The death penalty repeal bill was the only legislation on the Judiciary Committee voting list. The first amendment that was offered would have maintained capital punishment for contract murder. What I said in response applied equally to the nine that followed. “The question before us is whether we should end the death penalty. You can’t …more >
“I think the governor has worked this bill [to repeal the death penalty] very hard prior to session and early in session and secured the votes he needs to make sure it’s passed,” Senator Joseph Getty said after the legislation passed the Senate. There are such bills, where numerous trades must be made to secure …more >
Why do we need this bill? Every bill sponsor must answer that question satisfactorily. Twice today, I had conversations about possible compromises on bills that were opposed last year by a government agency in one instance and an industry group in the other. In both instances, they now prefer to help write the law, instead …more >
In the mornings, I often run into a Naval Academy grad (Class of 1957) taking his daily walk. “Have you raised my taxes yet?” he frequently asks. I know the answer he doesn’t want to hear. Yesterday, the Governor announced his proposal to increase the gas tax to raise money to improve the state’s transportation …more >
“I don’t want to jinx myself,” I told the reporter. He had asked me to comment off the record about our chances to pass death penalty repeal in the House. We expect the bill will pass the Senate this week, but it hasn’t yet. Hence my reluctance. But if/when the bill gets to the House, …more >
Around 10:30 last night, I read the bill. The hearing on the Governor’s Firearm Safety Act began at 1:00. Initially, I was turned off by the opponents’ bogus claims that any regulation of gun possession, including an ownership fee, violated the 2nd Amendment. These people surely aren’t absolutists about other protections in the Bill of …more >
All parking is local. For the last ten years, approximately 1,000 employees of Sinai Hospital and the Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital have parked on the Preakness Way lot of the Pimlico Race Course – except on Preakness Day. They are a short walk or shuttle ride from their jobs. And they are not …more >
There’s the reason and there’s the real reason, goes an Annapolis maxim. Translation: the stated reason may not be the actual reason why something happened. This morning, I met with a group of doctors, who asked me to oppose a certain bill. “Who’s the sponsor?” I asked. The name didn’t tell me anything about who …more >
A legislator has to know how to count. It helps to know how to read and write. I’ve been searching for the right way to amend one of my bills. Late yesterday, I reread the bill and found just the right provision to change. An email I received this morning from another delegate began, “Sandy, …more >
A new concept, however worthy, is not likely to pass the first time it’s introduced. This past summer, I read about social impact bonds. These bonds seek to align the interests of investors with a desirable social outcome. Typically, when the government contracts with a nonprofit, it makes payment based upon the volume of services …more >
