The Final Stretch - Weekly Update

There are just a handful of days left during this legislative session and my next email will be a comprehensive summary of everything that has taken place. Over the next few days, we will finalize the budget, address energy and other environmental legislation, and, hopefully, finalize immigration and criminal justice bills among other issues. During this last minute crush of activity, I am often asked if it would make more sense to have a longer annual session or even a full time legislature. It is a complicated question and there are pros and cons. But I do think attention is focused and compromise is hatched when a deadline hangs over you. If we had a 100 day legislative session, I believe we would still have this crush of last minute activity but it would be close to the 100th day and not the 90th.

BUDGET UPDATE
​Last week, I shared an update on the balanced budget deal agreed to by the House and Senate leadership and the Governor. That compromise is still working its way through the legislative process. We had two lengthy days of debate on it in the House, which is appropriate given the scale of the budget deficit, the size of the budget cuts being discussed, and the potential impact of taxes and other revenue. Not surprisingly, my role in the debate was focused primarily on transportation issues and you can view part of that discussion here. The budget has also passed the Senate and is now in a conference committee between the two chambers,
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There is another element of the annual budget that focuses on the state's construction program (the capital budget). This funds school construction, healthcare facilities, public safety buildings and more. This year's capital budget includes over $900 million in school construction investment, including over $50 million for an enrollment-based program that disproportionately benefits Montgomery County. Under the leadership of the Montgomery County Delegation Chair, we also secured additional school construction funding for Montgomery County not included in the Governor's original request.
Other District 16 projects that are receiving funding include:
-Children's Inn at NIH
-The Glen Echo Park Spanish Ballroom
-Imagination Stage
-The Bannockburn Nursery School
-The National Center for Children and Families
-The North Bethesda Metro Station second entrance
-And more....

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The bills of which I am the primary sponsor continue to work their way through the legislative process. As of the time I am writing this, six of my bills have passed the Senate and are heading to the Governor's desk for signature including the County School Board Anti-Bias Act, the Local Boards of Election Transparency Act, privacy protections for automated enforcement data, the Conflicts of Interest Act, legislation expanding the availability of vintage plates, and the State Mineral Act. I expect a few additional bills to make it through the process as well.

LEGISLATIVE SCHOLARSHIP
State legislators award higher education scholarships for those attending Maryland institutions or non-Maryland institutions with unique majors (not available in Maryland).  Learn more about my office's program at https://www.marckorman.com/scholarship.html.

COMMUNITY NEWS
Preserve Cast is a Maryland-based history podcast I enjoy. This week's guest was District 16's own Hank Levine, who is a leader on the Bethesda Meeting House Preservation project. Listen here.
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Several District 16 residents have been appointed or re-appointed to County boards:
-Citizens Review Panel for Children: Jane Yamaykin
-Commission on Landlord Tenant Affairs: Michael Rosenzweig, Stefanie Milovic, and Thomas Jackson

COMMUNITY EVENTS
On Thursday, May 8th at 6pm, the Maryland Transit Administration will host the latest Bethesda Chevy Chase Purple Line Community Action Team meeting. The meeting is virtual and can be accessed here.

OFFICE CORNER
​As we approach the end of the legislative session, the next stop for many bills will be the Governor's desk where he can sign a bill into law, let it become law without his signature, or veto it. I have two framed pens from bill signings in my office to share here including from my first bill (a Metro ridership study requirement for Maryland, whose next installment is due this year) and the 2018 dedicated funding for Metro bill. I hope you enjoyed this fun segment of my newsletter this year and I hope to have a new topic to keep your interest in the 2026 legislative session!