With the bill deadline behind us and "crossover"--the date by which bills must pass one chamber without requiring a special vote of the Rules Committee--less than a month away, we are in the real legislative grind of the session. My committee (Environment and Transportation) is now holding bill hearings four days a week. After bill hearings, our six subcommittees hold detailed work sessions on the various bills moving forward. Committees are also reporting out more bills so the daily floor sessions are also getting longer as the full House considers each committee's work product. Below I will provide an update on the bills I am sponsoring and some other issues of particular note. P.S. As President's Day just passed, I wanted to share my 2018 address to the House of Delegates in honor of Washington's birthday. Every year the Speaker of the House has a Delegate make such an address (and there is a similar tradition for Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther KIng, Jr.). You can listen to the address (which predates video streaming in the chamber) here. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE The Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Act of 2024 (HB 159) passed the full House with a bipartisan vote last week. The bill updates a law we passed several years ago on access to electric vehicle charging equipment in buildings governed by homeowners associations and condo boards. The Maryland Metro Funding Act of 2024 (HB 198) passed the House Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support and will be on the House floor next week. As you may know, our local Metro system is facing an operating funding short-fall. The Moore Administration has stepped up with additional funds but this requires a change to our state law capping the operating fund increases to Metro. The bill has already had its hearing in the Appropriations Committee. The Open-Source Phonics Matching Grant Program Act (HB 475) had its hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee this week. This legislation came from my work with a constituent and will put some state support into free reading materials to help support literacy in and out of schools. You can watch the hearing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r-2njs8-9E&t=447s ----- I am regularly asked about the End-Of-Life Option Act, a bill which would allow those with terminal conditions in Maryland to request aide in dying. It can be a sensitive and personal topic, although the majority of constituents I hear from about it support the bill. Last week, two House Committees held a joint hearing on the bill which you can watch here. Several years ago, this legislation passed the House of Delegates but not the State Senate. ----- Another impactful bill moving through the committee process is the Access to Care Act . The bill has controversial headlines, but at its core it allows the undocumented to buy into plans on the state health insurance exchange with no access to subsidies or other government or taxpayer funded benefits if the federal government grants Maryland a waiver to do so. This represents an opportunity to expand healthcare access to the 6% of Marylanders who are uninsured (down from 13% before the passage of Obamacare). ----- The House leadership announced the Decency Agenda this week. It contains five important bills including the Freedom to Read Act--which establishes a set of state standards for libraries to avoid banning books--a school employee training requirement for anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. You may recall that I have a local (Montgomery County) bill on this issue, which statewide legislation would obviate the need for. Here is the complete Decency Agenda: HB785 – Freedom to Read Act: -Establishes a set of State Standards for Libraries to ensure that libraries cannot: Exclude materials from their catalogs because of the origin, background, or views of the person who create the materials; Proscribe or remove materials from their catalogs because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. -Protects school and public library workers by preventing punitive actions being taken against them for their adherence to the State Standards for Libraries. HB602 – Employment Discrimination – Sexual Orientation -Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in response to a recent Maryland Supreme Court ruling that said state law grants certain job protections to workers on the basis of their sex and their gender identity but not based on their sexual orientation. HB1386 – Education - Employee Training and Holocaust Education Study – Requirements -Implements anti-bias teacher training focused on combating anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. -Requires MSDE to conduct a third-party evaluation on the implementation of Holocaust curriculum standards. HB1287 – State and County Superintendents of Schools - Employment Contracts - School Leadership Course or Program -Requires all incoming County Superintendents & the State Superintendent to complete a school leadership course or program. HB333 – Election Law - Election Disinformation on Large Social Media Platforms and Influence Related to Voting -Combats voter suppression by defining “influence” in the law to apply to deceptive tactics intentionally used for voter suppression. -Creates a voter action line within the State Board of Elections (SBE) to collect potential misinformation and refer them to the proper prosecution authority if necessary. -Requires SBE to report voter suppression efforts found on social media platforms to the platform, request false information is removed, and issue corrective information to ensure the public knows the facts. ADMINISTRATION UPDATE In the Environment and Transportation Committee this week, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller presented one of the Administration's priority bills: The Maryland Road Worker Protection Act of 2024. In 2020, construction worker Michael O'Connor was killed on Old Georgetown Road--a state highway--in District 16. We worked with Mr. O'Connor's widow to require the State Highway Administration to provide a report on worker safety which you can read here . The basic thrust of State Highway's response then was that no additional measures needed to be taken. So after a tragic incident on the Baltimore Beltway killed six highway workers, I was relieved to see the Moore-Miller Administration respond in force with a Lieutenant Governor-led work group followed by legislation. The bill would increase the automated enforcement penalties for work zone violations, make it easier to place automated enforcement equipment, and dedicate more funds to work zone safety. BUDGET UPDATE In prior emails, I noted that the Moore Administration set aside $90 million in unspecified funding for implementation of the Climate Solutions Now Act, Maryland's ambitious legislation to make the state a net zero emitter of greenhouse gases by 2045. The Governor has now announced his intention for the funds, although how they are used will ultimately be up to the General Assembly. Under the Governor's proposal, the funds will be allocated as follows: $17 million for grants to purchase and lease electric school buses to serve Maryland public school students; $23 million for grants to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure in low and moderate income communities; and $50 million for grants to electrify hospitals, schools, multi-family housing, and other community buildings. COMMUNITY NEWS Maryland Matters recently ran a story on District 16 resident Joy Hakim and her work to improve school textbooks. You can read the story here. ----- The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has a series of upcoming meetings. To obtain links for any of the below, please email [email protected]: -March 4, at 7:30am: Lisa Taylor, Chair of the Montgomery County Committee Against Hate/Violence -April 10, at 7:30am: District 18 state legislators ----- Each year, the Governor delivers his "Green Bag" appointments to state boards and commissions to the State Senate. The name comes from the ceremonial bag the hard copy is delivered in. Among this year's Green Bag appointees is District 16's Dr. Phyllis G. Scalettar, who has been nominated to reappointment to the board of the Maryland Legal Services Corporation. BOOK CORNER I have already twice included books in this section by author John Frece, a scribe of Maryland's 20th century political history. I had the opportunity to meet him earlier this month so this is a good time to mention another of his books, this one his most recent: Self-Destruction: The rise, fall, and redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster. Senator Brewster also served in the state legislature and the House of Representatives before representing the state in the United States Senate from 1963 to 1969. He is perhaps best known for serving as Lyndon Johnson's proxy in the 1964 Maryland Democratic Primary where Brewster squared off--on LBJ's behalf--against George Wallace. For those interested in Maryland history, this is a terrific read. The Maryland General Assembly runs on a tight schedule with strict deadlines. One of the most significant is the bill introduction date, the date by which bills must be introduced to be guaranteed a hearing. For the House of Delegates, that deadline was last Thursday (it was last Monday for the State Senate). As of now, there are over 1,400 bills in the House, with 341 assigned to the Environment and Transportation Committee--the most of any House Committee. LEGISLATIVE UPDATEHere is the complete list of bills I am sponsoring. Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Act of 2024 (HB 159): Senator Ariana Kelly is cross-filing this bill, which updates a law we passed several years ago on access to electric vehicle charging equipment in buildings governed by homeowners associations and condo boards. Specifically, the bill adds co-ops to the existing law, expands the definition of vehicles to include charging equipment for e-bikes, and puts in place a process for the state's Department of Housing and Community Development to implement the law and serve as a point of contact for individuals who need assistance with the law. The bill is on the House floor for consideration this week. Maryland Metro Funding Act of 2024 (HB 198): I am working on this bill with Senator Brian Feldman, as well as Senator Malcolm Augustine and Delegate Jazz Lewis and it is part of a regional negotiation over Metro. As you may know, our local Metro system is facing an operating funding short-fall. The Moore Administration has stepped up with additional funds but this requires a change to our state law capping the operating fund increases to Metro. The bill has already had its hearing in the Appropriations Committee. The Washington Suburban Transit Commission Reform Act (HB 1023): This is a local bill already introduced for which the local hearings were previously held. The bill reforms the Montgomery and Prince George's bi-county commission that oversees our state's Metro commitment by clarifying how the state Transportation Secretary's designee can serve on the Metro board, revises how the other Metro board seat can shift back and forth, and alters what budgetary actions the commission can take independently. The Montgomery and Prince George's County House Delegations have already voted to support the bill. The Open-Source Phonics Matching Grant Program Act (HB 475): This legislation came from my work with a constituent and will put some state support into free reading materials to help support literacy in and out of schools. The Transportation Funding Act of 2024 (HB 1215): Through my work on a state transportation revenue and investment commission (more on that below) and the Administration's recently announced transportation cuts (which I have discussed in prior emails), it is clear that more support is needed for the type of infrastructure I often hear constituents want: less trash on the roads, fewer potholes, well-functioning mass transit, roadway improvements, and so on. Given the federal government's current historic investment in infrastructure, it is also an important time for our state to step up. For that reason, I am sponsoring a bill to increase revenue for transportation infrastructure by charging low fees on transportation network company (Uber, Lyft, etc.) trips and certain home deliveries. I do not do this lightly and will explain more of my thinking in future newsletters, but safe, reliable, and efficient infrastructure costs money. Maryland Toll Rate Reform Act of 2024 (HB 1070): As with the prior bill, this legislation is designed to address the severe transportation budget challenges. It would follow the pattern of other states such as Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York to use toll revenue not just for the toll facility but for our broader transportation challenges. Montgomery County Public Schools - School Personnel Training - Religious Discrimination Prevention (HB 1379): This is another local bill I am working on which would mandate training related to anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other forms of religious discrimination for Montgomery County Public Schools personnel. Port of Baltimore - Renaming (HB 375): I am sponsoring a bill to place in statute the current name of the Port of Baltimore (Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore). When the Port was named after former Congresswoman Delich Bentley it was done via an executive order and not in law. ADMINISTRATION UPDATEGovernor Moore recently released a state plan. The plan sets out ten areas of focus for the state along with objectives, core strategies, and key performance indicators. ----- A week ago the Governor was in the chamber of the House of Delegates to deliver the State of the State address. You can read a transcript of his speech here. BUDGET UPDATEI no longer serve on the Appropriations Committee but for those interested in state government, I still recommend the annual budget hearings and budget analysis for each state agency. You can see them all as they occur here.
COMMUNITY NEWSThe Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has a series of upcoming meetings. To obtain links for any of the below, please email [email protected]: -March 4, at 7:30am: Lisa Taylor, Chair of the Montgomery County Committee Against Hate/Violence -April 10, at 7:30am: District 18 state legislators BOOK CORNERAs February is Black History Month, I will mention a book my colleague Senator Cory McCray recommended to me years ago: They Call Me Little Willie: The Life Story of William L. Adams by Mark R. Cheshire. Adams was a civic and political force in Baltimore City but also ran a significant illegal gambling operation. He was involved in many de-segregation efforts in the city and state. Later today, Governor Moore will come to the chamber of the Maryland House of Delegates to deliver the annual State of the State address. You will be able to watch it on YouTube. And by the way, you can watch the House or Senate proceedings daily via the Maryland General Assembly website. The floor sessions start slowly each year as we wait for committees to report out bills but this week we will have legislation on the House floor for the first time in 2024. You can see what the full House and Senate are taking up each day here. Later this week, you can see that the committee I chair--Environment & Transportation--will report out its first set of bills for consideration on the floor.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATELast Friday, a local bill I introduced had its hearing--which you can watch here--before the Montgomery County Delegation. The bill would require Montgomery County Public Schools to conduct mandatory training for personnel on anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of religious discrimination. And yesterday, the Environment and Transportation Committee held a hearing on legislation I authored, the Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Act of 2024. The proposal tightens up the rules for installing charging equipment in Homeowners Association and Condo Board governed areas. You can learn more and watch the hearing here. ----- Last week, the Governor joined House and Senate leadership to unveil legislation related to our juvenile justice system. The legislation requires law enforcement to use the Child in Need of Supervision process and extends how long probation can be for juveniles, among other provisions. You can read the complete bill here. BUDGET UPDATEFor obvious reasons, I tend to focus on legislation and the legislative process in these weekly emails. However, it might be of interest to know what happens after the legislature's work is done. For example, over the past few years I have written many times about the Montgomery County Delegation's efforts to obtain transportation funding from the state. We have had great success, including setting up a new program that automatically routes lottery revenue to the county for its Bus Rapid Transit system on a continuous basis and one time money to procure zero emission buses for the county's bus system (RideOn). When the legislature takes those actions, the state Board of Public Works (BPW) still must approve the final contracts/agreements. Last week, BPW approved tens of millions of dollars for these programs and projects and others for the county. You can read more from the BPW agenda, starting on page 67. TRANSPORTATION UPDATEI continue to be involved in regional discussions related to our local Metro system. As Maryland, Virginia, and DC have all signaled their intent to provide additional funding, the Metro General Manager has revised his budget proposal. The proposal does not impose turnbacks--where half the trains used to turn back into DC at Grosvenor and other locations--or station closures. There are still targeted service reductions, proposed fare increases, and cost containment. You can read the current proposal here. COMMUNITY NEWSThe Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has a series of upcoming meetings. To obtain links for any of the below, please email [email protected]: -March 4, at 7:30am: Lisa Taylor, Chair of the Montgomery County Committee Against Hate/Violence -April 10, at 7:30am: District 18 state legislators ---- Congratulations to District 16's David Rubenstein, the new owner of the Baltimore Orioles (once Major League Baseball approves the deal). ----- Thank you and congratulations to District 16's Zayn Bandukwalla and Alan Trachtenberg on their appointments to the County's Alcohol and Other Drug Advisory Council. BOOK CORNERAbove I referenced the Maryland Board of Public Works, a unique entity made up of the Governor, State Treasurer, and Comptroller that approves all state contracts valued over $200,000 and has other powers it has been granted over the years. In the early 1980s, Alan Wilner wrote The Maryland Board of Public Works: A History which describes the then-150 year history of this unique Maryland institution. You can access the book through the Maryland Archive. Last week I had my first bill hearing on legislation I am sponsoring, the Maryland Metro Funding Act which alters a provision of state law to match the contribution to our regional Metro system in the Governor's budget. You can watch it here. And yesterday was the first day of bill hearings that I presided over in my committee. We had over 50 witnesses testifying on 11 bills related to housing and land use issues. Dear Friend:
Last week I had my first bill hearing on legislation I am sponsoring, the Maryland Metro Funding Act which alters a provision of state law to match the contribution to our regional Metro system in the Governor's budget. You can watch it here. And yesterday was the first day of bill hearings that I presided over in my committee. We had over 50 witnesses testifying on 11 bills related to housing and land use issues. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Last week I attended a joint House and Senate press conference to announce a set of consumer protection bills we will work to pass this legislative session. Importantly, this includes the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act authored by District 16's own Delegate Sara Love. Here are all of the bills in the legislative package: Electricity and Gas - Retail Supply - Regulation and Consumer Protection (SB1/HB267): balances electricity choice with tighter electricity supplier licensing regulations to protect customers from dishonest business practices, like confusing variable rates and unwanted, automatic renewals. Commercial Law – Consumer Protection – Sale and Resale of Tickets (SB539): requires ticketing platforms to implement all-in-ticketing (to allow consumers to see the total cost of a ticket up front); prevents tickets from being resold for a large profit; caps ticket reseller fees at a reasonable rate (10%); and ends the sale of speculative tickets. Maryland Online Data Privacy Act of 2024 (SB541/HB567): gives consumers more protection and control over their personal data; requires companies to keep collected data safe; and adds extra layers of protection for sensitive data. Consumer Protection - Online Products and Services - Data of Children (Maryland Kids Code) (HB603): requires tech companies to design their online products with kids’ privacy, safety, and wellness in mind. This means not collecting or selling kids’ data, setting high privacy standards by default, and avoiding manipulative design. ----- Last week's Montgomery County Delegation meeting included a briefing by Montgomery County Park & Planning that you can watch here. At the same meeting, the Delegation unanimously voted to support my bill reforming the Washington Suburban Transit Commission (WSTC). Because WSTC is a bi-county agency, the bill now goes to the Prince George's County Delegation for consideration. Also at the meeting, the Delegation voted to accept another local bill I drafted for late file related to teacher training at Montgomery County Public Schools for anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of discrimination based on religion. BUDGET UPDATE I received a few questions about some of the District 16 capital projects I referenced in last week's email. The Whitman High School upgrades are to replace the HVAC system which is over 30 years and past its useful life. As for the North Bethesda Metro Station second entrance, you are not imagining that this project has received state taxpayer support before. The $8 million in state funds committed so far is being combined with local funds to seek a federal RAISE grant to build the entrance. ---- I have written quite a bit in recent newsletters about the state transportation budget. The Governor recently submitted his first supplemental budget, which allocates $150 million in one time money to help mitigate cuts to transportation and updates the language for the BOOST program, a $9 million program the Governor chose to fund for private school scholarships. TRANSPORTATION UPDATE The Montgomery County Council recently passed a compromise approach to Little Falls Parkway. You can read about the project here. ----- Last year, the Maryland Department of Transportation sought over $2 billion in federal funds to support their planned replacement and widening of the American Legion Bridge and portions of the Beltway. Local media covered last week that Maryland did not receive federal support but plans to apply again. COMMUNITY NEWS The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has a series of upcoming meetings. To obtain links for any of the below, please email [email protected]: -Monday, February 5 at 7:30am: Council President Andrew Friedson -March 4, at 7:30am: Lisa Taylor, Chair of the Montgomery County Committee Against Hate/Violence -April 10, at 7:30am: District 18 state legislators ---- Congratulations to District 16's Amy Maron and Barry Shanoff on their recent appointments to the Montgomery County Solid Waste Advisory Committee. ----- District 16's Kari Swenson--co-owner of Horizon (a franchisee of fast food restaurants)--was recently profiled by the Maryland Department of Transportation for the transit benefit she offers her employees. Read about it here. BOOK CORNER If you watched the Montgomery County Delegation meeting linked above, you would have seen be show a copy of Suburb by Royce Hanson. Hanson was the two-time chair of the County's Planning Board and at the center of many of the most significant planning issues in the county over the past 60 years including establishment of the Ag Reserve, establishing a growth policy, and rethinking our suburban strip malls. You can read a more fulsome review I wrote about this book for a local Dear Friend: Last week the Governor introduced his proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2024. Although I no longer serve on the Appropriations Committee, I recognize the importance of the state budget as it reflects our priorities and values. The budget is made up of three parts: -Operating Budget: These are funds for people and programs, such as state education aid. -Capital Budget: This is the state construction budget, such as to build schools or hospitals. -The Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA): This is a piece of legislation necessary to balance the budget and alters provisions of state statute as necessary to do so, typically to adjust statutory budget formulas. The complete budget as proposed by the Governor can be found here. The non-partisan Department of Legislative Services prepares a fiscal briefing on the budget each year. The briefing materials can be found here and the briefing can be watched here. Some relevant highlights of the budget are: -The budget is balanced--as it must be each year--and actually reduces spending from the prior year by 1.7%. -All pre-k through 12th grade education funding formulas are fully funded, including $1.1 billion in state support for Montgomery County Public Schools. -There is a modification to the community college formula to reduce it based on enrollment. -$90 million is being allocated to implementation of the Climate Solutions Now Act to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. -The budget contains important capital support relevant to District 16 including $3 million for a second entrance to the North Bethesda Metro Station, $2 million for a new building for the University System of Maryland Institute for Health Computing in North Bethesda, and $2.7 million for Walt Whitman High School upgrades. -The Rainy Day Fund will be maintained at 9.4% of General Fund revenue (a few years ago a 5% Rainy Day Fund was considered strong). -The full actuarially required contribution to the state pension is being made. -A one-time $150 million withdrawal from the Rainy Day Fund will mitigate some of the transportation budget cuts I have previously written about, which in Montgomery County means no cut to state support for the Ride On system, no cuts to MARC Commuter Rail Brunswick Line service, the launch of expanded service on the Brunswick Line, maintenance of Motor Vehicle Administration Saturday hours, and no cut to trash clean-up and mowing along state highways. -Although the budget is balanced as it must be every year, future year deficits are projected. Although this has been the historic norm since the Great Recession, it is worth noting. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE I have formally introduced two more pieces of legislation. Port of Baltimore - Renaming (HB 375) officially renames the state's port the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, something done 20 years ago via Executive Order but never codified in statute. The Open Source Phonics Matching Grant Program Act (HB 475) was brought to me by a constituent to help give parents access to open source phonics-based teaching tools to support childhood literacy. ----- As I wrote last week, the Montgomery County Delegation meets most Fridays early in the legislative session to consider local bills (bills that only affect Montgomery County).We also hear from governmental guest speakers at those meeting and last week we heard from State's Attorney John McCarthy. The State's Attorney shared information about juvenile crime in Montgomery County and you can view the discussion here. ----- I am one of 20 Jewish legislators in the Maryland General Assembly and we have recently formed a Jewish Caucus to advocate for policies important to the Jewish communities of Maryland. You can read all about it here. TRANSPORTATION UPDATE As part of the state budget we require the Maryland Transit Administration to submit bimonthly Purple Line status reports. Below is a progress chart which includes a new metric for progress on reconstructing the Capital Crescent Trail. The full report is available here. COMMUNITY NEWS
The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has a series of upcoming meetings. To obtain links for any of the below, please email [email protected]: -Monday, February 5 at 7:30am: Council President Andrew Friedson -March 4, at 7:30am: Lisa Taylor, Chair of the Montgomery County Committee Against Hate/Violence -April 10, at 7:30am: District 18 state legislators ---- Congratulations to several District 16 residents recently appointed or re-appointed to County Boards and Commissions: Commission on Common Ownership Communities: Stephen Kraskin County-wide Recreation and Parks Advisory Board: Edward Krauze Commission on Landlord-Tenant Affairs: Nurith Berstein-Rosales; Carol Lubin; and Thomas Jackson Taxicab Services Commission: Elizabeth Ellis Bethesda Downtown Implementation Advisory Committee: David Yampolsky; Naomi Spinrad; and Michael Fetchko. ----- Two District 16 residents have been re-appointed to the leadership of the Montgomery County Republican Party: Lori Jaffe and Monte Gingery. We may be of different political parties but we share one political system, so congratulations to Lori and Monte. BOOK CORNER Although not a big issue in our Washington Post-reading area, the Baltimore Sun was recently sold and the new ownership announced that the paper would no longer endorse political candidates. This had me reflecting on the most famous newspaper endorsement in Maryland political history: the Baltimore Evening Sun's front page endorsement of former state legislator and Transportation Secretary (Maryland's first one in fact) Harry Hughes in the Democratic Primary for Governor in 1978. The endorsement is largely credited with his primary win (including over the ticket of Blair Lee III (from Montgomery County) and Steny Hoyer. You can read about that and more in the autobiography of former Maryland Governor Harry Hughes, My Unexpected Journey. Dear Friend: Later today, the Governor will introduce his proposed budget and I will have plenty more to say about that in a future email. But in these early days of session before there are many bills to have hearings on or votes to take, the committees participate in briefings on various topics of interest to perform our oversight functions. I chair the Environment and Transportation Committee and some of the briefings we have held or will hold during these first few weeks of session include: -Electrification Impacts on the Maryland Electric Grid -Clean Cars & Electric Vehicle Equipment -State of Agriculture -Housing -Maryland Department of Transportation Major Projects -State of the Chesapeake Bay Further briefings are in the planning phase. And if you are really into the minutiae of how these committees work, you can watch the Environment and Transportation Committee's organizational meeting from last week, my first one as chair. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Two of my pieces of legislation have been scheduled for their first hearings. I shared further information about both bills in last week's email. The Maryland Metro Funding Act (HB 198) would ensure that Maryland can provide additional resources to the Metro system that serves Montgomery County. The bill will be heard by the Appropriations Committee on January 23rd. The Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Act (HB 159) updates the law on how Homeowners Association, Condo Board, and Co-op Board governed housing can provide access to vehicle charging equipment. The bill will be heard by the Environment and Transportation Committee on February 6. ----- The Montgomery County Delegation meets most Fridays early in the legislative session to consider local bills (bills that only affect Montgomery County). Our first meeting of the session was last Friday where we also heard from the County Executive and County Council President. You can watch the meeting here. And the calendar for all of the Delegation's meetings is regularly updated and can be found here. ENVIRONMENT UPDATE Last week I shared a few recent reports related to Maryland's work to implement our greenhouse gas reduction goals. Another relevant report is the annual submission from the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, which you can review here. It includes recommendations from the Commission for legislative and executive action to help meet our climate goals. COMMUNITY NEWS We have experienced our first significant weather in quite some time. Below is a list of useful storm contacts for the future. -----
The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club has a series of upcoming meetings. To obtain links for any of the below, please email [email protected]: -Monday, February 5 at 7:30am: Council President Andrew Friedson -March 4, at 7:30am: Lisa Taylor, Chair of the Montgomery County Committee Against Hate/Violence -April 10, at 7:30am: District 18 state legislators BOOK CORNER Given the bill hearing being scheduled for my Metro legislation, I thought I would tie-in this week's recommended book: Zachary M. Schrag's The Great Society Subway. Scrag's book is a history of the development and construction of the DC-area Metro. It was written in 2006 and is focused on Metro's formative stages, as opposed to its actual operation. I actually reviewed this book for a local political website 15 years ago and you can read that throw-back here: https://maryland-politics.blogspot.com/2008/07/summer-reading-list.html Today marks the start of the 2024 legislative session. Unlike the United States Congress, the Maryland General Assembly is part-time and meets for 90 days each year. Also unlike Congress, the House of Delegates only has six standing committees--the U.S. House has about 20--and I am starting my first session as chair of one: the Environment and Transportation Committee. Below I will discuss my legislative agenda--the bills I will be primarily sponsoring--but like every year I will also have the opportunity to work on numerous other issues both as a member of the full House and chair of a committee. Specifically, in addition to having the usual opportunity to weigh in on the state budget, public education, healthcare (including reproductive health), sensible gun control and public safety, and myriad other issues, the committee I chair has jurisdiction over the environment, transportation, housing, agriculture, ethics, and more. In fact, as committee chair I am the sponsor of 17 bills as a courtesy to various state departments and agencies seeking changes to their governing statutes. That said, I currently plan to sponsor five pieces of legislation with a few more still under development. I will share more about these bills in the weeks ahead but here are brief summaries: Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Act of 2024: Senator Ariana Kelly is cross-filing this bill which has been pre-filed (already introduced). The bill updates a law we passed several years ago on access to vehicle charging equipment in buildings governed by homeowners associations and condo boards. Specifically, the bill adds co-ops to the existing law, expands the definition of vehicles to include charging equipment for e-bikes, and puts in place a process for the state's Department of Housing and Community Development to implement the law and serve as a point of contact for individuals who need assistance with the law. Maryland Metro Funding Act of 2024: This is another pre-filed bill I am working on with Senator Brian Feldman, as well as Senator Malcolm Augustine and Delegate Jazz Lewis. As you may know, our local Metro system is facing an operating funding short-fall. The Moore Administration has stepped up with additional funds but this requires a change to our state law capping the operating fund increases to Metro. The Washington Suburban Transit Commission Reform Act: This is a local bill already introduced for which the local hearings were previously held. The bill reforms the Montgomery and Prince George's bi-county commission that oversees our state's Metro commitment by clarifying how the state Transportation Secretary's designee can serve on the Metro board, revises how the other Metro board seat can shift back and forth, and alters what budgetary actions the commission can take independently. The Open-Source Phonics Matching Grant Program Act: This legislation came from my work with a constituent and will put some state support into free reading materials to help support literacy in and out of schools. The Transportation Funding Act of 2024: Through my work on a state transportation revenue and investment commission (more on that below) and the Administration's recently announced transportation cuts (which I discussed in last month's email), it is clear that more support is needed for the type of infrastructure I often hear constituents want: less trash on the roads, fewer potholes, well-functioning mass transit, roadway improvements, and so on. Given the federal government's current historic investment in infrastructure, it is also an important time for our state to step up. For that reason, I am sponsoring a bill to increase revenue for transportation infrastructure by charging low fees on transportation network company (Uber) trips and certain home deliveries. I do not do this lightly and will explain more of my thinking in future newsletters, but safe, reliable, and efficient infrastructure costs money. The Maryland General Assembly website has many great resources if you are interested in following our work over the next 90 days. I will highlight just a few: The general schedule is available here. You can look up legislation and track its progress here. Every bill introduced by the bill introduction deadline is guaranteed a hearing and before the hearing, a fiscal and policy note about the bill will be published. You can view the Committee Schedule, which will be regularly updated, here. I also recommend a few different news resources for those of you interested in the legislature. In addition to the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun, there are three websites that specialize in coverage of Annapolis: Maryland Reporter: http://marylandreporter.com/ Maryland Matters: https://marylandmatters.org/ Center Maryland: http://www.centermaryland.org/ ENVIRONMENT UPDATE The Climate Solutions Now Act is our state's ambitious law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland and ultimately make us a net zero state. As a result of the bill, the Maryland Department of the Environment recently released its comprehensive Climate Pollution Reduction Plan, which you can view here. The Climate Solutions Now Act also required the Maryland Public Service Commission to assess the capacity of the large electric and gas utilities to serve customers under a managed transition to highly electrified buildings between now and 2031. The key takeaways are below. But the bottom line is that the report finds that the system-wide load growth is manageable based on the history of load growth in MD. However, that does not negate the need for granular study in specific locations. You can read the full report here. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE If you missed the District 16 send-off last week, you can watch the town hall style event on YouTube here. ----- Legislation can be "pre-filed" before we convene, This year, 255 House bills and 310 Senate bills were pre-filed. Notably, 68 of the House bills are in my committee, the most of any House committee. You can browse the full list of bills here. TRANSPORTATION NEWS As I have shared before, I am serving as a House appointee on the state's Transportation Revenue and Investment Needs (TRAIN) Commission. The Commission is meeting for two years and our interim report has been released which you can read here. I support the recommendations but they are also inadequate not only to meet our long-term infrastructure investment needs, but our immediate needs as well. Given the Governor's proposed transportation cuts and some of the investments we already know we want to make as a state, I do not think we can wait another year to act on transportation revenue which is why I am introducing one of the bills referenced above. ----- The General Assembly prepares the Joint Chairs Report as part of the budget requesting info and reports from the executive branch. We requested that the Maryland Aviation Administration prepare a report on solar opportunities at Marshall BWI Airport and Martin State Airport. The report is in. The report recommends seven sites at Marshall BWI and three at Martin State that are financially viable for near-term implementation to help decarbonize the airports. COMMUNITY NEWS The Montgomery Perspective blog recognized some of my work in 2023. -----
On Thursday, January 11th at 7:30am, the Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club will hear from Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones. Email [email protected] for more information. Book Corner As those of you who know me or follow me on social media know, I read a fair bit about Maryland history and politics and I thought it would be a nice addition to these newsletters to highlight some of these books. This month I will highlight John W. Frece's 2009 book Sprawl and Politics: The Inside Story of Smart Growth in Maryland. Smart growth was a program pushed through a package of bills and initiatives by then Governor Parris Glendening. The book is a great "how a bill becomes a law" tale in Maryland but also touches on land use policies that are still central to our state and local politics almost 30 years later. If you read the book or have read it previously, let me know what you think. Frece, by the way, has been a writer or co-writer on other Maryland books I may cover in the future. Happy holidays from my family to yours. I hope you and your loved ones are able to get a bit of a break and can enjoy the holiday season. Scroll down for information about the District 16 send-off and my legislative update. On Sunday, January 7th at 4:00pm, the District 16 team will be holding an online legislative town hall send-off in advance of the legislative session. If you are interested, please register here. COMMITTEE UPDATEAs regular readers know, I am now the chair of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, one of just six standing committees in the House of Delegates. We recently held our first official briefing of my tenure on the topics of Implementation of the Climate Solutions Now Act and Housing Issues for the 2024 legislative session. You can watch the hearing here. And the presentations are available here. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Most bill hearings take place during the legislative session but local bills are heard in December. You can check out all of the Montgomery County local bills for the 2024 legislative session here. During the hearing last month, I presented a bill that relates to the Washington Suburban Transit Commission and making some reforms to that body and its relationship with our Metro system. You can watch that evening's hearing here. BUDGET UPDATE Last week, several of the meetings that set the stage for the annual state budget process took place. First, the state Board of Revenue Estimates (BRE)--the Comptroller, State Treasurer, and State Budget Secretary--met to refine its estimates for Fiscal Year 2025 and beyond. As the State Treasurer said at the meeting, not much has changed since the last revenue forecast. But the meeting materials discuss the slowing of sales tax revenue. The BRE presentation can be reviewed here. The full meeting can be watched here. Second, the legislature's Spending Affordability Committee--which I used to chair--met and set the guidelines for the next state budget. The recommendations include: -At least 8.5% of general fund revenue set aside in the rainy day fund -Fund balance (leftover unspent funds) of $100m -$1.75b capital budget -Goal of reducing structural (out year projected) deficit by one third You can review the full slate of recommendations here. TRANSPORTATION NEWS Related to the overall budget discussion is some recent transportation-related news. First, the Metro General Manager recently proposed his fiscal year 2025 budget. Metro is projecting an operating budget shortfall and as one of the funding jurisdictions, Maryland is at the table with Virginia and D.C. to determine what type of Metro system we want to have and pay for. The proposed budget packet is available here. Just to share a few thoughts: -The drivers of the projected deficit are largely outside of Metro’s control such as inflation and the pandemic. The decision to rebate the jurisdictions contributions early in the pandemic was in Metro’s control. It was understandable at the time but has repercussions. -The value of Metro’s funding erodes over time, even in long periods of low inflation, when the dollar amounts are fixed. -Some of Metro’s internal belt tightening is shown but there’s a limit to what doesn’t require service cuts and fare increases. -The proposed budget has extreme service cuts and fare increases proposed in case Maryland, Virginia and DC do not step up. Maryland has already signaled it will in coordination with the other states, even in the context of a difficult funding environment. -One service cut we should want to avoid—and avoiding all service cuts and fare increases is not practical in my view, is restoring turnbacks on the Red Line. Second, the Maryland Department of Transportation released their updated draft transportation budget, which you can read here. This is kicking off a conversation that should have started on September 1 with the submission of the draft. My view on the proposal is summed up in this quote. I am pleased that the Administration has left space for Maryland's commitment to the DC area Metro system and its needs (described above). And Metro is doing its own belt tightening that only shows up in our state budget as a final number, not a series of cuts as you see for other modes. But clearly the cuts are significant. Montgomery County will lose out on $3m in "Highway User Revenue," the local share of the gas tax, and $17m in Local Operating Transit Systems support. To say nothing of various other mothballed projects. And that is just the parochial view. Clearly there are similar priorities and impacts across the state. COMMUNITY NEWS Congratulations to the new County Council President Andrew Friedson and Vice President Kate Stewart. We are excited to have both the President and Vice President from council districts that overlap District 16. Congratulations to District 16's Elizabeth Kellar on her appointment to the Montgomery County Ethics Commission.
---- Now in its 28th year, the Lazarus Leadership Fellows Program prepares high school sophomores and juniors for their citizenship responsibilities. The Lazarus Fellows have provided 77,000 hours of service to our community since 1997. Fifteen students are selected each year to participate in nine seminars with community leaders in the Spring and then perform 200 hours of community service in the Summer. Based at B-CC High School, the program is open to sophomores and juniors who live or go to school in the greater B-CC community. For information, go to the Lazarus Leadership Fellows page on the B-CC HS website (under Activities Quick Links) or email program founder Bruce Adams at [email protected]. To access the Lazarus 2024 Brochure click here. The application deadline for the 2024 program is Sunday January 7. I hope you and your families had a wonderful Thanksgiving. For many of us, the holiday included discussion of recent global events. As a Jew, I have felt the weight of recent events on a more personal level with my family and generally prefer to stay in my lane as a state elected official, focusing on state laws and constituent service. However, I have been a part of three recent statements I wanted to share. First, I joined almost 300 state legislators from 26 states regarding the October 7th terrorist attacks on Israel, rising antisemitism, and increased Islamophobia. You can read the letter here. Second, there was a more local controversy related to a local immigrant advocacy group's views on the Middle East. I joined a letter with every Jewish member of the Maryland General Assembly responding to the group. Third and finally, the District 16 Team issued our own Thanksgiving statement. As you probably know, we have a team of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds and I was pleased we could make this statement together. Part of the reason I thought it was important is because my District 16 colleagues and I are in touch almost every day about issues in our community and, sadly, a lot of those recent conversations have been about antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents. I know from sharing each of these statements on social media that many of you disagree with aspects or perhaps even all of them. These are challenging issues but as your elected official, I feel it is my responsibility to share with each of you my views even when we diverge. LEGISLATIVE UPDATEEach year the non-partisan Department of Legislative Services releases issue papers that present some of the matters we will be called on to deal with during the General Assembly session. You can read the 2024 session issue papers here. ----- Each fall, the Montgomery County House and Senate Delegations hold a Joint Priorities Hearing where any county resident can tell us what they want us to work on. You can watch this year's meeting here. ---- Several years ago, I worked with my colleagues to create a summer Supplemental Nutrional Assistance Program (SNAP) for school children. It started with a few hundred thousand dollars of state matching funds to encourage local governments to expand the benefit to children in need. The program is now $5 million a year in state funds with $4.5 million in local matching funds and benefits over 90,000 young Marylanders. You can read the latest report on the program here. BUDGET UPDATEI used to serve as House Chair of the Spending Affordability Committee. They held the first of two annual meetings recently where they discussed the overall Maryland economy and budget outlook. You can review the meeting materials here. And watch the meeting here. TRANSPORTATION NEWSEach year, the Maryland Department of Transportation visits Montgomery County to discuss transportation priorities. You can watch my portion of the meeting here. And if you want to hear even more, I recently spoke to the Action Committee for Transit (ACT) about the forthcoming legislative session and transportation issues. You can watch the meeting and my comments here. ----- As a reminder, the Maryland Transit Administration is seeking input on the development of a new guiding plan for the MARC commuter rail train service and has launched an online survey to gather ideas and feedback. More information and the survey can be found here. The survey will remain open through December 4, 2023, and the MTA strongly encourages you and your constituents to take part and share your perspective on the future of MARC. Take the survey here. ----- Because of a provision we added to the state budget, every other month the Maryland Transit Administration submits a status report on the Purple Line project. As of September 30, 2023, the project is 58.5% complete. We have requested the addition of further information about progress on the reconstruction of the Capital Crescent Trail to be included in future reports. The full report is here. ----- The Maryland League of Conservation Voters reviews the voting record of Maryland legislators and scores them. I am pleased to have scored 100% for the 2023 legislative session. You can review the scorecard here. COMMUNITY NEWSCongratulations to District 16's Meghan Conklin on being appointed by Governor Moore as the state's first Chief Sustainability Officer.
----- Our District 16 Democratic Central Committeemember Teresa Woorman was recently awarded the Dorothy Davidson Award by the Montgomery County Young Democrats. As a past recipient of the award, I am particularly pleased to congratulate Teresa. ---- Congratulations to three District 16 residents on their appointment or reappointment to the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board: Nancy Abeles, Cameron Conway, and George Wolfand. ----- Friendship Heights Councilmember Paula Durbin recently passed away. She served eight years on the Village Council. Condolences to her family and friends. UPCOMING EVENTSThe Maryland Department of Transportation is holding an Open House on the American Legion Bridge/270 Corridor on Saturday, December 2, 10am-12pm at Wootten High School, 2100 Wootten Parkway in Rockville. ----- On November 27 at 7pm (virtual) and December 4 at 7pm (at the County Council building), bill hearings will be heard on local legislation introduced for the 2024 legislative session. You can review the local legislation and when the hearing for each bill will be at http://montgomerycountydelegation.com/legislation.html. I am the sponsor of one of the bills, the Washington Suburban Transit Commission Reform Act that clarifies and makes changes to local Metro governance and board seats. ----- The House Environment and Transportation Committee that I now chair will be holding oversight briefings on December 15. You can watch along on the Maryland General Assembly website. Implementation of our ambitious environment goals and addressing housing affordability and access are major priorities and the subject of the hearings. It's been a busy month traveling around the state for site visits related to my work on the Environment and Transportation Committee including an overnight visit to Rocky Gap State Park in Western Maryland, an all day transit tour in Baltimore City, a visit to six farms on the Eastern Shore, and a visit to an innovative scrap facility in Prince George's County. But the best event of the month was the annual Potomac Day parade where my colleagues and I get to give candy and shake hands with our Potomac-area constituents. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE October 1st is the effective date of many bills passed by the Maryland General Assembly. A complete list is here. Some highlights are changes to firearm safety laws--some of which were placed on hold by a court; repealing the Statute of Limitation on certain child abuse claims; altering the process for counting votes by mail; and requiring certain notifications of rent increases. BUDGET UPDATE In late September, the state's Board of Revenue Estimates met to update the current budget year forecasts and update the first forecast for the next budget year. There is a $14m write down for the current year, a relatively minor amount out of a general fund budget of $24.5 billion. Year-over-year growth is projected at 3.8% the current year and 2.1% next year. The corporate income tax changes are due to the surprisingly strong returns lately and the projection is those will drop. The big takeaways: This is a fairly steady estimate assuming modest growth continues and we are at the end of a strong sugar rush from critical Covid relief funds. Read the full deck here. Watch the meeting here. TRANSPORTATION NEWS For those of you who read my write-up of the proposed state transportation program in last month's newsletter and want to hear more, I did a deep dive on transportation a few weeks ago with the "I Hate Politics" Podcast. Listen here. ----- Last week was the Purple Line Community Advisory Team meeting for Bethesda-Chevy Chase. If you missed the event, you can review the presentation here. ----- Did you miss the State Highway Administration's virtual public meeting on River Road/MD-190 safety issues last month? You can watch the meeting online here. COMMUNITY NEWS The Montgomery County Planning Board recently reviewed its biennial report for the North Bethesda (White Flint) sector plan. You can review it here. ----- There is ongoing construction work on Old Georgetown Road between Auburn Avenue and Battery Lane from 9am to 3pm weekdays until December 15th. Be prepared for potential delays in this area. ----- Congratulations to the following District 16 residents recently appointed to local boards and commissions: -Constance Mordecai, Commission on Children and Youth -Angela Wu, Commission on Children and Youth -Joyce Dubow, Commission on Aging -Rene Eicher, Commission on Aging -Kathleen McGuinness, Commission on Aging -Tricia Umeh, Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Traffic Safety Advisory Committee ----- Congratulations to District 16's Melissa Bender on receiving the Montgomery County Young Democrats Outstanding Leader Award. ----- A big shout-out to Diana Conway, winner of the Montgomery County Democratic Party's 2023 Kelsey Cooke Volunteer of the Year Award. UPCOMING EVENTS Each year the Montgomery County Delegation to Annapolis holds a series of pre-session meetings. More information about each will be available at www.montgomerycountydelegation.com.
On October 26 at 7pm, the Delegation will hear from the Maryland Department of Transportation about the Consolidated Transportation Program (described further above). The meeting will be at the Montgomery County Council building. On November 14 at 7pm, the Delegation will host its annual Joint House & Senate Priorities Hearing where anybody can share their views on what should be working on. Sign-up is through the delegation website referenced above. On November 27 at 7pm (virtual) and December 4 at 7pm (at the County Council building), bill hearings will be heard on local legislation introduced for the 2024 legislative session. The bills, what night they will be heard, and testimony sign-up will be at the delegation website. |
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