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Yesterday, Governor Moore testified before the House Appropriations Committee regarding the Serving Every Region through Vocational Exploration (SERVE) Act, the Governor's service year initiative. Last week he testified before the Ways & Means Committee regarding the Keep Our Heroes Home Act, the Governor's proposed tax reduction for military retirees. Such testimony used to be routine in Annapolis from Governors of both parties, but the office's prior occupant refused to engage with the legislative branch of government in this way and it was symptomatic of a broader disinterest in the legislative process. I appreciate having a Governor who respects that the legislative branch elected in the same November election that he was also has a role to play as a co-equal branch of government.  LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The bill hearings for three more of my bills have taken place over the past few days: The Maryland State Agency Transparency Act would expand certain Open Meetings Act requirements--including web streaming of meetings--to the State Ethics Commission. You can watch the hearing here. The Teacher Pay Parity Act would ensure that special education teachers at specialized schools that our public school systems route children to are paid wages comparable to the typical public schools. You can watch the hearing here. The Board of Public Works Transparency Act would establish a transparent public commenting system for the state's unique Board of Public Works, a body made up of the Governor, Comptroller, and Treasurer that approves state contracts, among other functions. You can watch the hearing here (starting at 1:11:10). COMMITTEE NEWS As I have shared before, the Maryland General Assembly is a committee-driven body and I serve on the Appropriations Committee. In addition to regular legislation, our major focus is the budget. As chair of the Transportation & Environment Subcommittee, I spend the most time on agency budgets dealing with those issues including the Maryland Department of Transportation, Public Service Commission, and similar agencies. Thus far, we have had hearings on the Maryland Department of Planning, Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, Maryland Environmental Service, the Maryland Port Administration, the Maryland Aviation Administration, the Maryland Insurance Administration, the Transportation Secretary's office, the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA or Metro), and the Department of Agriculture. You can view the analyses on these and other agencies prepared by our Department of Legislative Services 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. ----- The Governor recently released his so-called "green bag" appointments, which are announcements of nominees to state boards and commissions. If you are interested in these opportunities, further information is available at the Governor's Appointments Office. A particular congratulations to several District 16 residents nominated to positions:
UPCOMING EVENTS
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January 2025
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