The Maryland General Assembly is now in session. The 438th session convened in Annapolis on Wednesday. The 90-day sprint is filled with hurdles. The first being tax reform.
“The first thing we have to do is dissect the tax bill that’s coming down from Washington D.C., said House Speaker Michael Busch (D-Anne Arundel County). U.S. Senator Ben Cardin said he would be providing the General Assembly with the support it needs to understand exactly what’s in the tax bill.
The impact of the federal tax cuts are still unknown but there’s expected to be a high return to the state. It’s additional money that Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has said he will return to taxpayers despite there being a need for money elsewhere.
“Unfortunately, I heard the other day Senator Mike Miller talking about keeping some of that money, some of those increased taxes, and I think that’s the wrong choice. Maryland is already taxed high enough,” said House Minority Leader Delegate Nic Kipke (R-Anne Arundel County).
One program that could benefit from additional funding is the Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP that Congress has not reauthorized.
“We know we have the challenge in front of us right now of 142,000 kids that don’t have health insurance and unless the federal government acts we’re going to have to find a way to make sure those kids stay on the health care rolls,” said Speaker Busch.
In addition to tackling taxes and health care, crime and the opioid crisis remain top priorities.
“Our system is allowing dangerous people, dangerous criminals back on the street,” Kipke said.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh went to Annapolis to deliver to the Governor a package on violence reduction.
“I talked about the expansion of Safe Streets and also Roca and our program to tear down more vacant houses in the City, [he’s] very excited about that,” said Mayor Pugh.
On top of the controversial topics set to be addressed, it's also an election-year. Governor Hogan asked both chambers to put party politics aside to move forward with bipartisan reform.
"We have plenty of time for campaigning. Let's try to spend the next 90 days talking to each other and coming up with compromises and coming up real common sense bipartisan solutions to the problems that face us," Hogan said.
As far as the Governor’s veto on paid sick leave legislation last session, the vote to override his decision will likely happen in the House on Thursday and in the Senate on Friday.
Two other issues expected to come up this session are creating term limits for delegates and senators and strengthening sexual harassment policies.
