Lisa Belcastro

Lisa Marie Belcastro (born September 24, 1988) is an American politician who represented the 11th legislative district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2020 to 2023.[1] She was appointed to office in March 2020 by Governor Larry Hogan on the recommendation of the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee.[2] Belcastro took the seat vacated by Shelly L. Hettleman when Hettleman was appointed to the Senate seat vacated by Bobby Zirkin, who resigned in January.[3]

Lisa Belcastro
Blackjacket Goldshirt
Belcastro in 2021
Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Disabilities
Assumed office
May 31, 2023
GovernorWes Moore
SecretaryCarol Beatty
Preceded byChristian Miele
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 11th district
In office
March 10, 2020 – January 11, 2023
Serving with Jon S. Cardin (D)
Dana Stein (D)
Preceded byShelly L. Hettleman
Succeeded byCheryl Pasteur
Personal details
Born (1988-09-24) September 24, 1988
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Pikesville, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materSlippery Rock University (BS)
ProfessionTeacher

Early life and career

Belcastro was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 24, 1988. She attended Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.S. degree in science health and physical education in 2012. Since graduating, she has worked as an adapted physical education teacher for Prince George's County Public Schools and as an assistant field hockey coach for Goucher College from 2012 to 2017.[1]

Belcastro became involved with politics in 2017 by working as a volunteer coordinator for the Baltimore County Council campaign of Izzy Patoka. From 2019 to 2020, she worked as a legislative aide to Patoka.[1]

In 2020, after Delegate Shelly L. Hettleman was elevated to the Maryland Senate following the resignation of former Senator Robert Zirkin, Belcastro applied to fill the vacancy left by Hettleman in the Maryland House of Delegates. The Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee voted 4-1 to nominate her to fill the vacancy over four other applicants, including former Delegate Ted Levin.[4][5] Governor Hogan appointed Belcastro to the Maryland House of Delegates on March 10, 2020, and she was sworn in the same day.[1][2]

In the legislature

Belcastro was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on March 10, 2020.[1]

Belcastro was defeated for election to her seat in the 2022 Democratic primary. Redistricting had placed the three 11th district incumbents in a 2-seat district and Belcastro place third in the voting to her colleagues.[6][7]

Committee assignments
  • Member, Health and Government Operations Committee, 2020–2023 (government operations & health facilities subcommittee, 2020–2021; public health & minority health disparities subcommittee, 2020–2023; health occupations & long-term care subcommittee, 2022–2023)
  • Study Group on Economic Stability, 2020–2023

Other memberships
  • Member, Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus, 2020–2023
  • Women Legislators of Maryland, 2020–2023

State government
Belcastro with Maryland Department of Disabilities employees and Governor Wes Moore at the Maryland Association of Counties conference, 2023

In April 2023, Belcastro was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Disabilities. She took office on May 31, 2023.[8]

Personal life

Belcastro is openly lesbian and is married to a woman.[9] She lives in the Sudbrook Park neighborhood of Pikesville, Maryland.[10]

Political positions

Assisted living

Belcastro introduced legislation in the 2021 legislative session that would require updates to Maryland's assisted living facility regulations, with specific protections for memory care units at these facilities.[11] The bill unanimously passed both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly and became law on May 30, 2021.[12]

Belcastro introduced legislation in the 2022 legislative session that requires the Maryland Health Commission to assess standards of care at Maryland's assisted living facilities with 10 or fewer beds.[13]

Education

In July 2020, Belcastro signed onto a letter calling on the Baltimore County Public Schools system to alter the Student Code of Conduct to explicitly ban wearing or displaying symbols, such as the swastikas and the Confederate flag, unless it is necessary for educational programming.[14]

Belcastro introduced legislation in the 2022 legislative session that would ban the practice of seclusion in public schools. The bill unanimously passed the House of Delegates on March 15, 2022, and is currently on second reading in the Maryland Senate.[15]

Guns

In April 2020, Belcastro signed onto a letter calling on Governor Larry Hogan to close the state's gun stores during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]

References
  1. "Lisa M. Belcastro, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  2. "Governor Hogan Appoints Lisa Belcastro to the Maryland General Assembly". Official Website for the Governor of Maryland. March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  3. Wood, Pamela (March 10, 2020). "Baltimore County's Belcastro joins Maryland House of Delegates". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  4. Wood, Pamela (February 26, 2020). "Baltimore County Democrats nominate Lisa Belcastro for House of Delegates vacancy". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  5. Kurtz, Josh (February 29, 2020). "Aide to Baltimore Co. Councilman Likely to Join Legislature Soon". Maryland Matters. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  6. Kurtz, Josh (July 18, 2022). "The 12 Most Vulnerable Legislative Incumbents in Tuesday's Primaries". Maryland Matters. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  7. "Official 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results for House of Delegates". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. August 24, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  8. Sullivan, Emily; Wood, Pamela (April 29, 2023). "Political notes: Blue check check-in; Moore's diverse cabinet; comings and goings". Baltimore Banner. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  9. Belcastro, Lisa (June 24, 2020). "Supreme Court ruling 'monumental' for LGBTQ teachers". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 24, 2021. When asked about my partner, I always answer honestly or correct the record by sharing that I have a wife.
  10. "Lisa Belcastro". victoryfund.org. LGBTQ Victory Fund. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  11. McShea, David; Paterakis, J.R. (April 21, 2021). "Opinion: Building An Infrastructure For Alzheimer's". Patch. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  12. "Legislation - HB0416". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  13. Johnson, Renee (January 27, 2022). "Alzheimer's Association Maryland Advocacy Week". Patch. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  14. Ingram, Brandon (July 13, 2020). "Delegates looking to ban display of Confederate flag, swastikas in Baltimore County Schools". WMAR-TV. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  15. "Legislation - HB1255". mgaleg.maryland.gov. Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  16. Grunberger, Alessia (April 5, 2020). "Maryland Dems Urge Hogan To Shut Down Gun Shops During Pandemic". Patch. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
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