23 Facts About Wendell Beitzel

Wendell Roy Beitzel was born on January 17,1943 and is an American Republican politician from Maryland.

Wendell Beitzel served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 1A which covers Garrett and Allegany counties, from January 2007 to January 2023.

Wendell Beitzel has received a master's degree in management and an MBA from Frostburg State University.

Wendell Beitzel was a microbiologist for the National Institute of Health from 1968 to 1971.

When Wendell Beitzel Enterprise existed as a company that controlled public accommodation services, he served as President of Wendell Beitzel Enterprises, Inc He served as the Assistant Director of Environmental Health at the Garrett County Health Department from 1971 to 1981.

Wendell Beitzel has been a farmer since 1983, and was a Director of Infrastructure Development, DC Development LLC, 2003 to 2006.

Wendell Beitzel served a term as a Garrett County commissioner from 1998 to 2002.

Wendell Beitzel became a Maryland State Delegate in 2007 after the 2006 election.

Wendell Beitzel was first appointed to the Health and Government Operations Committee in 2007, but was relocated to the Appropriations Committee in 2009 - where he currently sits as a member.

Wendell Beitzel is part of the Capital Budget Subcommittee, Transportation and the Environment Subcommittee, and the Personnel Oversight Committee - all part of the Appropriations Committee.

Wendell Beitzel was the subject of criticism in 2011 when he received $427,000 in state funds for agreeing not to develop farm land he owned.

Wendell Beitzel submitted an application to the Board of County Commissioners to establish an Agricultural District for a farm they own on Accident-Bittner Road for the purpose of seeking conservation easements utilizes the Maryland Rural Legacy Program.

The Wendell Beitzel application was approved on February 6,2008, by the Garrett County Planning Commission and by the Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board on February 28,2008.

The Wendell Beitzel application was then submitted with 5 others to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation by the Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development on April 30,2008.

The Wendell Beitzel application was approved by unanimous vote of the Board of Public Works and the sale of the conservation easement was finalized in 2011.

Wendell Beitzel spoke out against the wage increase, stating the bill would harm small business owners and cause them to go out of business.

In 2016, Wendell Beitzel opposed legislation that would prohibit carrying firearms and deadly weapons on Maryland college campuses.

Wendell Beitzel has sponsored several pieces of legislation related to Deep Creek Lake, a major reservoir in his district, including bills that would allow landowners to purchase contiguous property and a plan to provide funding for state-owned lakes such as Deep Creek.

Wendell Beitzel said he has been supporting the practice for drilling and as a landowner served to gain from drilling.

Wendell Beitzel offered several amendments to the bill which failed on the House floor before a final veto-proof vote in favor of the health study and moratorium.

Wendell Beitzel finally voted for a version of the bill that did not include public health considerations, stating in an interview on WCBC radio about the final bill "it was not really a bill that was going to cause a whole lot of harm".

Wendell Beitzel was quoted in The Washington Post as saying "If you don't have property with natural gas, then you have nothing to gain from it, and it's easier to be opposed to it".

Wendell Beitzel later provided clarifying remarks and the Post included a copy of a legislative ethics committee report on the matter.