| Shaneka Henson | |
| State Delegate: | Maryland |
| District: | 30A |
| Term Start: | May 16, 2019 |
| Office2: | Member of the Annapolis City Council from the 6th ward |
| Term Start2: | December 4, 2017 |
| Term End2: | April 29, 2019 |
| Predecessor2: | Kenny Kirby |
| Successor2: | DaJuan Gay |
| Birth Name: | Shaneka Tarae Henson |
| Birth Date: | 29 July 1983 |
| Birth Place: | Annapolis, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse: | Lucas Johnson |
| Children: | 1 |
| Education: | Coppin State University (BS) University of Baltimore (JD) |
| Profession: | Attorney |
Shaneka Tarae Johnson (née Henson; born July 29, 1983) is an American politician and attorney who has served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 30A since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as an alderwoman on the Annapolis City Council from 2017 to 2019.
Shaneka Tarae Henson[1] was born in Annapolis, Maryland, on July 29, 1983. Her mother, Terry, and her father were both pastors at the New Life Presbyterian Church in Annapolis for fifteen years. Henson graduated from Coppin State University with a Bachelor of Science degree, and the University of Baltimore with a Juris Doctor degree. Henson was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2010,[2] after which she worked as a practicing attorney for the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's office and the YWCA. In 2020, she started her own law firm, Johnson Legal Group LLC.
In 2016, Henson graduated from a training course hosted by Emerge Maryland, an organization created to prepare potential female Democratic candidates for public office.[3]
In 2016, Henson filed to run for the Annapolis City Council in ward 6, challenging incumbent Alderman Kenny Kirby,[4] who later announced his retirement. In the Democratic primary, she faced challenger DaJuan Gay,[5] whom she defeated with 67.8 percent of the vote. Henson ran unopposed in the general election, and was sworn in on December 4, 2017.[6]
In October 2018, Annapolis mayor Gavin Buckley named Henson to serve as acting mayor for two weeks.[7]
Henson resigned from the city council on April 29, 2019, after the Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee nominated her to the Maryland House of Delegates.[8] She was succeeded by DaJuan Gay following a special election to fill her seat.[9]
In April 2019, following the death of House Speaker Michael E. Busch, Henson applied to serve the remainder of his term in the Maryland House of Delegates.[10] The Anne Arundel County Democratic Central Committee voted 11-1 to nominate her to fill the vacancy.[11] Governor Larry Hogan appointed her to the seat on May 6,[12] and she was sworn in on May 16.[13] She is the first African-American woman to represent Annapolis in the Maryland General Assembly. Henson was elected to a full four-year term in 2022.[14]
Henson served on the Appropriations Committee from 2019 to 2023, after which she was switched to the Ways and Means Committee after questions were raised about a potential conflict of interest involving Henson's legal work for a nonprofit which received state funding.[15] In April 2024, the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics released a five-page letter condemning Henson's "ongoing practice" to hide her conflicts of interest, recommending to legislative leaders that she not be reassigned to the House Appropriations Committee and calling on her to apologize to the public. Henson released a statement on her website in response to the report that scolded members of the panel for failing to strike a more "collaborative and constructive tone" and contradicted some of the ethics panel's findings.[16]
Henson is married to her husband, Marcus Johnson. Together, they have a son. She is a Christian.[17]
In May 2016, Henson settled a $1,889 state tax lien that had been placed against her.[18]
Henson supports a "holistic approach" toward addressing crime, which includes addressing socioeconomic issues and tackling issues "from the law enforcement perspective".
During the 2020 legislative session, Henson introduced legislation to freeze child support orders of parents serving a prison sentence of six months or longer. The bill passed and became law.[19] She introduced another bill to ease restrictions on when prosecutors could use hearsay evidence in witness intimidation cases.[20]
Henson supports the Blueprint for Maryland's Future.[21]
In July 2020, Henson criticized Governor Larry Hogan requiring voters to apply for a mail-in ballot if they did not want to vote in-person for the 2020 general election, saying that he had "stepped on people's voting rights".[22] During the 2021 legislative session, she introduced legislation to ban guns at polling places[23] and supported a bill requiring the automatic mailing of ballots to all registered voters.[24]
During the 2020 legislative session, Henson introduced bills to establish statewide mold inspection standards,[25] which did not receive a vote,[26] and another to close a loophole that allowed Annapolis to avoid responsibility for inspecting its public housing units,[27] which was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan.[28] In 2021, she introduced legislation to shield a tenant's eviction records from public view if they won an eviction case.[29]
During the 2020 legislative session, Henson supported the CROWN Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of hair style and texture.[30]
Henson participated in George Floyd protests in Annapolis,[31] Severn,[32] and Shady Side.[33] In July 2020, she spoke in support of federal legislation to recognize racism as a public health trauma and to make social security income, rental assistance, and Social Security Disability Insurance available to African Americans regardless of age or disability.[34] Later that month, Henson signed onto a letter calling on regional news organizations to increase employee diversity.[35]
During the 2021 legislative session, Henson supported a bill to make Juneteenth a state holiday.[36]
In October 2021, Henson participated in and spoke at a protest in Annapolis to endorse legislation expansion to expand abortion rights in Maryland.
In February 2021, Henson was the only member of the Anne Arundel County Delegation to vote against a bill providing tax credits to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[37]
During the 2022 legislative session, Henson introduced a bill to add critical medical devices, including thermometers, pulse oximeters, and blood pressure monitors, to the state's sales tax exemptions,[38] which passed and was signed into law by Governor Larry Hogan.[39]