Field Notes: By Delegate Mike McDermott

Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities

By Delegate  Mike  McDermott

Week of January 24^th-28^th, 2011

·        On Monday, I attended a reception hosted by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. Several members of the Wor-Wic Community College were in attendance, including President Ray Hoy. We talked about the great demands being placed upon our community colleges in Maryland while the lion’s share of funding goes toward our 4-year schools. Enrollment numbers have reached their limit, yet the demand locally continues to grow. It is an interesting statistic that students who begin their 4-year education at Wor-Wic have a higher graduation rate than those students who begin their learning at the universities. I’m sure funding will be flat this year, and tuitions will rise.

·        The Maryland Association of Realtors was in town as well. I had a nice visit with our local representatives. They are concerned about the many fees that could be increased as budgets tighten. There is also the problem stemming from bankruptcy condo properties being taken back by banks. With these units in limbo, no association fees are being submitted to maintain the corporate property. Although banks hold the properties, they are not necessarily responsible for contributing to the home owner associations. It needs some attention, particularly in the current economy.

·        Tuesday the members received briefings on the Governor’s submitted budget. For starters, it is not balanced. In fact, it was over a billion short. The biggest cost overrun is the expansion of Medicaid funding. The new budget proposes expanding enrollment by 450,000 people. This would bring the total number of Marylanders receiving this entitlement to 1 million, and that is 20% of our population. The budget calls for further raids on the Transportation Trust Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund. We are talking hundreds of millions. It would appear the only thing you can “trust” about the tax money in these funds it that they will not be used for the intended purpose. Of course, there will be a demand that we increase the Gas Tax and the Flush Tax to restore these funds…so we can take more for the General Fund later. Even my liberal colleagues were frowning that day.

·        Wednesday morning was the first meeting of the newly formed House Pro-Life Caucus. I was pleased to see many of my Republican colleagues join, but sadly there was not a Democrat among our numbers. The chief concern this year is the late term abortion practice of Dr. Carhart on the western shore. He has already been tossed out of 3 other states for his barbaric practices, but Maryland law has never been changed to prohibit these procedures. We also spoke about a bill which would at least require abortion clinics to meet the same clean environment practices of any normal medical facility. Currently there is no such requirement. Clearly this is a woman’s health issue, at the very least, that needs to be addressed. The caucus had invited several area activist and members of church and Para church organizations to participate.

·        A significant snow storm shut down the area on Wednesday night.

·        Thursday marked a special celebration honoring Maryland veterans. This included recognition of members in the House who have served as well as some special guests in the galleries. The chamber was addressed by the Governor and Lt. Governor followed by a reading of the ten veterans in Maryland who were killed in the line of duty this year. This was a particularly moving service and it was made all the more special by the presence of the Naval Academy Honor Guard presenting the Colors.

·        Later in the day, the Judiciary Committee heard testimony concerning HB-22 which would mandate that a uniform subpoena be utilized by all Circuit Courts in Maryland. Currently, all counties use their own version of a form and no two are alike. It was generally well received as a good idea that would save money and cost the state nothing to implement.

·        Friday was Tourism Day at the State House. Our weekly Eastern Shore Delegation Meeting was dominated by a discussion on tourism dollars generated on the shore and ways that the state could work to improve conditions through advertising. It was great to see most of the tourism folks from the district in attendance. Clearly, tourism is a top industry on the shore. The dollars tell the tale. It is said that the return on a tax dollar invested in tourism equates to 25-40 dollars in return to the shore, yet we continue to reduce spending on advertising. These types of economic incentives can be lost on folks who have not worked in the private sector and do not understand getting a return on your investment. Funding dollars will be tough this year, but our tourism leaders stated their case with plenty of facts to back up the claims.

·        Friday afternoon, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Lt. Governor Anthony Brown along with several of my freshman, republican colleagues. I asked some tough questions regarding their submitted budget and how he suggested we explain the various Trust transfers to people who are no longer in the dark about the process. I cannot say that he had any answers, particularly regarding the increases in Medicaid funding. He offered some advice stemming from his own 8-years as a former delegate in the House, and he acknowledged the difficulty in getting things accomplished. He received a laundry list from several of the delegates for their respective districts. I cannot blame them for trying, but we have arrived in the General Assembly at a critical juncture for our state. We are not here for projects…we are hear to insure our children are not imprisoned by the debts of this generation. Now, that’s something worth fighting for!