After 90 days, the 423rd session of the Maryland General Assembly drew to a close on April 9th at midnight. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to represent you in the House of Delegates. I am honored to serve the 11th District of northwest Baltimore County with my teammates Bobby Zirkin, Jon Cardin and Dan Morhaim, who share a common vision to improve our community. Your priorities are clear, and together, we have worked hard to reflect them.

I am proud that the House of Delegates passed legislation that will have a major impact on health care, the environment and elections. Some of these bills will make it to the Governor’s desk, others will not. Below is a summary of major developments during the session.

Environment

Some called 2007 the “year of the environment” in Annapolis, an assessment that reflects the significant environmental legislation that was enacted.

Clean Cars. The House of Delegates and the Senate enacted the “clean cars” bill, which had previously been endorsed by the committee I serve on, the House Environmental Matters Committee. The clean cars bill will require every new car sold in Maryland to be more fuel-efficient, beginning with the 2011 model year. The legislation’s goal is to reduce air pollution, decrease carbon dioxide emissions (which cause global warming), and reduce the respiratory diseases, including asthma, that affect thousands of Marylanders. Although the legislation will increase the cost of new cars, the additional cost will be more than offset by savings realized through fuel efficiency.

Green Fund. The House of Delegates approved legislation that would create the Chesapeake Bay Green Fund. HB 1220 established a dedicated funding source for Bay clean-up – promoting Smart Growth and keeping Maryland on track to meet its goals for reducing nutrient pollution. HB 1220 imposed a fee on impervious surfaces created by new development projects. The Fund would support projects that protect the Bay from storm water runoff, help local governments address planning needs and promote agricultural best management practices. Unfortunately, the Senate did not approve the Green Fund bill. Hopefully, it will be reconsidered next year.

Biofuels. I am very pleased that the General Assembly approved two of my bills that promote the use of biofuels. Biofuels have great promise, since they are cleaner than fossil fuels and create jobs in agriculture, but the industry is in its infancy in Maryland.

HB 745 requires that certain state-owned heating systems and heavy equipment use fuel that is 5% biodiesel. HB 416 adds a member to the Maryland Agricultural Commission for an individual from the biofuel industry.

Solar Energy. The House and Senate approved legislation that will require that at least a small percentage of the electricity sold in Maryland come from solar energy. The bill increases the State’s “renewable energy portfolio standard,” or RPS, so that by 2019, at least two percent of the State’s electricity will come from solar power. Although my proposal to double the RPS (coming from all renewable sources -- wind, solar, biomass) from 7.5% to 15% did not pass, I am very pleased that [bill number] will increase the amount of solar energy used in Maryland.

Health-Related Issues

Health Care Access. A major disappointment was that legislation increasing access to health care was not enacted. In response to the fact that more than 800,000 Marylanders lack health insurance, the House approved HB 754, which would have provided health insurance to more than 100,000 uninsured residents. The bill would have expanded eligibility for health coverage under Medicaid and ensured that every child in Maryland can receive medical insurance. Much of the proposal’s cost would have been funded by a $1 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax. Unfortunately, the Senate did not approve the bill.

Smoking Ban. Both the House and Senate approved a ban (HB 359) on smoking in most indoor public establishments. The legislation’s purpose is to eliminate the hazards associated with second-hand smoke. The bill provides a “hardship” exemption for bars and restaurants that can demonstrate that the ban would hurt them financially. [The Senate’s version of the smoking ban also grants an exemption for private clubs, so if and when the Senate bill passes, the difference will have to be worked out in conference committee.]

Military Health Care Personnel. I am very proud that the General Assembly approved HB 949, a bill I introduced to streamline the process by which military health care personnel can enter civilian health care fields. Many in the military, such as hospital corpsmen and medics, have significant experience and training in health care. HB 949 requires the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with several groups, to identify barriers to the entry of military health care personnel into comparable civilian health care occupations, and to make recommendations to the General Assembly on how to remove those barriers.

HB 949 will help address two related issues: the shortage of health care personnel, especially in emergency rooms and community health care clinics, and the availability of trained military health care personnel to help meet the shortage.

On March 30, the Sun featured a story on the legislation. The link to the article us http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-bz.military30mar30,1,6293957.story.

Election Law

Early Voting. Both the House and the Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would allow early voting. Since the amendment needs to be approved by the voters, it will be put on the ballot in the November 2008 election. The amendment would allow early voting and ensure the constitutionality of absentee voting. If the amendment is approved, the General Assembly will then consider the exact terms under which early voting will be permitted. On both this and other election law matters, my colleague Del. Jon Cardin led the floor debate in which these proposals were adopted.

Paper Trail. The House and Senate approved HB 18, which would require the State Board of Elections to implement a voting system by 2010 that produces a paper receipt. The receipt would be available to each voter to inspect and verify before the ballot is cast and would be suitable for the purpose of a random audit. HB 18 is in response to the concerns created by use of the Diebold voting machines, which do not produce a paper trail. The bill is contingent on state funding for new voting machines, which would most likely be optical-scan machines.

Electoral College. Both the House and the Senate approved legislation that would change the way in which Maryland allocates its electoral votes in Presidential elections. Maryland will join an inter-state compact that provides that member states allocate all of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote in presidential elections. This compact will only go into in effect should states representing a majority of electoral votes (270 votes) join the inter-state compact. Currently, Maryland is one of only two states that have passed legislation approving this new compact, although several other states are considering it. The legislation is designed to ensure that the winner of the national popular vote becomes President.

Other Major Issues

The Budget. Governor O’Malley’s budget, as approved by the General Assembly, increases aid for K-12 education to $5.2 billion, an increase of $680 million. This reflects the commitment to funding the Thornton plan. The budget also provides $400 million for school construction, the largest amount ever provided in a single year. This will help renovate older schools in many parts of the State, including Baltimore County. The budget also freezes in-state tuition at University System of Maryland campuses and Morgan State University, and fully funds open space and land preservation programs.

Ground Rent. The House and Senate approved a series of bills that reformed the ground system. Among other things, the bills replaced the practice of ejecting homeowners for late or non-payment of ground rent with a judicial foreclosure process, will facilitate easier redemption of ground rents, and created an on-line registry of properties subject to ground rent. I was the sponsor of HB 502, which as approved will remedy many of the problems in the ground rent system that stem from a lack of notice to ground rent tenants and owners. My bill requires ground rent owners to notify ground rent tenants when ground rent is due, tenants to notify owners when they move, and a listing of tenants’ rights and responsibilities in the sale of properties subject to ground rent.

Living Wage. The House and Senate approved a bill requiring contractors with a state contract worth at least $100,000 to pay a living wage to their employees who spend at least half their time each week working on the state contract. The legislation, whose purpose is to ensure that the employees of state contractors do not live in poverty, establishes a two-tiered wage to reflect differences in the cost of living in the state. The wage in urban areas (including Baltimore City and County) is $11.30 per hour; the wage in rural areas is $8.50 per hour.

Immigration. One of the most contentious issues of the session was a bill that would provide for in-state tuition at Maryland colleges and universities for the children of undocumented immigrants. The House approved the legislation, the Senate did not, and I did not vote in favor of the bill.

Rosewood. The House and Senate approved legislation that will require the Department of Health and Mental Hygience (DHMH) to make recommendations on transitioning each patient to the community or other facilities. The Maryland Department of Planning will review alternative uses for the Rosewood property, including the need for open space. In a related development, the State Board of Public Works has declared 54 acres at the Rosewood Center in Owings Mills surplus property. This is an ideal site for an Owings Mills middle school, which is very much needed.

I am proud to be representing you in Annapolis and to be a part of the legislative team that represents District 11. I am pleased that I was able to get four bills enacted, and I especially want to thank Del. Dan Morhaim for supporting my legislative initiatives.

Although the session has now ended, please contact me with any comments or feedback or if I can be of any assistance. My email is and phone number is 410-841-3527.

Best,

Delegate Dana Stein

410-841-3527