Dear Friends,
The past few days provide evidence that spring may be coming. It’s hard to believe, but
earlier this week, we passed the halfway mark of our challenging 90-day legislative session.
The Judicial Proceedings Committee has been immersed in considering 9 bills related to police reform. It’s been a grueling few weeks as we considered how best to maintain public and community safety, and while many of the bills did not make as transformative a change as I would have liked, the package represents the most meaningful reform in decades and an improvement over today’s policies and practices. The police reform bills passed the Senate and will be considered by the House. You can read about each of the bills below.
Frustrations abound about the state’s distribution of COVID vaccines continue. Each week, members of the Senate Vaccine Oversight Workgroup grill the Acting Secretary of Health about access, implementation, equity, data, and delivery of vaccines. I share so many constituents’ frustrations about the difficulty in finding and making an appointment and the prioritization and unfair distribution systems, but I do believe the Workgroup has been effective at pushing the Administration in important ways. We will continue to press for answers to your – and our – important questions and to demand transparency.
In addition to a deeper discussion about police reform and vaccinations, what follows are highlights of how the district interacts with our office, a list of my remaining bills, and highlights about our Legislative Bond Initiatives.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance. My fantastic staff has been hard at work all session responding to your concerns and helping to get answers from our state agencies on your behalf.
Stay safe & healthy!
Sincerely,
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We are officially over halfway through the 2021 session! We strive to provide timely responses to all District 11 residents. Our team is busy behind the scenes answering your calls, listening to concerns, and solving problems. If you have a question or if we can help you with a state-related issue, please contact us!
Our office contact information can be found at the end of the newsletter each week. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Senate Passes Nine Historic Police Reform Bills - This week on the floor, the Senate passed a package of nine bills that are a comprehensive and transformative set of police reform measures, built on the three core values of trust, transparency, and accountability. The bills address establishing fair and uniform disciplinary procedures for law enforcement officers, establishing a statewide use of force policy, restoring local control of the Baltimore Police Department, and expanding access to police disciplinary records. The bills will now go to the House of Delegates.
The Judicial Proceedings Committee, on which I serve, has spent six months working on these bills with all stakeholders - advocates, the law enforcement community, and citizens. The result is a package that represents the most comprehensive and thoughtful reform of policing policy in Maryland in decades.
The bills include:
● Repealing the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights and establishing fair, accountable, and universal standards and procedures for handling police misconduct (Senate Bill 627)
● Establishing a statewide use of force standard that includes the duty to report, the duty to intervene, and protections for whistleblowers (Senate Bill 626)
● Creating an independent investigation process for police-involved deaths and ensuring officers who commit wrongdoing are held accountable by the Office of the State Prosecutor (Senate Bill 600)
● Expanding access to police misconduct records under the Maryland Public Information Act (Senate Bill 178)
● Eliminating police access to unnecessary military equipment (Senate Bill 599)
● Promoting the well-being of officers through access to mental health services (Senate Bill 74)
● Restoring local control of the Baltimore City Police Department (Senate Bill 786)
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If you would like more information about my bills, or would like to watch the bill hearings that have been held already, please click here. In addition to the thirteen bills I have already shared, here are my remaining bills for the 2021 session:
Organics Recycling & Waste Bill SB483 This legislation would require large-scale food waste generators within a 30-mile radius of organics recycling facilities to compost their waste. This bill gives waste generators flexible options in order to achieve the goals set. For example, instead of sending food waste to organic recycling facilities, generators could implement their own methods of reducing waste, such as self-management onsite, agricultural usage, or through donations. Click here for the hearing.
Child Abuse- Continuing Course of Conduct SB505 - establishes that when someone charged with the care of a child engages in a “continuing course of conduct” that includes three or more acts of second-degree child abuse, they may be charged with first-degree child abuse. Click here for the hearing.
Body Worn Camera SB583 - requires that new (purchased after Jan. 1, 2022) police body-worn cameras, automatically record and save two minutes of audio and video footage immediately prior to the officer activating the record button on the device. Click here for the hearing.
Waiver Name Change SB581 - removes the antiquated and burdensome requirement to publish name changes. Removing the name change publishing requirement will help keep safe transgender and non-binary people and survivors of domestic violence who wish to avoid risk and stigma, giving them the dignity and privacy they deserve. Click here for the hearing.
Commercial Tenant Liability SB582 - protects individual business owners who have been devastated by the impacts of COVID19 to get relief from personal liability clauses in commercial rental agreements during the state of emergency. Click here for the hearing.
Alcohol Bill SB205 - authorizes restaurants, bars, and taverns to sell and deliver certain alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption or delivery. The hearing will be Fri 3/5 at 2pm, watch it live here.
Domestic Terrorism Task Force SB864 - establishes a Task Force on Preventing and Countering Domestic Terrorism to consider optimal policies and practices for preventing and countering domestic terrorism. The hearing will be 3/10 at noon, watch it live here.
Reusable Tenant Screening SB691 - allows renters and landlords to streamline the rental application process by providing for a “reusable tenant screening report” and prohibits a landlord from charging fees related to the reports. Click here for the hearing.
Correctional Ombudsman SB809 - establishes an ombudsman position in the Office of the Attorney General to investigate complaints, mediate, and report on concerns within the corrections system. The hearing will be 3/9 at 1pm, watch it live here.
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Vaccine Update
We are hopeful that March will bring increased access to appointments due to the addition of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. More than 117,000 Baltimore County residents, about 14%, have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, more than 46,000 have been administered by the Baltimore County Department of Health. More than 66,000 residents have received a second dose, but we still have a long way to go.
Free Rides to Vaccines!
Good news -- Baltimore County will now schedule and cover the cost for Uber rides for residents without other transportation options to ensure they can travel to COVID-19 vaccine clinic sites. Click here for more information.
At Home Vaccinations Available
Residents who have been certified homebound by their physician should complete Baltimore County’s vaccine registration, which allows them to indicate that they are homebound. They will be contacted by the County to schedule a time to receive a vaccine. Public health nurses will partner with EMTs from the Baltimore County Fire Department to travel to residents’ homes via a mobile unit to administer vaccines. This service is available only for residents who are truly homebound. The County asks residents to be patient – thousands have already registered and indicated that they are homebound, and it will take time for the County to reach everyone.
FDA Approves Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 Vaccine for Emergency Use - The Food and Drug Administration authorized Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, making it the third effective vaccine against the coronavirus. Johnson & Johnson is aiming to provide the U.S. with 100 million doses by the end of June. Unlike the vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine only requires a single dose to provide immunity. And while some Americans have expressed concern over Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine’s efficacy of 72% (as compared to 95% for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines), Dr. Anthony Fauci has supported the new development, stating, “Accept the fact that now you have three highly effective vaccines. Period.”
I urge everyone to tune into the weekly Vaccine Workgroup hearings, held every Monday at 4:00 pm. Simply click the camera icon for previously recorded sessions or the LIVE button on Monday.
You can text MDReady to 89821 to learn when appointments are available at our mass vaccination sites at Six Flags in Prince George’s County and the Convention Center and M& T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Residents can call the Maryland Health Department 877-319-1525 with any feedback and specific questions related to the virus or the vaccine. For individuals who may not be able to access the vaccine registry via computer or who need additional assistance, please call 311 or use the Baltimore County COVID-19 hotline 410-887-3816.
Helpful Links & Information:
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Baltimore County Updates-LBIs
Each year we receive requests from community organizations for public funding for projects, known as Legislative Bond Initiatives, or LBIs. More information on this process can be found here and eligibility requirements can be found here.
The Pikesville Armory
The historic Pikesville Armory is a unique public asset, owned by the state, that is currently vacant and deteriorating. Community stakeholders have joined together under a common vision to redevelop the site. A Pikesville Armory Foundation has been formed to secure State, County, and private resources with the goal of building a center for arts, recreation, history, and community gathering. This public-private redevelopment partnership would anchor and revitalize the commercial corridor of Reisterstown Road. I am pleased to report that at my, and my 11th District colleagues request, the Governor has included $500,000 in the capital budget for the project. In addition, the 11th District Team has submitted a Legislative Bond Initiative request for $500,000.
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Additional Legislative Bond Initiative Requests for 2021:
JEWELS
JEWELS seeks to construct an inclusion playground that will offer a venue where children with cognitive and physical disabilities can play side-by-side in a safe and appropriate recreational space.
Torah Institute
Torah Institute of Baltimore, a K-8 school, was established in 1952. The school is seeking funding to develop a learning center, a multi-purpose room, an indoor-play gym and an occupational therapy center.
If your community organization would like information on applying for funding for next year, please contact Janet Eckman at jeckman@senate.state.md.us
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Each year, Delegates and Senators in the Maryland General Assembly award thousands of Maryland students millions of dollars in financial aid to attend a Maryland institution of higher education. Please note that Senatorial Scholarships are awarded for 4 years and are automatically renewed each year. Upon graduation, students may re-apply for graduate studies. You must be a resident of District 11 to receive a scholarship.
Applications for my scholarship are due on or before April 16, 2021.
Questions? Contact: jeckman@senate.state.md.us
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We regularly update our Resource Guide - please check out recently announced programs by clicking on the button below. Please don't hesitate to call or email my office if we can be of assistance.
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