The Environment & Transportation Committee covers not only the environment and transportation, but also housing, real property, land use, ethics, local government, motor vehicles, agriculture, and natural resources. This week we had a series of interesting briefings covering several topics in our jurisdiction:

Landlord-Tenant Rental Relief Funding Issues & Covid-19 Supportive Assistance
The Department of Housing and Community Development walked us through federal funding programs and how the money was allocated. The Maryland Association of Counties and the Maryland Municipal League talked more broadly about housing and the role that local governments play.

Two take-aways: by March, nearly all the counties will have exhausted their Covid rental assistance funds. And the evictions crisis that was staved off by the funding is now looming. Our committee will continue to work with our State and local partners on supporting landlords and tenants.

Maryland Department of the Environment & the Maryland Commission on Climate Change
MDE
  • Has 880 permanent positions & 85.5 contractual positions
  • Serves on 64 Boards and Commissions across the state and nation
  • Administers 350 types of permits

MDE Priorities:
  • Environmental Justice
  • Climate Change
  • Chesapeake Bay Restoration
  • Protection of the State’s air, land, and water resources
  • Responding to the needs of Maryland residents

Two items of note: this was the first time the Committee got to meet the Secretary-Designate, Serena McIlwain. With only 5 days on the job, I was extremely impressed with the depth of knowledge she already had of the Department. Second, the Secretary spoke of the Department's commitment to enforcement - critical for the environment - and the subject of one of my successful bills last session.

MCC
The purpose of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change is to advise the Governor and General Assembly on ways to: mitigate the causes of, prepare for, and adapt to the consequences of climate change. It has 8 working groups:
  • Adaptation and Resiliency
  • Greenhouse Gas Mitigation
  • Science & Technical
  • Education, Communication & Outreach
  • Just Transition Employment and Retraining
  • Energy Industry and Revitalization
  • Energy Resilience and Efficiency
  • Solar Photovoltaic Systems Recovery, Reuse and Recycling

Take-away: this group is a dynamic team of thought leaders addressing all components of climate change and how to lead Maryland's efforts to combat it and mitigate the effects.

Maryland Department of Agriculture
MDA has four departments:
  • Marketing, Animal Industries & Consumer Services
  • Plant Industries & Pest Management
  • Resource Conservation
  • Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation

Take-aways: agriculture is a large and important part of Maryland's land use, culture, and economy. There are 12,300 farms, with 2 million acres of farmland. It is an $8.25 billion industry. Agriculture is also one of the biggest areas contributing to pollution in the Bay, and an area that will need adjustments in our continuing efforts to meet our Bay restoration goals.

You can see handouts from all the briefings here.


The Budget

Governor Moore recently released his budget. Some highlights:
  • This budget is fiscally responsible, meeting our 10% Rainy Day Fund goal while preserving a healthy fund balance for future priorities or revenue write downs.

  • In 2021, the General Assembly passed the RELIEF Act which included the highest earned income tax credit (EITC) in the nation and extended the benefit to those with ITIN numbers. The budget funds an enhancement of the child tax credit that helps working parents.

  • The budget includes a 9.3% increase in K-12 education funding while also setting aside another $500M for the implementation of the Blueprint. This builds on the State’s commitment to fully funding the Blueprint while helping to address the learning loss that occurred because of Covid-19. 

  • Our top priority this session is rebuilding State government. The budget funds continued cost of living raises for State employees as we seek to rebuild State government, fill critical State jobs to reduce our record level vacancy rate of 13.4% and retain quality workers. 

  • The budget sets aside $500 million in new transportation funding that will be invested in transit and transportation capital projects. Marylanders have gone back to work, and this needed funding will help to improve their commutes while reducing our carbon emissions. 

  • Post Covid, we’ve seen a need to expand mental health across all sectors. The Governor set aside $78 million for new behavioral health infrastructure investments to help address the mental health crisis.