Now that the 2023 Legislative Session has come to a close, I am excited to be back out in the 46th District to share the major accomplishments from our time in Annapolis. Delegates Luke Clippinger, Mark Edelson, Robbyn Lewis, and I are proud of the work we accomplished this year to enhance the health, safety, and prosperity of all Marylanders.
Last week, we joined the Highlandtown Exchange Club with neighbors from around Southeast Baltimore to talk about what we did to enhance safety, invest in our public schools, and strengthen the right to reproductive freedom in our State. Tomorrow night, we’ll join residents in Fells Point along with partners from various community organizations to talk about the role that each of us plays in supporting the neighborhood.
I’m looking forward to getting out to all the various neighborhood associations, from Cherry Hill to Bayview and Federal Hill to Mt. Vernon, in the coming months.
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The SERVE Act expands service year options for any Marylander interested in giving back to communities throughout our State as a means to bring people together with a shared purpose and vision for what’s possible.
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The Fair Wage Act of 2023 raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour—a year ahead of schedule. The raise will impact approximately 163,000 workers and benefit 120,000 children in Maryland.
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The Family Prosperity Act of 2023 makes the expansion of Maryland’s Earned Income Child Tax Credits permanent, which will help eliminate childhood poverty in our State.
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The Child Victims Act of 2023 removes the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits against sexual abusers to allow survivors to sue their abusers and the institutions that employed their perpetrators.
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The Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act sets an ambitious new target for offshore wind generation, analyzes economically efficient construction of transmission to get that energy onto land, and establishes a novel procurement process that benefits Marylanders.
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The Clean Truck Act of 2023 adopts the Advanced Clean Truck Rule to reduce emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, provides incentives to mitigate the cost of those zero emission trucks, and increases funding for the electric vehicle recharging equipment rebate program.
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Senate Bill 959 overhauls the Maryland 529 program by abolishing the board and transferring administrative authority to the State Treasurer’s Office; creates a claims process for impacted account holders; and incentivizes the phase out of the Prepaid College Trust in favor of other Maryland 529 plans that have consistently performed without issue.
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Additional Legislative Victories |
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A number of critical bills passed the Maryland General Assembly in our final days and may not have gotten as much attention as others, like those listed in the previous section. A few highlights are below:
Teacher Recruitment and Retention: The Maryland Educator Shortage Act of 2023 provides a $20,000 yearly stipend over a 10-month period to eligible student teachers to address a shortage in educators in the State. To qualify for the stipend, students must be enrolled in a teacher preparatory program, be a part of a public-school internship, show academic progress toward a degree, and commit to work two years in a high-needs school in Maryland.
Free, Fair, and Secure Elections: Maryland remains focused on making it easier for all eligible voters to have voices heard. Mail-in voting widely has been adopted in recent elections and Senate Bill 379 ensures that voters who forget to sign their mail-in ballot have the opportunity to fix, or “cure,” the ballot in time for their votes to be counted. In addition, we specified that mail-in ballots must be sent to voters 43 days prior to Election Day to avoid uncertainty around ballots potentially not arriving in time and voters needing to cast provisional ballots as a result. Finally, we are avoiding unnecessary delays in election results being reported by allowing local boards of elections to begin processing mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day.
Support for Maryland’s Veterans and National Guard: Maryland’s men and women who have served our country with honor and distinction, or are still doing so through our National Guard, deserve recognition for that sacrifice. The Maryland General Assembly took a number of steps to ensure veterans stay and invest in Maryland after their service. First, we increased the amount of military retirement income that is tax exempt for State purposes in Senate Bill 553. Second, we established an income tax checkoff for voluntary contributions to the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund through Senate Bill 354. Third, we put safeguards in place to remediate the issues currently facing the State-owned Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Senate Bill 974). Finally, the legislature passed the Health Care for Heroes Act of 2023 to award monthly grants to subsidize health insurance for Maryland National Guard members and ensure they can continue serving safely through Senate Bill 554.
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Wins for the Fightin' 46th District |
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The 2023 Legislative Session may have just ended, but we’re already making key progress back in the Fightin’ 46th Legislative District. Last week, Delegates Clippinger, Edelson, Lewis, Councilmember Cohen, and I got official notice from Baltimore City that renovations to the Patterson Park Pool and Bathhouse will be pushed to after the upcoming summer season, thereby avoiding its closure. The Delegation secured $3.5 million for the renovations over the last two fiscal years and we are thrilled that this critical community asset will remain accessible in the coming months. The decision follows our advocacy to the Scott Administration that everything possible be done to keep the Patterson Park Pool open this summer.
In addition, an announcement was made yesterday that duckpin bowling will remain in Southeast Baltimore when the Patterson Bowling Center reopens after the building is redeveloped for mixed use. The Delegation sponsored legislation that will create a liquor license for the new duckpin bowling alley contingent upon its use for that purpose. This is likely the first time that issuance of a license has been tied to a premise being used for duckpin bowling in Maryland history.
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The Baltimore City Board of Estimates recently approved a new ground lease for Harborplace with a multiphase redevelopment planned. Delegates Clippinger, Edelson, Lewis, and I were proud to secure $30 million in State funding for restoration of the Inner Harbor Promenade this Session with another $30 million preauthorized for next year to ensure the success of this vital project.
Mayor Scott has announced that homes classified by the City as owner-occupied will be removed from Baltimore’s tax sale for the third straight year, providing much-needed relief to those whose homes were in danger of being sold for liens.
The EPA has reached a settlement with Maryland and other states and environmental groups to address pollution originating in Pennsylvania that pollutes the Chesapeake Bay. The EPA is now required to address issues related to agriculture and stormwater runoff and increase compliance and enforcement efforts.
The Baltimore Ravens will call M&T Bank Stadium home for at least 15 more years after signing a new lease agreement. The extension will support the city’s redevelopment and renovations efforts of the stadium, which were approved by the National Football League in December.
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If there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to contact my office via email, bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us, or by phone, 410-841-3600.
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