Shane Pendergrass

Shane Pendergrass is an American politician from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. She is serving in her 4th term in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Maryland's District 13 in Howard County. She currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Health and Government Operations Committee.

Political career

Shane Pendergrass began her career in government and politics as a community activist for slower growth and responsive resource allocation in the public schools. She was elected to the Howard County Council in 1986 and served until 1994, when she won a seat representing Maryland's Legislative District 13 [1] in the Maryland General Assembly.

Pendergrass served on the Economic Matters Committee from 1995–2002, sitting as Vice Chair of the Science and Technology Committee from 1999 until 2002, when she was assigned to the newly-created Health and Government Operations Committee (“HGO”). In 2005, she chaired the Health Occupations Subcommittee; since 2006 she has been Chair of the Health Insurance Subcommittee. Pendergrass served as the House of Delegates' Deputy Majority Leader in 2007. She has also served since 2007 on the Legislative Policy Committee, which supervises and coordinates the standing committees of the General Assembly and the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee.

Pendergrass' committee assignments led her to develop an interest and expertise in health insurance issues. Over the course of her legislative career, she has sponsored numerous bills with the goal of making health care accessible and effective for Marylanders, including a 2001 bill to provide affordable prescription drug coverage to seniors, which was ultimately incorporated in a comprehensive health bill which became law. Pendergrass also sponsored successful legislation halting the proposed conversion of CareFirst Blue Cross/Blue Shield to for-profit status and establishing increased oversight of the CareFirst Board of Directors. She was active in the Medical Malpractice workgroup and sponsored a successful law in 2006 requiring public reporting of Healthcare-Associated Infections rates in the state-mandated “Hospital Report Card.”

Legislative Notes

• sponsored HB 196 to repeal Computer Service Sales Tax in 2008's Special Session [2]
• co-sponsored Motor Vehicle Excise Tax exemption for returning military members in 2008 (HB669)[3]
• voted in favor of mortgage reform bills in 2008 to increase oversight of mortgage-lending industry and to establish preemptive measures to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure (HB360, HB 361, & HB 365) [4], [5], [6]
• in 2007, voted in favor of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants who graduate from Maryland high schools after attending for at least two years, whose parents pay Maryland taxes and who commit to apply for permanent resident status 30 days after becoming eligible to do so (HB6)[7]
• sponsored House bill 14 affecting tip jar gaming in 2007. [8]
• voted in favor the Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2)[9]

General election results, 2006

• 2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 13th District^[1]

Voters to choose three:

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Guy Guzzone, Democratic	26,891	22.3%	Won
Shane Pendergrass, Democratic	26,633	22.1%	Won
Frank S. Turner, Democratic	24,437	20.3%	Won
Mary Beth Tung, Republican	15,216	12.6%	Lost
Rick Bowers , Republican	13,665	11.4%	Lost
Loretta Gaffney, Republican	13,466	11.2%	Lost
other write-ins	84	0.1%	Lost

References

"Maryland Manual Online". Maryland State Archives. 2007. http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/hsedist.html. Retrieved 2007-07-17. 

External links

• Maryland's page on Delegate Pendergrass [10]
• Delegate Pendergrass' official campaign page [11]