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Redistricting
The legislature approved Congressional redistricting in the Special Session in December. Now it has to pass new legislative districts for the Delegates and Senators of the General Assembly. The Governor will be submitting his plan but undoubtedly the Democratic controlled General Assembly will pass their version of redistricting and have the votes to override the probable veto by Governor Hogan. Here is a link to the Democrats map which will probably be passed into law.
Cannabis
Legislators are making getting a referendum on the ballot this fall to legalize recreational marijuana a top priority.
Climate change
· Climate Solutions Now Act, this is a comprehensive bill, which will increase the statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction requirement from 40% by 2030 to 60% and requires the State to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045. It also sets targets for electrifying state vehicle fleets, decarbonizing buildings and setting building energy performance standards, building net zero schools, better methane accountability, and environmental justice provisions.
· Constitutional Amendment for Environmental Rights, which will give everyone in Maryland the right to clean air, water and a pollution free environment
· Climate Crisis Act and Environmental Justice Act, (a tax on carbon) which will raise money for the state to be used to fund environmental and other solutions
· Net zero new construction, including schools, and setting of Building Energy Performance Standards
· FUTURE Act, which would require all four-year public universities to become energy neutral by 2030
· Worker protections for agricultural workers, who are currently exempted from health care, time off, minimum wage requirements and other basic requirements
· Incentives for more electric vehicles, including the electrification the bus fleet and police vehicles
· Extended Producer Responsibility, which will put the responsibility for recycling plastics back on the producers
· Single Use Plastic ban
· Expansion of composting in schools and large businesses
Housing and evictions
· Proposal to substantially hike the fees for landlords to file for evictions, aimed at curbing how frequently Maryland landlords turn to the courts when tenants fall behind on rent.
· Allowing judges to put evictions on hold if renters have applied for housing aid — preventing landlords from putting families out of their homes in case bureaucratic delays hold up assistance
· Prohibiting evictions for persons waiting for unemployment monies
· Increased housing for the homeless
· Social Housing, which includes tenant protections, affordable housing and zoning changes that a llow for duplexes, triplexes and quarterplexes
Abortion Rights
· There will be legislation to make women’s reproductive health services more accessible and affordable — and increase the number of trained and licensed abortion providers in the state. There will also be a bill to make it illegal to prosecute women who seek abortions or people who help them — the opposite of the Texas abortion ban that went into effect last year.
Elections and Democracy–
· Campaign Finance Reform including the Small Donor Incentive Act
· Ranked Choice Voting
· Permanent Vote by Mail
· Counting mail-in ballots as they come in
· Special Elections for Vacancies
· Ability to file electronic signatures for ballot petitions
Gun Control -
· A ban on 3D printed guns and guns with no serial number, which will require the creation of an agency to manage serial numbers
· Liability for manufacturers of guns
· Re-definition of domestic terrorism to include mass shootings
Health Care -
· Study the transition to single payer health care system
· Time to Care Act, which provides family medical leave
· Healthy Working Families Act, which adds 14 paid days whenever there is a declared health emergency, removes exemptions for agricultural, seasonal, temporary and on-call workers, expands sick leave days from 5-7 and reduces the waiting period to take leave
· End of Life Act
Transportation -
· Conversion to Zero Emission School Buses
· Legislation to stop MAGLEV
· Transportation Climate Initiative - regional initiative to develop a green energy economy
· Commuter Buses for 1-270
Social and Economic Justice -
· Policing –
o Requiring more than 2 hours per day out of cell for persons with serious mental illness
o Expand the use of citations in lieu of arrests
· Immigrant Rights –
o Universal Representation, providing an attorney for deportation cases
o Universal Health Care, allowing immigrants to qualify for Medicare
· Women's and Children's Rights –
o Banning Child Marriage
· LGBTQ Rights –
o Banning discrimination by private schools that get public funds
· Economic Justice –
o Protecting the first $500 in savings accounts from debt collection
o Maryland Essential Workers Protection Act, which provides for safe and hygienic working conditions, hazard pay, healthcare assistance, universal health and bereavement leave, free testing and right to refuse dangerous work
o Ending debtor's prisons
o Ensuring that auto insurance rates don't differ by zip code
If you want to contact your representatives in District 47 about any of the bills, you should email or call:
Senator Malcolm Augustine Malcolm.augustine@senate.
Delegate Diana Fennell (47A) Diana.fennell@house.state.md.
Delegate Julian Ivey (47A) Julian.ivey@house.state.md.us
Delegate Wanika Fisher (47B) Wanika.fisher@house.state.md.
If you do not know who your representatives are, you can go to www.mdelect.net to find out who are your elected representatives There is also a very good smart phone application MD GOV which lists all the Delegates and Senators, their Committees and their contact numbers.
