2014 Legislative Session Review

 

 

 

  

The 2014 Legislative Session was busy and included some high-profile issues. On Sine Die I am always reminded how glad I am that the Maryland State Legislature is part-time. Could you image how much damage could be done to the Maryland taxpayer otherwise?

 

From my perspective the 2014 session has been filled with many ups and downs. I am pleased to provide you with this 2014 Legislative Session Review.

 

Voter Integrity

Let's start with the good news! Not everything that happens in Annapolis is bad. As an example, on March 12, 2014, the Maryland House of Delegates unanimously passed my bill (HB 212 / SB 15) which would expedite the purging of deceased voters from the voter rolls in Maryland (amazing we need a law to do this).

 

The dead will no longer be able to vote in Maryland (insert laughter here) but no joke, we have known cases of fraud in our state. This is a significant piece of voting legislation and I believe will substantially increase voter confidence in Maryland. 

 

You can read the Maryland Reporter's take HERE

 

House Minority Leader, Nic Kipke and I sponsored HB 1406, which requires local boards of elections to keep voter's signature cards for 4 years. Recently the attorney general was unable to prosecute voter fraud because these cards were destroyed after only 2 years. This is a great step toward election integrity and I'm happy to report that both bills await the Governor's signature.

 

Estate Tax Relief

As you may know, each year since I was elected I have sponsored some form of estate tax relief in Maryland. Finally they listened to me! HB 739 provides estate tax relief for Marylanders as a gradual re-coupling with the Feds will complete in 2019. Farmers still have only 5% tax after the first $5 million (that was my bill that passed in 2012). This was a heavy lift, but Republicans got it done!

 

Student Privacy

You may have heard me speak on the radio about education issues and how student privacy will be a focus of mine in the coming years. Although HB 607 died in the Senate, it was a great start in assuring that student information, which is now going into the cloud, isn't used for commercial purposes. More work to be done on this issue.

  

Other Education Issues

On January 28, 2014, the Maryland State Board of Education adopted new regulations for student discipline statewide.  The regulations specifically adopt policies that are aimed to reduce suspensions and expulsions.  Most people would agree that local school officials know how to discipline our students better than state bureaucrats.

 

In response to this overreaching push by the state I drafted two bills which aimed to keep discipline authority in the hands of local school boards.  HB 1398 would have allowed the Frederick County Board of Education the ability to adopt or reject the State's new regulations. Similarly, HB 1400 would have allowed all county boards of education in Maryland the same discretion. My bills failed.

 

Click HERE to tune in to WFMD where you can hear me discuss Common Core with Bob Miller. 

 

The Budget and Taxes

The only Constitutional duty of the Maryland General Assembly is to pass a budget.

 

This final O'Malley/Brown Budget increased spending by over $10 billion from their first budget in 2007 totaling to a 35% increase over 8 years. More notably, this year's budget is $1.6 billion higher than last year.  Worse yet, $200 million was robbed from state pension funds and more is scheduled to transfer next year as the General Assembly attempts to balance the budget on the backs of state employees and retirees.

 

For more details check out the House Republican Caucus Report

 

I voted against the Governor's budget!

 

Obamacare and the Failed Maryland Health Exchange

We've all heard the mantra that "if you like your health insurance, you can keep it." As many of us have seen in Maryland and throughout the country, nothing could be further from the truth.

 

This year I have heard from constituents who have found themselves kicked off of their insurance plans because of federal mandates. After being kicked off of their preferred plans, they have been forced to sign up for insurance, often without success on the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. In fact, recent reports are showing that in Maryland 73,000 people lost their insurance while only 60,000 people signed up on the exchange.

 

The Maryland Health Care Exchange is also one of the largest financial fiascoes in state history. At the end of the 2014 Session, Governor O'Malley announced that Maryland will be transitioning to the Connecticut system. The cost? No one knows for certain, but an emergency contract for $50 million has been approved to pay the contractor that will handle the transition. Yikes! What a mess!

 

2nd Amendment

As a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, gun owner, and lifetime member of the NRA, I have voted against every bill that has aimed to curtail our right to keep and bear arms. This year I co-sponsored several pro-second amendment bills many of which aim to address the oversights that the General Assembly passed in the Firearms Safety Act last year. Unfortunately, none of these bills passed.

 

Fairness for All Marylanders Act

(A.K.A. The Bathroom Bill)

First, let me tell you that no one is in favor of discriminatory behavior. But give me a break! Really? I was completely and unequivocally opposed to this bill, which doesn't aim to end discrimination, but to normalize abnormal behavior. Men who may feel like a woman are still anatomically/physically a man. I would prefer he use the bathroom and locker room that most appropriately fits his anatomy! I joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues by voting against SB 212. The bill passed.

 

My opposition did not go unnoticed. Check out the vicious articles I posted below which attack me for standing up for the huge majority of people from the district who contacted my office sharing similar concerns over this dangerous bill.  

 

Here is the Radical Left Wing Huffington Post article. 

 

Also, apparently Human Nature is now determined by polling according to this Baltimore Sun Editorial

 

Marijuana

This session I have not been shy about my opposition to recent marijuana legalization efforts. Like many, I do not believe that decriminalizing marijuana is a positive solution to Maryland's drug problem.  Rather, I join with the majority of law enforcement officers insisting that with continued research, education, and strengthened law enforcement, drug use will drop. 

 

Decriminalization sends a misguided message to our youth who are bombarded with drugs every day. Moreover, marijuana's effect on the developing brain is documented, real, and frightening. Like many families in our district, my family has been personally touched by drug addiction and marijuana's "harmless" nature.

 

The General Assembly passed a decriminalization bill (SB 364) which decriminalizes 10 grams of Marijuana. I offered an amendment, which would have reduced the amount of possession for decriminalization from 10 to 5 grams. I also introduced an amendment to keep pot possession in the criminal code. Unfortunately my amendments failed and the decriminalization bill passed by a vote of 78-55.

 

Listen to the floor debate HERE. Click Saturday, April 05, 2014. Session #2. The marijuana debate begins at 2:32. I start speaking at 2:10.04.   

You can read the Frederick News Post Article HERE

 

Final thoughts

Now that I am back home I will begin reintroducing myself to my family and friends, I hope and pray that I have served you honorably.  With all of its accolades and disappointments, Annapolis is still the people's house and I am ever mindful of who I work for. May God bless you and your family.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of assistance to you and your family: 410-841-3288 or Kathy.Afzali@house.state.md.us.

 

Sincerely,

Kathy Afzali

Deputy Minority Whip

Maryland House of Delegates

District 4A

 

 

PS If you, your child, or someone you know is applying for college in Maryland, be sure to have them check out my scholarship application

 

 

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Follow-Up

 

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