Vanessa Atterbeary facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vanessa Atterbeary
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 14, 2015 Serving with Jennifer R. Terrasa, Pam Guzzone
Preceded by	Guy Guzzone
Personal details
Born	(1975-06-24) June 24, 1975 (age 50) Columbia, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	3
Education	College of William and Mary (BA) Villanova University (JD)

Vanessa Elaine Atterbeary (born June 24, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Since 2015, she has represented District 13 in the Maryland House of Delegates. This means she helps make laws for the state of Maryland.

Early Life and Career

Vanessa Atterbeary was born on June 24, 1975, in Columbia, Maryland. She went to local schools like Clemens Crossing Elementary, Clarksville Middle School, and Atholton High School. After high school, she studied at the College of William and Mary. There, she earned a degree in government in 1997.

She then went to Villanova University School of Law and became a lawyer in 2000. While in law school, she helped people in need. For example, she worked at a shelter and helped women get protective orders (legal papers to keep them safe). She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, which is a group for college women.

After law school, Vanessa Atterbeary worked for a judge. She became a licensed lawyer in Maryland in 2001. In 2002, she joined a law firm called Bulman, Dunie, Burke & Feld. A law firm is a business where lawyers work together. She worked there for five years as a general counsel, which means she was a main lawyer for the firm. At the same time, she was part of the Montgomery County Commission for Women, even serving as its president.

Vanessa Atterbeary first tried to become a state delegate in 2010. She ran for a different district but didn't win that time. In 2014, another delegate, Frank S. Turner, suggested she run in District 13. He thought her local roots in Howard County would help her. She joined a team of candidates called "Team 13" and won the primary election.

Vanessa Atterbeary is married and has three children. She lives in Maple Lawn, Fulton, Maryland.

In the Legislature

House Speaker Michael E. Busch swears Atterbeary into the Maryland House of Delegates, 2015

Vanessa Atterbeary officially became a member of the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 2015. The House of Delegates is one part of Maryland's state government that creates laws.

From 2018 to 2021, she was the vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee. This committee deals with laws about justice and courts. Since 2021, she has been the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. This committee handles laws about taxes and how the state spends money.

In 2023, she thought about running for the U.S. Congress. However, she decided not to. She wanted to focus on passing important laws in Maryland. These laws included bills about gun control and funding for schools.

What Committees Does She Serve On?

• Chair, Ways and Means Committee (since 2021): Leads the committee that works on state money and taxes.
• Member, Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families (since 2017): Helps make laws that support kids and families.
• Rules and Executive Nominations Committee (since 2019): Deals with the rules of the House and approving important appointments.
• Chair, Work Group to Address Police Reform and Accountability in Maryland (since 2020): Leads a group looking at how police operate and how they can be held responsible.
• Former Vice-chair, Judiciary Committee (2019–2021): Helped lead the committee that handles laws about justice.

Other Groups She Belongs To

• House Chair, Howard County Delegation (2016–2017, 2019–2020): Leads the group of delegates from Howard County.
• Member, Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland (since 2015): A group of African-American lawmakers working on issues important to their communities.
• Member, Women Legislators of Maryland (since 2015): A group of women lawmakers.

Political Positions

Vanessa Atterbeary has worked on many different laws. Here are some of the areas she focuses on:

Education

• In 2016 and 2019, she worked on a law to change how members of the Howard County school board are chosen. Her bill in 2019 passed, allowing more school board members to be elected by the public.
• In 2019, she introduced a bill to remove school resource officers (police officers) from school buildings.
• She also worked on a bill in 2019 to let the Howard County Council charge developers more fees. These fees would help pay for building new schools.
• In 2020, she proposed a bill that would make the school board report on school repairs needed in Howard County.
• She also introduced a bill in 2020 to stop schools from enrolling too many students if they are already very crowded (more than 115% full).

Guns

• In 2020, she introduced a law that requires background checks for private sales of long guns (like rifles and shotguns). This means that even if you buy a gun from another person, a check must be done to make sure you can legally own it. This bill became law in 2021.

Policing

• In 2020, she led a group that helped create the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021. This law aims to make police more responsible for their actions.
• In 2021, she stated that agencies not following "Anton's Law" (which makes police records more open to the public) could lose funding.

Social Issues

• Vanessa Atterbeary worked on a law to raise the minimum age for marriage in Maryland. In 2019, she tried to raise it from 15 to 18 years old. The bill didn't pass then. In 2021, she reintroduced it, lowering the minimum age to 17 years. This bill finally became law in 2022.

Electoral History