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Dear Friend: Over the past month, I have had some exciting opportunities to talk about my work in the Maryland General Assembly. First, the District 16 legislators held our annual post-session town hall in May. If you were not able to join us, you can watch the town hall here. A few weeks ago, I joined Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood in studio for WAMU's The Politics Hour. You can listen to the discussion here.  And for a wonkier take, you can listen to a deep dive discussion about the Environment & Transportation Committee I chair on the Conduit Street Podcast, the podcast for the Maryland Association of Counties You can listen to the podcast here.  I also got to interview author Casey Burghat regarding his book "We Hold These Truths: How to Spot the Myths That Are Holding America Back" at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. You can watch our discussion on CSPAN here.  Of course, my favorite opportunities to talk about my work are with groups in District 16. For example, last week the District 16 legislators joined the Friendship Heights Neighborhood Network for a town hall. In May, we visited with the Greater Farmland Civic Association. A few weeks ago, I addressed a group of District 16 weed warriors and then got to chip in to cut away invasive vines from our trees. And I joined Sara Love at the KID Museum in downtown Bethesda in giving awards to young inventors. If your neighborhood, building, or other group is interested in hearing about the work of state government, please let me know. KEEPING UP WITH MY ACTIVITIES If you are reading this, you already know how to find me. But here are some other ways to keep up with my work for District 16. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or Bluesky. I also still share some limited information on Twitter/X.  FEDERAL THOUGHTS As I was finishing this email, I could not help but comment on what is happening in Los Angeles--where I went to college--in response to all of the breaking news alerts on our phones. Protest is a legitimate exercise of our constitutional rights but such protesters should be peaceful. When they are not, there can be a legitimate need for a law enforcement response. Perhaps in extreme cases, that response has to become more militarized to keep the peace, although I am skeptical that this is one of those extreme cases if you cut through a lot of the media fog and see how limited the situation actually is. All that said, and as usual for the current presidential administration, their response is completely disproportionate, driven by an ideological and vengeful agenda, and a total smashing of U.S. laws and norms. I think back to the Jade Helm 15 "controversy" of 2015 where basic military training that happened to overlap with the Obama presidency was viewed by far right conspiracy theorists as an attempt at a military takeover. Now we have a president who has actually activated a state's national guard, as well as our U.S. military, against people on American soil in contravention of laws and norms and is simply cheered on by virtually every Republican who can get near a microphone. It is a disturbing and disheartening situation. But one that I fear could have significant downstream consequences in our country. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE When I sent out my last monthly newsletter, Governor Moore was still working through the output of the legislative session and considering what bills to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature. He has now finished making his decisions. What has received the most attention are the bills the Governor vetoed, a complete list of which can be found here. The list includes a study on reparations, a study on greenhouse gas impacts on Maryland, a study on data centers, the creation of a new energy planning function for the state, a prioritization of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and a technology and social media guide for youth. In Maryland, veto overrides are not taken up until the next time we convene so there is plenty of time for consideration of potential action. The Governor also allowed several bills to become law without his signature, which can be found here. And the final bills the Governor signed after my May newsletter can be reviewed here. BUDGET UPDATE Maryland has long maintained a AAA bond rating from all three major credit rating agencies. Ever since I was elected, I have shared these bond ratings reports. Unfortunately, one of the three major bond rating agencies (Moody’s) lowered Maryland’s bond rating one notch from AAA to Aa1 for the first time in decades. The good news is that Fitch and S&P maintained Maryland's historic AAA bond rating. As I have always explained when the ratings agency reports come out, “[in] many ways, the bond rating agencies make us bow at false gods, but it does allow the state to borrow for construction projects at more favorable rates.” Remember, unlike our federal friends, Maryland does not deficit spend on operating. Debt financing is for capital/construction projects only. Therefore, this change has the potential to either increase the cost of state construction in Maryland and/or require us to pull back on capital dollars we spend to build schools, parks, hospitals, and more. In my view, Moody's made this decision for one reason. Our state is a “company town” and that company is the federal government. Unfortunately, the current owner of the company hired his now departed tech bro as factory foreman and lit the factory on fire. As I have said in many settings around District 16, however you voted in November, the federal administration’s actions have an immediate negative impact on Maryland and this is an outgrowth of that. Why am I so comfortable pointing at Washington? Because not much else has changed in Maryland. The factors Moody’s looks at have not really changed. My Republican colleagues are, frankly, crowing about those other factors. We are a high spending state (predominantly on public education, healthcare, and public safety); we do need to do better with our pension; we should become economically less reliant on the federal government and increase economic growth; and so forth. But all of that was true many prior times Moody’s affirmed the AAA bond rating. What has changed is what is happening in Washington. And that’s why DC also received a similar downgrade. You can read the current (FY25) rating agencies reports--as well as historic reports--on the Treasurer's website. MONTGOMERY COUNTY DELEGATION UPDATE As the former chair of the now 26-member strong Montgomery County House Delegation, I am always eager to share information about our work. Last month, we re-elected our current chair and vice chair for another year at the helm. You can watch the organizational meeting here. COMMUNITY NEWS As a reminder, Metro’s “Better Bus Network” is coming on June 29th. A lot of the changes impacting District 16 are really just line name changes and frequency improvements. But check out the images below for more details or visit this site. A few bus stops in District 16 are also being eliminated/consolidated. See the full list of stop changes here.   ----- The Maryland Department of Labor has set up the small loan program we established in law a few months ago to support former federal workers who have been impacted by the chaos created by the White House. Learn more here. ----- Although technically just outside of District 16, I was pleased to be on hand for the announcement of the next stage of joint development at the North Bethesda Metro Station: the announcement of a master developer. The work at North Bethesda is a partnership of Metro, Montgomery County, the state and the University of Maryland. The General Assembly has secured funds for site preparation, a second Metro entrance, and operating dollars for the Institute of Health Computing now established in North Bethesda.  ----- Congratulations to District 16's Devang Shah on his re-appointment to the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation and Aruna Nathan on her appointment to the Montgomery County Commission on Health. ----- Congratulations to District 16's Karen Keating, winner of the Friend of Glen Echo Park Award. ----- Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson was presented the inaugural JCRC Community Champion Award. Congratulations Andrew! ----- Congratulations to the newly elected members of the Friendship Heights Village Council: Francine Klein, Victor Basile, Allyson Alt, John Conlow. And congratulations to the re-elected councilmembers: Roy Schaeffer (now Mayor) and Martha Solt (now Council Chair). And, finally, congratulations to Al Muller on his return to the council. ----- District 16's Lawrence Halloran is the new Montgomery County Board of Elections substitute member. Congratulations to him. ----- District 16's Little Falls Watershed Alliance has been named Montgomery Serves Volunteer Group of the Year. ----- The District 16 Delegation was on hand to congratulate the Luxmanor Citizens Association on winning the Montgomery County Civic Federation's Sentinel Award.  With the 2025 legislative session complete, my email newsletter is back to its monthly format, but there is still a lot to share. ANNUAL EVENT As a reminder, my annual District 16 political event is on Saturday, May 31st at 2pm. You can RSVP and contribute here. Thank you for your support!  TOWN HALL The annual District 16 legislators town hall will be virtual this year. It will be a chance for us to report back to you, respond to your questions, and hear your feedback. The town hall will be on Tuesday, May 20th at 6:30pm. RSVP by clicking here.  LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Governor Moore is still working through the output of the legislative session and considering what bills to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature. The bill signing page of his website shows what bills he has signed so far: Bill Signings - News - Office of Governor Wes Moore. I am proud that nine bills for which I was the primary sponsor have been or will be signed by the Governor.  ----- Among the bills I authored that have already been signed is an update to our state conflict of interest laws for Governors. You can read the bill here. Governor Moore made some comments about the bill when signing it, which you can watch here. You can read about the bill in a recent Time Magazine article as well. ----- The 90 Day Report—prepared annually by the non-partisan Department of Legislative Services staff—is now available online and summarizes the legislative and budgetary output of the General Assembly session. ----- The Joint Chairs’ Report of the state budget summarizes all of the budget actions taken by the Maryland General Assembly. But it is also an important oversight tool, as it contains all of the budget restrictions and reporting requirements the General Assembly put in place during the budget process. A few that I worked with my colleagues to include are: -Language restricting $150,000 for implementation of HB 517, my legislation to review the structure of the Maryland Transit Administration and eventually improve the service of the MARC commuter rail and other transit. -An updated study of the Old Georgetown Road bike lanes requested by community members. -A study suggested by a constituent to expand adopt-a-road programs to help with the removal of invasive vines and weeds. -The continuation of bimonthly reports on the Purple Line’s progress. -A report on backyard poultry flock registration improvements, extremely important in an era of bird flu. -Quarterly reports of the State Board of Elections regarding major information technology projects. There is a lot more in the full document, which you can read here. COMMITTEE UPDATE The Environment and Transportation Committee, on which I serve as chair, had the heaviest workload of any House committee this year when it comes to the volume of legislation we considered. Here are some highlights of the bills we passed.  COMMUNITY NEWS Metro’s “Better Bus Network” is coming on June 29th. A lot of the changes impacting District 16 are really just line name changes and frequency improvements, but see the images below for more details or visit this site. A few bus stops in District 16 are also being eliminated/consolidated. See the full list of stop changes here.   ----- Congratulations to Glen Echo municipal officials on their re-election including Mayor Dia Costello and Councilmembers Dan Spealman and Matt Stiglitz. ----- Congratulations to former Congressman David Trone and his wife June on being awarded the Jewish Community Relations Council Breslau-Goldman Award. ----- Several District 16 residents have recently been appointed or re-appointed to county boards and commissions, including: -Montgomery County Commission on Aging: Chiquita Battle -Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs: Alan Rosenberg -Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board: Robert Kelley, Mark Rittenberg, Tazeen Ahmad, Cynthia Bell, Michael Chiswick Patterson, Lee Keiser, Susan Klees, Janet Shatz, and Sean Xie. ----- Guilia McPherson has been named chair of the Nourishing Bethesda board. Congratulations Giulia! ----- Congratulations to new C&O Canal Trust board member, Judy Harrison. ----- Congratulations to Anne W. Coventry on being included on The Daily Record Living Trust & Estate Planning Power List. LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIP As a reminder, state legislators award higher education scholarships for those attending Maryland institutions or non-Maryland institutions with unique majors (not available in Maryland). Learn more about my office's program at https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html.  Dear Friend: The 2025 Maryland Legislative session has now concluded. Every session I have represented you in the Maryland General Assembly has had its share of challenges, but this may have been the most difficult in light of state budget shortfalls, which are being severely exacerbated by devastating actions of the federal government. Despite these difficulties, it is still an incredible privilege to represent you alongside the rest of the District 16 Delegation: Senator Sara Love, Delegate Sarah Wolek, and Delegate Teresa Woorman. In 2025, I continued my service as chair of the House Environment & Transportation Committee, one of just six standing committees in the House with jurisdiction over not just the topics in the committee title but also ethics, housing, agriculture, local government, and more. Below is a synopsis of some key highlights from the legislative session. We work on thousands of bills each legislative session, so if an issue you care about is not addressed here, please email me about it at [email protected] or just reply to this message.   BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
The one piece of legislation that we are constitutionally required to pass each year is a balanced budget. This year, we faced a large projected deficit when we convened, and the problem has grown more severe with the federal government both cutting direct assistance to all states and also making changes that are particularly impactful to Maryland, where we have so many federal employees, federal contractors, and federal agencies. Despite these fiscal challenges, the General Assembly passed a comprehensive and balanced budget that funds our shared priorities and ensures essential services, improves our state’s financial condition moving forward, and makes significant cuts to ensure we are fiscally responsible. The budget includes: $1.6 billion in general fund budget reductions (cuts) overall. However, significant cuts that had been proposed for critical services provided by the Developmental Disabilities Administration were largely avoided. Over $2.4 billion dedicated to offset and protect against federal actions negatively impacting Maryland residents. This includes $ 2.1 billion for the state’s Rainy Day Fund. Funding for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future and pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public education programs, including over $1 billion allocated for Montgomery County Public Schools. Fully funds the Governor’s transportation budget, ensuring funding for programs and projects across the state. To help pay for our state budget, the General Assembly worked with the Governor on difficult but necessary tax and revenue proposals, including: A higher income tax rate for individuals earning over $500,000 through the creation of two new tax brackets at 6.25% and 6.5% for those high earners. A capital gains surcharge on those with incomes over $350,000 per year. Phasing out of itemization for those making over $200,000 per year and an increase in the standard deduction. A new 3% sales tax on broad-based services provided by data and IT companies. Several tax proposals put forth by the Governor were not adopted, including a lowering of the estate tax exemption, elimination of the inheritance tax, full elimination of itemization, a corporate tax reduction, and a retail delivery service fee. It is never easy to cut vital programs or raise people’s taxes, but that is what is required to meet our balanced budget requirements. The state’s capital (construction) budget also included tens of millions for Montgomery County school construction and local District 16 projects, including support for: The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health New Second Entrance at the North Bethesda Metro Station Bannockburn Nursery School. Imagination Stage The National Center for Children and Family PROTECTING MARYLANDERS Maryland is feeling the impacts of the irresponsible decisions of the new presidential administration. Federal workers, in particular, have been hit hard by reckless cuts and layoffs. With more than 60 federal agencies hosting major operations within the state, Maryland has lost tens of thousands of federal jobs. District 16 has seen its own share of these problems as the National Institute of Health’s main headquarters is located in Bethesda and will let go of an estimated 3,400 employees as a result of presidential decisions. These reckless decisions are forcing Maryland to make some difficult decisions. The Maryland General Assembly has taken action to mitigate and reverse harm inflicted upon both our federal workers and the people who rely on their services. One important action we took was to fund the Attorney General’s requested budget increase to fight the federal administration in court. The House also passed the Protect Our Federal Workers Act (HB 1424). The bill is a response to the recent uncertainty in federal employment status and authorizes the Maryland Department of Labor to issue interest-free loans to affected federal employees in the event of a government shutdown or mass layoff. The bill also provides an additional $1.5 million to the Office of the Attorney General to hire more attorneys to protect affected federal employees and streamlines the state hiring process for former federal employees who can put their talents to use in state government. This bill aims to provide stability to the almost 143,000 federal employees in Maryland. The federal administration is taking actions to repeal and undermine the Affordable Care Act. The Maryland General Assembly has taken several actions to put protections in place. We passed HB 930, which establishes the Public Health Abortion Grant Program from unspent insurance premiums for abortion coverage to support those who are uninsured and underinsured. The legislature is also preserving insurance carrier coverage with HB 974, requiring coverage of preventative services with zero cost sharing. Investing in preventative care reduces the costs of overall care. HB 1045 builds upon legislation we passed in 2017 that made Maryland the first state in the nation to guarantee funding for family planning and women’s health services if the Federal Government decides to defund clinics. Given the national landscape, funding these protections is vital for families. In the wake of several federal actions indiscriminately increasing enforcement and the detaining of immigrants, the General Assembly is taking steps to protect our immigrant communities. We passed the Maryland Values Act (HB 1222), which designates public schools, public libraries, state funded or operated health and care facilities, and state governmental buildings as sensitive locations where immigration enforcement and detaining efforts are limited and or restricted. I was proud to cosponsor the House version of the bill. What this ultimately did not include is a prohibition I voted for in the House to prohibit state and local agencies from participating in what are known as 287(g) immigration enforcement agreements, which use local law enforcement for routine federal immigration enforcement. Those provisions would have ensured state and local cooperation for certain types of dangerous activity, but not put local law enforcement on the frontlines of regular immigration enforcement. EDUCATION As the Trump Administration is attempting to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, guaranteeing that Maryland’s students have access to quality education has remained one of our top priorities. The Maryland General Assembly took steps to fund and reinforce Maryland’s education system. We passed the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act (HB 504) to retain essential public education funding for community schools (those with significant economically disadvantaged populations), students from low-income families, multilingual learner services, special education, and teacher collaborative time. Additionally, the bill makes targeted investments in teacher recruitment, retention, and professional development. This bill is essential as harmful cuts are made at the federal level, so we can ensure every Maryland student gets a quality education. As noted above, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was fully funded in this budget. The Blueprint is often in the news for its costs, but it is not just about money but what we are getting for that money. Its five pillars include early childhood education, quality teachers, college and career readiness, investing in those with the most needs, and oversight. The investments made so far have been fruitful as there has been a 53% increase in students enrolled in full-day pre-k. Maryland is ranked first for the number of teachers becoming National Board Certified. We have over 300 career coaches across the state who are providing career counseling to students. There has been a 110% increase in the number of community schools that provide wrap-around services to ensure students have all the resources they need to be successful. Additionally, all 24 school systems across the state are being held accountable for their implementation plans. I also sponsored the County School Board Member Anti-Bias Training Act (HB 324), which expands anti-bias–including anti-Semitism–training requirements to county school board members. This legislation builds upon legislation I worked on last year that required the training for public school employees. More than ever, it is important that there is an understanding of the complexity and diversity of our community, especially by those tasked with governance. TRANSPORTATION As many of you know, investing in our transportation network is a significant focus of mine. This session, I sponsored the Metro Funding Modification Act of 2025 (HB 467), which modifies Maryland’s contribution of dedicated capital funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), our local transit system. The bill would have increased the regional dedicated capital contribution Maryland would make to Metro to maintain service and safety, contingent on Virginia and D.C. doing the same. The bill passed the House but did not proceed in the Senate. We also passed HB 527, legislation to provide some limited relief to residents and businesses along the Purple Line construction corridor, with limited free ridership and advertising. In addition, we sent to the Governor HB 517, legislation I sponsored to review the structure of the Maryland Transit Administration, including the Purple Line and our MARC commuter rail system. The Environment and Transportation Committee took a serious look at ways we can meet our state’s Vision Zero goal, our aspirational effort to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries for drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians to zero. We heard approximately 20 bills that focused on addressing speeding on our roadways. We passed HB 1173, which authorizes the placement and use of speed monitoring systems in Montgomery County on roads that are at high risk for crashes. HB 182 increases the civil penalty fees charged for speed monitoring system violations, specifically levying higher fees for those going at higher speeds (remember, no speed camera penalty sets in until you are going 12 miles per hour over the limit). The Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act (HB 744) alters penalties for reckless and aggressive driving. The bill is named after Sergeant Patrick Kepp, who is a Montgomery County police officer who was severely injured by a reckless driver. These bills all aim to make drivers think more carefully before driving recklessly and endangering lives. Although automated enforcement can be a useful safety tool, it must also be used appropriately. This year, I sponsored the Automated Enforcement Privacy Act (HB 516), which prohibits agencies from accessing or using a recorded image or associated data without a warrant, subpoena, or court order unless the access or use is for an appropriate traffic enforcement purpose. This bill will protect the privacy of citizens while ensuring our statewide systems can continue to protect and enforce necessary safety and traffic standards across the state. Senator Love has been a great leader on this issue and sponsored the Senate version of the bill. ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY In this session, we worked on a package of bills aimed at advancing clean energy, improving water quality, and supporting our agricultural partners. The House worked closely with the Senate to pass the Next Generation Energy Act (HB 1035) to help Maryland achieve its energy priorities and provide much-needed rate relief. Among the bill’s provisions is a major increase in the deployment of energy storage (150 megawatts of distribution-connected energy storage), altering how multi-year rate plans by utilities can be undertaken, and requiring a fast-track procurement of new energy generation, excluding coal and oil options. Candidly, the approach does leave the possibility of natural gas, but this cannot be a long-term solution given Maryland's climate goals. The Next Generation Energy Act also strengthens the oversight of Maryland’s gas utilities by reforming the STRIDE program. Companies must now demonstrate that infrastructure upgrades prioritize safety, provide value to customers, and are better than lower-cost alternatives like leak repair. Communities must also be notified well in advance of construction. Finally, utilities may propose multi-year rate plans—but only if they serve the public interest by improving predictability, maintaining quality, and preventing retroactive charges. The goal is a system that better serves people, not just providers. Moreover, we passed the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (HB 1036), to make the siting of solar and other renewables easier to manage. HB 49 alters Maryland’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) from the Climate Solutions Now Act that was passed in 2022. BEPS is a policy to reduce emissions from the building sector. We have been working with stakeholders to ensure that Montgomery County buildings only need to comply with Montgomery County’s more flexible local law, and I am pleased that was part of the final bill. Coal ash pollution poses a serious threat to Maryland’s communities and waterways. New data has revealed a widespread presence of legacy coal ash sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Coal ash contains toxic metals that can contaminate water and air, putting nearby communities at risk. SB 425 strengthens oversight of coal ash storage and cleanup by aligning with federal rules, expanding monitoring, creating a coordination committee, and updating fees to fund enforcement. It’s a key step to safeguarding public health, drinking water, and our beloved Chesapeake Bay. We also took a step toward holding major polluters financially accountable. SB 149–previously called the RENEW Act–directs the Comptroller, in coordination with key state agencies, to study and report the full cost of greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland. The study will quantify the economic and environmental damage caused by climate change—including impacts to public health, infrastructure, and agriculture—and assess the costs already borne by the state and its residents. We also passed the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act (HB 506), landmark legislation establishing the Maryland Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming (LEEF) Program. This bill takes a major step forward in protecting our waterways that feed the Chesapeake Bay by promoting regenerative farming on public lands—farming practices that restore soil health, reduce nutrient pollution, and sequester carbon. The bill also establishes a comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program within the Department of Natural Resources, ensuring our Bay cleanup efforts are guided by strong science and transparent data. We also worked on the Maryland Bottle Bill (HB 232) this session. While it did not cross the finish line this year, it represents important steps toward a cleaner and more sustainable Maryland. To reduce litter and promote recycling, HB 232 proposed a statewide beverage container deposit system—a proven strategy in other states to cut down on waste and increase recycling rates. However, we did pass SB 901, which puts more responsibility on producers of packaging and paper products to submit a framework to minimize the environmental and human health impacts of packaging, conserving resources by increasing recycling rates and content, modernizing waste and recycling systems across the state, and making producers financially responsible for investing in the needed recycling and waste infrastructure. These efforts are part of our long-term waste diversion goals. HOUSING This session, I supported legislation to expand access to safe, affordable housing and strengthen Maryland communities. For example, working with our County’s leadership, I sponsored the Affordable Housing Payment in Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act (HB 390), to incentivize property owners of naturally occurring affordable housing to maintain that affordable housing instead of upgrading to market (more expensive) rates. On the tenant side, I supported the Tenant Possession Recovery Act (HB 767), which requires landlords to provide an additional notice of eviction to tenants and provide a specific notice to safeguard tenant possessions. The Moore Administration submitted two significant housing bills, and I worked to ensure that they both maximized housing and maintained our local communities. HB 80, a bill on Transit-Oriented Development, supports targeting housing and mixed-use development near public transit. Frankly, Montgomery County has already done quite a bit of this work, but the bill would have ensured other areas with rail transit are following our lead. The Housing Development Act (HB 503), previously referred to as the Housing for Jobs Act, was heavily amended based on feedback I received from many of you. As amended, the bill would have set non-binding housing production targets, established a new commission to study and promote housing, and put in place clear rules so that the policies in place at the time a housing application is approved continue to govern that project. Ultimately, however, these bills did not pass the State Senate. My seatmate, Delegate Wolek, sponsored the Maryland Housing Data Transparency Act (HB 1193), supporting housing development efforts across the state’s largest counties and Baltimore City by establishing a framework for the quarterly collection and reporting of housing data to the Maryland Department of Planning. All information will be stored and readily accessible on an interactive online site to help address the housing crisis in a factual, data-driven manner. We also worked toward the successful passage of SB 63, a bill regarding Funding of Reserve Accounts and Preparation of Funding Plans. Those of you living in common ownership communities– such as a condo or co-op community–are aware of the important rules we have put in place to ensure a building is maintaining adequate reserves to invest in important safety measures. The legislation places additional flexibility in these reserve study and account requirements to maximize safety while maintaining affordability for residents. TRANSPARENCY AND REFORM I am proud to once again sponsor and support legislation to promote government transparency in Maryland. I was the primary lead on three bills that addressed this topic. The Local Boards of Elections Transparency Act (HB 412) builds upon work I did in prior legislative sessions to increase the transparency of our state board of elections by requiring the advance posting of certain documents and video streaming of meetings. This successful bill expands these requirements to county boards of elections across the state, although I am proud to note that Montgomery County largely did this without a legal requirement. HB 932 addresses potential conflicts of interest by a Governor by expanding the use of blind trusts and non-participation agreements to ensure that a Governor is focused on the best interests of the state. It strengthens Maryland’s public ethics framework by limiting the Governor’s ability to influence decisions for personal gain. The WSSC Planning and Reporting Act (HB 1195) provides better oversight of the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission (WSSC). My office has received numerous constituent complaints related to WSSC and this legislation puts a new subject matter expert on the Commission, requires the public posting of more information, and requires WSSC, WSSC’s Inspector General, and the Department of Legislative Services to review various aspects of WSSC’s operation and governance to improve outcomes. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM Maryland has made great progress during the past few years on criminal justice reform. This session, the General Assembly passed the Maryland Second Look Act (HB 853) authorizing certain individuals to file a motion for a reduced sentence if the individual was convicted between the ages of at least 18 and under 25, was not sentenced to life, is not a sex offender, and has served at least 20 years of the sentence. The legislation will further state efforts to promote rehabilitation and restorative justice. GOING FORWARD Thank you for keeping in touch during the legislative session. I strongly value the input of my constituents on the issues before the General Assembly. While the state legislature only meets for 90 days each year in Annapolis, I am working for you 365 days a year. As we progress throughout the year, my office will continue to be a resource to help connect you to state and local officials. If you have any questions about the material in this letter, other questions about the recently concluded legislative session, ideas regarding policy issues, issues with a state agency that require constituent services, or are interested in my office’s legislative scholarship, please contact me any time. I can be reached by phone at 410-841-3649 or by email at [email protected]. There are just a handful of days left during this legislative session and my next email will be a comprehensive summary of everything that has taken place. Over the next few days, we will finalize the budget, address energy and other environmental legislation, and, hopefully, finalize immigration and criminal justice bills among other issues. During this last minute crush of activity, I am often asked if it would make more sense to have a longer annual session or even a full time legislature. It is a complicated question and there are pros and cons. But I do think attention is focused and compromise is hatched when a deadline hangs over you. If we had a 100 day legislative session, I believe we would still have this crush of last minute activity but it would be close to the 100th day and not the 90th. BUDGET UPDATE Last week, I shared an update on the balanced budget deal agreed to by the House and Senate leadership and the Governor. That compromise is still working its way through the legislative process. We had two lengthy days of debate on it in the House, which is appropriate given the scale of the budget deficit, the size of the budget cuts being discussed, and the potential impact of taxes and other revenue. Not surprisingly, my role in the debate was focused primarily on transportation issues and you can view part of that discussion here. The budget has also passed the Senate and is now in a conference committee between the two chambers, ----- There is another element of the annual budget that focuses on the state's construction program (the capital budget). This funds school construction, healthcare facilities, public safety buildings and more. This year's capital budget includes over $900 million in school construction investment, including over $50 million for an enrollment-based program that disproportionately benefits Montgomery County. Under the leadership of the Montgomery County Delegation Chair, we also secured additional school construction funding for Montgomery County not included in the Governor's original request. Other District 16 projects that are receiving funding include: -Children's Inn at NIH -The Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom -Imagination Stage -The Bannockburn Nursery School -The National Center for Children and Families -The North Bethesda Metro Station second entrance -And more.... LEGISLATIVE UPDATE The bills of which I am the primary sponsor continue to work their way through the legislative process. As of the time I am writing this, six of my bills have passed the Senate and are heading to the Governor's desk for signature including the County School Board Anti-Bias Act, the Local Boards of Election Transparency Act, privacy protections for automated enforcement data, the Conflicts of Interest Act, legislation expanding the availability of vintage plates, and the State Mineral Act. I expect a few additional bills to make it through the process as well. LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIP State legislators award higher education scholarships for those attending Maryland institutions or non-Maryland institutions with unique majors (not available in Maryland). Learn more about my office's program at https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html.  COMMUNITY NEWS Preserve Cast is a Maryland-based history podcast I enjoy. This week's guest was District 16's own Hank Levine, who is a leader on the Bethesda Meeting House Preservation project. Listen here. ----- Several District 16 residents have been appointed or re-appointed to County boards: -Citizens Review Panel for Children: Jane Yamaykin -Commission on Landlord Tenant Affairs: Michael Rosenzweig, Stefanie Milovic, and Thomas Jackson COMMUNITY EVENTS On Thursday, May 8th at 6pm, the Maryland Transit Administration will host the latest Bethesda Chevy Chase Purple Line Community Action Team meeting. The meeting is virtual and can be accessed here. OFFICE CORNER As we approach the end of the legislative session, the next stop for many bills will be the Governor's desk where he can sign a bill into law, let it become law without his signature, or veto it. I have two framed pens from bill signings in my office to share here including from my first bill (a Metro ridership study requirement for Maryland, whose next installment is due this year) and the 2018 dedicated funding for Metro bill. I hope you enjoyed this fun segment of my newsletter this year and I hope to have a new topic to keep your interest in the 2026 legislative session!  The one piece of legislation that we have to pass each year is a budget. And unlike what legislators at the federal level deal with, our budget must be balanced. Early in the legislative session, my weekly email provided a primer on the budget and some history as to how we got to this current moment. That email was sent two days after the current president was sworn in and the challenges have mounted from there with both direct federal funding and the economic impacts of federal actions causing us severe harm. Some of you have written to me asking for a cuts only approach to balancing our budget. Others have suggested much more in taxes to address the current deficit and prepare for future federal actions, such as significant rollbacks to Medicaid (healthcare for those in need). My own view is that the best approach is a combination of both and I was pleased to see the House, Senate, and Governor announce a compromise balanced budget plan last week. I provided a brief summary of this budget deal via video a few days ago which you can watch here. That video focused on specific budget elements I have heard from you about and what is in and what is out of the final budget deal. To summarize: Out -Significant cuts to the Developmental Disabilities Administration. -Lowering the estate tax exemption from $5 million to $2 million and eliminating the inheritance tax. -Lowering the corporate tax rate from 8.25% to 7.99%. -Online retail delivery fee. -Entirely eliminating the itemization of tax deductions. -Broad-based Business-to-Business Services Sales Tax (not proposed in the Governor's budget but discussed). -iGaming, which is online gambling (not proposed in the Governor's budget but discussed). In -$1.6 billion in budget cuts across a wide range of programs (a full list is linked below). -Increase the sports wagering tax rate from 15% to 30%. -Increase the recreational cannabis tax rate from 9% to 15%. -Increase the income tax for income over $500,000 from a tax rate of 5.75% to 6.25% ($500,000-$1,000,000) and 6.50% (excess of $1,000,000) (income thresholds vary for joint filers). -Phase out of itemization for incomes over $200,000. -3% services sales tax on Information Technology, something a wide range of states do including Pennsylvania and Texas. A link to the state budget bill is here. A summary report is here. A link to the bill that accompanies the budget to make statutory changes necessary to balance it--known as the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act--can be found here. And a summary report is here. The summary includes a list of budget cuts on page 10. The summary reports have a lot more information, but if you have any specific questions please feel free to reply to this email or reach out in other ways. With these actions, the state will have $2.4 billion in reserves including both a cash balance and a Rainy Day Fund and a structural balance next budget year. TRANSPORTATION UPDATE As part of the annual budget, the Maryland Transit Administration has to submit bimonthly reports on Purple Line progress. The most recent report--which does not change the date for the Purple Line opening--can be read here. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE I have shared before that one of the bills I am sponsoring this year is the Local Boards of Elections Transparency Act, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Cheryl Kagan. This legislation requires our local boards of elections to livestream their meetings and post their agendas. One thing I have not mentioned is that Montgomery County has led the way in already doing this work and we want to see other counties' boards follow our county's lead. ----- Bills that have crossed from one chamber to the other will begin to move quickly through the legislative process, particularly when they are identical to other bills that have moved. One of my bills has already moved through the Senate, the Maryland State Mineral Act, which makes chromite the state mineral (an issue brought to me by a constituent). LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIP State legislators award higher education scholarships for those attending Maryland institutions or non-Maryland institutions with unique majors (not available in Maryland). Learn more about my office's program at https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html.  COMMUNITY NEWS Congratulations to Bethesda's Daniel Schlaff, who has been re-appointed to the Bethesda Urban Partnership Board of Directors. ----- Congratulations to Sue O'Hara (Individual Hero) and the Bethesda Central Farm Market (Community Hero) on their Heroes Against Hunger recognition from Manna Food Center. ----- One of the amazing aspects of our district is the many authors who live there. Today I want to shout out Josh Silver and his new book, Ending Redlining through a Community-Centered Reform of the Community Reinvestment Act. I first learned of the book through a Baltimore Sun op-ed he authored. COMMUNITY EVENTS On Thursday, May 8th at 6pm, the Maryland Transit Administration will host the latest Bethesda Chevy Chase Purple Line Community Action Team meeting. The meeting is virtual and can be accessed here. OFFICE CORNER Tomorrow is Major League Baseball's Opening Day. We live in challenging times, but as former MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent said, "This is not a day for concerns. This is a day for pleasure. There are concerns in baseball but they get dissolved in the bright sunshine." In honor of Opening Day, here is a look at some of the Baltimore Orioles memorabilia in my office. I grew up in Montgomery County in the 1980s and 1990s when the Os were the home team and I have stuck with them through thick and thin--and wow has it been a lot of thin!  We are now past "crossover day," the day by which bills have to pass from one chamber to another. This email includes an update on the bills of which I am the primary sponsor. But we also had significant floor debate on a few other issues that I wanted to share information about. The Maryland Second Look Act (HB 853) allows a subset of incarcerated Marylanders--those who were between 18 and 25 when convicted, were not sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, is not a sex offender, and have been imprisoned for 20 years--to petition a court and consider a sentence reduction if the individual is found not to be a danger to the public and the interest of justice will be better served by a reduced sentence. This provision applies to approximately 350 incarcerated individuals and does not mean that they will be released early, but they will get a process to do so if it is safe. Victims or their representative will be provided notice and can submit victim impact statements and take part in the process. The Maryland Values Act (HB 1222) nullifies Maryland counties' 287(g) agreements with federal immigration officials and sets a statewide policy for when local law enforcement should communicate and cooperate with immigration officials. -The Tenant Possession Recovery Act (HB 767) responds to a Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision by setting a 10 day time period for an evicted former tenant to recover their personal property (instead of having it placed right on the street corner). These all involved serious, sober debate and I think it brought out the best of most of my colleagues, even when I disagreed with their views. Early on crossover day, I provided a brief video update that you can view here. BUDGET UPDATE The budget continues to be one of the major issues we are dealing with. The Trump Administration did not cause the original budget deficit but their actions over the past few months have immeasurably exacerbated the challenges to Maryland and our residents. That's not a question of ideology or how you voted, it is just a reality. One issue I have heard from many of you on is concern about broad business-to-business services sales tax one of my colleagues has proposed. Like almost any impactful proposal we consider, this one will certainly not pass in whole or without changes but it is one of the options--at least in part--on the table to help us balance our budget and fund priorities like public education (the largest component of our state transportation budget). Indeed, the Governor has made clear that he does not support the full proposal and will not sign a bill that includes it. There is much more to come on the ongoing budget negotiations and debate. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Here is an update on the status of legislation I primarily sponsored. County School Board Member Antibias Training Act (HB 324): This bill expands on an existing anti-bias training program, which includes training related to anti-Semitism, for school board members. The bill has passed the House on a bipartisan basis. Senator Brian Feldman is the Senate sponsor and his version has already passed that body. Affordable Housing Payments in Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act (HB 390): This legislation would expand an existing state program that allows housing projects meeting certain affordability requirements to pay no or discounted property taxes. This bill allows that policy to apply, if the County chooses, to projects that maintain affordability for existing naturally occurring affordable housing that would otherwise be redeveloped to higher market rates. Senator Shelly Hettleman is the sponsor in the Senate and both of our versions have passed our respective chambers. Specially Designed Vintage Reproduction Registration Plates (HB 313): This bill has passed the House unanimously and allows Marylanders to purchase vintage plates that were in use 100 years ago. The Senate sponsor is Senator Folden and his version has already passed that chamber. State Mineral Act (HB 411): This legislation is a constituent's initiative to have Chromite declared the state mineral. Chromite was first discovered in the United States in Maryland and is an industrial metal. The bill has passed both chambers. Senator Craig Zucker is the Senate sponsor. You can read more about the bill here. Local Board of Elections Transparency Act (HB 412): For several years, Senator Cheryl Kagan and I have advanced transparency legislation including at the State Board of Elections to require public posting of agendas and live web streaming of meetings. This bill would expand those requirements to local Boards of Elections. It has passed both chambers on a bipartisan basis. Metro Funding Modification Act of 2025 (HB 467): The 2018 regional capital commitment to our regional transit system of $500 million--of which Maryland contributes $167 million--has not grown to keep up with inflation. This bill re-sets the amount to account for inflation and sets a future 3% growth factor, all contingent on Washington, DC and Virginia doing the same. The bill has passed out of the House and is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Malcolm Augustine. Automated Enforcement Privacy Protections (HB 516): This year, I am the House cross-file of Senator Sara Love’s bill to set privacy protections around our automated enforcement programs. The bill has passed the House on a bipartisan basis and Senator Love's bill has also proceeded in the Senate. The MARC Rail Authority Act of 2025 (HB 517): As introduced, the bill would have set up an independent authority for Maryland's commuter rail system. It has been amended in the House into a workgroup to study the restructuring of the Maryland Transit Administration more broadly. The bill has passed out of the House. Senator McCray is the sponsor on the Senate side. Conflicts of Interest Act (HB 932): This legislation would strengthen the state’s rules around blind trusts and non-participation requirements to ensure our governors are acting on behalf of the state and not their private interests. Senator Brian Feldman is sponsoring the Senate version of this bill. The House version has passed the chamber unanimously. Franchise Reform Act (HB 992): Maryland has one of the toughest franchising laws in the country, making it difficult for Franchisors to expand their concepts and for small business owner franchisees to access these concepts. The regulatory regime is well meaning to protect potential franchisees from being taken advantage of, but I believe Maryland can be more friendly to these new business concepts, a concern brought to me by several constituents. The bill would pilot a new system for franchisors to file their paperwork with the state and make other changes to our franchising regulatory regime. It has passed out of the House. WSSC Planning and Reporting Act (HB 1195): This legislation is a Delegation bill that I originally sponsored that makes several reforms to our local water utility including place our county Director of Environmental Protection on the Commission, adding transparency provisions and requiring various reviews and reports to make the Commission more efficient. The legislation has passed out of the House of Delegates. COMMUNITY NEWS Two District 16 residents are recipients of Montgomery County Women Making History Awards. Congratulations to Santi Bhagat and Lavontte Chatmon. ----- Congratulations to two new members of the Friendship Heights Transportation Management District, Julian Mansfield and Efi Pagitsas. ----- I previously shared information about the State Highway Administration's MD 190 (River Road) Corridor Safety Study. The Montgomery County Planning Board will have a briefing on the study this week and you can see their read ahead packet here. COMMUNITY EVENTS On Saturday, March 22nd at 3pm, the NIH Community Orchestra and Chorus will Perform at the Potomac United Methodist Church.  ----- On Thursday, May 8th at 6pm, the Maryland Transit Administration will host the latest Bethesda Chevy Chase Purple Line Community Action Team meeting. The meeting is virtual and can be accessed here. OFFICE CORNERCrossover week is busy and we are in Annapolis for long hours. Because I have relatively young kids, I go home almost every night so I can see my family either at night or in the morning. But when I do miss them, my office is loaded with reminders of them and I am sharing those reminders for my look inside my office this week.    This week in the General Assembly is known as crossover week. That is because bills that do not pass either the House of Delegates or State Senate by the end of the day on Monday (the 69th day of the legislative session)--meaning they have not "crossed over"--will go to the opposite chamber's rules committee if they do eventually pass. Generally, bills that have not passed one chamber by the crossover have great difficulty making their way through the legislative process. Practically speaking, that means committees and subcommittees will be working long hours to amend and vote out bills, we will have multiple floor sessions several days during the week, and we will be both in our committees and on the floor on Saturday. BUDGET UPDATE The Board of Revenue Estimates (BRE) held its regular March meeting last week to update its revenue projections for the state. Given the actions by the federal administration, it is no surprise to see an impact on Maryland's economy and, therefore, revenue projections. No matter how you voted in the presidential election, the actions of the White House and its DOGE attack dogs are bad for Maryland. Based on these new realities, BRE has reduced its revenue projections for the current and next fiscal year by a combined $347 million. Note that they are not anticipating an actual reduction in income and sales tax revenue at this time, they are just predicting a lower growth rate. You can watch the BRE meeting here and review the meeting presentation here.  FEDERAL UPDATE Speaking of the changes being brought by the federal administration, I was proud to join so many area residents to protest the cuts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Many years ago, I personally received treatment at NIH because an expert on a medical condition I have worked there. More recently, my colleagues and I have helped secure state support for the Children's Inn, a facility on NIH's campus where families stay with their children receiving treatment. And, of course, we have all benefited from NIH-funded research. The slash and burn approach of cuts and grant freezes is a bad idea and deserves to be protested.
LEGISLATION UPDATE Two of my bills are on the House floor this week. Legislation (HB 932) related to conflicts of interest, blind trusts, and non-participation agreements for Governors was unanimously passed by my committee. The Affordable Housing Payment In Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act (HB 390) was also passed on a bipartisan basis. WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH March is Women's History Month and I want to recognize all the women who are currently--or have previously--served District 16 in the Maryland General Assembly. It is an impressive array of leaders.  TRANSPORTATION UPDATE The Comptroller of Maryland launched a new series of research papers on state spending with a look at lessons learned so far from the Purple Line, an in progress but much troubled light rail Public Private Partnership. You can read it here. COMMUNITY NEWS Congratulations to Harold Hill on his appointment to the Montgomery County Community Reinvestment and Repair Commission. OFFICE CORNER As part of women's history month, the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame inducted several new members this week including former Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, my colleague Chair Joseline Peña-Melnyk, and my former committee chair, Maggie McIntosh. I keep a few different photos in my office including one of my old committee when it was chaired by Delegate McIntosh, as well as a Montgomery County Delegation photo from when I chaired that group.   On Monday, Senator Sara Love and I filed for re-election and released the below statement. There will be plenty of time for politics next year but I did want to let you know that I am seeking another term. I hope to earn the support of District 16's residents once again. District 16’s State Senator Sara Love and Delegate Marc Korman File for Re-election Pair once again running as a team State Senator Sara Love and Delegate Marc Korman announced today their intention to run for reelection as a team and ask the voters for an opportunity to continue representing Maryland's state legislative District 16 in Annapolis. The legislators have committed to continue to advance a robust and effective agenda for District 16. "Together, Delegate Korman and I have fought for our constituents, both in tandem on environmental and transportation issues and as a complement bringing our individual expertise in areas such as the budget and criminal justice,” said Senator Love. “As a team, I am confident that we can continue to work together in both the House and the Senate to best serve our constituents." "Senator Love and I have worked together since 2018 on such issues as public school funding, investing in major transportation projects and systems, and working to meet our ambitious environmental goals. As we face the uncertainty of a new federal era, that work is more important than ever," said Korman. "I look forward to four more years of collaboration on behalf of our District 16 constituents." “It’s a dark time in the federal government and that has serious consequences for us in Maryland. While I’m fighting for the rule of law in Washington, I am always grateful for the steady and principled leadership of Senator Sara Love and Delegate Marc Korman in Annapolis helping to guide our state and our democracy through the turbulence,” said Congressman Jamie Raskin. "As a District 16 resident, I am proud to be represented by Senator Sara Love and Delegate Marc Korman. I worked closely with both of them when I was Attorney General on our shared priorities, including consumer protection, public safety and criminal justice reform, and environmental protection. I am pleased to support them for re-election," said former Attorney General and District 16 Senator Brian Frosh. “Maryland is in challenging budgetary times but I trust Senator Love and Delegate Korman to do what is both right for our state and in the best interests of District 16,” explained Nancy Kopp, former State Treasurer and District 16 Delegate. “As long-time District 16 residents and activists, we appreciate and applaud how knowledgeable, accessible and responsive Senator Love and Delegate Korman have always proven themselves to be. We have fortunately worked with them for years on a range of issues including social justice, criminal justice, and reproductive health. They are talented leaders," said District 16's Susie Turnbull, 2018 Lieutenant Governor nominee and Bruce Turnbull, community activist “Senator Love and Delegate Korman are the strong and steady Democratic Party and county leaders we need to keep leading us through these uncertain times,” stated Karen Britto, former District 16 Delegate and Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair Senator Sara Love is serving her first term in the Senate where she sits on the Judicial Proceedings Committee. This follows her successful tenure in the House where she chaired the Motor Vehicle and Transportation Subcommittee on the Environment and Transportation Committee. While in the House she led on privacy issues, including authoring the country's strongest online data privacy protection law, and on environmental issues, including cleaning our Bay and updating our forest conservation law to preserve more trees. Learn more at saralove4md.com. Delegate Marc Korman serves as chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, one of just six standing committees in the House of Delegates. He previously served as House Majority Leader and in the leadership of the House Appropriations Committee. He is the author of Maryland's dedicated funding for the Metro program and has sponsored successful bills related to environmental sustainability, government transparency, education funding, and more. Learn more at marckorman.com. The District 16 legislative district is represented by one State Senator and three Delegates. At this time, no decisions have been made regarding other campaign team members.  BUDGET UPDATE One of the components of the Governor's budget proposal is called the Budget Reconciliation of Financing Act, known as the BRFA (pronounced BUR-FA). This legislation accompanies the budget and makes any necessary statutory changes for the budget to balance. For example, if state law requires community college funding to grow by 2% a year but there is only enough funding for 1% in fiscal year 2026--the BRFA amends state law to say only 1% will be provided for 2026. Although we nip and tuck the budget almost every year with BRFA-related changes, the size of the anticipated budget deficit makes this BRFA a hotter topic than in most years. The Governor presented the bill in legislative hearings last week and you can watch the one on the House side here. The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) provided an analysis of the BRFA and some of its own recommendations here. I will note that DLS recommended changes to one of the Governor's proposals that many of you have written about: eliminating state Arts Council funding. DLS recommends reducing the program but not eliminating it entirely. ----- The Governor recently released a supplement to his budget making adjustments to spending, budget cuts, and transfers. The spending includes restoring $300 million for developmental disabilities programs that the Governor had proposed to cut. LEGISLATION UPDATE Two of my bills passed the House of Delegates on a bipartisan basis last week. The Local Boards of Election Transparency Act (HB 412) will improve transparency at local boards around the state with the live streaming of meetings. The County Boards of Education Anti Bias Training Act (HB 324) will expand anti bias training previously passed for school system staff to the school board members as well.  ----- Legislation regulating conflicts of interests of Maryland Governors that I introduced with Senator Brian Feldman was written up by the Baltimore Sun. Read the article here. BLUEPRINT UPDATE The Blueprint for Maryland's Future is a vast education reform program we passed a few years ago and is currently being enacted. A lot of the discussion around the Blueprint is over its cost. But I saw this update from the Accountability and Implementation Board created to make sure the Blueprint is working and thought it would be good to share. Some of the highlights for me are: -53% increase in 3- and 4-year olds enrolled in full day pre-K, meaning more students are learning earlier; -414% increase in the number of teachers statewide pursuing National Board Certification, meaning better teachers; and -Community schools are now fully phased in with all schools with a concentration of poverty of 55%+ receiving extra funds and support, meaning many needy students are receiving more services and support.   ENERGY UPDATE Many of you have written to me about energy issues. As you know, we have ambitious environmental goals in the state of Maryland. Under the Climate Solutions Now Act, we are supposed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. We also have a renewable portfolio standard where we are supposed to use 50% green energy by 2030. I believe in these goals. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions has at least four benefits. First, it is our small part in addressing global climate change. Maryland alone cannot stop climate change but we all need to do our part. Second, many other pollutants accompany greenhouse gas emissions and reducing those means cleaner air and a healthier Maryland. Third, I believe that our transition will ultimately be cost efficient and a savings to many. Fourth, the states are the laboratories of democracy and the actions we take in Maryland can be models for others to follow. But we face three significant threats to achieving our goals. First, the state budget deficit means we have less resources available to assist with the transition and what are, in some cases, significant up-front costs. Second, energy prices are rising. And third, we now have a completely hostile federal administration with its head in the sand when it comes to combatting climate change. There is no question that we need to adjust our approach in some ways to accommodate these realities. Regular readers have already heard a lot about the state budget deficit and I am already tired of talking about the new federal administration and it has been less than six weeks since they took office. So let me focus for a moment on energy prices. Some people would have you believe that Maryland has banned gas and coal and this is causing prices to rise. Maryland has no such ban. In fact, there was bipartisan legislation proposed to phase out our coal plants but it never passed. Instead, many energy generators are making the decision to retire some plants and several Maryland coal plants have been retired or are slated for retirement. This is part of a much broader industry trend away from coal. However, obviously the lights need to turn on so any retiring plant needs replacement electrons which is why the federal government has ordered two of Maryland's plants to stay online until replacement capacity is available. However, Maryland is part of a regional electric grid (called PJM) and its complex rules mean that Marylanders pay something of a penalty for those retiring plants. In the face of all of this, the Senate President and House Speaker are leading a package of bills on energy. The joint hearing was held Friday and can be viewed here. One controversial aspect of the proposal that many of you have written about is related to natural gas. One of the bills requires the Public Service Commission--our state regulator of utilities--to solicit for proposals for new generation and that could include natural gas. Although nothing is stopping an entity from building a natural gas facility in Maryland today, having the government promote it is a challenging proposition for many. Although the legislation is in the Economic Matters Committee, on which I do not serve, I will continue to monitor the issue. COMMUNITY NEWS Congratulations to Bama Athreya, District 16's newest Montgomery County Democratic Party Central Committee-member. ----- Congratulations to the Walter Johnson boys and girls swim teams, which both won the 4A/3A state swim championships. Congratulations to the Wildcats! ----- WAMU ran a story about the various dances that take place at Glen Echo Park's Spanish Ballroom. Read it here. ----- The new traffic signal a Woodward High School on Old Georgetown Road will be fully activated this week. Since Monday, you may have noted the signal flashing and it will go into full activation tomorrow (Thursday). The 72 hours of flash operations are to notify regular drivers that a new signal is coming. OFFICE CORNER We had a horrible event in the House of Delegates this week with the sudden passing of one of Speaker Jones' sons. Our hearts go out to the Speaker during this challenging time. The Speaker has guided the House of Delegates through challenging times including the pandemic. Before she was Speaker, I served on the Appropriations Committee with then Speaker Pro Tem Jones and was on the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee she chaired when I started in Annapolis. She gave me some of the best advice I have received about serving in the House: always do the reading (meaning be prepared). Speaker Jones first took over the position when our prior Speaker, Speaker Michael Busch, died the day before the 2019 legislative session concluded. Speaker Busch was the longest serving speaker in Maryland history and I feel lucky to have overlapped with him, especially in his last year as Speaker when I participated in several meetings with him related to school construction and transportation and got to witness his leadership up close I keep a few Speaker-Busch related keepsakes in my office which you can see below.  Dear Friend: Every bill only has one sponsor but no bill is the responsibility of a single person. Each member of the House of Delegates gets their chance to put an imprint on every bill we consider whether that is just their vote for or against it on the House floor, an amendment, helping to persuade a colleague to vote for it, or countless other contributions. My name may not be on the sponsor line of landmark legislation such as the Climate Solutions Now Act--which set our state's ambitious climate goals--or the Built to Learn Act--which amped up our school construction program backed by gaming revenue--but like many other members I contributed to their passage. That said, for most bills a sponsor has significant involvement in the legislation's trajectory. Because we are organized in committees, sponsors have the best chance of success when it comes to bills in their own committee where you are in the room to promote and prioritize your agenda. But members can have success in other committees and I am pleased that three of my bills are working their way through the Ways & Means Committee and on to the House floor. The County Board of Education Member Anti-Bias Training Act (HB 324) and Local Boards of Elections Transparency Act (HB 412) were voted out of committee on a bipartisan basis and are on the House floor this week. The Affordable Housing Payment in Lieu of Taxes Expansion Act (HB 390) passed out of subcommittee last week and will be taken up by the full committee soon. LEGISLATION UPDATE In addition to the progress described above, I had three bill hearings last week. The first was the Franchise Reform Act (HB 992), which is designed to improve the regulatory environment for franchisors and franchisees in Maryland. You can watch that hearing here. The second was on what I refer to as the Conflict of Interest Act (HB 932), which would strengthen ethics rules for governors. That hearing can be viewed here. Finally, legislation that Senator Sara Love has championed for years related to privacy standards for our automated enforcement programs also had its hearing. That can be watched online. ----- Although I am not the primary sponsor of the End-of-Life-Option Act--sometimes referred to as Death With Dignity--I get a lot of questions about it. I am a cosponsor of this legislation and think it is a sensible step forward for end of life care. The full House took up the bill and passed it in 2019 but it has never passed the Senate. Both the House and Senate versions of the bill have hearings in early March but it still does not appear that the votes are there in the Senate. BUDGET UPDATE The state budget continues to be one of the major issues of the legislative session. In addition to our projected budget shortfall, the complexity is compounded by actions in Washington, DC. The federal government's current funding runs out on March 14th. While a federal government shutdown is always economically impactful in Maryland, there is also great risk to funding programs Maryland and its people rely on with any deal that is struck. The next meeting of our state's Bureau of Revenue Estimates (BRE) is March 6th and we follow the BRE's guidelines in setting our budget. My prediction is that we will have seen some softening in sales tax revenue at least due to the uncertainty coming out of the current federal administration. Many Marylanders work as federal employees or work indirectly as contractors or in other jobs that revolve around the federal government. Even if their actual job is safe, what the current federal administration is doing with its chaos campaign will make many hesitate before making purchases. There was some good news on the budget. One of the most controversial cuts proposed by Governor Moore is to the Developmental Disabilities Administration. His proposal was not only to cut the next budget year--starting this summer--but the current budget year as well. However, after significant advocacy, the Administration and House and Senate leaders have agreed to identify other funds to use for the current budget year and delay any cut. Whether or not the cuts take effect next budget year is part of ongoing negotiations. VISION ZERO DAY An important issue my committee is dealing with is referred to as Vision Zero. In 2019, Maryland set a goal of reducing serious injuries and deaths on our roadways by 2030. You can track our progress on a state dashboard but, unfortunately, we went from 535 deaths in 2019 to 621 in 2023 (2024 data is still being finalized but appears a bit better). Our committee is making an effort to help achieve the goal and on Friday we heard a number of bills related to Vision Zero, mostly related to improved automated enforcement. You can watch that hearing here. We have had earlier hearings on reckless driving, speed governors, for offenders, and reciprocal automated enforcement with our neighboring jurisdictions. The Washington Post recently quoted me in a story on this topic. COMMUNITY MEETINGS On Monday, March 3rd at 7:30am, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from County Executive Marc Elrich. Email [email protected] for the meeting link. ----- On Tuesday, March 4th at 7pm, County Councilmember Andrew Friedson will hold a public safety meeting at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School cafeteria. COMMUNITY NEWS Congratulations to Jane Fairweather on her reappointment to the Board of Directors of the Bethesda Urban Partnership. ----- Last week the Governor delivered what are called his Green Bag appointments through which he nominates members of various boards and commissions (as well as other offices). I am pleased to see 11 District 16 residents appointed or re-appointed including: Don Stanton, Aviation Commission Eileen Levitt, Commission on Civil Rights Leslie Hale, Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors Marcia Mintz, Montgomery College Board of Trustees Benjamin Klubes, Morgan State University Board of Regents Swati Agrawal, Morgan State University Board of Regents Micha Weinblatt, Public Private Partnership Marketing Corporation Board Phillip Singerman, Technology Development Corporation Board of Directors Meena Seshamani, another District 16 resident, has also been nominated by Governor Moore as the new Secretary of Health Fiona Oliphant, Maryland Commission for Women Kati Penney, Maryland School for the Blind Board of Directors Daborah Jarvis, Washington Suburban Transit Commission If you are interested in serving on one of these state boards and commissions, please visit https://govappointments.maryland.gov/instructions-for-filling-out-the-general-application-form/. OFFICE CORNER Spring training is now in full swing with exhibition games starting. That means it is a good week to share my Maryland minor league baseball team foam finger collection. From top to bottom, I have foam fingers for the Orioles' affiliate-Single A Delmarva Shorebirds, the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Orioles' affiliated-AA Bowie Baysox, the now independent Frederick Keys, the Orioles-affiliated single A Aberdeen Ironbirds, the independent Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, and the now defunct Hagerstown Suns which were a Single A affiliate on of the Washington Nationals.  As regular readers of this email know, the structure of our legislative session is built around time: we start on a specific date, bills need to be introduced by a specific date, bills need to pass from one chamber to the other by a specific date, and we adjourn on a specific date. Between this weekly email and the next, we will pass the halfway point of the 90 day 2025 legislative session. That means we will have 45 days and counting to work on several major issues before us including, most notably, the annual budget and energy issues. The countdown clock will have an impact on my personal legislative agenda as well. As one of my favorite movie characters--Rocky Balboa--explained in the 2015 film Creed--"Time's undefeated." The legislative sessions always start a little slow but, at this point, we start to feel time slipping away as we work on complex and important issues. As if on cue when I was drafting this, the clock in my office stopped working which must be some type of metaphor for how time looms over us during the 90 day legislative session. So here's a bonus "Office Corner" showing where my clock used to be--and hopefully will be again soon!  DELEGATION UPDATE Our Montgomery County House Delegation meets most Fridays during session. The main event last Friday was hearing from our Congressman, Jamie Raskin, about the situation in Washington. For those who want a deep dive, my legislation on the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission was also considered and passed by the Delegation. Watch the meeting here. LEGISLATION UPDATE Since my last email, one of my bills had a hearing: the MARC Rail Authority Act (HB 517). The bill would separate the MARC commuter rail system from the rest of the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA). As I explained at the hearing, I do not think the MTA is organized in a way that makes sense for our state and I am open to other ways to improve its structure. You can watch the hearing here. ----- I have additional bill hearings today, tomorrow and Friday on legislation to reform our state's franchise laws, a bill to reform conflict of interest laws for governors, and a proposal for privacy standards for our automated enforcement systems. BUDGET UPDATE The budget continues to get a lot of attention and is one of the major issues of the legislative session. I have heard from many of you opposed to specific cuts or tax increases. As a reminder, the Department of Legislative Services' detailed analysis of each agency's budget can be found here. Federal uncertainty is also clouding the budget debate as the federal government's current funding bill expires in March and the current administration and Elon Musk continue to make radical changes such as clawing back already appropriated funding, freezing National Institutes of Health and other grant funding, and mass firing employees at federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and other agencies where a more refined approach would be much more appropriate than the current actions. If you are one of those affected, be sure to check out the resources page launched by Governor Moore as well. PRESIDENTS' DAY UPDATE This past Monday we honored Presidents' Day in the House chamber. As we do every year, we heard from a member about the continued importance of George Washington. This year's speaker was Delegate Palakovich Carr from Montgomery County. I had the honor of delivering the address in 2018 and you can listen to it here. OFFICE CORNER In honor of Presidents' Day, this week's highlight from my office is one of my more off-beat items, a campaign poster for Estes Kefauver. Kefauver ran for president in 1952 and 1956 and was actually the Democratic nominee for Vice President that year (he edged out JFK for the spot). Kefauver was a Tennessee Senator and is a personal hero of mine.  |
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April 2025
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