The Final Stretch - Weekly Update

The 90 day legislative session is scheduled to conclude this coming Monday. We are in the final stretch as we finalize next year's budget and work to progress our policy priorities. I am serving on the budget conference committee--specifically for a component of the budget called the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA)--and we continue to deliberate, specifically over whether we want to address long-term transportation funding challenges. You can watch one of our recent conference meetings here.
And you can hear all about it at the District 16 post-legislative session town hall on Sunday, May 19th at 6:30pm. RSVP here: bit.ly/D16-05-19-24

SENATE UPDATEMy legislation continues to make progress in the State Senate. Last week, the Senate gave final approval to the Maryland Metro Funding Act, my bill that allows Maryland's additional support for our local Metro system to flow. The Senate also passed the Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment Act but with an amendment that the House will have to consider. The amendment adds information about certified equipment installers and I support it. Earlier this week, the Senate gave final approval to the port renaming bill I have written about previously. And I have worked with the Maryland State Department of Education on amendments to the Open-Phonics Matching Grant Program Act which I hope will smooth the way for Senate passage.
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The Senate has also passed the annual capital (construction) budget.  In addition to important statewide funding for school construction, hospitals, parks, and more, it also includes important funding for District 16 projects including:
-$2.5 million for the University System of Maryland Institute of Health Computing to be located in North Bethesda;
-$3 million for the second entrance of the North Bethesda Metro station, part of a multi-year funding effort to position the entrance for federal funds;
-$220,000 to support disabilities access at the new Diener school building on Old Georgetown Road;
-$150,000 for the Town of Glen Echo stormwater restoration project; and
-$150,000 for the Merrimac Neighborhood Park refresh.
The House of Delegates should take up its version of the capital budget next week.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
​With just a few days to go in the legislative session we are approaching the finish line for a number of major bills.
I have previously shared information about the Governor's housing package, which my committee spent a significant amount of time on this year. Each of these bills (the Renters Rights and Stabilization Act, the Housing and Community Financing Act, and the Housing Expansion and Affordability Act) has each passed the House and is pending in the Senate. The one I have been asked the most about is the Housing Expansion and Affordability Act, which provides density bonuses above county zoning for certain types of projects in certain areas. The House carefully refined this bill to ensure that it was narrowly targeted and would incentivize market-based projects from private developers and not just government owned or subsidized projects. Efforts were also taken to limit the impact on single family home communities.
The House and Senate also continue to work through differences on a juvenile reform and justice bill to ensure that we are treating juveniles fairly but also disincentivizing juvenile crime.
Last week, the House also passed legislation to further regulate the state's retail energy market. As you are aware, you can choose a competitive supplier of gas or electricity in Maryland--while the monopoly utilities (Washington Gas and Pepco in our case)--continue to deliver the energy. The bill seeks to place some guardrails on these third party suppliers who often prey on consumers with low teaser rates that balloon quickly.

There are over 2700 bills in the Maryland General Assembly this year and I am confident you care about something I have not discussed. If you have questions about a bill I have not covered, please click reply and I will provide an update.
KEY BRIDGE UPDATE
I briefly discussed the vessel collision and Key Bridge collapse in last week's email. We mourn the loss of six construction workers and thank the brave first responders, including the Maryland Transportation Authority police that managed to minimize the loss of life by closing the bridge quickly.
State and federal agencies are working around the clock to remove the bridge debris and vessel so the channel can be cleared and the Port of Baltimore can reopen for business. Every day it is closed is an economic body blow on a macro scale but also means unemployed dock workers. The Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act seeks to minimize the impact by providing temporary relief programs for port employees and related businesses.
Even when the port reopens, the region will make the reality of losing a bridge that moved over 30,000 vehicles per day and efforts are being undertaken to minimize the local traffic impacts.
Going forward, Maryland will work to reconstruct the bridge and we appreciate the promised federal support for this effort, the details of which are still being worked out.
I am part of a daily briefing regarding the Key Bridge and my committee will also be involved in the ongoing oversight of the recovery and reconstruction effort.
COMMUNITY NEWS
The Bethesda Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club's next meeting is with District 18 state legislators on April 10th at 7:30am. The following meeting will be with candidates for Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge on April 25th. To obtain the link for the meeting, please email [email protected].
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Congratulations Leslie Richin on her appointment to the Advisory Board for the Montgomery Cares Program and congratulations to Andrew Garza on his appointment to the Commission on Veterans Affairs.
BOOK CORNER
With the Key Bridge in the news, the city of Baltimore is on the minds of many. Matthew Crenson's Baltimore: A Political History, is a great reference and resource on about 250 years of Baltimore history starting with its tobacco town roots in the 1700s.