You don’t get your bills passed if you wait until January to start working on them. If your bills are enacted, you have to keep working to make sure they’re implemented.
So ninety days into our nine-month interim, I write to discuss with you some of the issues I’m working on.
The Congress has passed two laws that create opportunities for similar action at the state level.
The sale and distribution of tobacco products will be regulated by the federal government under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This law gives the states clear authority to regulate in this area as well. My focus will be on sales to minors and advertising directed at these potential smokers.
It will be easier for young people saddled with academic debt to enter public service under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, whose chief sponsor was Congressman John P. Sarbanes. If you work for the government or a non-profit for ten years, what you still owe on your federal student loans will be forgiven.
I sponsored the laws which created similar incentives with state funds. I will be meeting with financial aid experts to see if we should modify our programs in light of this major federal initiative.
As vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, criminal law is one of my responsibilities. The rash of violence perpetrated by gangs and the senseless shooting of a five-year old bystander by a teenager with a long history of offenses demand a thorough review of our existing policy. I have begun that process.
Do you have a reasonable expectation of privacy about the cell phone calls you make when you’re traveling from one place to another? Should the police be required to get a judge’s approval for a search warrant before they obtain the records of the locations where you made such calls? I think they should and will introduce a bill to require that they do so.
My green jobs bill was enacted this past session, making it a priority to train current and former welfare clients for jobs in this growing sector of the economy. I just learned that this will be a key aspect of the state’s job training efforts.
My Lilly Ledbetter bill reversed a Supreme Court decision that made it very difficult for workers to recover damages from employers who had discriminated against them because of their gender.
Justice Ruth Ginsburg wrote the dissent in this case. I had the honor of presenting her a copy of our legislation, signed by Governor O’Malley.
This was not the first time I met the Justice. She was one of my law school professors. Her class was “Sex Discrimination and the Law.”
I may get a second chance to give the Justice a bill that reverses a decision she dissented from. Last month, the Supreme Court made it very difficult for workers to win a case if they had been treated unfairly because of their age.
I welcome your thoughts about these issues or other matters of concern to you.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Finally coming to the floor
Jim McKay died last June on the day that the Belmont Stakes was run.
Not long after that (I don't remember exactly when), I thought of renaming the Maryland Million in his memory.
Earlier today, after the Rules Committee took favorable action on my resolution to accomplish that, I said to myself, "It's finally coming to the floor."
There was a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.
Not long after that (I don't remember exactly when), I thought of renaming the Maryland Million in his memory.
Earlier today, after the Rules Committee took favorable action on my resolution to accomplish that, I said to myself, "It's finally coming to the floor."
There was a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.
More than a name
Newly offered amendments won’t jeopardize my bill to allow wrongly convicted prisoners to present newly discovered evidence.
At this late hour, prosecutors are proposing changes to my bill creating a writ of innocence. They would be offered in a conference committee, except the conferees won’t be meeting.
The Senate crossfile of this legislation has already passed. That bill can be signed by the Governor.
I’m not going to accept weakening amendments to my bill so that it too can be reviewed and then signed by the Governor.
If both bills were to pass the legislature, the prosecutors would lobby the Governor to sign only the one with my name and their amendments.
So my chairman has agreed not to have the House conferees meet.
You can get a lot done, the old saying goes, if you don’t have to get all the credit for doing so.
At this late hour, prosecutors are proposing changes to my bill creating a writ of innocence. They would be offered in a conference committee, except the conferees won’t be meeting.
The Senate crossfile of this legislation has already passed. That bill can be signed by the Governor.
I’m not going to accept weakening amendments to my bill so that it too can be reviewed and then signed by the Governor.
If both bills were to pass the legislature, the prosecutors would lobby the Governor to sign only the one with my name and their amendments.
So my chairman has agreed not to have the House conferees meet.
You can get a lot done, the old saying goes, if you don’t have to get all the credit for doing so.
Thursday, April 9 – Little things and new things
Lots of little things can go wrong with your bills in the final week.
But not this session. Not so far, at least.
In fact, little things have been going right.
A hurdle was removed for my writ of innocence legislation when the Senate committee acted favorably on my bill and did not adopt the wordsmithing amendment it put on the Senate version.
We finally read the Senate amendment to the green jobs bill. It’s ok. So we won’t need a conference committee on that legislation.
So with fewer of my bills still to watch over, I’ve been given additional responsibilities.
In addition to the workgroup on the Preakness bill, I was appointed to the conference committee that will decide whether we should issue a driver’s license for people who don’t have the documents to establish legal presence in the country.
But not this session. Not so far, at least.
In fact, little things have been going right.
A hurdle was removed for my writ of innocence legislation when the Senate committee acted favorably on my bill and did not adopt the wordsmithing amendment it put on the Senate version.
We finally read the Senate amendment to the green jobs bill. It’s ok. So we won’t need a conference committee on that legislation.
So with fewer of my bills still to watch over, I’ve been given additional responsibilities.
In addition to the workgroup on the Preakness bill, I was appointed to the conference committee that will decide whether we should issue a driver’s license for people who don’t have the documents to establish legal presence in the country.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Great Odds on Saving the Preakness
If Susette Kelo had won her case in the Supreme Court four years ago, Governor O’Malley’s bill to save the Preakness could not have been introduced today.
Ms. Kelo challenged the constitutionality of the City of New London’s using the power of eminent domain to buy her home against her will.
The public purpose that prompted the City’s taking of her property was economic development.
Writing for a 5-4 majority, Justice Stevens held that the Court had a “longstanding policy of deference to legislative judgments” as to what should be considered a public purpose, where the state has formulated a plan that “it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community.”
“Today the Court abandons…[a] long-held, basic limitation on government power,” said a dissenting Justice O’Connor. “Under the banner of economic development, all private property is now vulnerable to being given to an owner who will use it in a way that the legislature deems more beneficial to the public.”
House Bill 1578 would give the State the authority to exercise eminent domain to buy Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes. The Governor’s legislation declares that the race “has a very significant and positive economic development impact on Baltimore City and the State.”
When Ms. Kelo lost her case in 2005, if you had wagered that it would have an impact on the Preakness, you would have gotten great odds. And today, you would have collected your winnings.
Speaker Busch has named me to the House workgroup that will hold a hearing on the bill tomorrow morning.
Ms. Kelo challenged the constitutionality of the City of New London’s using the power of eminent domain to buy her home against her will.
The public purpose that prompted the City’s taking of her property was economic development.
Writing for a 5-4 majority, Justice Stevens held that the Court had a “longstanding policy of deference to legislative judgments” as to what should be considered a public purpose, where the state has formulated a plan that “it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community.”
“Today the Court abandons…[a] long-held, basic limitation on government power,” said a dissenting Justice O’Connor. “Under the banner of economic development, all private property is now vulnerable to being given to an owner who will use it in a way that the legislature deems more beneficial to the public.”
House Bill 1578 would give the State the authority to exercise eminent domain to buy Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness Stakes. The Governor’s legislation declares that the race “has a very significant and positive economic development impact on Baltimore City and the State.”
When Ms. Kelo lost her case in 2005, if you had wagered that it would have an impact on the Preakness, you would have gotten great odds. And today, you would have collected your winnings.
Speaker Busch has named me to the House workgroup that will hold a hearing on the bill tomorrow morning.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Deals struck and struck
Who would oppose providing training in green jobs for current and former welfare clients?
23 members of the House did this morning, all but one of them Republicans.
And I thought the Gingrich revolution was about moving people from a welfare line to the work place.
Giving people an opportunity to enter a growing sector of the economy is apparently no longer a plank in the GOP platform.
----
Dozens of conference committees will meet over the next seven days. Three delegates and three senators will be asked to resolve the differences in a bill that were created by amendments put on the legislation after it crossed over to the second house.
Of particular interest to me are those for my bills.
My legislation creating a writ of innocence is one of them. I expressed my desire to serve on the conference committee.
“The difference here is over just a couple of words,” someone responded.
“I want to make sure the right thing happens,” I replied.
A discussion on someone else’s bill that’s headed to a conference committee revealed that a deal has already been struck as to the end result.
“You need a conferee who will keep the deal struck,” I replied.
23 members of the House did this morning, all but one of them Republicans.
And I thought the Gingrich revolution was about moving people from a welfare line to the work place.
Giving people an opportunity to enter a growing sector of the economy is apparently no longer a plank in the GOP platform.
----
Dozens of conference committees will meet over the next seven days. Three delegates and three senators will be asked to resolve the differences in a bill that were created by amendments put on the legislation after it crossed over to the second house.
Of particular interest to me are those for my bills.
My legislation creating a writ of innocence is one of them. I expressed my desire to serve on the conference committee.
“The difference here is over just a couple of words,” someone responded.
“I want to make sure the right thing happens,” I replied.
A discussion on someone else’s bill that’s headed to a conference committee revealed that a deal has already been struck as to the end result.
“You need a conferee who will keep the deal struck,” I replied.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Opening Day
I don’t leave many baseball games in the 7th inning, especially when the Orioles are ahead.
But it’s not often that I’ve volunteered to give the prayer to open the session.
This is what I wrote and said:
“Wait ‘til next year,” they used to say at Ebbets Field, until the Brooklyn Dodgers finally won their first and only World Series in 1955 – after 71 years without a championship.
How does that compare to 11 consecutive losing seasons?
And the start of a season where the Orioles’ most highly regarded player has yet to make it to the Show and is beginning the season in the minor leagues?
This year, Passover begins two nights after Opening Day.
“Next year in Jerusalem!” Jews have said for millennia at the conclusion of the Seder.
Long before this season’s end, Oriole fans may have to settle for “Next year in October!”
And then I added:
But when you win on Opening Day, beating the Yankees, 10-5, there’s no one better to quote than Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks:
“Let’s play two!”
But it’s not often that I’ve volunteered to give the prayer to open the session.
This is what I wrote and said:
“Wait ‘til next year,” they used to say at Ebbets Field, until the Brooklyn Dodgers finally won their first and only World Series in 1955 – after 71 years without a championship.
How does that compare to 11 consecutive losing seasons?
And the start of a season where the Orioles’ most highly regarded player has yet to make it to the Show and is beginning the season in the minor leagues?
This year, Passover begins two nights after Opening Day.
“Next year in Jerusalem!” Jews have said for millennia at the conclusion of the Seder.
Long before this season’s end, Oriole fans may have to settle for “Next year in October!”
And then I added:
But when you win on Opening Day, beating the Yankees, 10-5, there’s no one better to quote than Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks:
“Let’s play two!”
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