Michael E. Busch
Mike Busch | |
---|---|
![]() | |
106th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates | |
In office January 8, 2003 – April 7, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Casper Taylor |
Succeeded by | Adrienne A. Jones |
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 30th district | |
In office January 14, 1987 – April 7, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Elmer Hagner Robert Kramer |
Succeeded by | Shaneka Henson |
Personal details | |
Born | Michael Erin Busch January 4, 1947 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Died | April 7, 2019 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 72)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Cynthia Abbott |
Children | 2 |
Education | Temple University (BA) |
Michael Erin “Coach” Busch[1] (January 4, 1947 – April 7, 2019) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 106th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2003 until his death in 2019. Busch was a member of the House for nine terms, beginning in 1987. He represented all of legislative District 30 prior to redistricting in 2012, and represented District 30A after the district was split following the 2010 census. The district encompasses parts of Anne Arundel County, including the state capital of Annapolis.[1]
Background
[edit]Busch was born in Baltimore and was a lifelong resident of the state of Maryland. He attended St. Mary's High School in Annapolis and in 1970 received his B.S. degree in education from Temple University, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.[2]
Busch was pursued by the National Football League as a running back, prior to a knee injury. Busch then returned to Maryland to coach athletics and teach.
He was married to Cynthia Abbott Busch, with whom he had two children, Erin and Megan.
Legislative career
[edit]Busch first got involved in politics at the urging of parents of his students. After winning election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1986, Busch served on the Judiciary Committee, the Economic Matters Committee, which he later chaired, and as Chairman of the Anne Arundel County Delegation before being elected Speaker.[3] Busch repeatedly won reelection in an evenly-split district and served alongside other delegates in District 30 from both the Republican Party and Democratic Party during his tenure in the House. As Speaker, he had significant influence over matters in the House and in state government overall. He served through 5 governors and alongside his counterpart in the state senate, long-time President of the Maryland Senate Mike Miller.
At the beginning of the 2003 session of the Maryland Legislature, Busch was elected Speaker of the House by his colleagues in the Maryland House of Delegates. He became the longest-serving Speaker in Maryland history.[4]
Busch was known for his interest in the areas of healthcare, education, and economic development. During the 2007 legislative session, he sponsored a bill with other members of the leadership titled the Children and Working Families Healthcare Act of 2007, which proposed to provide health care access to 250,000 Marylanders and all children in the state.[5]
Democrats held a supermajority in the House throughout Busch's terms in office. Busch successfully leveraged his party's majority to advance his legislative goals over the objections of Republican Governors Larry Hogan and Bob Ehrlich. The House overrode a number of vetoes by both aforementioned governors during Busch's time as Speaker. Some significant veto overrides include raising the state's minimum wage,[6] twice,[7] restoring voting rights to felons,[8] closing a hotel sales tax loophole,[8] increasing funding for performing arts,[8] and creating a new Public Service Commission.[9]
Busch had significant knowledge of procedural rules of the House and occasionally maneuvered to block efforts by the minority party to advance legislation outside the normal committee process.[10] Notably, in 2015 Busch blocked an attempt by Republicans to put forward legislation to ban gay marriage in the state by ending the day's session abruptly in a rare move.[11]
Speaker Busch was also instrumental in the passage of LGBTQ+ supportive legislation in Maryland. He rallied his caucus to support legislation allowing visitation rights for unmarried partners before gay marriage was legalized in the state.[12][13] He also led the fight to legalize gay marriage in the state before other key lawmakers supported the measure.[14] His first attempts to pass the legislation failed,[15] however in 2012 he was successful in leading his caucus to pass legislation legalizing same-sex marriage.[16] The legislation was forced to a ballot referendum in the 2012 general election.[17] The ballot referendum, known as Question 6, passed.[18]
Legislative notes
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- sponsored The Tax Reform Act of 2007 (HB2) [1], which raised income tax, sales tax from 5% to 6%, and business tax from 7% to 8.25%. The bill was part of a special session that raised state revenues an estimated $1.4 Billion. [2]
- sponsored The Safe Schools Act of 2010, to break down communication barriers between school personnel and law enforcement
- voted for the Maryland Gang Prosecution Act of 2007 (HB713), subjecting gang members to up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000 [3]
- voted for Jessica's Law (HB 930), eliminating parole for the most violent child sexual predators and creating a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in state prison, 2007 [4]
- voted for Public Safety – Statewide DNA Database System – Crimes of Violence and Burglary – Post conviction (HB 370), helping to give police officers and prosecutors greater resources to solve crimes and eliminating a backlog of 24,000 unanalyzed DNA samples, leading to 192 arrests, 2008 [5]
- voted for Vehicle Laws – Repeated Drunk and Drugged Driving Offenses – Suspension of License (HB 293), strengthening Maryland's drunk driving laws by imposing a mandatory one year license suspension for a person convicted of drunk driving more than once in five years, 2009 [6]
- voted for HB 102, creating the House Emergency Medical Services System Workgroup, leading to Maryland's budgeting of $52 million to fund three new Medevac helicopters to replace the State's aging fleet, 2009 [7]
- voted for SB 715, removing the requirement to show proof of citizenship or valid social security number, allowing undocumented individuals to obtain and renew drivers licenses in the state of Maryland [8]
- voted for SB 422, requiring public school teachers to pay union dues, effectively removing the ability of the teacher to choose to be in the union [9]
- voted nay to HB 359, resulting in the denial of all handgun permits to victims of domestic abuse [10]
- voted for SB 269, authorizing speed monitoring systems [11]
Speaker Busch voted multiple times to support classroom teachers, public schools, police and hospitals in Anne Arundel County. Since 2002, throughout his Speakership, funding to schools across the state increased 82%, resulting in Maryland being ranked top in the nation for K-12 education.[19]
Awards
[edit]- 2010 Most Influential Maryland Legislators (Top 20)[20]
Death
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/JA1_8613_%2847577356002%29.jpg/220px-JA1_8613_%2847577356002%29.jpg)
Busch underwent a liver transplant in 2017. As his health declined, his supporters adopted the nickname "Iron Mike" to emphasize his strength and resilience as he tried to recover from the transplant.[21] He reportedly fell ill with pneumonia on March 26, 2019, after a follow-up procedure.[22] He was hospitalized at the University of Maryland Medical Center, where he died from complications of pneumonia and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis on April 7.[23] Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ordered flags to be flown at half-staff following his death.[24] Busch was laid in state at the Maryland State House rotunda on April 15, 2019. His funeral took place on April 16 at St. John Neumann Church in Annapolis and was followed by a reception at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.[25] He was laid to rest on April 16, 2019.[26] Tributes from across the state flowed in following Busch's death.[21][27][25][28][29][30][31][32]
Legacy
[edit]In 2019, Maryland Hall, a cultural and arts center located in Annapolis renamed their building the Michael E. Busch Center for the Arts at Maryland Hall,[33] in honor of Busch, who had fought for funding for the institution throughout his career.[34][35]
In 2020, Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, Jr. directed that the newly built Annapolis branch of the Anne Arundel County Public Library be named the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library in Busch's honor.[36][37][38]
In 2020, the District 30 Democratic Club, a social political club representing the same legislative district that Busch represented, was renamed the Michael E. Busch District 30 Democratic club in his honor.[39]
Election results
[edit]- 2018 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 30A[40]
- Voters to choose two:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Michael E. Busch, Dem. 20,080 32.6% Won Alice J. Cain, Dem. 18,070 29.3% Won Chelsea Gill, Rep. 12,097 19.6% Lost Bob O'Shea, Rep. 11,324 18.4% Lost Other Write-Ins 53 0.01% Lost
- 2014 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 30A[41]
- Voters to choose two:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Herb McMillan, Rep. 14,484 27.9% Won Michael E. Busch, Dem. 14,289 27.6% Won Chuck Ferrar, Dem. 11,932 23.0% Lost Genevieve Lindner, Rep. 11,100 21.4% Lost Other Write-Ins 56 0.01% Lost
- 2010 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 30th District[42]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Ron George, Rep. 25,631 19.25% Won Michael E. Busch, Dem. 23,995 18.02% Won Herb McMillan, Rep. 22,553 16.94% Won Virginia P. Clagett, Dem. 21,142 15.88% Lost Seth Howard, Rep. 20,080 15.08% Lost Judd Legum, Dem. 19,670 14.77% Lost
- 2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates– 30th District[43]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Michael E. Busch, Dem. 22,479 17.1% Won Virginia P. Clagett, Dem. 22,360 17.0% Won Ron George, Rep. 21,811 16.6% Won Barbara Samorajczyk, Dem. 21,758 16.5% Lost Andy Smarick, Rep. 20,594 15.6% Lost Ron Elfenbein, Rep. 20,497 15.5% Lost
- 2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 30th District[44]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Michael E. Busch, Dem. 22,422 17.7% Won Virginia P. Clagett, Dem. 21,875 17.3% Won Herbert H. McMillan, Rep. 20,972 16.6% Won C. Richard D'Amato, Dem. 20,545 16.3% Lost Michael Collins, Rep. 19,140 15.1% Lost Nancy Almgren, Rep. 18,861 14.9% Lost David M. Gross, Green 2,536 2.0% Lost Other Write-Ins 71 0.1% Lost
- 1998 Race for Maryland House of Delegates– District 30[45]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Michael E. Busch, Dem. 24,075 21% Won Virginia P. Clagett, Dem. 24,036 21% Won C. Richard D'Amato, Dem. 20,223 18% Won Phillip D. Bissett, Rep. 18,690 16% Lost Edward J. Turner, Rep. 14,119 12% Lost Anthony McConkey, Rep. 12,353 11% Lost
- 1994 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 30[46]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome Michael E. Busch, Dem. 18,709 19% Won Phillip D. Bissett, Rep. 18,009 23% Won Virginia P. Clagett, Dem. 18,254 18% Won Ralph C. Rosacker, Rep. 16,299 16% Lost Joan Beck, Rep. 15,974 16% Lost John C. Eldridge Jr., Dem. 13,320 13% Lost
- 1990 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 30[47]
- Voters to choose three:
Name Votes Percent Outcome John Astle, Dem. 18,009 23% Won Aris T. Allen, Rep. 16,951 22% Won Michael E. Busch, Dem. 16,104 18% Won Edith Segree, Dem. 14,341 18% Lost Phillip D. Bissett, Rep. 13,321 17% Lost
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Michael E. Busch, Maryland House Speaker". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 11, 2022. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ 2011 Pi Lambda Phi Membership Directory
- ^ "Archives of Maryland". Maryland State Archives. April 8, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch dies". WBAL TV11. April 8, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ Rein, Lisa (February 8, 2007). "Md. House Leaders Offer Plan to Widen Health Coverage". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^ "Maryland Democrats easily override Hogan's veto of minimum wage bill". Baltimore Business Journal. March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Md. Legislative Session Opens with Veto Overrides Looming". Fox News. January 13, 2015. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Maryland House overrides three of Gov. Hogan's vetoes". The Washington Post. January 20, 2016. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Lawmakers override Ehrlich veto on BGE bill". Baltimore Business Journal. June 23, 2006. Archived from the original on June 25, 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "ANALYSIS: UPDATED: SPEAKER PULLS AN END RUN ON DWYER'S IMPEACHMENT MOVE". Maryland Reporter. March 31, 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Maryland Gay-Marriage Ban Killed After Democratic Move". Fox News. January 13, 2015. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Override This Veto". The Washington Post. May 22, 2005. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Maryland domestic partner legislation". Venable LLP. October 1, 2018. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Maryland House derails bill that would legalize same-sex marriage". The Washington Post. March 12, 2011. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Same-Sex Marriage Bill Falls Short in Maryland". The New York Times. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "In Maryland, House Passes Bill to Let Gays Wed". The New York Times. February 17, 2012. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Statewide Ballot Questions: Question 6". Maryland Board of Elections. August 20, 2012. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Maryland Approves Gay Marriage In Historic 'Question 6' Vote". Huffington Post. November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Maryland ranks No.1 in Education for fifth year in a row". The Washington Post. January 9, 2013. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ Poll (April 2, 2010). "Where Does Your Legislator Rank? See the list". Maryland Gazette of Politics and Business. Archived from the original on October 18, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ a b "At speaker's funeral, friends and family remember 'Iron Mike'". Capital Gazette. April 16, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ Wiggins, Ovita (April 1, 2019). "Maryland House Speaker Busch is being treated for pneumonia, could miss the rest of the legislative session". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Bernstein, Adam (April 7, 2019). "Michael Busch, longest-serving speaker of Maryland's House, dies at 72". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Collins, David (April 7, 2019). "Governor Hogan orders Maryland Flags to fly at half staff in honor of House Speaker Michael Busch who passed this afternoon. He was 72.pic.twitter.com/CU48jmvTb6". Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ a b "Speaker Michael Busch". Bay Weekly. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Busch Laid to Rest, Governor Offers Tribute". Delmarva Public Media. April 17, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Busch, champion of schools and the bay, and 'coach'". The Baltimore Sun. April 4, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Remembering Speaker Busch on the Anniversary of His Passing". Maryland Association of Counties. April 7, 2020. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Mike Busch showed us the best of politics". The Washington Post. April 8, 2019. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Saying Goodbye to Mike Busch". Maryland State Educators Association. April 18, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Speaker Michael E. Busch 1947-2019". Maryland Matters. April 8, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "After honoring Busch, lawmakers reflect on session, plan for new delegate". Capital Gazette. April 9, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Maryland Hall to be named after late speaker Michael Busch". Capital Gazette. September 5, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "General Assembly restores $2M for Maryland Hall". Capital Gazette. January 22, 2016. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Legislature Reverses Hogan on Annapolis Arts Center". Business Monthly. February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Anne Arundel executive to name Annapolis library after late Maryland speaker Mike Busch". Capital Gazette. January 8, 2020. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "County Executive Steuart Pittman to Name New Annapolis Library after Speaker Michael E. Busch". Anne Arundel County Maryland. January 8, 2020. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "BUILDING THE MICHAEL E. BUSCH ANNAPOLIS LIBRARY". Anne Arundel County Public Library. March 3, 2022. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "In Memory of Speaker Mike Busch". Michael e. Busch District 30 Democratic Club. July 16, 2019. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. December 11, 2018. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ "2014 General Election Official Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
- ^ "2010 General Election Official Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on August 16, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ "Official 2007 Gubernatorial General Election results for Anne Arundel County". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ "House of Delegates Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ "House of Delegates Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
- ^ "House of Delegates Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
- ^ "House of Delegates Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
External links
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- 1947 births
- 2019 deaths
- 21st-century American legislators
- Baptists from Maryland
- Deaths from liver disease
- Deaths from pneumonia in Maryland
- Players of American football from Maryland
- Politicians from Baltimore
- Speakers of the Maryland House of Delegates
- Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
- Temple University College of Education alumni
- 20th-century Baptists
- 20th-century American legislators
- 20th-century Maryland politicians
- 21st-century Maryland politicians