Delegate McDermott's End of Session Letter

End of Session Wrap Up 

Dear Fellow Citizen and Patriot of the Eastern Shore,

I wish I could report to you that Annapolis had changed its way of thinking this year. I had hoped beyond hope that the majority party that rules the General Assembly would wake up to the economic realities facing our great state and move us in the appropriate direction. Sadly, the days of reckless spending, tax and fee increases, and overly burdensome regulations have not yet ended for Maryland. I truly wanted to report to you that the legislature resisted robbing from teachers’ pensions, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and the Transportation Trust Fund, but that is not the case. I wanted a health care fix that would work for our people and an energy policy that made sense, but we continue to throw millions down a dark hole and refuse to seek natural gas reserves that would make us energy independent.

Instead of fiscal restraint and smart initiatives, the General Assembly has left us with:

Budgeting Fiasco

Increased spending by $2 Billion over last year’s budget

$4.5 billion robbed from “Trust Funds”

$200 million robbed from Teacher Pensions ($200 million more in 2015)

Rejected efforts to cut spending by hundreds of millions

Bond Bill/Earmark debt that outpaces revenue by $300 million, leading to higher Property Tax rates statewide.

Obamacare Debacle

$150 million spent on a computer system that will never work

Presented the governor with a blank check to pay for medical services for people who simply claim they could not get on the website

Added 400 employees to take calls and then abandoned the whole system!

The governor is now switching to another system, and we just gave him an additional $50 million to start that process with no idea on the total cost to operate the system.

Transgender Rights

Instead of truly facing the issues surrounding transgender rights, the House passed incoherent legislation that will allow for the following:

A man can use the women’s restroom if he simply thinks he should be a woman.

A woman’s day spa must allow a man access to their disrobing areas and dressing rooms if the man claims he is really a woman at heart.

A YMCA or local gym will need to provide alternative facilities for a transgender or they must allow a man to use the women’s locker room if he so desires.

These actions will cost businesses and nonprofit organizations money as they seek to preserve the integrity of their establishments from these changes.
Marijuana Decriminalization

Possession of marijuana is not a crime in Maryland anymore. The Democrats have given a green light and a destructive message to our young people

While we struggle with our students being competitive on a global scale, we will now have to address increasing drug use among our children

While seeking to deliver people from potential criminal records, they have now ensured a limited future for our young people who get caught in the cycle of drug abuse.

Yet again, the actions taken by the Democratic majority have clearly damaged our state and demonstrated a reckless disregard for our Eastern Shore values.

Despite these egregious actions by the General Assembly, I continue to stand and fight for values that matter to you:

Victim Rights

I was able to see Alex’s Law pass this year. It guarantees the right for any victim or their representative to make a Victim Impact Statement in court. This will provide an outlet for many victims and their families to truly have “their day in court.”

This year I offered bills to reduce the state income tax by 10%. I also fought for bills to eliminate the death tax and was happy to see the House finally accept reductions in the estate tax, which will help many Maryland families.

Fighting for Open Government

Government transparency and allowing our citizens to actively participate should be a top priority. Currently, the Senate, unlike the House of Delegates, has failed to offer online video recordings of their committee proceedings. I believe that citizens deserve to have all of the necessities required to make informed decisions regarding their government, which is why I co-sponsored a bill (HB177) requiring Senate proceedings to be available through online video. Another important issue in this state involves the redistricting process, which is currently controlled solely by the Governor. HB1327, which I also co-sponsored, would make gerrymandering a more open process. Lastly, to help cut down on voter fraud, I also co-sponsored HB1094 which would require proof of identity at polling places. Although these bills garnered my full support, they did not pass through the legislature this session.

Striving to Make Maryland “Business Friendly”

For the third consecutive year, the Maryland Business for Responsive Government honored me with an award for my efforts in defending business freedom across the state. My “Truth in Permitting” bill (HB213) would have made the building permit process fair for contractors and carpenters. Other bills, like my “Fiscal Impact Requirement” bill (HB26), would have required an agency to provide a fiscal impact statement before any regulatory changes could be made to the code. My “Corporate Income Tax Rate Reduction” (HB199) bill would have reduced taxes on businesses and made Maryland more competitive with neighboring states.

Reducing Our Tax Burden

Some of my other bills, like HB75, would have eased the income tax burden on retirees by exempting $50,000 from taxable income; and HB326 which would have reduced income taxes by 10% on all Marylanders. In our economy’s current state, every effort must be made to reduce the financial tax burdens on our families. It is far better for our people to decide where to invest and spend their money than for government to make decisions for them.

Standing Up for Shore Values

This year I fought to repeal the “Rain Tax” and prevent it from being levied on Eastern Shore citizens. Sadly, some of our local governments have opted to tax their citizens after receiving the state’s blessing. The repeal was not adopted, but it is fast becoming a bipartisan effort. I also co-sponsored bills to address concerns over the new “Common Core” standards being applied in our public schools. While Common Core was not repealed, our concerns were too numerous to simply ignore. As a result, testing is being delayed and a significant overview has not been legislated.

Farming and Poultry Operations

The Phosphorous Management Tool, as the O’Malley administration would like to see it applied, would be disastrous for our grain and poultry farmers. Although we were able to garner an impact study on the effect these regulations will have on our economy and postpone implementation, I fear the tool will move forward by the end of this year. The damage has already been done as companies and banks are taking a hard look before expanding or loaning money on land that has an uncertain future. This is a devastating hit to our state or local economy.

Choptank Electric Ratepayers

A bill that would have resulted in Choptank customers being forced to supplement a questionable “manure to energy” project with higher rates was changed into a study. If the project is successful, it can be revisited, but taxpayers should not be asked to subsidize a venture the private sector considers too risky for investment. Our energy policy should make every effort to deliver cheap, dependable energy to the citizens, businesses and industry of our state.

Moving Forward

Over last four years, I have fought to represent your values on the floor of the House. I have not kept silent, and I have not held back. There remain many walls that need to fall before our state can thrive again. The “liberal way” has not brought us closer to prosperity, yet I remain ever hopeful that Maryland will rise once again. The Maryland legislature desperately needs representatives who will truly fight for the concerns and values of the Eastern Shore.

We are a state with incredible wealth in natural resources that we refuse to develop. We offer institutions of higher learning where our children receive an education only to seek employment in neighboring states. Our history tells we can do better, and our people still believe if you work hard enough, you can achieve great things. I still believe in our great country and this blessed state we all call home. With your help, Maryland’s best days lie ahead.

Please feel free to visit my website or Facebook page to learn more about the events that took place in Annapolis during the 2014 Session. It is a privilege to serve as your representative in a legislature that often fails to share our values. I will continue to argue, speak out, and vote on your behalf. I appreciate and thank you for your support and interest.

With Warmest Regards, Godspeed,

Mike McDermott