More News

It is a group that colleagues and outsiders say is enthusiastic, hardworking, ambitious and incredibly intelligent. And one that some say is breaking all the rules.

‘‘They’ve broken every one of them,” former senator Barbara A. Hoffman, now a lobbyist, said with a grin when asked about how the freshmen class has conducted itself.

Colleagues say the freshmen are proof that one of the General Assembly’s longest-standing unwritten rules — that freshmen are seen and not heard — no longer applies.

‘‘The entire body has changed,” said House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis. ‘‘When I came down here, nobody even got up on the floor except for committee chairmen.”

By contrast, Monday’s House session featured a debate on a bill to give children of immigrants in-state college tuition regardless of legal status during which a number of freshmen — none from Montgomery — spoke.

‘‘I like to think we encourage people to voice their opinion,” Busch said, adding that he cautions freshmen to be mindful when opening their mouths because ‘‘you’ll be judged.”

‘‘There are times when a well-placed silence is better than a well-delivered speech,” he said.

Silence has not come easy to some freshmen, who bring strong academic and professional credentials.

‘‘I’m very impressed,” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said of Montgomery’s three first-term senators, Mike G. Lenett, Richard S. Madaleno Jr. and Jamin B. Raskin. ‘‘It’s a wonderful group of freshmen — the Senate’s highest educated class I’ve ever seen.”

Miller rattled off some of their impressive credentials. Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington worked as a state budget analyst and former delegate. Raskin (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park edited the Harvard Law Review. Lenett (D-Dist. 19) of Silver Spring has three degrees from Georgetown University.

‘‘They are talented, well-qualified and making a contribution in their first year in the Senate,” Miller said.

Some have also made waves, none more so than Lenett, an attorney who took on high-profile legislation such as a reintroduction of a bill to ban assault weapons. He helped write the federal handgun legislation known as the Brady Bill and said he knew what he was getting into when he proposed a state ban. He has introduced 12 bills, including one the Senate has passed that would require a voter's bill of rights to be posted in polling places.

‘‘I don’t think my constituents would’ve wanted me to just sit down and be quiet for the first term,” Lenett said. ‘‘I think they trusted me to assert my voice when my convictions dictate.”

Some have said Lenett has asserted his voice a bit too much.

‘‘More press for Mike Lenett?” Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) shouted across Lawyer’s Mall with mock incredulity when he saw Lenett being interviewed recently.

Lenett said his first year has been a ‘‘learning experience” about the state’s legislative process, about policy issues and about building relationships.

‘‘He’s learning by doing,” said Sen. Thomas McLain Middleton (D-Dist. 28) of Waldorf, who added that he has seen ‘‘a transformation [in Lenett] in the last two to three weeks. You need to have the respect and cooperation of the body itself.”

Lenett’s early hard-charging style ‘‘came across as very, very independent,” Middleton said.

The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee on which Lenett serves is rumored to be preparing to present him with a gift: Dale Carnegie’s classic book, ‘‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.”

The freshmen class as a whole has been more outspoken than in past years, said Sen. Patrick J. Hogan (D-Dist. 39) of Montgomery Village.

‘‘They’ve definitely raised the level of debate,” said Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-Dist. 38) of Westover.

Asked if the freshman senators’ experience and expertise has allowed them to speak up more, Hogan said, ‘‘It’s allowed them to. I don’t think that’s always a good thing.”

The learning curve might be steeper for Montgomery freshmen. Many are unfamiliar with life on the Bay, agriculture or the more conservative politics of the rest of the state, lawmakers said.

‘‘This is a very diverse state,” Hogan said. ‘‘You have to understand there are different needs for different parts of the state.”

‘‘Down here you have to win people’s hearts before you win their vote,” Stoltzfus said.

The difficulty of doing that in 90 days is one reason freshmen may be held to a different standard.

‘‘New legislators’ success can’t be measured in legislative initiatives that end up on the governor’s desk, but by relationships that are made among your colleagues and first impressions that are going to last a career here,” said Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park.

The freshman class would be wise to measure success by Mizeur’s standards as many of their bills have died or remain in limbo as the session enters its final days.

Raskin has introduced 27 bills, eight of which have passed in the Senate. A constitutional law professor, he sponsored a bill that would join Maryland with other states in an agreement to commit its presidential electors to the winner of the national popular vote. The bill passed 29-17 in the Senate this week, and its cross-file came up for House debate on Thursday.

‘‘Mac Middleton told me, ‘You’ll do great in this body as long as you learn to not fall in love with any of your bills,’” Raskin said. ‘‘I know what he means because you get emotionally invested in legislation and the twists and turns of the legislative process.”

Del. Tom Hucker (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring is one freshman who knew the process more than most and whom some expected to be out front in introducing legislation. Instead, Hucker, a former lobbyist and executive director of Progressive Maryland, has been the lead sponsor on just three bills.

‘‘He’s done a very good job of settling in and establishing himself as a legislator and not as an advocate,” Busch said. ‘‘That’s a very big change, and he’s acclimated himself to that role.”

Hucker said his ‘‘district wants strong advocacy for many issues. At the same time the institution doesn’t really reward freshmen who come in and think they know everything.”

The freshmen were not afraid to challenge incumbents, said Susan Heltemes, a District 18 Democratic Caucus member. Last year, Del. Craig L. Rice (D-Dist. 15) of Germantown defeated Jean B. Cryor, the county delegation’s lone Republican. Raskin unseated Ida G. Ruben, a fixture in District 20 for 32 years.

They have brought that spirit with them to Annapolis, Heltemes said. ‘‘[They’ve said,] ‘I’m not going to wait until my turn, whatever my turn means. I’m going to run.’”