The Board of Directors and Legislative Committee of the Maryland Association of Mortgage Brokers (MAMB) hosted its annual Legislative Dinner for the members of the Maryland House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee in Annapolis on February 19. The annual event provides the Association and legislators a casual opportunity to discuss various legislation that could impact the mortgage industry as well as legislative constituents.

“While this is primarily a social event in which we are better able to get to know the state leaders who must wrestle with many complicated issues associated with laws governing our business,” said Ralph Dawson, MAMB’s President-Elect and Chairman of the Legislative Committee, “it is also a time for us to help them comprehend many of the nuances associated with those issues.”

Rather than use the event to lobby legislators, MAMB has traditionally used it to extend its appreciation to the legislators for the service they provide the state as well as means by which members of the Association’s leadership team can develop more personal relationships with the legislators.

Following the dinner, MAMB volunteers make appointments to visit with respective legislators in order to lobby for or against specific legislation or to simply offer them expertise in the mortgage arena.

Joining MAMB for the annual dinner this year were the following members of the Economic Matters Committee: Committee Chairman Dereck E. Davis, Mary Conroy, Brian J. Feldman, Jeannie Haddaway, Hattie N. Harrison, Richard Impallaria, Sally Y. Jameson, Ruth M. Kirk, Susan W. Krebs, Carolyn J. Krysiak, Mary Ann Love, Brian K. McHale, Warren E. Miller, Joseph J. Minnick, Joanne S. Parrott, Herman Taylor, II, John G. Trueschler, Michael L. Vaughn, and John F. Wood, Jr.

The 2004 Maryland General Assembly is a busy one for MAMB and could adversely affect the state's mortgage industry. A Bill has been introduced into both the House of Delegates and the Senate in Annapolis that would allow any bank to bypass brokers by appointing individuals to do all bank's referrals. ONLY allows for collection of undetermined "flat fees." Thousands of unregulated individuals could be your competition. Learn what you can do to prevent this from happening at MAMB's March 2 EMERGENCY Legislative Meeting.