Category: Sandy’s 2016 Legislative Diary

March 24 – A parent with a disability and the best interest of a child

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This time I was in the room.

At the request of the National Federation of the Blind, I introduced House Bill 976.

When deciding what is in the best interest of a child – whether the issue is adoption, guardianship, a Child In Need of Assistance, custody, or visitation, the focus cannot be on whether an individual is blind.

My bill would require a finding by clear and convincing evidence that blindness affects an individual’s ability to provide proper care.

That’s the most rigorous standard in a civil case.

The first change to the bill: we broadened its coverage to include a parent with any disability, as defined by federal law.

Today’s meeting was to see if we could reach a compromise with the Department of Human Resources, which objected to this higher standard in cases where DHR is involved.

Let’s take those cases out of the bill, I suggested, and spend the summer persuading DHR that the law should be expanded next year.

For now, we have less than three weeks to pass the amended bill.

March 23 – Giving and receiving advice

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I’ve written before about learning things by just taking a walk down the hall or, now that it’s warmer, the sidewalk.

Today I was on the other end, giving advice, instead of receiving it.

A lobbyist for a non-profit asked me about an issue before the Board of Public Works.

Send me the question where the answer would benefit your position, I advised.  I’ll send it to our non-partisan budget staff.  Their analysis will have credibility.

The next encounter dealt with the effect that language in the budget bill could have on another piece of legislation.

Lobbyists whom I respect don’t understand the budget process, but serving on the Appropriations Committee for 20 years has given me knowledge that others don’t have.

The next question I couldn’t answer.

I went to the Attorney General’s office for advice.

March 22 – Nothing for granted, again

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I’ve given this speech before.

The topic was Medicaid funding for abortion.  My first session in 1983, I was a floor whip for the pro-choice side.

The Republicans’ amendment would deny funding if the medical justification was the woman’s mental health.

I reminded my House colleagues that the voters of Maryland approved the law protecting a woman’s right to choose whether to have a child and to make that decision after consulting with the people she chooses.

Most of them knew that.

However, most of my students do not.

When we discuss abortion in my law school classes every fall, a majority of the class does not know that Senate Bill 162 – Abortion, was approved on referendum in 1992, 62-38%.  Delegate Larry LaMotte and I were the lead sponsors of the House bill.

As I wrote yesterday about the legislative process, my students should take nothing for granted.

March 21 – Too close to assume

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Two favorable committee votes today send different messages.

The Senate bill to require the Governor to fund the state’s $11.1 million match for a $30M federal grant to expand pre-kindergarten opportunities got a favorable committee report.  The vote was on party lines.

That was also the case when my identical bill passed the House on Saturday, 93-41.

Governor Hogan opposes legislation mandating that he spend money for certain purposes.

It will soon be up to the Governor whether to sign the bill or seek a compromise.

My legislation dealing with the sale of tobacco to minors also received a favorable committee report.

The vote was 12-10, despite my amendments, which prompted tobacco lobbyists to take no position on the bill, instead of opposing it.

With that close call, I will take nothing for granted the rest of the way.

March 17 – Out of the box first

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Top Maryland Democrats agree to $290 million package to help Baltimore

That was the headline on a front page story in today’s Baltimore Sun.

There would be new funding for demolition of vacant housing, redevelopment of distressed areas, after-school and summer programs, college scholarships for 7th and 8th graders, and mentorship programs.

I’ve already talked with my 41st District colleagues about working with our neighborhoods to get their fair share of this money.  If we’re out of the box first, we’ll succeed.

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As my parents taught me by both words and deeds, the life of public service is as much a gift to the person who serves as it is to those he is serving.

            I could have said that, but it was Judge Merrick Garland, speaking in the Rose Garden yesterday.

March 16 – We should meet next week

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“This is one of the policies that could help men,” Ron Haskins wrote me this past May.

               –help finding jobs (perhaps as part of the child support program; many states are now running such programs)   

When welfare reform passed the Congress, Ron was the majority (Republican) staff director of the House Ways and Means Committee.

I worked with him on Maryland’s law.  I contacted him again last May.

We met with the leadership of the Maryland Department of Human Resources.  After much work on DHR’s behalf, we had a bill.

House Bill 1502 would establish the Noncustodial Parent Employment Assistance Pilot Program to provide noncustodial parents with the resources necessary to make child support payments.

This pilot program would provide unemployed or underemployed noncustodial parents in Baltimore City with assistance in obtaining employment that enables them to meet their child support obligations.

This afternoon, the bill got a favorable report, unamended, from Judiciary.

I wrote DHR’s lobbyist, “We should meet next week to discuss our Senate strategy.”

 

March 15 – On time but not as detailed

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If a committee wants to vote on your bill, don’t slow it down.

An Appropriations Committee staffer informed my Legislative Director that certain amendments are being considered for one of my bills.

This means that the committee expects to act favorably on my legislation. You don’t work on amendments for a bill you plan to kill.

Since the committee needed more information, the staffer was referred to the advocate we’re working with.

The committee could vote on my bill Friday, but if it doesn’t get our response until Thursday, it will be cutting things close.

If you got a good shot, as Bill Russell said, take it.

March 14 – Non-meeting meeting

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The non-meeting meeting was productive.

The Subcommittee on Civil Law was supposed to meet at 4:00 to discuss the Attorney General’s bill on structured settlements.

When I arrived at the committee room to chair the meeting, the AG’s office and representatives of the affected businesses were already engaged in discussions.

No need to interrupt these negotiations, I decided. “Let us know when you’re done,” I told them, “and we’ll convene our meeting.”

Nearly an hour later, I gaveled our meeting to order.

Both sides summarized the status of their talks. They’re close to a compromise but need another 24 hours.

They will submit their amendments by 4:30 Tuesday, and the subcommittee will meet again Wednesday morning.

 

 

 

March 9 – Down the stretch they will still come

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I write to you today as the chair of the Third Saturday in May committee.

That’s when the Preakness is run at Pimlico Race Course.

We took a major step this week to decide if that will be the case for decades to come.

The Maryland Stadium Authority approved a study to evaluate Pimlico’s ability to serve as the permanent home for the Preakness Stakes.

The Authority built Oriole Park and M&T Bank Stadium. Consequently, its work is highly regarded.

If this report recommends that the Preakness remain at Pimlico, it will create the justification and the momentum to do so.

To get this report on the Authority’s agenda, I brought together representatives of the Maryland Jockey Club, the Racing Commission, the City of Baltimore, and the Stadium Authority. We called ourselves the Third Saturday in May Committee.

There hasn’t been a World Series game in Baltimore since 1983. The Preakness is run every year.  Almost without exception, the Kentucky Derby winner is here.

The Park Heights community, Baltimore City, and the metropolitan region all benefit from the Preakness.

Save the track, save the Preakness, help Park Heights.

March 9 – Focusing on lead poisoned kids

| by delsandy | Sandy's 2016 Legislative Diary | No Comments

One of the witnesses for property owners would have the committee believe that because of the lead in the water in Flint, Michigan, we’re spending too much money and effort enforcing Maryland’s laws directed at deteriorated rental properties.

“As this committee well knows,” I began my testimony in response, “lead paint in poorly maintained housing is the principal cause of lead poisoning in our state.”

“Our focus,” I continued, “needs to be on enforcing our existing law.”

My bill would increase the annual fee for an affected property to fund more inspections and better computer coordination between the state agencies that deal with lead poisoned children.

I acknowledged that my number was too high, but you would never know that from the landlords’ testimony that followed.

  • My Key Issues:

  • Pimlico and The Preakness
  • Our Neighborhoods
  • Pre-Kindergarten
  • Lead Paint Poisoning