Vaccinations and Legislative Process

The Governor announced the path forward on vaccine eligibility late last week.  By April 27, all Marylanders 16 years of age and older will be eligible for the vaccine.

The Governor also formally announced the state-supported mass vaccination site in Montgomery County that we have known was coming since last week.  It will be located in Germantown and will open in early April.
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Even as vaccine supply shipments from the federal government increase, the broad groups becoming eligible for the vaccine will constrain our supply and capacity.  Here are a few tips:

1. Pre-register with the state: When you are eligible, you can pre-register with the state to get vaccinated at a state mass vaccination site. 
2. Use an aggregator site: There are a number of websites that can be used to search for vaccine availability such as https://www.findashot.org/appointments/us/MD and https://www.vaccinespotter.org/MD/.
3. Continue to read Delegate Ariana Kelly's emails: Delegate Kelly sends a detailed vaccine email and I highly recommend reading them to stay up to date.
4. Montgomery County is launching a vaccination program for those who are immobile.  Pre-register here and note that the recipient cannot leave their home.

As always, you can keep up with what I am doing by following me at @mkorman on Twitter or by clicking "Like" on Delegate Marc Korman on Facebook.

Legislative News

Monday was the cross over deadline, the date by which bills are supposed to pass one legislative chamber.  It is always a good time to assess my legislative agenda for the session.  As I often note, our work goes far beyond our own bills including constituent service, oversight, work on the budget, and supporting our colleagues' bills. But certainly our own bills are a part of our work in the legislature. Here is the status of the bills for which I am the primary sponsor:

• The Maryland Environmental Service Reform Act has passed the House. It reforms this quasi-state agency which experienced a scandal involving the Governor's former Chief of Staff last year. My Senate partner is Senator Cory McCray.
• The Office of People's Counsel Environmental Reform Act passed the House. The bill began as a new Office of Climate Counsel to ensure that our environment was represented before the state's utilities regulator. We compromised to strengthen the existing Office of People's Counsel powers to represent the environment. The Senate side hearing was held yesterday.
• The Maryland Department of Transportation Promises Act would put in law the promises made by the Governor and Department of Transportation regarding the I-270/I-495 private toll road expansion project. It passed the House on a bipartisan basis. My senate partner is Senator Joanne Benson.
• The Electric Vehicles Recharging Equipment for Multifamily Units Act would set clear rules for charging equipment in Homeowners or Condo Association properties to encourage their use. It passed the House. My Senate partner is Senator Guy Guzzone.
• The Board of Public Works Budget Reduction Clarification Act improves the process and transparency for budget cuts when the legislature is not in session. It passed the House. My Senate partner is Senator Sarah Elfreth.
• The Zero-Emission Bus Transition Act would convert the states 800 municipal bus fleet to all zero emissions over time. It is still in committee but its contents are in the Climate Solutions Act that passed the Senate. My Senate partner is Senator Craig Zucker and thanks to Senator Paul Pinsky for including the contents in his broader bill.
• The Maryland Transparency Act would strengthen transparency at numerous state boards and commissions by requiring online streaming. It is still in committee and my Senate partner is Senator Cheryl Kagan.
• HB 1237 would propose a constitutional amendment for binding arbitration for our state employees. It is still in committee and my Senate partner is Senator Joanne Benson.
• HB 1365 would address pay for our special needs school teachers and professionals. It passed the House. My Senate partner is Senator Craig Zucker.

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The Maryland House of Delegates has also passed the state's operating budget for next year. While the budget always presents some challenges and give and take, this year's process overall led to fully funding K-12 education formulas; restoring funding the Governor had proposed cutting to community colleges; rejecting diversions of Program Open Space (parks and other natural resources) funding; and setting aside dollars for our state workers to receive cost of living increases. You can read the House operating budget report here.

Our attention now turns to the capital budget--the state's construction budget--as we seek to fund major priorities such as schools and parks. I will have more to say about the capital budget in a future email, but the Appropriations Committee's initial decisions on the capital budget can be found online.

Community News

• Join the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club on Monday, April 5 at 7:30am to hear from Dr. Raymond Crowel, Director of Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services.  Email John Keller at keller.johnw@gmail.com for more information.
• On Friday April 9th, Councilman Andrew Friedson will be holding a "Fridays with Friedson" from 11:30am-12:30pm.  Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/3016160784121/WN_FTiQvyA-SuSr8SqeRBo9gw

​If you know of an upcoming District 16 event or a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences, please email marc@marckorman.com.