CAMBRIDGE - With a little over a week left in the 2022 Legislative Session, we are completing the final pushes on our legislation before Sine Die.

The Maryland Senate has also been debating many topics on the floor throughout this past week, including paid family leave, abortion, redistricting and recreational marijuana.

After the congressional redistricting map was deemed to violate the Maryland Constitution and Declaration of Rights last week, the General Assembly was ordered to come up with a new plan by this past Wednesday. The new map was worked on over the weekend and discussed earlier this week in committee, before moving onto the Senate Floor and passing. While the new maps feature smaller, more compact districts, I opposed this map due to the rushed process with a lack of input from the public.

The two pieces of legislation pertaining to the legalization of adult-use cannabis, HB1 and SB833/HB837, fail to provide an overarching framework to ensure the safe and legal distribution and regulation of cannabis. As the bill currently stands, there is no system for establishing who will grow other than for personal usage.

There is also no system for establishing licenses, taxation or other regulations. This framework was established in the original version of SB833, but it was struck down by the House. Developing this framework is essential for ensuring a just, equitable system for adult-use cannabis.

Bipartisan tax relief

Combined with the recently enacted gas tax suspension, this legislative session will deliver nearly $2 billion in tax relief.

This tax relief agreement includes the following provisions for FY23-FY27:

• Tax Relief for Retirees 65 and older making up to $100,000 in retirement income, and married couples making up to $150,000 in retirement income. As a result, 80% of Maryland’s retirees will receive substantial relief or pay no state income taxes at all. ($1.55 billion)
• The Work Opportunity Tax Credit to incentivize employers and businesses to hire and retain workers from underserved communities that have faced significant barriers to employment. ($195 million)
• Family Budget Boosters: sales tax exemptions for child care products such as diapers, car seats and baby bottles, and critical health products such as dental hygiene products, diabetic care products and medical devices. ($115.6 million)

The bipartisan agreement also makes a one-time record $800 million investment in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future while maintaining a record level in the Rainy Day Fund. Further, this uses the surplus to make strategic and historic investments that:

• Support public safety and victims of crime;
• Ensure Maryland’s world-class health system by supporting hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities;
• Expand Medicaid dental coverage for adults, in-home medical care and autism services;
• Help families by expanding access to child care, providing bonuses for public school staff and increasing student aid at higher education institutions;
• Spur local economies and job opportunities through capital funds for school construction, affordable rental housing, state facility maintenance and local transportation infrastructure; and
• Protect against the growing threat of cyber attacks.

District 37 Pages

The Maryland General Assembly Legislative Page Program is a great opportunity for the future generation of Maryland to learn first-hand about our state’s government and the legislative process. We had one page serve from District 37 this week; Curstin Carpenter from North Dorchester High School.

Transportation funding

This bipartisan agreement will increase the share of transportation funds that local governments receive through highway user revenue (HUR) grants beginning in FY24. In FY24, the share of transportation funding for local jurisdictions will increase from 13.5% to 15.5%, and by FY27, the percentage will increase to 20%. Without action, these grants would have been cut beginning in FY24. In total, from FY24 through FY27, local jurisdictions will receive $663 million more in transportation funding than under current law.

Supplemental Budget

Gov. Larry Hogan announced that he has submitted a $2.8 billion supplemental budget to the General Assembly that makes key investments in some of his administration’s core priorities, including support for police and public safety, an expanded cyber readiness and workforce initiative, and critical infrastructure and public health investments. This supplemental budget also funds top priorities for county leaders and local governments.

This is the fourth supplemental budget that the governor has submitted to the General Assembly during the 2022 legislative session.

Cancer Moonshot Initiative

Gov. Larry Hogan announced a new Maryland Cancer Moonshot Initiative to expand and accelerate cancer detection, screening, prevention, treatment and research in the state. The state is committing $216 million in investments as a down payment to jumpstart this far-reaching initiative to save lives, including the first-ever comprehensive cancer center in Prince George’s County.

The Maryland Cancer Moonshot will leverage the state’s world-class public health facilities to expand early detection, screening and patient education; advance state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient care services; and support cutting-edge research of cures and treatments.

These initiatives are included in the governor’s fifth supplemental budget, as well as his original FY23 budget.

National Deaf History Month Begins

This month marks National Deaf History Month, which is celebrated every April to honor the contributions of our Deaf community, including numerous Deaf-run civil rights organizations, renowned educational programs and institutions, and the community’s resolute commitment to ensuring accessibility for all.

In Maryland, the Governor’s Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, now in its 20th year of service, promotes equal and full access for all Marylanders by advocating for the general welfare of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. The office works to create and refine policy, provide expertise related to Deaf and hard of hearing issues, and to facilitate access to resources, services and opportunities for participation in all aspects of community life.

Maryland is home to the National Association of the Deaf, which is the oldest civil rights organization in the nation. Other Maryland-based organizations serving Deaf and hard of hearing individuals include Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc., more commonly known as TDI, and the Maryland Association of the Deaf, which this year celebrates 65 years of activism in improving the lives of the Deaf and hard of hearing in the state.

Maryland is also a premier state for Deaf education. The Maryland School for the Deaf has long been considered a flagship of national Deaf education. Established in Frederick in 1868, MSD provides free academic and life-based education to Deaf and hard of hearing Marylanders. A second MSD campus opened in Columbia in 1973.

Addie Eckardt represents District 37 in the Maryland State Senate.