Week 5 Update - Public Transit Caucus

One of my first items of business when I arrived in Annapolis four years ago was co-founding the WMATA-Metro Work Group to increase oversight of--and support for--the Metro system.  We have had some success over the past few years, but there is still a long way to go.  I am pleased that our four years of work are now feeding into a larger effort, the new Public Transit Caucus.  The Caucus will continue to shine a light on WMATA, while also focusing on other transit issues around the state.  Delegates Brooke Lierman and David Fraser Hidalgo, as well as Senators Malcolm Augustine and Pam Beidle, are leading this new effort along with the former Work Group co-chair, Erek Barron.

Our first meeting was last week and we heard from WMATA and MTA about their respective capital investment programs.  You can read the MTA presentation here and WMATA's presentation here.

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

Thursday is the deadline for the introduction of House bills to be guaranteed a bill hearing.  Since my last email, I have introduced three more pieces of legislation:

• Effective Corporate Tax Rate Transparency Act (HB 361): The legislation brings more transparency to our corporate tax policy by providing information about the effective tax rate publicly traded corporations pay in Maryland, as opposed to the headline rate of 8.25%.
• 21st Century Transportation Funding Act (HB 426): The bill provides support for transportation and infrastructure funding by fixing a glitch in our state gas tax; taxing digital goods in the same manner as physical goods; and requiring the state to participate in a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) pilot program.
• Income Tax Interest and Penalty Waiver Act (HB 457): The legislation came from a constituent and waives the penalties for income tax quarterly filers who make errors in this first year of the new federal tax changes.

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Bill hearings on my legislation have also begun.  Yesterday was particularly busy, with bill hearings on three pieces of legislation I have sponsored: the Graduate Assistant Collective Bargaining Fairness Act; the Transit Benefit for State Employees Act; and the State Board of Elections Transparency Act.  To watch the hearings, click on the little camera on the bill page.
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As a member of the Appropriations Committee, a lot of my time during the legislative session is spent on the budget hearings of individual agencies.  The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) provides an analysis of each agency's budget and presents it at the hearing, which is followed by representatives from the various departments and agencies to respond to questions.  These hearings are a great opportunity to address budget issues, as well as to provide additional oversight of the government.  You can see the schedule of agency hearings here and also read the DLS analyses that have been released.

Administration News

At the suggestion of a constituent, I led an effort to request that the Maryland Aviation Administration--which oversees BWI and Martin State Airports--to take advantage of a new federal law and replace firefighting foam with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances ("PFAS") with new alternatives.  PFAS has potential harmful health effects.  You can read the letter here.  At the Maryland Aviation Administration's budget hearing earlier this week, they confirmed that they plan to phase out PFAS.

Community News

• Congratulations to Michael Mezey on his appointment to the Friendship Heights Village Council.
• The Montgomery County Democratic Party has nominated District 16's David Naimon for another term on the Montgomery County Board of Elections.  Congratulations David!
• The Bethesda Urban Partnership--the non-profit that markets and manages downtown Bethesda--has had its contract renewed by the county.  I served on the "BUP" board before being elected.  You can read about it here.

Community Events

• The Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Implementation Committee (BIC) will host its regular meeting on Tuesday, February 19th at 7pm at the Bethesda Chevy Chase Regional Services Center in downtown Bethesda.
• District 16 resident and former County Office of Community Partnerships Director Bruce Adams will provide an armchair slideshow tour of Montgomery County’s five Sister Cities at Oasis in Bethesda from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday February 21. Learn about Montgomery’s extraordinarily diverse community by exploring the Sister Cities located in the five top countries of origin of Montgomery County’s immigrant population. Join Oasis for visits to Morazán, El Salvador; Hyderabad, India; Daejeon, South Korea; and the ancient capitals of Xi’an, China and Gondar, Ethiopia. There is a $10 fee. Please register for class # 420 at oasisnet.org/washington. Bruce’s presentation will be at the Oasis headquarters located in the Macy’s Home Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall, 7125 Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda.
• On Monday, March 11th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, Councilman Craig Rice, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jack Smith, and Montgomery College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard will host an education forum at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.
• The Bethesda Chevy Chase Educational Foundation will hold its annual Wine, Chocolate, and Cheese Fundraiser on Thursday, March 14th starting at 7pm at the Woman's Club of Chevy Chase.  You can find more information here: http://bccedfoundation.org/about-the-foundation/​

​If you know of a District 16 resident who merits recognition or condolences or an upcoming event, please email [email protected].