District 36 Delegate from Cecil County since 2015.  This means that Cecil County is not represented by any District 36 Delegates.  Let's change that!

TO REENGAGE DISENFRANCHISED VOTERS

In the last decade, there have been many races with only unopposed Republicans on the ballot, leaving others feeling robbed of their vote.  Voters should have a choice and feel they have a voice in elections.  It would be great to add not only Democratic, but also non-affiliated and Libertarian candidates to the ballot.  Voters deserve choices to elect THEIR representative in the Maryland House of Delegates.  

TO GET BACK TO (little d) DEMOCRATIC VALUES

• Representative Democracy
• Free and Fair Elections
• Separation of Powers
• Checks and Balances
• Personal Freedoms and Rights
• Freedom of Expression and the Press

TO ADDRESS MEANINGFUL STATE-WIDE CONCERNS  

Since many are following U.S. Politics, few are paying attention to our State and Local legislators.  Do you know what the District 36 Delegates are doing in Annapolis?  Following is Legislation sponsored by D-36 Delegates:

Delegate Jacobs (R, Kent County) sponsored HB0894/SB0946 Authorizing the Secretary of Natural Resources to issue an incidental taking permit for the Indiana bat, the northern long-eared bat, the tricolor bat, or the eastern small-footed bat if an applicant submits a certain conservation plan and the Secretary makes certain findings. [Comment:  Why are we creating State Stautes for specific types of bats when there are bigger fish to fry?]  

Delegate Jacobs also sponsored HB0892/SB0335 requiring, during the migratory Canada goose (Atlantic population) hunting season, the bag limit for all Canada geese in the State, including geese found in the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population Hunt Zone and the Atlantic Population Hunt Zone, to conform to the bag limit for Atlantic population Canada geese adopted annually by the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [Note:  This State Statute is completely unnecessary since Federal Law superceeds State Law.]

Delegate Ghrist (R, Caroline County) sponsored HB1374/SB0780 altering the definition of 'Tier I child' for purposes of publicly provided prekindergarten to not include 3-year-olds and only include certain 4-year-olds; authorizing an eligible private prekindergarten provider to elect to enroll 3-year-olds in publicly provided prekindergarten; requiring an eligible private provider that elects to enroll a Tier I 3-year-old to enter into a certain memorandum of understanding with the State Department of Education and the county board of education; etc.  [Comment:  Seeks to exclude 3 year olds and most 4 years olds from public pre-K]

Delegate Ghrist also sponsored HB1373 repealing a   provision of law prohibiting a county board of education from contracting with a for-profit entity to operate or administer a virtual school. [Comment:  Seeks to privatize education.]

Delegate Arentz (R, Queen Anne's County) sponsored HB1437 repealing immunity from civil and criminal liability for health care providers acting in good faith and under a catastrophic health emergency.  [Comments: Seeks to criminally indict or sue doctors and nurses WHO ACTED IN GOOD FAITH during a CATASTOPHIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.]

Delegate Arentz also sponsored HB 1236 authorizing municipalities in Queen Anne's County to decrease the maximum speed limit to not less than 15 miles per hour on highways without performing an engineering and traffic investigation. [Comment: State Law should apply to the State, not one specified county.  This should be a local ordinance and not a State Law.]

TO BUILD COALITIONS AND SOLVE COMPLEX CHALLENGES

It is amazing how much can be accomplished when people work together.  Engaging non-profits, state agencies, and the public enables cross-functional collaboration to holistically solve challenges.  From some of the legislation sponsored, our delegates appear to be working in a vaccuum and sponsoring legislation that is too specific and/or unnecessary.  Legislators should know how to legislate and this is not evident.  It appears that they work to sow division within our government, bend the knee to the Trump Administration, and do very little to solve challenges in the District.