April Rose
Rose in 2018
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 5th district
Assumed office
March 16, 2015
Appointed byLarry Hogan
Preceded byJustin Ready
Personal details
Born1968 or 1969 (age 54–55)
Salisbury, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Children4

April R. Rose (born 1968 or 1969) is an American politician who is a member of the Republican Party who represents the fifth district in the Maryland House of Delegates. She has also served as the Assistant Minority Leader since 2021.

Background

Rose was born in Salisbury, Maryland,[1] in 1968 or 1969.[2] She graduated form Arlington Baptist High School and attended Villa Julie College from 1986 to 1987.[1]

Rose worked as an underwriter for Countrywide Home Loans from 2001 to 2005, afterwards working as a licensed real estate salesperson for Main Street America Reality until 2008. She has worked as an IT recruiter for NMR Consulting since 2009.[1]

Rose first got involved in politics in 2002 as a member of the South Carroll Republican Club, eventually becoming its president.[3] She was also a member of the Carroll County Republican Central Committee from 2004 to 2010.[1] In 2008, Rose started working as an events coordinator for the Maryland Republican Party[1] before resigning after party chair James Pelura fired the party's executive director Justin Ready in July 2009, which sparked infighting between Pelura and members of the Maryland General Assembly that eventually ended in Pelura's ouster.[4][5] In 2010, she became a communications coordinator for the Maryland Republican Caucus.[1]

In 2014, Governor Martin O'Malley appointed Rose to the Carroll County Board of Elections.[1]

In the legislature

Rose was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to fill a vacancy left by state delegate Justin Ready, who was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Maryland Senate left by state senator Joseph M. Getty.[6] She was sworn in on March 16, 2015,[7] and was elected to a full four-year term in 2018.[8] Rose was a member of the Health and Governments Operations Committee from 2015 to 2017, and has served in the Ways and Means Committee since 2017.[1]

During the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, Rose said she initially supported Texas governor Rick Perry but supported Donald Trump once he became the Republican nominee, agreeing with his positions on fiscal issues and citing her distrust for Hillary Clinton.[9]

Personal life

Rose is married and has four children.[1]

Political positions

Abortion

Rose self-identifies as "pro-life" and opposes euthanasia.[10] During the 2016 legislative session, she supported legislation to ban abortions past 20 weeks of pregnancy.[11] In 2019, Rose introduced an amendment to the state budget that sought to remove Medicaid funding for abortions, which was rejected in a 41-93 vote.[12] In March 2022, during debate on the Abortion Care Access Act, she introduced an amendment to reappropriate the bill's $3.5 million in funding for clinical training, which was rejected in a 41-85 vote.[13] In May 2023, after Governor Wes Moore signed a bill creating a 2024 referendum on codifying abortion access into law, Rose released a statement calling the bill "radical".[14]

Crime and policing

During the 2018 legislative session, Rose supported legislation that would sentence people convicted of mass murder or killing a police officer to death.[15]

In July 2020, amid nationwide George Floyd protests, Rose organized a "Back the Blue" rally in Annapolis.[16]

During the 2021 legislative session, Rose said she opposed the Police Reform and Accountability Act, an omnibus police reform bill that repealed the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights and regulated the types of use of force police could use in arrests.[17]

Education

During the 2016 legislative session, Rose supported legislation to limit standardized testing in kindergarten and ban testing in prekindergarten.[18]

During the 2019 legislative session, Rose introduced legislation that would allow computer science classes to qualify toward foreign language credits required for high school graduation.[19] In 2021, she introduced a bill that would count computer science classes toward math credits.[20]

In March 2020, Rose said she supported some of the policy items in the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, including its college and career readiness initiatives, but said that it would be "fiscally irresponsible" to move forward with it during the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] She also opposed tax increases to pay for the Blueprint reforms.[22]

In May 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rose signed onto a letter asking the county health department to allow Carroll County Public Schools to have outdoor graduations. The county health department rejected the request, citing Governor Larry Hogan's executive orders.[23] In June, she participated in and spoke at a Reopen Maryland rally to call for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.[24] Rose has signed onto letters asking the Maryland State Department of Education to lift the county's in-school mask mandate,[25] calling it "unscientific".[26]

Environment

In January 2019, Rose said she supported solar energy, but opposed building solar farms over farmland.[27]

In May 2021, Rose expressed interest in removing the state-imposed restriction requiring Carroll County to preserve 100,000 acres of agriculture, saying that the land preservation limited county housing opportunities.[17]

Foreign policy

In March 2007, Rose said she supported the Iraq War and criticized media coverage of the war.[2] In October 2016, she said she did not support allowing more Syrian refugees, arguing that the country should first support its homeless veterans.[9]

Gun policy

Rose supports the Second Amendment[8] and opposes gun control laws, arguing that they increase crime and make people less safe. She also supports legislation to make Maryland a "shall issue" state.[28] In July 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, Rose signed onto a letter to the attorney general of Maryland asking him to address the issue.[29]

Minimum wage

During the 2019 legislative session, Rose said she opposed legislation to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour, arguing that it would worsen competition between Carroll County and Pennsylvania.[30]

Redistricting

In March 2019, Rose said she supported Governor Larry Hogan's proposed redraw of Maryland's congressional maps—which saw Maryland's 6th congressional district redrawn to include Frederick and Carroll counties, thereby making it more favorable to Republicans.[31]

Electoral history

Maryland House of Delegates District 5 Republican primary election, 2018[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Susan W. Krebs (incumbent) 9,566 31.0
Republican Haven Shoemaker (incumbent) 8,811 28.5
Republican April Rose (incumbent) 8,350 27.0
Republican David Ellin 4,176 13.5
Maryland House of Delegates District 5 election, 2018[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Susan Krebs (incumbent) 39,236 30.9
Republican April Rose (incumbent) 33,991 26.8
Republican Haven Shoemaker (incumbent) 33,658 26.5
Democratic Emily Shank 19,484 15.4
Write-in 516 0.4
Maryland House of Delegates District 5 election, 2022[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican April Rose (incumbent) 33,971 33.1
Republican Christopher Bouchat 33,286 32.4
Republican Chris Tomlinson 32,485 31.7
Write-in 2,872 2.8

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "April R. Rose, Maryland State Delegate". msa.maryland.gov.
  2. ^ a b Nitkin, David (March 19, 2007). "Supporters of war make their voices heard in Md". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  3. ^ Hayes, Wiley (March 23, 2015). "Q&A with Del. April Rose". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  4. ^ Smitherman, Laura (July 8, 2009). "Infighting in Md. GOP". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  5. ^ Smitherman, Laura (July 21, 2009). "Is Pelura's ouster part of GOP leaders' plan?". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  6. ^ Hayes, Wiley (March 15, 2015). "Hogan appoints April Rose to fill delegate vacancy". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  7. ^ Wiggins, Ovetta (March 16, 2015). "Three new delegates are sworn into the Maryland House". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Mann, Alex (November 6, 2018). "Carroll County voters choose incumbent Republicans for Maryland General Assembly". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Norris, Heather (October 15, 2016). "Carroll officials lean toward Trump, with some hesitation". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  10. ^ Hayes, Wiley (February 24, 2015). "Carroll GOP committee releases delegate applicants' questionnaires". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  11. ^ Norris, Heather (February 14, 2016). "Local legislators sponsor bill limiting time span for abortion". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  12. ^ Gaines, Danielle E. (March 13, 2019). "House Passes Budget Bill as Senate Prepares for Decision Day". Maryland Matters. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  13. ^ Gaskill, Hannah (March 10, 2022). "After Republican Amendment Attempts, House Moves Forward with Abortion Access Bills". Maryland Matters. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  14. ^ Gaskill, Hannah (May 3, 2023). "Gov. Wes Moore signs bills ensuring health care access for women, transgender Marylanders". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  15. ^ Chappell, Emily (February 9, 2018). "Shoemaker proposes death penalty bill for cop-killers, mass murderers". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  16. ^ DuBose, Brooks (July 23, 2020). "Republican delegates host Back the Blue rally in Annapolis to support law enforcement". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Blubaugh, Bob (May 7, 2021). "Carroll County commissioners, delegation discuss 'terrible' legislative session, capital projects, residential growth". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  18. ^ Loricchio, Lauren (February 6, 2016). "Carroll lawmaker's bill would limit standardized testing for kindergarten, pre-K students". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  19. ^ Mann, Alex (March 11, 2019). "Math OK as substitute for coding but foreign language isn't, bill hearing suggests". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  20. ^ Blubaugh, Bob (January 12, 2021). "Members of Carroll County's legislative delegation focusing on business, health care, crime, election security bills". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  21. ^ Keller, Mary Grace (March 18, 2020). "'An embarrassment': Carroll delegates displeased with General Assembly's last-minute passage of Kirwan, other bills". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  22. ^ Keller, Mary Grace (February 20, 2020). "Carroll County elected officials oppose proposed sales tax expansion to fund Kirwan upgrades". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  23. ^ Keller, Mary Grace (May 19, 2020). "Carroll lawmakers ask for modified outdoor graduations; health officer says executive orders prevent such a gathering". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  24. ^ Stoetzer, Pat (June 6, 2020). "Carroll County Freedom Rally holds peaceful, passionate protest in Westminster". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  25. ^ Griffith, Kristen (June 2, 2021). "Carroll County Board of Education, delegation ask state to lift in-school mask mandate". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  26. ^ Spence, Molly Fellin (February 10, 2022). "Carroll County lawmakers call on State Board of Education to immediately rescind 'unscientific' school mask mandate". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  27. ^ Mann, Alex (January 30, 2019). "Carroll County Farm Bureau members meet with state lawmakers". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  28. ^ Turiano, Jennifer (May 17, 2018). "'Hogan Team' and newcomers vie for Md. House of Delegates seats at Carroll forum". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  29. ^ Greenfield, Sherry (July 10, 2022). "Carroll County's Republican state's attorney race is anything but mundane". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  30. ^ Wood, Pamela (February 27, 2019). "Minimum wage increase to $15 moves forward in House of Delegates". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  31. ^ Mann, Alex (March 7, 2019). "Carroll Republicans say proposed 6th Congressional District Map is step in the right direction". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  32. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  33. ^ "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  34. ^ "Official 2022 Gubernatorial General Election Results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 7, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
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