Joseph F. Vallario Jr.
Joseph F. Vallario Jr. | |
---|---|
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 27A district | |
Assumed office January 7, 1975 | |
Constituency | Prince George's and Calvert Counties |
Personal details | |
Born |
Washington, D.C., United States | March 4, 1937
Political party | Democratic |
Children | 6 children, 21 grandchildren |
Residence | Upper Marlboro, Maryland |
Occupation | Attorney |
Religion | Catholic |
Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (born March 4, 1937) is an American politician who represents district 27A in the Maryland House of Delegates and is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.[1] Vallario was first elected in 1974 and is the longest serving chairman in the Maryland General Assembly.
Background
Delegate Vallario attended Washington, DC, parochial schools, the Benjamin Franklin University (since merged into George Washington University), B.C.S. (commercial science) and M.C.S. (commercial science), 1959; Eastern College, and the Mt. Vernon School of Law, LL.B., J.D., 1963 (Now the University of Baltimore School of Law). Admitted to Maryland Bar in 1964, he is now an attorney and a member of the American and Maryland State Bar Associations. Vallario is a past president of the Prince George's County Criminal Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the Order of Sons of Italy.[1]
In the legislature
Delegate Vallario has been the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee since 1993 and a member of the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, also since 1993. He currently serves on the Legislative Policy Committee, the Article 27 (crimes & punishments) Revision Committee and is a past member of the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, the Drunk and Drugged Driving Task Force (1988–90), the Joint Task Force on Maryland's Procurement Law(1993–94)and the Joint Committee on the Selection of the State Treasurer(1996 & 2002). He was the Co-Chair of the Task Force to Examine Crime Victims' Rights Laws in Maryland(1996–2003), a member of the Special Committee on Gaming(2001), a member of the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy and the past chair, Prince George's County Delegation. National Conference of State Legislatures (law & criminal justice committee). Vallario has been an active supporter of victims rights as well as a proponent for strengthening Maryland's laws against child predators.[2] He has opposed legalizing same-sex marriage, but in March 2011 he voted as chairman for a bill to do just that in the Judiciary Committee. He was criticized for that vote, with Del. Michael D. Smigiel, Sr. saying, "The chairman did what he was told. That's why he's chairman."[3]
Legislative notes
2013
- refused to allow a vote on a bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, claiming "Bad message to the kids.”[4] The bill would have subjected people caught with 10 grams or less to a civil fine of $100.[4]
2008
- co-sponsor of HB6, requiring custodial interrogations in capital cases be recorded.(became law Chapter 360)[5]
2006
- voted for Healthy Air Act in 2006 (SB154) [6]
2005
- voted against slots in 2005 (HB1361)[7]
- voted for "No-Knock" Warrants (HB557), (became law Chapter 560)[8]
1998
- voted for income tax reduction in 1998 (SB750)[9]
Awards
- 2010 Most Influential Maryland Legislators (Top 20)[10]
Election results
2006 General election results, District 27A
- Voters to choose two:[11]
Name Votes Percent Outcome James E. Proctor Jr., Democratic 19,829 40.3% Won Joseph F. Vallario Jr., Democratic 18,677 38.0% Won Kenneth S. Brown, Democratic 5,687 11.6% Lost Antoinette "Toni" Jarboe-Duley, Democratic 4,948 10.1% Lost Other write-ins 48 .1%
Notes
- 1 2 "Delegate Joseph Vallario Jr.". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
- ↑ "House Bill 930". Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ Maryland same-sex marriage bill clears divided House panel
- 1 2 John Wagner, Aaron C. Davis and Kate Havard (April 8, 2013). "Md. lawmakers pass bills seeking private investments, granting break to defense giant". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
Asked Monday if he planned a vote on the bill, Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s) said: “No, no, no. Bad message to the kids.” The bill would have subjected people caught with 10 grams or less to only a civil fine of $100, a move supporters say would ease criminal caseloads in the courts.
- ↑ "HB6". Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
- ↑ "Senate Bill 154". Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- ↑ "House Bill 1361". Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
- ↑ "House Bill 557". Maryland Department of Legislative Services. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ↑ "Senate Bill".
- ↑ Poll (2 April 2010). "Where Does Your Legislator Rank? See the list.". Maryland Gazette of Politics and Business. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
- ↑ "House of Delegates Results". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved 2007-09-07.