This week, I thought I'd simply send out an email and invite everyone to join us at the County Fair. However, I realized that "seeing is believing" and decided that recording a quick video for you would be better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3mkYqgqplY

Thank you again for the prayers, and get well wishes. They most certainly helped. I will be at the Fair Thursday evening, Friday afternoon, and Saturday morning.  If you are attending, swing by the Republican booth, and please say hello. I have also received some updated information and said the wrong time in the video.  The parade at the St. Mary's Fair starts at 10 a.m.  Saturday, we will meet up around 9:30 a.m. across from the Fair Grounds in front of the Tech Center behind the Republican float. Remember to wear your patriotic shirts. 

I hope to see you there,

Matt

In many Conservative circles, particularly in Conservative talk radio, there is a tendency to draw parallels between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and today's heavily Woke-influenced Democratic Party.

This comparison is often presented as satire to highlight certain policy similarities. After reading the recent press release from the Maryland Cannabis Administration, which was influenced by the Cannabis Reform Act approved by the General Assembly this legislative session, it seems that the jokes about implementing a CCP Social Scoring System may be closer to reality than we think.

The new Social Equity Verification Portal exemplifies the slippery slope of identity politics, where our state government is attempting to circumvent the Federal Equal Opportunity Laws. Below is one of several reasons why I voted against this legislation.

Read their Press Release below:

Maryland Cannabis Administration Announces Creation of Social Equity Verification Portal

Linthicum Heights, MD - The Maryland Cannabis Administration today announced the creation of the Social Equity Verification Portal for individuals interested in pursuing a cannabis business license. The portal will assist prospective applicants with confirming their social equity status before the license application round opens later this year.

The Social Equity Verification Portal is scheduled to open on Friday, September 8.

The first round of licensing for standard and micro cannabis growers, processors, and dispensaries will be exclusive to social equity applicants. The Social Equity Verification Portal will instruct individuals on the social equity applicant eligibility requirements and allow them to verify their eligibility as a social equity applicant before the application period opens later this fall.

Under the Cannabis Reform Act, a social equity applicant is defined as an applicant with 65% or greater ownership or control held by individuals who have lived in a disproportionately impacted area for at least five of the past 10 years, attended a public school in a disproportionately impacted area for at least five years, or attended a four-year institution of higher education in Maryland where at least 40 percent of the individuals who attend the institution of higher education are eligible for a Pell Grant, for at least two years.

Earlier today, the Office of Social Equity published data identifying ZIP codes and public schools in Maryland that are within a disproportionately impacted area. In addition, the Office of Social Equity identified the University of Baltimore, Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, the University of Maryland - Eastern Shore, and Washington Adventist University as the four-year instructions of higher education with at least 40% Pell Grant eligibility. More information on the Office of Social Equity and the qualifying geographic areas and institutions of higher education may be found at ose.maryland.gov.

“In partnership with the Maryland Cannabis Administration, the Office of Social Equity paves a pioneering path toward inclusivity,” said Office of Social Equity Executive Director Audrey Johnson. This collaboration underscores the shared commitment to nurture a diverse cannabis landscape, rectify historical imbalances, and ensure equal access.”

The Social Equity Verification Portal will be open for a period of 60 days, closing on Tuesday, November 7.

For more information, including how to access the Social Equity Verification Portal beginning on September 8, visit cannabis.maryland.gov.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who sent me countless "get well messages" over the past week. Your kind words and support have truly brightened my day. I want to stress that I am feeling significantly better than anticipated, and my recovery is progressing seamlessly. In the coming weeks, I intend to share more about this experience, but for now, I wanted to express my deepest appreciation for all the encouragement I have received.

Despite taking a short break, I want to share a letter that I assisted in authoring last week.

You may have heard of a news story (as reported in the Washington Times and other news sources) about the retailer Best Buy creating a new manager training program but excluding white applicants from applying.

If these allegations are indeed true, it is truly shocking that in this day and age, a business would unabashedly endorse promotions based on race. If true, this news is troublesome and highly likely illegal by Maryland State Law. That is why I took the time to help author a letter with seven other conservative Delegates asking the Maryland Civil Rights Commission to investigate the matter.

In my opinion, racism of any kind has no place in Maryland or anywhere else for that matter.

Dear Friends,

Ever since I started in politics, I always found it easier to talk about issues, problems, solutions, legislation, and public policy, rather than talking about myself. It has always felt uncomfortable and self-serving to do so, and I never wanted to be the politician who always talked about their resume and gave self-promoting, boring anecdotal stories about their humble beginnings.

So know that writing this email about my health situation is challenging for me.

A few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with a rare form (less than a thousand cases per year) of thyroid cancer.

This news shocked me as I am only 50 years old. I feel like I'm in great shape, have no family history of this type of cancer, and have zero symptoms. This type of cancer isn't caused by the environment or personal lifestyle choices; as my doctor said, it's caused by bad luck. Given the circumstances, I feel incredibly fortunate the doctors found this as early as they did.

The only treatment for this type of cancer is surgery, which I have had.

As I write this, I am at home and recovering well, and the good news is my doctors are confident the surgery was a success, and I look forward to making a full recovery.

I originally wanted to keep this a private matter, but unfortunately, the surgery was more intense and invasive than I initially expected.

So I will do something I've never done in my entire life.

I will follow the doctor's orders and take a few weeks off. I am canceling all public appearances for the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, this comes at a bad time because I must reschedule our big fundraiser at Bowles Farm for September 7th.

If you have already purchased tickets and sponsorship, thank you. I like my job and, of course, need to host a fundraiser this year. Ideally, I would like to apply those tickets and sponsorships already sold to a fundraiser I will host later this year. My goal would be to host it around the Christmas timeframe. However, if you would like a refund, reply to this email, and I will ensure you are refunded.

Still, even though I am off for a few weeks, my office is open. If you need any constituent services, my staff does a fantastic job, so if you have an issue you think I can help with, please don't hesitate to email us at: [email protected]

Thank you for your understanding and patience. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Again, I look forward to seeing everyone at the rescheduled fundraiser soon.

Finally, please pray for my wife, Kathy. The last few weeks have been stressful, and she has done a great job caring for me even though I am a terrible patient.

Thank you all again for your love and support.

Sincerely,

Matt Morgan

Remember a few years ago when Maryland had budget surpluses? In January, Governor Wes Moore and lawmakers came to Annapolis with a historic $5.5 billion budget reserve. 

News that those days are over does not surprise me one bit!

This past March, when we were in the middle of the legislative session, the Comptroller's Office announced we had a nearly $500- million dollar write down. It doesn't take an economic genius to figure out that the economy was slowing down and that State Government would have to tighten its financial belt just like many families across our state have done. Unfortunately, I was one of only a handful of Republicans and the only one in the St. Mary's Delegation to vote against Governor Moore's bloated Budget. Go figure.....

Next year's fiscal Budget is expected to have a deficit of $418- million. However, the more significant concern is the Democrats' promise to the teacher's union of future spending that could amount to billions of dollars.

I have said before that every dollar the government spends is a dollar it must take from citizens. Maryland does not have a revenue problem, but it certainly has a spending problem. Given the promises made by the Governor and the Legislature's history of spending money, it seems unlikely that spending will be cut.

Excess government spending presents a genuine concern that tax increases are imminent. I assure you that I will remain consistent in my words and actions, unlike many politicians, including those in my party, who say one thing during campaigning and then act differently once elected.

Let me reiterate my campaign promises!

I will NOT vote to raise taxes, period.

I will not vote for a tax increase for any reason or situation.

If there is a push for any revenue-generating gimmick or new and increased taxes, rest assured I will let you know.

https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/07/16/budget-deficits-loom-in-the-wake-of-the-2023-sessio

I want to bring several significant laws that go into effect on July 1st to your attention. I mentioned the gas tax increase in a previous email yesterday and last week. If you missed that email, you can read it directly on my blog at my website. https://www.voteformattmorgan.com/blog

Also going into effect on Saturday, July 1st, is the use of recreational cannabis. The new law merges medical and recreational cannabis laws. I have been a consistent vote against recreational cannabis. Still, as it is now legal, I thought I would share the guidance released from Comptroller released below that says if you have a medical cannabis card, you will avoid paying the sales tax.

I do find this ironic as many proponents of recreational cannabis pointed to it as a way to pay for the promised billions in increased spending in k-12 education. The Department of Legislative Service estimates this bill will generate a measly $19 million in revenue statewide which wouldn't even pay for the air conditioner replacement at Chopitcon High School, let alone begin to pay for the Kirwin Blue Print mandates. Like most things political, the false promise of taxing a new revenue source was more of a gimmick to win over public support than a solid fiscal solution.

Also, the next time someone on the Left says that all they want is "common-sense gun control," remind them that they helped pass HB1071. You would think the one thing the two parties would have in common is the removal of illegal firearms from our streets. Well, not so fast- this new Maryland law prohibits police from using the odor of cannabis as a reason to search a vehicle during a traffic stop. It is reported that police find 80% of illegal firearms during this type of stop.
This legislation will result in thousands of illegal firearms remaining in the hands of criminals and therefore used on citizens. It is so radical that even Governor Wes Moore refused to sign the bill, thus allowing it to go into law without his approval.

Channel 4 NBC Washington did an excellent news story on this: You can view that here: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/new-maryland-law-prohibits-police-from-using-weed-odor-as-cause-for-search/3356345/

I want to wish everyone a good morning. It is so rare that I ever see a headline in the Baltimore Sun that I agree with, but this morning's news that Maryland Governor Wes Moore wants to eliminate the automatic gas tax comes as a pleasant surprise.

From the Baltimore Sun: Ahead of a five-cent hike Saturday in the state's gas tax, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore is calling on the Maryland General Assembly to address the state's automatic increases, which he said are harmful to the financial bottom lines of working-class families, when it reconvenes in January.

"If my mom, when she was working multiple jobs and out of nowhere, she watched her gas tax increase — for many people, that's not a big deal, but that would've been a big deal for my mom, and I just feel like we've got to do better for working families in the state of Maryland," Moore said during an interview Tuesday with The Baltimore Sun.

I couldn't agree more with Governor Wes Moore. The automatic gas tax increase is a hardship on working families and disproportional impacts rural area constituents. Since it was passed into law 10 short years ago, the law automatically raises the gas tax as the consumer price index (CPI) increases. The automatic gas tax has doubled since 2013, and the gas tax has increased by more than 30% in the last two years. As many of you know, I've been the chief proponent of decoupling the gas tax with CPI and offered this as an amendment on the House floor this year.(38-90) I would like to offer up the idea of having a one-day special session now.  Let's correct this problem today as I have written this legislation, as I was the lead sponsor for this bill last legislative session. Here is a link to my bill: https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0422

I hope that Annapolis Democrats do not use this as an opportunity to sneak a new tax onto the citizens of Maryland. It would be a shame and a bad look for a Democratic Governor to come out in support of a relatively simple idea of decoupling the gas tax from CPI only to have his own party implement a vehicle mileage tax under the false promise of fairness. A new tax would only worsen things for working families and add to the difficulties Maryland residents face, especially those living in rural areas.

This is an excellent example of what I have repeatedly said over the last several years. Constituents, especially those in the red areas of Maryland, must start fixing our state's problems from the outside.  Indeed, Governor Moore did not campaign on cutting the gas tax, but after six short months in office, that's what he is proposing because constituents are applying public pressure.  The silent majority needs to keep speaking out.  Maryland is a great and beautiful state. Most problems people complain about in Maryland center around the state's politics. It would be better for all of us if we came together and corrected the fundamental problem of Maryland—our state's politics. 

I will follow up on this great news with a letter to the governor's office.

I look forward to working with Governor Moore on this historic bipartisan accomplishment.

Warm regards,

Delegate Matt Morgan