MARC KORMAN
  • Home
  • About Marc
  • Issues
    • Airplane Noise
    • Animal Welfare
    • Budget
    • Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
    • COVID-19
    • Economic Prosperity
    • Education
    • Energy & Environment
    • Healthcare
    • Pepco
    • Preserving Our Success
    • Public Safety
    • Seniors
    • Transportation
    • Questionnaires
  • Scholarship
  • Latest News
  • Contribute
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Home
  • About Marc
  • Issues
    • Airplane Noise
    • Animal Welfare
    • Budget
    • Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
    • COVID-19
    • Economic Prosperity
    • Education
    • Energy & Environment
    • Healthcare
    • Pepco
    • Preserving Our Success
    • Public Safety
    • Seniors
    • Transportation
    • Questionnaires
  • Scholarship
  • Latest News
  • Contribute
  • Contact
    • Subscribe

LATEST NEWS

Bicameral

3/29/2023

 
I spend a lot of time in this weekly newsletter talking about the work of the House of Delegates.  No surprise there.  I am a Delegate after all and, these days, House Majority Leader.  But this is the time of the year that members of the House and members of the Senator quickly remember that like 48 other state legislatures--all but Nebraska--Maryland has a bicameral legislature.  The story goes that George Washington said that the U.S. Senate's purpose was to "cool" U.S. House legislation just as a saucer is used to cool hot tea.  I do not think it works quite the same way in Maryland where the Senators and House members represent the same constituencies and serve the same overlapping terms, but each chamber does bring different perspectives to bills.
This is the time of year we are all reminded of the other body because members from each are marching across the hall (really between our separate legislative buildings) to present our bills that passed our own chamber to the other.  For example, last week I presented the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority Sunset Act to the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Unlike most of my other bills, this one had no "Senate cross-file"--an identical bill introduced by a Senator--so it was the first time any Senator was really hearing or thinking about my bill. And earlier this week I presented the Teacher Pay Parity Act to the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee.  
BUDGET UPDATE
Earlier this week, the Governor sent down a supplemental budget making various changes to the proposed operating and capital budgets.  You can review it here.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I am also part of the "conference committee" on the budget when the House and Senate budget leaders get together to sort out differences.  As I draft this, I am between meetings of the conference committee.
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
Condolences to the Temple Beth El community on the passing of Rabbi Emeritus William Rudolph.
 
-----
 
Three District 16 residents were recently nominated to state boards and commissions by Governor Moore:
  • Seth Goldman, Maryland Economic Development Commission
  • Tonisha J. Melvin, State Board of Environmental Health Specialists
  • Rebecca Taber, Maryland Higher Education Commission
-----
 
Two District 16 residents were also nominated to County Boards and Commissions by the County Executive:
  • Marsha Liss, Montgomery County Human Trafficking Prevention Committee.
  • Brian Robinson, Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board 
-----
 
District 16's Dr. Kevin Cullen has been added to the Baltimore Sun's Business and Civic Hall of Fame for his work on cancer care.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
  • On Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30pm (TONIGHT), Montgomery County's Department of Transportation will hold a virtual meeting regarding Segment 3 of the MacArthur Boulevard Bikeway Improvement Project. You can register to attend the hearing here.
  • On Wednesday, April 12, from 7:30pm - 9pm, there will be a Community Conversation with Councilmember Andrew Friedson, at Potomac Elementary School's All Purpose Room.
  • The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from the District 18 team virtually on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30am.  Email [email protected] for more information.
  • On Saturday, April 15, the Potomac Branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries will reopen after significant renovations.  Learn more here.


If you know of an upcoming District 16 event or a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences, please email [email protected].

After The Crossover Deadline

3/22/2023

 
Just before I finalized this weekly newsletter, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee selected Sarah Wolek to fill now Senator Kelly's unexpired term as Delegate for District 16.  Sarah's name now goes to Governor Moore for appointment to join Delegate Sara Love and me in representing you in the House of Delegates.  Congratulations to Sarah!
Monday was the so-called "crossover deadline," the date by which bills need to move from one chamber of the Maryland General Assembly to the other to avoid being sent to the Rules Committee (significantly harming the chance of final passage).
Picture
The Maryland General Assembly deals with thousands of bills each year and as House Majority Leader, I am proud to be in the mix on many of them related to choice, healthcare, firearm safety, the environment, the economy and more.  But the crossover deadline is a good time to assess the status of the ten bills of which I am the primary author.
The State and Federal Transportation Funding Act (HB 51) allows so-called GARVEE and GAN financing for certain transportation mega projects. It has passed the House.
The Maryland State Agency Transparency Act (HB 58) applies certain Open Meetings Act requirements including web streaming of meetings to the State Ethics Commission. It has passed the House and the Senate version has passed that body.
The Net Metering Flexibility Act (HB 68) makes net metering for home solar panels more consumer friendly. It is still in committee but the Senate version has passed.
The Maryland Rail Investment Act (HB 74) to create a state rail authority funded by tolls on existing tolled facilities is stuck in committee.
The Board of Public Works Public Comment Act (HB 498) will bring more transparency to that unique body. The House and Senate version have each passed.
The Teacher Pay Parity Act (HB 448) reforms special needs school teacher pay. The bill has passed the House.
The Arbitration Reform for State Employees Act (HB 380) would allow binding arbitration for our collectively bargaining state employees. It is stalled in committee.
The Young Readers Program Act (HB 243) expands a program created last year to support books for those under 5 years old. It has passed the House and the Senate version has passed that body.
The Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority Sunset Act (HB 161) requires a sunset review of that quasi-governmental agency. It has passed the House.
HB 377 is a Montgomery County Delegation bill I am championing with Senator Ariana Kelly and Delegate Sara Love to reform procurement policies for the Village of Friendship Heights in District 16.
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
District 16's Anna Palmisano is the recipient of the Robert Wears Award for National Leadership in Patient Safety in the volunteer category.  I have seen Anna up close advocating for patients' rights and improved healthcare in Annapolis.
 
-----
 
Congratulations to District 16's Robert Chanin and Judith Rivlin on their reappointment and appointment, respectively, to the Maryland Public School Labor Relations Board.
 
-----
 
Congratulations to District 16's Judith Hallett, whose book Ancient Women Writers of Greece and Rome, has been selected to receive the 2023 Bochazy Pedagogy Award from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.
 
-----
 
Condolences to the family of Norman Knopf on his passing. Norm was an attorney who had long been active in county land use issues.
 
-----
 
State legislators have the opportunity to award scholarships to our constituents for their higher education.  If you are interested in a scholarship, please visit https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html for further information about how to apply.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
  • On Wednesday, March 29 at 6:30pm, Montgomery County's Department of Transportation will hold a virtual meeting regarding Segment 3 of the MacArthur Boulevard Bikeway Improvement Project. You can register to attend the hearing here.
  • On Wednesday, April 12, from 7:30pm - 9pm, there will be a Community Conversation with Councilmember Andrew Friedson, at Potomac Elementary School's All Purpose Room.
  • The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from the District 18 team virtually on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30am.  Email [email protected] for more information.
  • On Saturday, April 15, the Potomac Branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries will reopen after significant renovations.  Learn more here.


If you know of an upcoming District 16 event or a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences, please email [email protected].

Moving the Budget

3/15/2023

 
The one piece of business the General Assembly is required to address each year is the annual budget.  This year's budget originates in the House of Delegates.  As I have shared before, the Appropriations Committee, on which I serve, considers the budget through different subject matter subcommittees.  I chair the Subcommittee on Transportation and the Environment.  Last week, each subcommittee made its recommendations to the full Appropriations Committee which passed the budget on a bipartisan basis.  You can read the reports of each subcommittee here:
  • Transportation and Environment 
  • Education and Economic Development
  • Health and Social Services
  • Public Safety and Administration
  • Capital
The budget will be considered by the full House this week. 
As I have shared before, this year's budget fully funds the various statutory formulas in law for public education (including $1.1 billion in aid for Montgomery County Public Schools); is balanced, as required by Maryland laws; holds tuition increases at the University System of Maryland to 2% and fully funds the state's community college funding formula; and more.  Combined with the state capital budget, it also funds school construction, parks infrastructure, and transportation projects.
This action on the budget comes just after our state's Board of Revenue Estimates made some revisions to the current and next fiscal year provisions. They expect less growth in both the income and sales taxes and noted that the state's economic strength was a little weaker than the country as a whole. It's a $477m reduction across both fiscal years (out of an almost $25b general fund). Of course, we have to balance our budget every year so we adjusted the budget described above to account for this.  The slide deck from the BRE's meeting is available here.
 
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
Three more of my bills passed the House of Delegates last week: The Maryland State Agency Transparency Act, which would expand certain Open Meetings Act requirements--including web streaming of meetings--to the State Ethics Commission; The Young Readers Program Expansion Act, which would build on a program created last year to support county-based programs that send books to young Marylanders; and the Board of Public Works Public Comment Act, which would bring new transparency to items voted on by the Board of Public Works.
 
This week, the House will take up my legislation, the State and Federal Transportation Funding Act.  The bill authorizes grant anticipation financing (known as GARVEE or GAN) for some of the state's largest transportation projects.
 
-----
 
Several major initiatives passed the House of Delegates last week:
-Family Prosperity Act: Tax legislation that permanently extends the state's Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.
-Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment: This will place on the ballot next year a constitutional amendment regarding reproductive freedom.
-Cannabis Reform: The bill puts in place the licensing, regulatory, and taxation framework for the recreational cannabis market authorized by the voters last year.
 
And this week we will be taking up firearm safety legislation as the state responds to the Bruen Supreme Court decision.  The bill modifies the qualifications for a wear and carry permit in Maryland.
 
TREASURER UPDATE
 
Earlier this week, State Treasurer Davis announced that Maryland had retained its AAA bond rating from all three major ratings agencies.  Although these bond rating agencies do not always get it right, their view does impact the cost Maryland pays to borrow for construction projects.  The ratings reports also provide a nice little fiscal check-in.  You can read all three of the reports here.There's actually a minor error in the Fitch report, as it says that Maryland "established the nation's first taxes on digital goods and downloads, including advertising."  That's only half right, the digital advertising was the first in the nation and currently under litigation but many states preceded Maryland in taxing digital goods and digital downloads.
The reports all emphasize their appreciation for Maryland's fiscal management policies and that is a big part of why we get strong ratings.

TRANSPORTATION NEWS
 
The vendor for the I-495/I-270 private toll lanes project has announced that they are withdrawing from the project.  The current Administration has made clear that they plan to continue the project in some form, relying on the environmental documentation and Record of Decision obtained last year. Because of the method by which the vendor withdrew, the state owes them no funds and the vendor owes no funds to the state. Whatever you think of the project  or the use of Public Private Partnerships (P3), let me just suggest that large multi-national companies do not just walk away from multi-billion dollar projects without a fight. But the reality of this project has always been that the P3 could not do what the Hogan Administration said it could do: magically solve traffic at no net cost to the taxpayers. This is something even the Hogan Administration acknowledged late in the game when they sought a federal bridge grant (that MD was not awarded) on their way out the door. As I told the media, “I trust we will now have a more honest and cooperative process.”  Read an article about the project change.
 
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
In a prior email, I shared the news that former District 16 Delegate Marilyn Goldwater passed away.  The Washington Post recently published an obituary on her passing.
 
-----
 
State legislators have the opportunity to award scholarships to our constituents for their higher education.  If you are interested in a scholarship, please visit https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html for further information about how to apply.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
  • Montgomery Parks is holding two meetings on the proposed Bethesda Market Park.  On Wednesday, March 15 from 6:30-8:30, the meeting will be held at the Jane E Lawton Community Recreation Center social hall, 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.  On Thursday, March 16 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, the meeting will be held at the Bethesda Elementary School all-purpose room, 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
  • On March 16 at 7:30pm, the District 16 Democratic Club will host a virtual forum with the candidates to the District 16 Delegate vacancy.  Register here: https://bit.ly/d16-03-16
  • On March 21 at 6:30pm, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will hold a special meeting to appoint a new District 16 Delegate.   Register here.
  • On Wednesday, April 12, from 7:30pm - 9pm, there will be a Community Conversation with Councilmember Andrew Friedson, at Potomac Elementary School's All Purpose Room.
  • The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from the District 18 team virtually on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30am.  Email [email protected] for more information.
  • On Saturday, April 15, the Potomac Branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries will reopen after significant renovations.  Learn more here.

Advancing Bills Through the Process

3/8/2023

 
One of my roles as House Majority Leader is to help lead debate on the House floor.  Last week, I participated in the debate on a bill to allow non-citizens honorably discharged from our nation's armed forces to qualify for law enforcement positions in Maryland.  You can view my comments here.  The bill ultimately passed with bipartisan support.
Picture
​LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
My first bill of the legislative session passed the House of Delegates unanimously last week.  The Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority Sunset Act would require a sunset review of this forty year old authority created to build incinerators and was unanimously voted out of the Environment & Transportation Committee. Three more of my bills are poised to pass the House of Delegates this week: The Maryland State Agency Transparency Act, which would expand certain Open Meetings Act requirements--including web streaming of meetings--to the State Ethics Commission; The Young Readers Program Expansion Act, which would build on a program created last year to support county-based programs that send books to young Marylanders; and the Board of Public Works Public Comment Act, which would bring new transparency to items voted on by the Board of Public Works.
 
ADMINISTRATION UPDATE
 
The Washington Post ran a deep dive over the weekend on most of Governor Wes Moore's cabinet.  If you are interested, check it out here.
 
-----
 
I always try to keep you up to date on the Maryland budget, as that is the one bill we are constitutionally required to pass each year.  Governor Moore recently sent down a "supplemental budget" in addition to his January budget request.  Supplemental budgets are routinely used as additional needs or unnecessary expenditures are identified and is especially sensible here, when Governor Moore's budget proposal was due two days after he took office.  The largest changes in this supplemental relate to education funding and some adjustments now that better tax data is available.  We expect further supplemental or changes in the weeks ahead.
 
TRANSPORTATION NEWS
 
Montgomery County Parks has provided an updated schedule regarding their analysis of the Little Falls Parkway pilot project.  A briefing and public hearing will occur on March 30 in the evening.  More information is available here.  Because the Planning Board directly oversees Montgomery County Parks, if you have feedback on the current pilot I would encourage you to contact the Planning Board here.
 
-----
 
The Maryland state budget requires the Maryland Transit Administration to submit bimonthly reports on Purple Line progress.  The report includes the percentage of completion across 10 categories of work.  The report also publicly acknowledges the concessionaire's (contractor's) view that the project will not be completed when currently planned, which the state disputes.  You can review the report here.
 
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
State legislators have the opportunity to award scholarships to our constituents for their higher education.  If you are interested in a scholarship, please visit https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html for further information about how to apply.
 
-----
 
Congratulations to two District 16 residents recently appointed to county positions:
  • Stefan LoBuglio, Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission
  • Devang Shah, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
  • Montgomery Parks is holding two meetings on the proposed Bethesda Market Park (https://montgomeryparks.org/projects/directory/bethesda-market-park/).  On Wednesday, March 15 from 6:30-8:30, the meeting will be held at the Jane E Lawton Community Recreation Center social hall, 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.  On Thursday, March 16 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, the meeting will be held at the Bethesda Elementary School all-purpose room, 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
  • On March 16 at 7:30pm, the District 16 Democratic Club will host a virtual forum with the candidates to the District 16 Delegate vacancy.  Register here: https://bit.ly/d16-03-16
  • On March 21 at 6:30pm, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will hold a special meeting to appoint a new District 16 Delegate.   Register here.
  • The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from the District 18 team virtually on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30am.  Email [email protected] for more information.
  • On Saturday, April 15, the Potomac Branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries will reopen after significant renovations.  Learn more here.


If you know of an upcoming District 16 event or a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences, please email [email protected].
 

Halfway Through

3/1/2023

 
We are now more than halfway through the 90 day legislative session which means floor sessions are getting longer and committees are voting out more bills.  Over the past few weeks, significant public hearings have been held on legislation related to the legalization of cannabis, placing a constitutional amendment on the ballot in support of reproductive rights, responding to the Supreme Court's Bruen decision on firearms legislation, the Governor's proposal to raise the minimum wage and peg it to inflation and more.  If there is a legislative issue or bill you are interested in, please just click the reply and I am happy to let you know the status of that particular one.
Picture
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 
Each of my bills has now had a hearing and several of them are moving through the process.  The Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority Sunset Act (mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0161?ys=2023RS) would require a sunset review of this forty year old authority created to build incinerators and was unanimously voted out of the Environment & Transportation Committee. The Maryland State Agency Transparency Act (mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0058?ys=2023RS), which would expand certain Open Meetings Act requirements--including web streaming of meetings--to the State Ethics Commission, was voted out of subcommittee.  The Young Readers Program Expansion Act (https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0243?ys=2023RS), which would build on a program created last year to support county-based programs that send books to young Marylanders, also passed out of subcommittee.  I expect further progress on bills I am working on over the next few weeks.
 
COMMUNITY NEWS
 
State legislators have the opportunity to award scholarships to our constituents for their higher education.  If you are interested in a scholarship, please visit https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html for further information about how to apply.
 
-----
 Congratulations to two District 16 residents recently appointed to county positions:
  • Marc Dominianni, Historic Preservation Commission
  • Grant Shmelzer, Workforce Development Board

 
UPCOMING EVENTS
  • The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will hold a virtual meeting on March 1 at 7pm (TONIGHT) to discuss proposed construction of sidewalks on several streets in Bethesda's Kenwood Park community: Durbin Road, Lenox Road, Millwood Road, Kenhill Road, and Highboro Drive.   Online registration is required to attend the virtual meeting. On the morning of March 1, an invitation and link will be sent via email to those who registered. The public is encouraged to review the proposal files on the project website prior to the meeting. 
  • On Monday, March 6 at 7:30am, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from our local County Councilman, Andrew Friedson.  Email [email protected] for more information.
  • Montgomery Parks is holding two meetings on the proposed Bethesda Market Park (https://montgomeryparks.org/projects/directory/bethesda-market-park/).  On Wednesday, March 15 from 6:30-8:30, the meeting will be held at the Jane E Lawton Community Recreation Center social hall, 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.  On Thursday, March 16 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, the meeting will be held at the Bethesda Elementary School all-purpose room, 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.
  • On March 16 at 7:30pm, the District 16 Democratic Club will host a virtual forum with the candidates to the District 16 Delegate vacancy.  Register here: https://bit.ly/d16-03-16
  • On March 21 at 6:30pm, the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will hold a special meeting to appoint a new District 16 Delegate.   Register here: https://bit.ly/mcdcc-03-21 


If you know of an upcoming District 16 event or a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences, please email [email protected].

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Legislative Session Update
    Monthly Update
    News Clip

    RSS Feed

By Authority of Friends of Marc Korman; Mark Brown, Treasurer
HOME
ABOUT MARC
ISSUES
SCHOLARSHIP
LATEST NEWS
CONTRIBUTE
CONTACT
sign up to receive updates