• The Ides of March-More on Crossover Week
  • Budget Debate Details, Transparency Act and Economic Development
  • Update on Hogan's Initiatives- See Video
 

The Ides of March and Crossover Week

 
"Beware the Ides of March", the line made famous by William Shakespeare in his tragedy Julius Ceasar  is particularly poignant in the General Assembly this week. The "ides", or middle of March fell in the middle of what is know in Annapolis as  "Crossover Week".
Monday, March 20th is "Crossover Day", the day in which all bills that are moving must be passed over to their opposing chamber (House bills passed to the Senate, and Senate bills passed to the House). The week leading up to Crossover Day is filled with multiple floor sessions, committee voting sessions, late nights and other chaos.
While Crossover Week isn't quite as dramatic as the Ides of March were for Caesar, it is still a time to pay attention and be on guard. It is a hectic time when bad bills can sneak through, and good bills can die.
Because so much happens during crossover week, we will bring you another update next week!
 
 

Budget Debate
Constitutionally, the only bill the General Assembly must pass during the Legislative Session is the Budget. As reported earlier this year,  Hogan proposed a fiscally responsible budget that put spending in line with revenues while still protecting important priorities such as K-12 education, workforce training and economic development, higher education, and the Chesapeake Bay.

Overall, the House Appropriations Committee kept the Governor's budget proposal largely intact. But unfortunately, some of the changes made are reminiscent of the "tax and spend" legacy that has hurt our state over the years.

Mandated Spending:

 Over 80% of Maryland's budget is mandated, which means it increases based on automatic formulas with no consideration for incoming revenues. This "budgeting on autopilot" has given us years of budget shortfalls, deficits, and massive tax increases. To put our state on a path to fiscal stability, Governor Hogan included in his budget language that would control the mandates and put them in line with revenues. The Appropriations Committee, who for years has paid lip service to the problems mandates cause but failed to take action to combat them, removed this important provision from the budget. 

We attempted to restore Governor Hogan's provision to reign in automatic spending (excluding money for education), but it was rejected on a party-line vote.

 Legislative Transparency Act of 2017:

The Hogan Administration is committed to increase transparency and public access to state government, to allow the citizens of Maryland to understand and view their government at work and to spur government interaction with our citizens.

Hogan's proposed legislation requires that all meetings of the General Assembly be livestreamed, including all meetings of the full State Senate and House of Delegates and standing committee hearings and voting sessions.  Maryland is one of only seven states in the nation that do not livestream their state legislature's floor deliberations.  It is important to note that Governor Hogan has included $1.2M in the FY 2018 operating budget to allow for this provision.
Economic Development:

In his budget, Governor Hogan provided historic levels of funding for the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund  (MEDAAF). In recent  years, there has been a growing demand for MEDAFF funding, and the program has a return on investment of $27 for every $1 invested in the program. The House budget committee cut Governor Hogan's investment in this critical economic development program. Recent economic development projects that received MEDAAF funding brought thousands of jobs to Maryland.  One example of a MEDAFF project was the expansion of Amazon, which brought 3,700 jobs to Maryland. The projects currently in process and discussion in the MEDAFF program have the potential to create and retain over 14,000 additional jobs in our state. This is NOT the time to cut funding for this program. We want Maryland to continue to be OPEN FOR BUSINESS, so we can make our state an even better place to work, play, and live.
 
 

Many of Governor's Initiatives are Advancing
But More Needs to Be Accomplished

Governor Hogan: "We Are Pleased That Progress Is Being Made On A Number Of Our Initiatives" - 3/15/17
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Have a great day!





Carroll County | Maryland House of Delegates  
Phone: 410-841-3200 | Fax: 410-841-3349  
6 Bladen Street, Room 324 | Annapolis, MD  21401 
susan.krebs@house.state.md.us | Denise Traynor, Legislative Aide
  By Authority:  Friends of Susan Krebs, Kimberly Madeja, Treasurer

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