Healey first got involved with politics in grade school after attending a campaign parade for then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. After a 15-year long career in journalism, Healey decided to pursue a career in politics.[2] From 1987 to 1990, Healey served on the Hyattsville City Council. Afterwards, she ran for state delegate in District 22, winning the Democratic primary with 18 percent of the vote[3] and the general election with 24 percent of the vote.[4]
In the legislature
Healey was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 9, 1991. She is the House Chair of the House Rules & Executive Nominations Committee and a member of the Environmental Matters Committee and its housing & real property and motor vehicle & transportation subcommittees.
Committee assignments
Chair, Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, 2013–present (member, 1998–2006)
Member, Environment and Transportation Committee, 2015–present (housing & real property subcommittee, 2015–present; motor vehicle & transportation subcommittee, 2017–present; chair, local government & bi-county agencies subcommittee, 2015–present)
Member, Joint Subcommittee on Program Open Space and Agricultural Land Preservation, 2019–present
Member, Joint Expenditure Study Group on Law Enforcement and Transportation, 1991
Member, Joint Study Group on Transportation and Lottery Revenues, 1991
Member, Ways and Means Committee, 1991–2006 (vice-chair, 1997–2006; chair, vice-chair's subcommittee, 1997–2006)
Member, House Chair, Task Force on Telecommunications Taxes, 1994
Member, Special Joint Committee on Competitive Taxation and Economic Development, 1996–1997
House Chair, Task Force to Study County Property-Tax Setoffs and Related Fiscal Issues, 1997
Member, Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, 1999–2003
Member, Special Committee on Higher Education Affordability and Accessibility, 2003–2004
Member, House Chair, Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review, 2007–2012
Member, Environmental Matters Committee, 2007–2015 (ground rent work group, 2007; housing & real property subcommittee, 2007–2015; motor vehicle & transportation subcommittee, 2007–2010; chair, local government & bi-county subcommittee, 2007–2015)
Other memberships
Member, County Affairs Committee, Prince George's County Delegation, 2015–present (bi-county committee, 1991–2002, 2008–2014; law enforcement & state-appointed boards committee, 2003–2007; maryland-national capital park & planning commission committee, 2008–2012)
While reporting for The Catholic Review, Healey met her future husband, Neal Conway. Together, they have lived in Hyattsville since 1979 and have raised two children. Healey is a devout Catholic and is of Irish descent.[2][5] In September 2015, she was invited to attend Pope Francis's visit to the White House.[6]
In June 2020, Healey was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her chemotherapy treatments ended in December and she continued to receive radiation treatment during the 2021 legislative session.[7]
Political positions
Education
Healey introduced legislation during the 2013 legislative session that would make the Maryland school year start after Labor Day. The bill passed to form a task force investigating a post-Labor Day start, of which Healey was a member.[8] In 2019, Healey voted for, and later voted to override the governor's veto on, a bill that would allow school districts to start before Labor Day.[9]
Environment
In 2015, Healey introduced legislation to protect bees from neonics.[10] The bill passed and became law on May 28, 2016.[11]
In 2017, Healey sponsored legislation that would require developers to replant an acre of trees for every acre of forest they clear.[12] Healey introduced legislation during the 2018 legislative session that would create a state definition for priority forests to improve state conservation laws.[13] In 2019, Healey introduced legislation to create a task force to monitor and address future deforestation and make recommendations to prevent forest loss without disrupting growth and development.[14]
Health care
In 2004, Healey voted in favor of legislation that would levy a two-percent tax on health maintenance organizations to keep medical malpractice insurance costs for doctors in check.[15]
In 2006, Healey voted in favor of legislation that would require Walmart to pay more for employee health care benefits. The bill was vetoed by Governor Bob Ehrlich, and the legislature failed to override his veto on an 88-50 vote in the House and a 30-17 vote in the Senate.[16]
In 2019, Healey voted in favor of legislation that would create a five-person panel to investigate and negotiate the prices of high-priced drugs.[17]
Immigration
In 2021, Healey voted in favor of legislation that would prohibit state and local government agencies from providing records or data to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement.[18]
Healey opposes the death penalty.[23] In 2013, she voted in favor of legislation to repeal the death penalty, which was signed into law by Governor Martin O'Malley.[24]
In 2003, Healey supported a proposal that would strip funding for abortion from the state budget.[25] In 2005, she voted against a bill to provide state funding toward embryonic stem cell research.[26] In 2022, Healey voted against the Abortion Care Access Act, a bill to expand the array of medical providers who could perform abortions. She also voted against overriding the gubernatorial veto on the bill.[27] Healey was targeted for a primary challenge by Pro-Choice Maryland in 2022 for her anti-abortion stances.[28] She won the primary.
Taxes
In 2013, Healey voted in favor of legislation to raise the state's fuel tax to replenish the state's transportation fund.[29] In 2015, Healey voted against legislation that would repeal Maryland's "Rain Tax".[30]
Electoral history
Maryland House of Delegates District 22 Democratic Primary Election, 1990[3]
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