Barbara A. Robinson

Infobox_Politician
name = Barbara A. Robinson


caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1938|6|6
birth_place = Alexandria City, Alabama
residence = Baltimore, Maryland
death_date =
death_place =
office = Maryland House of Delegates
term_start = January 10, 2003
term_end = Present
predecessor = Salima Marriott
successor =
constituency = northwestern Baltimore City
party = Democrat
religion = Christian
occupation = small business owner
majority =
relations =
spouse =
children =
footnotes =

Barbara A. Robinson is an American politician who represents the 40th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates. [http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa13601.html] Robinson is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

Background

Robinson was born in Alabama at a time when the South was not particularly kind to people of color. Homeless at the age of 16, Robinson was determined to get a high school education and graduated from Spencer High School in Columbus, Georgia; [http://www.bethel1.org/barbararobinson.html] then she received financial aid to go to college in Baltimore.Where She Met her husband of 46 year Jerome Robinson. Delegate Robinson attended the University of Baltimore where she earned her B.S. in business management in 1975 and Coppin State College with a M.A. in criminal justice in 1976.

Autobiographer and self help author

In 1993, Robinson published her first book, "And Still I Cry", an autobiography depicting her troubled past, filled with physical abuse, sexual molestation, domestic abuse, mental anguish. In 1998, her second book, "Yes You Can", which focused on entrepreneurship was published. Her third book, "Eyes of the Beholder", a novel was released in 2002. Her fourth book, "Someday Is Now" was released in 2004.

Three open seats

During the four year term prior to Robinson's candidacy for the House of Delegates, two of the delegates, Howard "Pete" Rawlings and Tony Fulton, died while in office. Marshall Goodwin and Catherine Pugh were appointed to finish their terms. Rawlings and Fulton were democrats, as are Goodwin and Pugh. Prior to the 2006 democratic primary, the only incumbent delegate in the district, Salima Marriott, decided to run for the Senate seat being vacated by the district's senator. Catherine Pugh also decided to run for the same seat leaving the newly appointed Goodwin as the only incumbent in the race. The vacancies drew a large crowd of contenders; [http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=12161] including Robinson, Frank Conaway, Jr. and Shawn Tarrant, who all finished ahead of Goodwin. The General Election in November, therefore, featured all newcomers for the three open seats.

General election results, 2006

*2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 40th Districtcite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/general/county_Baltimore_City.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections Retrieved on Mar. 3, 2007] ::Voters to choose three::

Legislative notes

*voted for the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359) [citeweb|title=House Bill 359|publisher=Maryland Department of Legislative Services|url=http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm|accessdate=2007-11-01]
* voted in favor of prohibiting ground rents(SB106) [http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0250.htm]
* voted in favor of increasing the sales tax by 20% - Tax Reform Act of 2007(HB2) [http://www.mdchamber.org/docs/ss_hb2.pdf]
* voted in favor of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6) [http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm]
* sponsored House Bill 30 in 2007, allowing the state to confiscate unused portions of gift certificates after 4 years. [http://mlis.state.md.us/2007s1/billfile/HB0030.htm House Bill 30]

References