Arthur Ellis (Maryland politician)

Arthur Carr Ellis (born July 26, 1961) is an American politician and accountant who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate from the 28th district since 2019.

Background
Ellis was born in Portland Parish, Jamaica, on July 26, 1961. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and agriculture in 1983, and the City University of New York (CUNY) with a Master of Science in accountancy in 1990. He served in the United States Air Force from 1983 to 1989, and in the U.S. Air Force Reserves until 2001, attaining the rank of second lieutenant. He returned to the United States and moved to Maryland after being discharged from military after being injured while serving.

After graduating from CUNY, Ellis became an associate at Mitchell & Titus, afterwards working as an instructor for the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, the University of the District of Columbia, and the University of Maryland Global Campus until 1993. From 2008 to 2017, he worked as a volunteer leader at the University of Maryland Extension.

Ellis became involved in politics as a member of the Charles County NAACP chapter, becoming its communications director in 2016. In March 2017, he criticized the state's $900,000 purchase and preservation of land where Josiah Henson was enslaved before escaping to freedom, arguing that the money would be better spent on youth programs. He ran for the Maryland Senate in 2018, challenging six-term incumbent Thomas M. Middleton. Ellis defeated Middleton in an upset in the Democratic primary on June 26, 2018, receiving 52.0 percent of the vote and edging out Middleton by 651 votes. Following Middleton's defeat, the Maryland Republican Party targeted the district, backing businessman and Charles County Republican Party chairman Bill Dotson, who Ellis defeated in the general election on November 6, 2018, with 66.2 percent of the vote.

Maryland Senate
Ellis was sworn into the Maryland Senate on January 9, 2019. Since 2020, he has served as the assistant deputy majority leader.

Committee assignments

 * Senate Chair, Joint Committee on the Management of Public Funds, 2023–present
 * Finance Committee, 2023–present
 * Joint Committee on Ending Homelessness, 2019–present
 * Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, 2019–2022 (education subcommittee, 2019–2022; health subcommittee, 2019–2022)
 * Joint Subcommittee on Program Open Space and Agricultural Land Preservation, 2019–2022
 * Senate President's Advisory Work Group on Equity and Inclusion, 2020–2021

Political positions
During his 2018 campaign, Ellis described himself as a progressive Democrat.

Education
During the 2020 legislative session, Ellis voted against an amendment to the Blueprint for Maryland's Future that would provide $150 million in grants toward programs to improve students' behavioral health, arguing that it could "stigmatize poor kids and create a long-lasting trail of unemployability for these children". In January 2021, he said he supported overriding Governor Larry Hogan's veto of the Blueprint.

During the 2022 legislative session, Ellis introduced a bill that would break up the College of Southern Maryland and use the college's La Plata campus to create a new Charles County Community College.

Electoral reform
During the 2021 legislative session, Ellis introduced a bill to require the makeup of local election boards to be based on the party affiliation of voters in each county, rather than the governor's political party. He also supported a bill that would eliminate at-large county commissioner districts, requiring commissioners to be elected to individual districts.

Environment
During the 2021 legislative session, Ellis introduced an amendment to the Climate Solutions Now Act that would prioritize tree planting projects in underserved areas, and another amendment requiring the state's climate transition workgroup to include a veteran, a formerly incarcerated person, two women and two NAACP members; both amendments were adopted.

Policing
During the 2021 legislative session, Ellis introduced a bill that would prohibit school resource officers from entering schools unless instructed or in the event of an emergency. The bill failed to move out of committee.

In 2022, Ellis said he supported overriding Governor Larry Hogan's veto of a bill to repeal the Law Enforcement Officer's Bill of Rights.

Transportation
During his 2018 campaign, Ellis said he supported upgrades to U.S. 301 and Maryland Routes 5 and 210, as well as expanding MARC rail services to Charles County. During the 2020 legislative session, he introduced a bill to provide $27 million toward building a light rail line in southern Maryland along Route 5, and another to provide inmates with Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration-administered identification cards and license renewal before their release.

During the 2021 legislative session, Ellis introduced a bill to rename Indian Head Highway to the President Barack Obama Highway.

Personal life
Ellis is married to his wife, Rosalind. Together, they have two children.

Ellis was inducted into the Charles County NAACP Hall of Fame in 2018.