Dear Constituent,

Serving as your representative in the Maryland General Assembly is truly an honor and privilege. Last Monday marked the final day of the 2024 legislative session, known as Sine Die.

As is typical, the legislative session was a mix of triumphs and setbacks. Significant victories were achieved through my sponsored bill, HB676, the Right to Try for Individual Patients, alongside legislation I supported, such as HB137, Civil Immunity- Educator- Intervention, and the other 62 bills I co-sponsored that became law.  Additionally, we significantly amended and halted specific proposals in the final days of the session. Our bipartisan efforts to overhaul the fragmented Juvenile Justice system, as evidenced by HB814, mark essential steps toward meaningful reform and enhancement.

The losses were primarily centered around needless tax increases, housing, electric rates, and the majority party's forcing its agenda. Throughout this session, the House majority repeatedly imposed its will on the Senate and the minority party, promoting an agenda I believe many mainstream Maryland residents oppose.

This session, the General Assembly tackled an unprecedented 3,480 legislative initiatives.  Through it all, I assure you that my commitment to defending our shared values and beliefs remained steadfast. As your representative, I feel it is my duty to keep you well-informed and current. Below, I will discuss several bills that have the potential to significantly affect our quality of life, either for better or worse. For each one, I'll share my voting position and the potential consequences of its passage or failure.

Budget and Taxes

SB360 - Maryland Operating Budget  

Just a few years ago, Maryland boasted a $5 billion surplus. However, at the onset of the legislative session, the state adjusted its revenue projections downward three consecutive times, a reflection of economic fluctuations and shifts in tax revenue. This trend of downward adjustment persisted into early March, marking a fourth revision. Compounding these fiscal challenges, Maryland is grappling with budget shortfalls, significantly attributed to the costs associated with the multi-billion-dollar education reform initiative known as the Blueprint for Education or Kirwan Plan. By Fiscal Year 2028, the structural deficit is projected to surpass $3 billion, with state expenditures increasingly outstripping revenues by this substantial margin. For Fiscal Year 2025, the budget deficit was about $500 million. The Governor's budget addressed this by not contributing to the state's Rainy-Day Fund, moving money from other funds, and adjusting spending formulas. The Senate embraced this approach; unfortunately, the House of Delegates’ version of the budget included tax and fee hikes to balance the FY2025 budget. There were even more taxes in a separate bill, the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2024 (BRFA).

Excessive spending causes deficits, and numerous strategies exist for the Governor and the General Assembly to address them. I believe the optimal approach is to curb spending. Typically, Maryland's Legislature resolves deficits by raising taxes, fees, and occasionally tolls. This year was no different. I voted NO to the spending bill. The bill passed.

SB362 - Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2024

The negotiation of the budget and BFRA is a complicated story. The budget and BRFA originated in the Senate, were balanced with no tax increases, and were submitted to the House by mid-March. The House Appropriations Committee responded by adding the most significant tax hike in Maryland's history, amounting to $1.3 billion. In the final days of the legislative session, the Senate and House reached a compromise on the budget package that reduced many of the new or increased taxes from the House version but still included $450 million in new taxes and fees. Other conservative colleagues and I sent a letter urging the Governor to veto any bills with new or higher taxes or fees. I voted NO to the tax increases. The bill passed. 

My Bills

HB676 - Right to Try for Individualized Patients 

This bill broadens the Right to Try law to include gene-specific personalized treatments that might not undergo standard clinical trials because of their individualized nature. It aims to give Marylanders with rare diseases and terminal illnesses access to customized treatments, providing some hope and options for those suffering from these terrible diseases- the large majority being children. Maryland was a leader in 2017, one of the first states to pass the original Right to Try legislation. I am happy to report that Maryland still paves the way for patients to access potentially life-saving medicines and therapies for themselves and their families. HB676 passed with unanimous support in both the House and Senate. 

Please click the Read More button.....

Yesterday, following the announcement of a compromise on the budget bills, several of my conservative colleagues in the House of Delegates and I sent a letter to Governor Moore urging him to veto any bill containing increased taxes and fees.

While the mainstream media and many Republicans are happy the conflict is over, Democrats in the House of Delegates have taught the Senate, the Governor, and House Republicans a valuable lesson in confrontational politics.

Understanding confrontational politics as a negotiation tactic is important, as it involves the aggressor advancing their agenda by strategically retreating. Lenin employed this tactic, describing it as a pivotal strategy for the advancement of communism. He used the analogy of comparing the backswing of the hammer to being just as crucial as the forward thrust to drive a nail.

At the start of the legislative session, Governor Moore said he would not raise taxes. His budget, submitted in mid-January, included no new or increased taxes. Two months later, the Senate sent the House of Delegates a balanced budget without tax increases.

The Democrats in the House of Delegates, however, had other plans. Initially, they introduced a deep fake: HB1515, which was an estimated tax increase of $2.8B. HB1515 would have expanded the sales tax to include services. It basically taxed everything that moved; however, that was merely a distraction.

The Appropriations Committee then, instead of sending individual bills containing tax increases to the Senate, strategically amended the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (SB362 - BRFA) with $1.3 billion in new tax and fee increases. The BRFA balances the operating budget and must be passed to fulfill the constitutional obligation of a balanced budget. This action forced the Senate to address the issue of tax increases.

On Wednesday, a "compromise" between the House and the Senate was announced, resulting in a significant tax increase amounting to nearly $450 million in additional taxes collected from hard-working Marylanders. The tax increases are centered around an additional $1.25 per pack cigarette tax and numerous vehicle registration and transportation fees, totaling a whopping estimated $357m.

This negotiation tactic was crafty and left both sides feeling like they won. The Senate feels good about eliminating close to a billion dollars in tax increases, and the House Appropriation Committee feels good that it was able to impose its will and advance its agenda without really losing anything. But in reality, the House "ate the Senate's lunch" or rather "gored their ox." Whatever analogy you use, the situation was classic: ask for the moon and then fall back to a more so-called "reasonable" position, but in reality, they gave up nothing.

In the end, the taxpaying people of Maryland lost, now saddled with millions in increased taxes.

We are now urging Governor Moore to honor his goal and commitment of not raising taxes and fees by exercising his veto power.

*Please note: the total increase in taxes approaches $450. When the letter was drafted to the Governor, not all the details were yet released.

This session has been remarkably hectic, amidst the flurry of proposed tax hikes and other contentious matters in the General Assembly, leaving little room to touch upon some positive aspects.

I'm thrilled that a few weeks ago, the House approved my bill, HB676, which is currently under review by the Senate Finance Committee.

In my earlier email, I mentioned HB676-Right to Try for Individual Patients, which broadens the Right to Try law to include gene-specific personalized treatments that might not undergo standard clinical trials because of their personalized nature.  This bill aims to give Marylanders with rare diseases and terminal illnesses access to customized treatments, to provide some hope and options for those suffering from these terrible diseases.

I am proud to announce that every member of the Health and Government Operations Committee unanimously approved HB676 and co-sponsored the legislation.  The House of Delegates passed the bill with unanimous support on the House Floor, and I hope that the Senate will also advance the legislation.

Please read an article written by the Goldwater Institute on the bill advancing: https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/maryland-lawmakers-unanimously-advance-right-to-try-expansion/

Largest Tax in Increase in Maryland History

On Wednesday, I offered a plan to eliminate the proposed tax increases found in SB362 - Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2024, commonly referred to as BRFA, by returning to the historic standard of a 35% ratio for Fairbox Recovery for mass transit.  Prior to 2018, mass transit riders were required to pay for 35% of the operating cost of mass transit.  Democrats removed that requirement, and today, mass transit riders pay in the single digits.  For example, taxpayers subsidized 94% of the cost of operating the Metro.  To put some dollar figures behind this, there is more money in this budget going to Washington Area Metro ($639 million) than state dollars, ($599 million) going to roads and bridges.  SB362 - is a war on drivers.  It raises the following taxes and fees:

• Changing vehicle registration fees so that large vehicles pay more: $250 million
• Enacting a corporate tax reform known as "combined reporting": $225 million
• Applying the vehicle excise tax to trade-ins: $155 million
• Increasing the vehicle excise tax from 6% to 6.5%: $100 million
• Increasing tolls: $75 million
• Adding a 75-cent fee on rides through ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft: $45 million
• Increasing fines on speed camera violations from $40- $250: $30 million

It is morally wrong and blatantly unfair to raise the cost of commuting for those driving while others are getting a free ride.  Fox 45 Baltimore did a good news story on the status of the proposal.  As well as recording some of my comments from the Floor:

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/maryland-house-approves-budget-plan-with-tax-and-fee-increases

House Democrats seem to have veered off track. As I've mentioned in recent interviews, HB1515 appears to be a deep fake, and it seems clear that Annapolis Democrats had no intention of passing that bill. Today, as reported to the Baltimore Banner, House Democrats unveiled their budget, which includes other massive proposed tax hikes. https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power/state-government/maryland-budget-taxes-disagreement-H7AVKQ6MDNGZJCEBBS26SNYOSM/

Here's what House Democrats are proposing:

• Legalizing internet gambling, also known as "iGaming": $300 million
• Changing vehicle registration fees so that large vehicles pay more: $250 million
• Enacting a corporate tax reform known as "combined reporting" on LLCs: $225 million
• Applying the vehicle excise tax to trade-ins: $155 million
• Increasing the vehicle excise tax from 6% to 6.5%: $100 million
• Increasing a vehicle registration surcharge to fund trauma centers: $85 million
• Increasing tolls: $75 million
• Adding a 75-cent fee on rides through ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft: $45 million
• Increasing fines for endangering road workers: $30 million
• Increasing registration fees for electric vehicles: $20 million
• Adding an excise tax on firearms and ammunition: $20 million

A total of $1.3 billion in new taxes is proposed to fund the costly and failing Kirwan Education policy and address the deficit in the Transportation Trust Fund caused by mass transit.

We are only a few days away from crossover and will be on the House Floor voting on legislation on Saturday. Marylanders are struggling with the high cost of everything from groceries to utility bills and can not afford these reckless financial decisions. All Delegates represent the citizens of Maryland. I highly suggest emailing and calling the ruling party Delegates and telling them you can not afford the results of their failed policies. Tell them to vote NO to any tax or fee increases.

Here is a link to the members of the General Assembly: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/Index/house

Free and secure elections are the cornerstone of our representative government, and we must be committed to ensuring that every American's voice is heard at the ballot box. I want to inform you of three election bills of concern that further game the system.

HB 627- Election Law - Automatic Voter Registration - State Correctional Facilities: This bill turns Maryland State Correctional Facilities into an automatic voter registration agency to register inmates to vote when released. You read that correctly, inmates, or should I say freshly released.

I offered an amendment that would do the same for the Department of Natural Resources so that automatic voter registration can be offered to anyone purchasing a hunting or fishing license. As the proponents of HB627 stated, the bill intends to ensure that all qualified individuals should be given the means to register to vote; logically, you would think that would extend to hunters and fishermen. To no one's surprise, my amendment was voted down party lines. I voted NO to the bill. https://www.youtube.com/live/Xv6Il6W3VQM?si=WZOjKlh8ucVeyWza&t=2201

HB 700 – Election Law - Election Judges - Revisions: While this bill may appear harmless in its attempt to engage young individuals in the electoral process, it sets a concerning precedent by assigning critical election judge duties to those below voting age. We must examine the prudence of entrusting the sanctity of the electoral process to those who have not reached the maturity and experience required to cast a ballot themselves. The prospect of compensated service for students without parallel emphasis on rigorous training and accountability mechanisms could inadvertently lead to a degradation of the electoral oversight integral to fair elections. The bill also imposes an unfunded mandate on local governments. I voted NO to the bill.

HB 641 – Election Law - Curbside Voting: HB 641 proposes the ability of curbside voting. Without a Voter ID requirement, this bill increases potential voter fraud. I voted NO to the bill.

The integrity of our election system is the thread that binds our democracy together. We must thoroughly evaluate the potential for these bills to undermine our commitment to fair, equitable, and secure elections. We must also be steadfast in ensuring that each measure we contemplate and pass reinforces the pillar of trust between the government and its citizens.

These bills will now be heard in the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committee.  https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Committees/Details?cmte=eee

Please contact the committee members to express your concerns.

I want to share my published editorial in today's Baltimore Sun regarding my proposal to eliminate the automatic gas tax and increase the farebox recovery rate for mass transit. This summer, on July 1st, Maryland motorists will once again be hit with a tax hike, expected to pay an additional $30 million in gas taxes. It seems unfair to me that motorists will once again be forced to pay more at the pump. Yet, the WMATA Metro, for instance, only achieves a 6% farebox recovery rate, meaning that 94% of the transportation costs for riders are subsidized. They are subsidized by those who drive cars.

My article was written before the recent news that the long-delayed Purple Line, now $3.6 billion over budget, will require an additional $425 million. In my view, the heavy reliance on subsidies for mass transit is straining our state's transportation budget and is unjustly burdensome for those Marylanders facing escalating fuel taxes. https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/05/steering-maryland-away-from-automatic-gas-tax-hikes-guest-commentary/

On Monday morning, I received numerous text messages alerting me to the "T-bone and Heather " radio show, which, at the time, discussed disruptive student behavior at our public schools. Since Annapolis updated the behavior discipline guidelines, dealing with disruptive student behavior has been a persistent challenge. HB615 stands out as one of the most disconnected and insensitive bills I've encountered in years. This bill prohibits the punishment of students for disruptive and threatening behavior in both K-12 schools and colleges. (Link to the bill)

You might ask yourself, how in the world, in today's chaotic education setting, do Democratic politicians think this would be a good idea?

Yesterday, I offered an amendment to HB615. The amendment said that any student violating the behavior subsection shall be prohibited from participating in or attending extracurricular activities for a year.

The amendment had no criminal component but was designed to be another tool to provide for some consequences and accountability for those students who engage in disruptive behavior. I am pleased to mention that the amendment aligned with the position supported by MABE (Maryland Association of Boards of Education) about the bill. MABE is the association that represents all locally elected school boards in the state of Maryland.

The amendment set off a firey half-hour debate in the House. Once again, the committee had difficulty explaining the bill's benefits and why they contended that the amendment was unjustified. When faced with trouble and their backs to the wall, the floor leaders predictably ran to their safe haven talking point of claiming racism. As unbelievable as it sounds, the committee said that this simple, non-criminal amendment would contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline and claimed racism. The message is that it is now racist to insist on proper civil behavior and penalties in schools.

Watch the video yourself: https://youtu.be/QKR9U0MqCJk

The amendment was voted down mostly down party lines, with one Democrat voting with me and with another Democrat running off the floor, skipping the vote. The bill now moves to the third reader and is set to pass the House and move to the Senate tomorrow.