MARC KORMAN
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LATEST NEWS

The Final Days

4/4/2017

 
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I had some important constituents visit Annapolis last week.  My wife, Rebecca, and our son, Harrison, returned for a visit.  My daughter, Abby, also came for the first time.  It is always fun to show off my family to my legislative colleagues.
There is less than a week to go in the 2017 Maryland legislative session.  The only "must pass" legislation, the budget, has already passed both chambers but there is still a lot of other work to be done.  I have a few of my own bills moving through the last steps of the legislative process and the legislature as a whole is still working on issues of statewide importance such as earned sick leave and cash bail reform.
You can always keep up with what I am doing by following me at @mkorman on Twitter, clicking "Like" on Delegate Marc Korman on Facebook, or visitingwww.marckorman.com.
Legislative News
The Capital Budget--the state's construction budget--passed last week.  It included many important funding items for Montgomery County.  One item of particular importance is school construction.  Two years ago, the Montgomery County Delegation in the legislature obtained a special grant for school districts with high enrollment growth of $20 million, approximately 1/4 of which went to Montgomery County. Last year we doubled that grant and Montgomery County received more than a quarter (approximately $12 million of $40 million). This year's capital budget includes an additional $22 million for that program, $10 million of which will go to Montgomery County. These additional dollars will not entirely solve school crowding in the County, but it helps.  And, of course, this is over and above the state's standard school construction allocation to the County.
The House version included $12 million more for Montgomery, but that was reduced to $10 million by the Senate.
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I am pleased that in the final days of the legislative session, two of my bills are moving forward.  Senate legislation SB 1 is the same as my bill addressing early intervention reporting in our schools and has been sent back over to the Senate with amendments.  The Energy Storage Study Act has also passed out of the Senate Committee and should be coming back to the House for a final vote shortly.
Administration News
Many of us have been pushing the State Highway Administration (SHA) to implement the use of High Intensity Activated Crosswalks (HAWK signals) at some pedestrian crossings.  These signals are dark when not in use but can be triggered by pedestrians and then illuminate a signal to stop traffic.  I have co-sponsored legislation on this issueand advocated to the Attorney General's office that SHA's resistance to HAWK signals is inconsistent with the law.  I am pleased that after years of advocacy, Maryland is finally moving ahead with modified HAWK signals at two pilot locations, including one in Montgomery County.  Learn more here.
Metro
Virginia has been plowing ahead on the issue of Metro reform. The Virginia General Assembly passed language calling for the Metro compact to be reopened and their Governor hired former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to study the issue. Maryland is getting in on the act and has passed language on the issue as part of the annual budget.
As I explained to the Washington Post:
'Metro is crucial for our region and it is important that Maryland’s reform priorities be on the table along with those of Virginia and D.C.,' Del. Marc Korman (D-Montgomery) said. He and Sen. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery) played leading roles in adding the provision to the budget."
Many legislators played a role in getting the language included, as well as advocates such as Federal City.
Community News
  • ndolences to the family of Ira Laster, a District 16 activist and regular attendee at the Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club.  Ira passed away after a long battle with cancer.
  • District 16 resident Jordan Cooper has been recording a podcast with many local civic leaders.  Two recent episodes included some of our District 16 leaders: Former Councilman Bruce Adams and Council President Roger Berliner.
  • Many of you are aware of the sad news that Barnes and Noble will be vacating its current anchor site in downtown Bethesda.  When I first moved to downtown Bethesda in 2003, there were four bookstores I can think of (two new and two used).  Barnes and Noble is the last store standing.  Obviously quite a bit of the change is because of forces broader than Bethesda, but it is still a difficult transition.
  • Congratulations to my seat-mate, office-mate, and friend, Ariana "Tornado" Kelly, on being named chair of the Women's Caucus.
​If you know of a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences, please email marc@marckorman.com.
Community Events
  • The Greater Bethesda Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce "Big Event" is onApril 5 at 4pm (tonight, for those of you reading the day it is emailed).  The event will be held at Glen Echo this year.
  • The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will be closing one right lane and the road shoulder in the northbound direction of MD 355 (Rockville Pike) on April 5 through 7, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day, weather permitting. During the closure, MCDOT will install a construction entrance for the Multimodal Crossing Project at the Medical Center Metro Station, which will construct a pedestrian underpass beneath the road. The lane closures will occur between Jones Bridge Road and South Wood Drive, in front of Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB), home of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  In addition to the pedestrian underpass, the Multimodal Crossing Project will construct deep elevators to the Metrorail mezzanine on the east side of Rockville Pike at the entrance to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and NSAB and make improvements at the nearby intersection of Rockville Pike and Jones Bridge Road.  The Crossing Project was conceived following the federal BRAC law enacted in 2005 and implemented in 2011, which mandated an increase of personnel at NSAB by nearly 45 percent and doubled the number of annual campus visits to approximately one million.  Daily pedestrian crossings of Rockville Pike at Walter Reed/NSAB have increased from 3,000 prior to 2011 to 7,000 after 2011.  The Crossing Project will enhance safety for Metrorail passengers, commuter buses, carpools and neighborhood pedestrians, providing safe access to and from the Walter Reed/NSAB campus.
  • Attend a senior forum sponsored by Montgomery County Councilmember Sidney Katz on spotting elder abuse, avoiding senior scams, and living life to the fullest.  Speakers include John McCarthy, Montgomery County State's Attorney; Eric Friedman, Director of Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection; and Gretchen Zekiel, Montgomery County Volunteer Center RSVP Program Manager. Friday, April 7, 9:30am - 12:30pm, Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive, Rockville.  Questions? Call 240-777-7817.
  • The Davis Library will reopen on April 8 at 10am.
  • The NIH Community Orchestra will perform a free "Spring Concert" onSaturday, April 8, 2017 at 4:00pm at Cedar Lane Unitarian Church, 9601 Cedar Lane in Bethesda, Maryland.  The Orchestra will perform Humperdinck’s Overture to Hansel and Gretel, Mussorgsky’s A Night on Bald Mountain, Mozart’s Overture to Così fan Tutte and Brahms’ Serenade No. 1 (mvts. 1, 4, & 6).  For more information, please call 240-277-3480 or visit the following website:  http://www.nihco.org. 
  • The next Montgomery County Taxpayers League Meeting will be held on April 19, 2017 from 7-9 pm.  The topic is "The Montgomery County Police Department and Performance-Based Budgeting" and the speaker will be Police Chief Manger.  The event is held at the County Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville.  For more information, visit: www.mctaxpayersleague.org
  • Adventure Theatre is holding its 65th season gala on Thursday, April 20.  More information is available at http://www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org/givetoatmtc/gala.html.
  • From April 21 through April 23, the Bethesda Urban Partnership will be putting on the Bethesda Literary Festival.  Learn more here: http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/bethesda-literary-festival
  • The BCC High School Class of 1977 40th Reunion is on Saturday, April 22from 7pm to 11pm at the Knights of Columbus, 9707 Rosensteel Avenue in Silver Spring.
  • Join me on April 24 for a panel discussion with the League of Women Voters regarding the 2017 legislative session.  The event is at the Silver Spring Library from 6:45pm-8:30pm.
  • There will be "A Spring Soiree in Support of Montgomery County History" on Saturday, April 29 from 6pm-8pm,  More information is at http://montgomeryhistory.org/springsoiree/.
  • Save the date for the Coalition for Smarter Growth's walk in Downtown Bethesda on Saturday, June 3 at 10am.
If you know of an upcoming community event, please email marc@marckorman.com.

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