Dana's News From Annapolis

Busy First Month

Dear Friends,  Maybe it's because we're all "Zooming" these days, but the first month of session has flown by and a LOT of work has been done. Below are some highlights. 

Veto Overrides

In the past two weeks, the House and Senate overrode 38 of Governor Hogan's vetoes of bills from 2020. All of these bills passed the House and Senate by large margins last year. Following are some of the more critical veto overrides.

Blueprint for Maryland's Future (HB 1300 in 2020) The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is based on the recommendations of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (Kirwan Commission) that will transform the State’s early childhood, primary, and secondary education system into a world–class system. It was built on the principle that every child deserves the best education regardless of their zip code. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly last year 96-38, and the veto was overridden 97-38 in the House and 31-15 in the Senate. In an editorial supporting the veto override, the editors of the Baltimore Sun wrote: Here’s what the blueprint is not: It is not a payoff to teacher unions. It is not a tax increase. It is not a burden that will drag down Maryland’s economy. In fact, it is quite the opposite. In this century, intellectual capital is no longer a luxury that can be made available only to families or political subdivisions that can afford it. Employers need young people prepared for a knowledge-based economy. We are a world of computers, of science, of intellect. To not invest more in better educational outcomes is to allow our future to slip away. Prescription Drug Affordability Board Fund (HB1095 in 2020) Nearly one in three Americans report skipping their medication due to prohibitive cost. The Maryland General Assembly, with bipartisan support, passed a bill in 2019 creating the nation’s first Prescription Drug Affordability Board to regulate what state and local government entities pay for certain prescription drugs. Last year, the Maryland General Assembly created a funding source for the Board, allowing it to assess and collect a fee on manufacturers that sell or offer for sale prescription drug products in the State, pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), carriers, and wholesale distributors that sell or offer for sale prescription drug products to persons in the State. While the bill was vetoed by the Governor, the veto was overridden in the House 95-38 and Senate 31-15. Other vetoes that were overridden include: Building Lifelong Library Learners Act (HB1000 in 2020) Maryland Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Incentive Program (HB 514 in 2020) Maryland Area regional commuter train - Expansion of Service (HB514 in 2020)

Unemployment Insurance Reform Package

The pandemic has shown us that Maryland’s unemployment system was unprepared for a statewide emergency and needs to be reformed. The Unemployment Insurance Relief Package, which has been introduced in the House and Senate, will help Marylanders who need it most, when they need it the most. It's been almost a year since the pandemic first threw hundreds of thousands of people out of work, yet thousands of Marylanders still wait for months before they are able to get assistance, because the State has been using an outdated, broken system that needs an overhaul. The reforms proposed will make short-term and structural changes to fix Maryland’s broken UI system including: Modernizing the UI system to ensure that Marylanders can get the money they deserve  Improving customer service Creating more accountability Planning for the next emergency

RELIEF Act

The Maryland General Assembly passed and Governor Hogan signed into law a bipartisan relief package for Marylanders still affected by the pandemic. The Recovery for the Economy, Livelihoods, Industries, Entrepreneurs, and Families (RELIEF) Act, provides over $1.5 billion in pandemic relief. The RELIEF Act will infuse the State’s economy with $509.0 million in spending and provide over $1.0 billion in tax relief and credits. Among the provisions of this bill: Unemployment insurance payments will be exempt from the State income tax, keeping over $225.0 million in the pockets of unemployed Marylanders. Allow small businesses to keep sales tax collections of up to $9,000 over three months Forgives MD taxes on COVID loans and grants Marylanders who qualified for the earned income tax credit in 2019 will be provided with stimulus payments of up to $500, putting over $175.0 million immediately in the hands of low–income individuals and families.

Maryland increased the earned income tax credit, which is one of the most effective anti-poverty measures. The credit is raised to 45% of the federal credit amount – which will, on average, provide families with children up to $730 more for a total of nearly $1,700.

I'm proud to represent District 11 in the Maryland General Assembly House of Delegates. If I can ever be of assistance, please contact me at dana.stein@house.state.md.us, or call my office 410-841-3527.

Sincerely,

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