Declaration of Rights - Religious Freedom, Religious Tests, and Oaths and Affirmations
Sponsor: Terri L. Hill (District 12A)Committee: Health and Government OperationsSubject: Human RelationsStatus: Hearing 3/08 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Nov 9, 2023)
What this bill does
Official synopsis
Altering and removing references requiring a belief in God from certain provisions relating to religious freedom, religious tests, and oaths and affirmations.
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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.
Testimony (53)
MGA witness listFAV 21FavorableUNF 32Unfavorable
| Position | Witness | Organization | Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAV | Spaccasi, Olivia | ACLU-MD | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Blackwell, Geoffrey | American Atheists | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Nartowicz, Nikolaslobbyist | Americans United for Separation of Church and State | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Majeed, Azhar | Center for Inquiry (CFI) | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Jayne, Ryan | Freedom From Religion Foundation | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Alex, Aileen | Maryland Legislative Coalition | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Kemerer, Hannibal | Office of Attorney General | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Goldstein, Mathew | Secular Maryland | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Stewart, Laura | WDC | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Reid, Michael | Washington Area Secular Humanists (WASH) | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Arndt, Dave | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Bernstein, Linda | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Das, Diganta | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Delegate Hill, Delegate Hilllegislator | Individual | Oral |
| FAV | Golombek, Daniel | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Gousha, Debbie | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Hill, Terri | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Jasen, Debi | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Meyer, Daniel | Individual | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Raskin, Jamie | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Silverman, Herb | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Duffy, Suzanne | Concerned Citizen | Position only |
| UNF | Cox, Josh | Family Heritage Matters | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Cairns, Peggy | Maryland Coalition Against Pornography | Position only |
| UNF | Bogley, Laura | Maryland Right to Life | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Arshavsky, Svetlana | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Cirone, Christine | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Collins, Katharine | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Cox, Valerie | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Crepeau, Marisa | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Diefenbach, Klaus | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Diefenbach, Linda | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Ditraglia, Frank | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | D’Orazio , Daniela | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Elbourn, James | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Ennis, Ella | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Hunt, Christine | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Katz, Janet | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Kolakoski, Virginia | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Lang, Alan | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Lang, Kevin | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | MANOHAR, KRISHNA | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Pedersen, Stacy | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Sirkel, Robin | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Welch, Franklin | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | West, Derek | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Whitney, David | Individual | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Williams, Peggy | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | Wilson, Thomas | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Zwart, Will | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | brenner, loretta | Individual | Position only |
| UNF | mcavoy, vince | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | sirkel, jess | Individual | Position only |
Organizations on record
Registered lobbyists who testified
FAVNartowicz, NikolasAmericans United for Separation of Church and StateRegistered for: Americans United for the Separation of Church and State