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During the last few days, the House of Delegates, State Senate, and Governor all agreed to a budget deal that includes additional funds for our state operating and capital budget for shared priorities, as well as targeted tax relief for Maryland retirees. Like any broad and bipartisan agreement, this one involves give and take and is not necessarily what I would do if I were king for a day. But overall, it represents positive progress for our state. Among the provisions of the agreement are:
-Retirees filing tax returns as individuals earning up to $100,000 per year or joint filers earning up to $150,000 will be eligible for an income tax credit of between $1,000 to $1,750 per year. -Diapers, car seats, baby bottles, dental hygiene, pulse oximeters, and medical-grade face masks will be made tax free. -$800 million will be deposited in the Blueprint for Maryland's Future education fund to pay for future year public education costs. -Several healthcare and childcare programs will be funded, including expanding dental coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries. The agreement will be before the House and the Senate later this week. As always, you can keep up with what I am doing by following me at @mkorman on Twitter or by clicking "Like" on Delegate Marc Korman on Facebook. Legislative Update One of the major bills being taken up this week is the Climate Solutions Now Act. The bill contains a number of provisions including converting the state's vehicle fleet to zero emissions, increases programs to assist farmers with climate change issues, commences a transition of school buses to zero emissions, establishes a state "green bank," requiring increased energy performance standards, and further studies on electrification. ----- The bills I sponsored which passed out of the House are now going through the same process in the Senate. Because many of the bills are identical to ones passed by the Senate, they will not require hearings. However, my legislation regarding Motor Vehicle Administration penalties had no Senate counterpart and a brief hearing on the bill occurred in the Judicial Proceedings Committee last week. You can watch the hearing online. Budget Update Last week I gave an overview of the operating budget proceeding through the legislative process. This week, the House will vote on the capital budget, which is essentially our state's construction budget. The overall budget includes approximately one billion dollars for school construction, higher education institutions, hospitals, state parks and more. In our community, some of the funded projects include: -$2.5 million for a new park at the Farm Women's Cooperative Market. -$1.35 million for school system playground repairs. -$6.8 million for Montgomery County's zero emission bus transition for RideOn. -Over $60 million to support the County's Bus Rapid Transit implementation. -$12 million for the Bethesda Metro South Entrance being constructed in conjunction with the Purple Line. -$500,000 for Round House Theatre's renovations. -$130,000 for Glen Echo Park's parking lot rehabilitation project. -$600,000 for Little Falls Stream Valley Park maintenance. -$1.250 million for the Housing Opportunities Commission and Montgomery County project at the Metropolitan to stop the chronic flooding there, which keeps damaging the parking lot elevator. Election Update A state court has voided the Congressional map the legislature passed late last year. You can read the ruling here. The legal action will continue, but in the short term the court has ordered the legislature to redraw the lines in compliance with the ruling. The new proposed map which will be submitted to the court is still under debate this week, but you can review it here. Last week, there was also a trial on the state legislative lines but no decision has been issued on those lines yet. Community News and Events
This past Monday was the so-called crossover deadline, the date by which bills have to pass one chamber to be guaranteed a chamber in the other. Back in early February, I shared a graphic of 2022 legislative priorities from the House of Delegates, which I have again pasted below. Each of these has made progress prior to crossover.  Expanding Childcare: The House has passed a package of bills to expand the base of childcare providers while also adding resources to make childcare more accessible for the middle class.
Improving Infrastructure: The federal infrastructure bill has created vast opportunities to invest in our infrastructure. Thus far, the House has passed legislation on local road and bridge funding (known as Highway User Revenue), funding expansion of the MARC commuter rail system, funding our area's Metro system, and investing in road safety programs for pedestrians and bicyclists. Climate Solutions: Thus far, the House has held hearings on legislation to reduce greenhouse gas reductions. The Senate has passed a broad bill and the House will now be taking up the issue. Expanding Family and Medical Leave: The House of Delegates passed an implementation task force bill to advance paid family and medical leave. The Senate passed a version of the program and the two chambers will now work together to reconcile differences. Helping Families Afford Basic Needs: The House has passed legislation related to taxes on gasoline, medical equipment, diapers, and a few other basic necessities. The budget passing through the chambers also reserves several hundred million for further tax changes. Banning Ghost Guns: The House has passed legislation regarding the appropriate registration of "untraceable firearms," also known as ghost guns. Greater Judicial Transparency: Although debate of how to strike the right balance between judicial independence and adequacy continues, the budget that is passing through the chambers reserves funds to implement a judicial transparency program. Legalizing Cannabis: The House of Delegates has passed legislation to let the voters decide if recreational cannabis should be legal, as well as an initial implementation bill. Expanding Women's Reproductive Health: The House has passed a bill to let the voters decide if reproductive choice should be enshrined in the state Constitution. Other legislation the House passed will expand the base of available providers. There is more work to do on each of these priorities, as well as thousands of other bills, during the last few weeks of the legislative session. As always, you can keep up with what I am doing by following me at @mkorman on Twitter or by clicking "Like" on Delegate Marc Korman on Facebook. Legislative Update Crossover is also a good time to provide an update on the legislation I sponsored. -Zero Emission Bus Revisions: Last year we passed legislation to transition the state bus fleet to zero emission. This bill is for worker training related to that transition and has passed both the House and Senate. -Green School Construction Act: This bill removes the state match for fossil fuel burning school energy systems. It is still in committee, but net zero school incentives are in another bill. -MVA Registration Clarification Act: This bill, brought to me by a constituent, closes a loophole whereby the Motor Vehicle Administration has been improperly levying fines for uninsured but turned in license plates. This has passed the House. -State Agency Transparency Act: A bill to require certain state entities to webstream their meetings has passed both chambers. -Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund Installment Payment Plans: Legislation to allow Maryland's auto insurer of last resort to provide more flexible installment payment plans for Maryland consumers. It has passed both chambers. -Independent Agency Health Insurance Option Act: Legislation to allow certain independent state entities to access the state health insurance plan has passed both houses. -Young Readers Program Expansion Act: The bill to expand free book programs for children under 5 beyond Baltimore City has passed both Houses. -Employee Stock Ownership Benefits bill: Legislation to create a tax incentive for conversions of businesses to employee ownership has passed the Senate. -WMATA Dedicated Funding Amendments Act: Legislation contingent on Virginia to move an annual cost escalator from one capital fund to Metro's dedicated funding has passed the House and Senate. -State Employee Binding Arbitration Bill: This bill, whose name says it all, is still in committee. -Maryland Rail Investment Act: This bill is still in committee although other legislation that has passed committee and is on the House floor will advance our state rail projects. The bill would create a new state rail authority, funded by tolls. -Non-Public Placement/Special Needs Teachers: Funding for special needs teachers who teach publicly funded but non-publicly placed students is on the Senate floor on Monday. Budget Update The one piece of legislation we must pass each year is a balanced budget. Last week, the State Senate unanimously passed the budget. On Friday, the House Appropriations Committee on which I served passed the budget out of the committee. The budget as it heads to the House floor contains these highlights: -Balanced budget and projected surpluses for the next few fiscal years. -$2.1 billion added to the Rainy Day Fund. -$350 million set aside for tax changes. -Almost $8 billion for public school support and full funding of the Blueprint for Maryland's future. -Set aside funding for expanding Medicaid--including dental--and Temporary Cash Assistance to those in need, grants to the arts and tourism community still reeling from COVID-19, implementation of cannabis reform, cutting down the Autism Waiver waiting list, implementing the Climate Solutions Now Act, and more. -Support for higher education to hold in-state student tuition at 2% increases. Election Update After the census, the General Assembly redrew Congressional and state legislative district lines. Not surprisingly, those lines are now in litigation and the Maryland Court of Appeals has set some new dates for the primary election. Most significantly, the primary election has been moved to Tuesday, July 19. Community News and Events
We are entering the period of the annual legislative session that is busiest for me. With less than two weeks to go until the cross-over deadline--the date by which bills must pass one legislative chamber to be guaranteed a hearing in the other--committees are sending more bills to the House floor and floor sessions are getting longer. At the same time, our budget process is speeding up as our Appropriations Subcommittees, including the one I chair, prepare to make our final decisions.  Those busy floor sessions have meant progress for many bills I have authored. Last week, the House of Delegates passed three of my bills: The Young Readers Program Expansion Act, the Maryland State Agency Transparency Act, and the Independent Agency Health Insurance Option Act. Later this week, the full House is likely to pass the Zero-Emission Bus Transition Revisions Act, and the Motor Vehicle Registration Clarification Act. A House subcommittee will also be taking up the WMATA Dedicated Funding Amendment Act. Finally, my last two bills will receive hearings in their respective committees: the Maryland Rail Investment Act, which will establish a new authority for rail and transit investment funded by tolls, and HB 1301, which builds on legislation passed last year to make pay more competitive for certain special needs. As always, you can keep up with what I am doing by following me at @mkorman on Twitter or by clicking "Like" on Delegate Marc Korman on Facebook. Legislative Update One of the major pieces of legislation being taken up on the House floor this week relates to "untraceable" or "ghost" guns, which are assembled at home, without serial numbers and, therefore, very challenging for law enforcement to deal with. The legislation (1) prohibits a person from purchasing, receiving, selling, offering to sell, or transferring an “unfinished frame or receiver” unless it is required by federal law to be, and has been, imprinted with a serial number, as specified, and (2) beginning January 1, 2023, prohibits a person from possessing a firearm unless the firearm is imprinted with specified information. The bill also (1) requires the Secretary of State Police to suspend or revoke a dealer’s license under specified conditions relating to untraceable firearms; (2) establishes penalties for violations of the bill’s provisions relating to untraceable firearms; and (3) expands the definition of a “firearm” to include an unfinished frame or receiver. Maryland's Attorney General, District 16's own Brian Frosh, and our State Senator, Susan Lee, have been leading voices on this issue. ----- Another major issue the House of Delegates is taking up this week relates to reproductive choice and abortion, as we brace ourselves for the Supreme Court potentially striking down the Roe v. Wade decision. Maryland law already has access to abortion in statute, but two bills that will be before the House this week will (1) Put the protection in the state constitution and (2) Take actions to expand the abortion provider base. District 16's Delegate Ariana Kelly is the sponsor of the latter bill. Transportation Update The District 16 Team--working with the State Highway Administration--saw some progress on a few road safety projects recently. First, the State Highway Administration converted a two way stop to a four way stop at Wilson Lane and Exeter Road. Cars have gone through the pictured fence multiple times in crashes and we have a safety improvement here before a fatality.
Second, at Old Georgetown Road and Cordell Avenue in Bethesda, a totally unprotected crossing now has pedestrian initiated flashing rectangular beacons (known formally as Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons or RRFBs), with further improvements coming such as a pedestrian refuge.
We are now more than halfway through the 90 day legislative session which means floor sessions are getting longer and we are reaching key decision points on many significant issues. Last week, for example, the House of Delegates passed two bills related to the issue of cannabis legalization (and accompanying regulation).
HB 1 puts on the ballot the following question: Do you favor the legalization of adult–use cannabis in the State of Maryland? HB 837 addresses immediate issues if the voter answer "yes," to that question. Those issues are in the three buckets of criminal law, health, and regulatory structure. The bill does leave many issues for a future General Assembly, such as taxes and licensing but here is, broadly, what it would do: Criminal Effective January 1, 2023
Transportation Update Josiah Henson was a slave in Montgomery County who wrote a slave narrative that helped inspire Uncle Tom's Cabin. The County Planning Board recently voted to rename Montrose Parkway after him. In addition to being a tribute to Josiah Henson, it will also reduce confusion with the nearby Montrose Road. ----- There have been significant problems with EZ Pass on Maryland's toll roads, bridges, and tunnels lately. As a result, the Maryland Transportation Authority has announced a few efforts to try and ameliorate the challenges, including a civil penalty waiver for late tolls and increasing the customer service agent workforce to reduce wait times. You can read more about this here: https://mdta.maryland.gov/blog-category/mdta-news-releases/mdta-board-members-approve-customer-assistance-plan The Subcommittee I serve on had a hearing a few weeks ago regarding the challenges with EZPass, which you can view here. The issue will come up again when we hear the Authority's budget. Legislative Update Since my last newsletter, there has been great progress on the legislation I am advancing this session. The Health and Government Operations Committee unanimously voted to support the Maryland State Agency Transparency Act of 2022, which requires quasi-state agencies to video stream their meetings and post their materials publicly. Senator Cheryl Kagan is the lead in the Senate. The Appropriations Committee voted in favor of the The Independent Agency Health Insurance Option Act, which would allow a few quasi-governmental agencies to buy into the state's health insurance plan. The Ways & Means Committee voted unanimously in support of the Young Readers Program Expansion Act (ttps://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0383?ys=2022RS). All three bills will be on the House floor this week. Community News
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