Dear Friends:
The Maryland General Assembly adjourned on Monday, April 11th at midnight after considering a total of 2817 pieces of legislation between the House and the Senate, of which, 834 bills passed both chambers and are awaiting the Governor's signature or veto.
It is my honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Carroll County as a Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly. This year, I was thrilled to continue working with Governor Larry Hogan towards a more fiscally responsible Maryland. Under his leadership, we accomplished a lot this session.
I followed the Governor's litmus test when considering legislation:
1) Will this law or action make it easier for families and small businesses to stay and retire in Maryland?
2) Will it make more families and businesses want to come to Maryland?
The State Budget - Your Tax Dollars
This year's budget was a victory for the citizens of Maryland. On March 29, 2016, the Maryland General Assembly passed Governor Hogan's $42 billion budget, two weeks early, with bipartisan support and very little debate or disagreement. This budget marks a great step towards Maryland's bright economic future, thanks to Gov. Hogan's sound financial policies; Maryland is now on the upswing once again. This budget was remarkable for more than its nearly unanimous passing.
For the first time in a decade, we passed a budget that delivered record investments in education (second year in a row), shored up the state's pension fund, and funded critical services, leaving a surplus of $400 million, raising the balance in the Rainy Day Fund to over $1 billion, with no financial gimmicks and, for the second year in a row- no new taxes.
Finally, our state is on a path towards growth and recovery rather than debt and decline. Our unemployment rate has dropped and we have gained 45,000 new jobs since Gov. Hogan took office. Consumers and businesses are more confident in the direction of our state.
Taxes and Fees
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Unfortunately, Democratic leadership gutted Governor Hogan's plan to reduce taxes and fees on Marylanders. As introduced, Governor Hogan's Fee, Surcharge, and Tax Reduction Act of 2016 offered Maryland citizens a reduction in income taxes for all working families, retirees, small businesses and manufacturers and provided reductions on a wide range of fees including contractor, salesperson, vehicle registration, and fishing licenses. By the time the Legislature concluded, the only relief they agreed on was a reduction of fees f
or certified copies of birth and death certificates from $24 to $10. I cosponsored all of these measures and worked with Gov. Hogan to bring meaningful tax and fee relief to Maryland taxpayers - we will be back again next year.
Mandated Spending
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One of Gov. Hogan's top priorities - eliminating some of the state's mandated spending - did not get traction in the Legislature this year. In fact, they moved in the opposite direction and mandated hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending next year. With 83% of Maryland's spending already set in law - there is very little room to work with in years when revenues fall short. We must ensure that future budgets continue to prioritize key expenditures like education.
Program Open Space
- Governor Hogan kept his promise to restore funding to Program Open Space and payback $60 million that was wrongly diverted
by the last Governor to fill holes in the state budget. This bill ensures this program remains solvent for years to come and provides funding for parks and conservation projects throughout the state.
Improving Transparency in Government
Required Posting of Agendas
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I successfully passed legislation that would ensure improved transparency by
requiring a public body, including boards and commissions, to post their agenda at least 24 hours prior to meeting. If an emergency meeting is called, or if last-minute changes are made, the agenda must be posted as soon as it is available. This allows public bodies to function as needed, but creates an overall air of accountability to the people they serve. This will better enable citizens and organizations to allocate time and resources when determining which meetings to attend.
Live Streaming Floor Sessions
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House Republican Minority Leader, Kathy Szeliga and Democrat Delegate David Moon teamed up to sponsor legislation that would require live streaming and archiving of House and Senate floor sessions which would give our constituents easy access to proceedings. Citizens shouldn't have to drive to Annapolis to find out what their elected representatives are saying as they debate legislation prior to voting. Both chambers now live-stream (and archive) every committee hearing. Unfortunately, this proposed legislation didn't even get a committee vote.
Part 2 coming soon,
