Michael Erin “Coach” Busch (January 4, 1947 – April 7, 2019) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 106th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates from 2003 until his death in 2019. Busch was a member of the House for nine terms, beginning in 1987. He represented all of legislative District 30 prior to redistricting in 2012, and represented District 30A after the district was split following the 2010 census. The district encompasses parts of Anne Arundel County, including the state capital of Annapolis. Background Busch was born in Baltimore and was a lifelong resident of the state of Maryland. He attended St. Mary's High School in Annapolis and in 1970 received his B.S. degree in education from Temple University, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. Busch was pursued by the National Football League as a running back, prior to a knee injury. Busch then returned to Maryland to coach athletics and teach. He was married to Cynthia Abbott Busch, with whom he had two children, Erin and Megan. Legislative career Busch first got involved in politics at the urging of parents of his students. After winning election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1986, Busch served on the Judiciary Committee, the Economic Matters Committee, which he later chaired, and as Chairman of the Anne Arundel County Delegation before being elected Speaker. Busch repeatedly won reelection in an evenly-split district and served alongside other delegates in District 30 from both the Republican Party and Democratic Party during his tenure in the House. As Speaker, he had significant influence over matters in the House and in state government overall. He served through 5 governors and alongside his counterpart in the state senate, long-time President of the Maryland Senate Mike Miller. At the beginning of the 2003 session of the Maryland Legislature, Busch was elected Speaker of the House by his colleagues in the Maryland House of Delegates. He became the longest-serving Speaker in Maryland history. Busch was known for his interest in the areas of healthcare, education, and economic development. During the 2007 legislative session, he sponsored a bill with other members of the leadership titled the Children and Working Families Healthcare Act of 2007, which proposed to provide health care access to 250,000 Marylanders and all children in the state. Democrats held a supermajority in the