Ralph M. Hughes (born April 17, 1948) is an American politician who represented district 40 in the

Maryland State Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single- ...

from 1991 to 2007 and a member of the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...

from the same district from 1983 to 1991.

Background

Hughes was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, April 17, 1948. He attended Baltimore City Public Schools and graduated from

Baltimore City College Baltimore City College, known colloquially as City, City College, and B.C.C., is a college preparatory school with a liberal arts focus and selective admissions criteria located in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in October 1839, B.C.C. is the thir ...

in 1966. Hughes went on to Morgan State College earning a B.A. degree in 1970. Three years later he completed the

Howard University School of Law Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the oldes ...

earning a J.D. The

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

, M.A.S., 1985. Professor (criminal justice), Coppin State University, from 2007. Member, Monumental City Bar Association. He is a member of the Mount Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore and is married.

In the legislature

Hughes won his first election in 1982, running for one of three seats in Baltimore's 40th legislative district to the

. There he served on the Judiciary Committee, 1983-90. In 1990 he won a seat in the Maryland Senate and served on its Judicial Proceedings Committee from 1991 to 2007. He was chair, Special Committee on Substance Abuse, 2001–2007, member, Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, 1995, Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Investigation, 1995, member, Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 1995–1999; Article 27 (crimes & punishments) Revision Committee, 1999–2003, Senate Special Commission on Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance, 2004, Abatement of Drug-Related Nuisances Work Group, 2004. Hughes served as Vice-Chair,

Baltimore City Delegation The Baltimore City Delegation refers to the delegates who are elected from districts in Baltimore to serve in the Maryland House of Delegates in the United States. By 1983, the Baltimore City Delegation had 27 members, 3 each from 9 districts ...

, a member, Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, 1991-2007 (chair, crime & safety committee, 2000; member, law & justice committee, 2000–2007, redistricting committee, 2000–2007; drug treatment committee, 2001–2007).

Legislative notes

*2006 Hughes sponsored Senate Bill 592 which would have repealed Maryland's mandatory minimum sentences for repeat felony drug offendershttp://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/billfile/sb0592.htm *2003 Hughes introduced a bill that would have imposed a moratorium on Maryland's death penalty. The bill, however, died on the Senate floor with 23 senators voting for it and 24 against.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Ralph M. Democratic Party Maryland state senators 1948 births Politicians from Baltimore Morgan State University alumni Baltimore City College alumni Living people 21st-century American legislators 20th-century American legislators 20th-century Maryland politicians 21st-century Maryland politicians