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   There are many laws passed during the legislative session that went into effect on Sunday, June 1, 2014. You may click on the title of the bill to read the entire text of the legislation.  Here are a few that may interest you:

  

* HB 929 Speed Monitoring Systems Reform Act of 2014 - This legislation raises the standards for speed camera vendors, tightens when automatic tickets can be issued, ensures investigation of erroneous tickets, and tightens the definition of a "school zone". The change allows motorists to appeal citations before a court hearing, and it also eliminates the "bounty-system" that encouraged contractors to issue more tickets.

 

* HB 881 Medical Marijuana - The legislature passed HB1101 in 2013, a compromise resulting from a many years of discussion on the authorized use of "medical marijuana".  The 2013 legislation was unworkable and HB 881 addresses some of the problems by allowing for more physicians and researchers to participate in the program.

  

* HB 742 Register Institute Strategic Enterprise Zone Program - This legislation establishes the Regional Institution Strategic Enterprise (RISE) Zone Program, to be administered by the Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). The purpose of the RISE Zone program is to access institutional assets that have a strong and demonstrated history of commitment to economic development and revitalization in the communities in which they are located. A business entity that locates in a RISE zone is entitled to a property tax credit, an income tax credit, and priority consideration for assistance from the State's economic development and financial assistance programs.

 

* SB 850 Prohibition on Acquiring Mortgages or Deeds of Trust by Condemnation -  
Prohibits the State or any of its instrumentalities or political subdivisions from acquiring mortgages or deeds of trust by condemnation during the period between June 1, 2014, and May 30, 2016. The law also requires a study of restoring equity to homeowners wth private label securities in their mortgages who have been unable to obtain mortgage loan modifications that would allow the homeowners to keep their homes.

  

* SB 332 Prekindergarten Expansion Act of 2014 - This legislation expands prekindergarten services to four-year-old children from families whose income is no more than 300% of the federal poverty guidelines through a grand program to local school systems.

  

* HB 389 All-Electronic Tolling Study - Requires the Maryland Transportation Authority to study implementing all-electronic tolling

 

 * SB 644 Council on Open Data - Establishes a State policy that open data be machine readable and released to the public in specified ways and establishes a Council on Open Data. This is intended to allow more government transparency to the public.

 

   Some of this legislation I supported, and some I voted against because it established new programs and funding mandates with no way to pay for it in the future. We don't necessarily need another government program to fix the problems in our state as much as we need relief from current policies and reprioritization of our current spending.

 

 

Upcoming Community Events:

 

Please support our volunteer fire departments by visiting the carnivals. Gamber and Union Bridge were a big success, despite a few thunderstorms. Coming up this month:

  

* The New Windsor Fire Department Carnival will run from Monday, June 2 to Saturday, June 7, 2014. The Firemen's Parade will take place on Wednesday, June 4th at 7 PM.

  

* The Taneytown Volunteer Fire Company Carnival will run from  Monday, June 9 to Saturday, June 14, 2014.

 

* The Sykesville Freedom District Firemen's Carnival will run from Monday, June 16 to Saturday, June 21, 2014.

 

Congratulations to all of our high school graduates who will be walking across the stage throughout the next week.

Carroll County | Maryland House of Delegates  
Phone: 410-841-3200 | Fax: 410-841-3349  
6 Bladen Street, Room 311 | Annapolis, MD  21401 
susan.krebs@house.state.md.us | Jeffery Peters, Legislative Aide
 
By Authority:  Friends of Susan Krebs, Kimberly Madeja, Treasurer  


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