A San Francisco teacher who is on medical leave has to worry about more than just battling breast cancer.
On top of footing medical bills, she has to pay for a substitute teacher at Glen Park Elementary School.
All teachers receive 10 paid days of medical leave a year in the San Francisco United School District. If a teacher needs more time, they can get another 100 sick days — at a price. Under a 1976 California law, the cost for the substitute teacher will be deducted from the teacher’s salary.
The average daily cost of a substitute teacher in San Francisco is $203.16, San Francisco United School District spokeswoman Laura Dudnick said. In 2018, the average teacher salary in the school district, excluding benefits, was $82,024.37.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
MEET NYCHA’S OVERTIME KING: A $315,000 PLUMBER
It appears that 2018 proved a very busy year for Vincenzo Giurbino, a plumber with the New York City Housing Authority.
The 65-year-old city worker’s payroll numbers indicated he put in an average 16-hour day every single day he worked — reaping him more than $300,000 in salary and overtime.
According to data obtained by THE CITY, Giurbino recorded 1,835 hours of overtime on top of the 1,449 hours of regular time NYCHA says he clocked fixing toilets and leaky pipes in public housing in Brooklyn.
That puts him in an exclusive category: He’s the only NYCHA worker to clock more overtime than regular hours. And his OT take alone exceeded Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s salary.
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The 65-year-old city worker’s payroll numbers indicated he put in an average 16-hour day every single day he worked — reaping him more than $300,000 in salary and overtime.
According to data obtained by THE CITY, Giurbino recorded 1,835 hours of overtime on top of the 1,449 hours of regular time NYCHA says he clocked fixing toilets and leaky pipes in public housing in Brooklyn.
That puts him in an exclusive category: He’s the only NYCHA worker to clock more overtime than regular hours. And his OT take alone exceeded Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s salary.
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Florida must provide Spanish-language ballots in 2020, federal judge orders
A federal judge ordered 32 Florida counties to provide ballots in Spanish beginning next year, stating that failure to do so would be a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
The order was in the form of a preliminary injunction in a case brought by voters who were educated in Puerto Rico and are lacking proficiency in English, The Palm Beach Post reported.
"Compliance with this Order is not optional," Chief Judge Mark Walker of the Northern District of Florida Gainesville Division wrote in a Friday ruling. "This Court will not hesitate to use every tool the law provides to enforce this Order."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-orders-florida-counties-to-provide-spanish-language-ballots-in-2020
The order was in the form of a preliminary injunction in a case brought by voters who were educated in Puerto Rico and are lacking proficiency in English, The Palm Beach Post reported.
"Compliance with this Order is not optional," Chief Judge Mark Walker of the Northern District of Florida Gainesville Division wrote in a Friday ruling. "This Court will not hesitate to use every tool the law provides to enforce this Order."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-orders-florida-counties-to-provide-spanish-language-ballots-in-2020
GOP Voters Say Border Wall, Reducing All Immigration Must be Top Priority for Trump
Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Republican voters say President Trump’s top priorities ought to be building a wall along the United States-Mexico border and reducing all immigration to the country.
The latest Harvard/Harris Poll finds that when Republican voters are asked to rank the issues which should be Trump’s biggest priorities, building a wall at the southern border and reducing all immigration top the list.
Ranking as the top priority for Republicans, conservatives, and Trump supporters, 22 to 25 percent of these voters said building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border should be the president’s number one goal today.
Reducing all immigration — both illegal and legal — to the U.S. is ranked as the second top priority for Republicans, conservatives, and Trump voters. Between 19 and 20 percent of these voters said reducing the inflow of immigrants should be Trump’s second top priority.
Even among all U.S. voters, building a border wall and reducing all immigration to the country ranks as the fourth top priority.
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The latest Harvard/Harris Poll finds that when Republican voters are asked to rank the issues which should be Trump’s biggest priorities, building a wall at the southern border and reducing all immigration top the list.
Ranking as the top priority for Republicans, conservatives, and Trump supporters, 22 to 25 percent of these voters said building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border should be the president’s number one goal today.
Reducing all immigration — both illegal and legal — to the U.S. is ranked as the second top priority for Republicans, conservatives, and Trump voters. Between 19 and 20 percent of these voters said reducing the inflow of immigrants should be Trump’s second top priority.
Even among all U.S. voters, building a border wall and reducing all immigration to the country ranks as the fourth top priority.
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Newt: China's Economy Can't Withstand Trump's 'Battering'
China's economy will not be able to withstand the "battering" President Donald Trump can deliver if the country does not negotiate a satisfactory deal on trade, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Monday.
"We don't need the sales, the Chinese do," Gingrich told Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria." "The basic argument Trump makes, that I agree with, is that we've had a very one-sided relationship."
China has participated in intellectual property theft and has the "enormous advantage" of having a closed market that blocks most U.S. high-tech companies from competing, Gingrich said.
"The Chinese are faced with a real crisis because we're telling them we are going to change the rules of the game," Gingrich said. "The core principle is simply China got to be this big and this wealthy because all the rules of the game favored them and we tolerated behavior that is intolerable."
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"We don't need the sales, the Chinese do," Gingrich told Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria." "The basic argument Trump makes, that I agree with, is that we've had a very one-sided relationship."
China has participated in intellectual property theft and has the "enormous advantage" of having a closed market that blocks most U.S. high-tech companies from competing, Gingrich said.
"The Chinese are faced with a real crisis because we're telling them we are going to change the rules of the game," Gingrich said. "The core principle is simply China got to be this big and this wealthy because all the rules of the game favored them and we tolerated behavior that is intolerable."
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Amazon offers to pay employees to quit, start delivery business
NEW YORK — Amazon, which is racing to deliver packages faster, is turning to its employees with a proposition: Quit your job and we'll help you start a business delivering Amazon packages.
The offer, announced Monday, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. The company sees the new incentive as a way to get more packages delivered to shoppers' doorsteps faster.
Amazon says it will cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for employees who are accepted into the program and leave their jobs. The company says it will also pay them three months' worth of their salary. The offer is open to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers who pack and ship orders. Whole Foods employees are not eligible to receive the new incentives.
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The offer, announced Monday, comes as Amazon seeks to speed up its shipping time from two days to one for its Prime members. The company sees the new incentive as a way to get more packages delivered to shoppers' doorsteps faster.
Amazon says it will cover up to $10,000 in startup costs for employees who are accepted into the program and leave their jobs. The company says it will also pay them three months' worth of their salary. The offer is open to most part-time and full-time Amazon employees, including warehouse workers who pack and ship orders. Whole Foods employees are not eligible to receive the new incentives.
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Cartels ‘kicking our butts’ in New Mexico, as state left without checkpoints
What happens when our government takes down its interior checkpoints north of the border in New Mexico? Well, the cartels, with the drug and human smuggling, are “kicking our butts,” according to one local official.
In an interview with CR, Couy Griffin, the chairman of the Otero County, New Mexico, county commission, explained how our government has exposed his county, and by extension, the rest of the nation, to unprecedented criminal activity from the Mexican cartels. In his view, by taking down the two secondary Border Patrol checkpoints in his county in order to focus on more processing of illegal immigrants, the federal government is missing the point.
“The cartel is winning and winning big; they are kicking our butts,” complained the commissioner of this sparsely populated but large county bordering Texas, near El Paso. “We get so tied up and focused on the asylum seekers or the illegal immigrant aspect of what’s going on at our southern border, but the reality of it is that it’s nothing but a mere smoke screen for the cartel. They’re using these large groups of migrants as nothing more than a smoke screen to smuggle their drugs across the southern border. Meanwhile, as soon as those agents are exhausted, those critical spots, they’re sending boatloads of drugs across the border in unsecured areas. The shutting down of the checkpoints on the major drug smuggling corridors is a recipe for disaster. Now they have a green light to shuttle drugs through our counties and through our rural areas, with no security in place.”
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In an interview with CR, Couy Griffin, the chairman of the Otero County, New Mexico, county commission, explained how our government has exposed his county, and by extension, the rest of the nation, to unprecedented criminal activity from the Mexican cartels. In his view, by taking down the two secondary Border Patrol checkpoints in his county in order to focus on more processing of illegal immigrants, the federal government is missing the point.
“The cartel is winning and winning big; they are kicking our butts,” complained the commissioner of this sparsely populated but large county bordering Texas, near El Paso. “We get so tied up and focused on the asylum seekers or the illegal immigrant aspect of what’s going on at our southern border, but the reality of it is that it’s nothing but a mere smoke screen for the cartel. They’re using these large groups of migrants as nothing more than a smoke screen to smuggle their drugs across the southern border. Meanwhile, as soon as those agents are exhausted, those critical spots, they’re sending boatloads of drugs across the border in unsecured areas. The shutting down of the checkpoints on the major drug smuggling corridors is a recipe for disaster. Now they have a green light to shuttle drugs through our counties and through our rural areas, with no security in place.”
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Warren Refloats $100 Billion Opioid Plan
Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) floated a proposal Wednesday to combat America's ever-growing overdose crisis.
The proposal would allocate $10 billion per year primarily for treatment and harm reduction. However, some experts argue that that might not be enough.
Warren debuted her proposal in a Medium post, highlighting the year-on-year decline in life expectancy attributable to opioids, as well as suicide and overdose deaths involving drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.
Her proposed response is the reintroduction of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, a bill co-authored with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D., Md.). If passed, the bill would allocate $100 billion to fund "first responders, public health departments, and communities on the front lines of this crisis," divided up into ten $10 billion payments over ten years.
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The proposal would allocate $10 billion per year primarily for treatment and harm reduction. However, some experts argue that that might not be enough.
Warren debuted her proposal in a Medium post, highlighting the year-on-year decline in life expectancy attributable to opioids, as well as suicide and overdose deaths involving drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.
Her proposed response is the reintroduction of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, a bill co-authored with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D., Md.). If passed, the bill would allocate $100 billion to fund "first responders, public health departments, and communities on the front lines of this crisis," divided up into ten $10 billion payments over ten years.
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OBAMA WHITE HOUSE TRACKED FOIA REQUEST FOR HILLARY EMAILS THAT WAS IMPROPERLY DENIED
The Obama White House kept tabs on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s email accounts that the State Department improperly denied, according to newly released emails.
The emails, which were provided to Judicial Watch, show for the first time that the Obama White House was aware of the Clinton-related FOIA request, which the liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) submitted to the State Department in December 2012.
The State Department denied the request in May 2013, claiming that no responsive records existed. That despite officials at the State Department, the White House and even President Obama himself knowing that Clinton used a personal email account for government business.
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The emails, which were provided to Judicial Watch, show for the first time that the Obama White House was aware of the Clinton-related FOIA request, which the liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) submitted to the State Department in December 2012.
The State Department denied the request in May 2013, claiming that no responsive records existed. That despite officials at the State Department, the White House and even President Obama himself knowing that Clinton used a personal email account for government business.
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BLACK BROOKLYNITES ATTACK HASIDIC JEWS, DE BLASIO BLAMES TRUMP AND ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’
In a recent spate of hate crime attacks on Hasidic Jews in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, virtually all the perpetrators have been African-American, according to local activists, elected officials, and victims.
Yet at a recent news briefing reporting an 82 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the city, when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked about the attacks, he connected the attacks to national trends, blaming “white supremacy” and “nativism.”
“It’s really clear that forces of white supremacy have been unleashed,” de Blasio said in a press conference earlier this month. “A lot of folks used to be told it was unacceptable to be anti-Semitic, it was unacceptable to be racist and now they’re getting more permission. We’ve got make it very clear it’s unacceptable in our society. And the best way we do that here is by finding the perpetrators and prosecuting them and ensuring that they feel the consequences of their acts.”
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Yet at a recent news briefing reporting an 82 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the city, when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked about the attacks, he connected the attacks to national trends, blaming “white supremacy” and “nativism.”
“It’s really clear that forces of white supremacy have been unleashed,” de Blasio said in a press conference earlier this month. “A lot of folks used to be told it was unacceptable to be anti-Semitic, it was unacceptable to be racist and now they’re getting more permission. We’ve got make it very clear it’s unacceptable in our society. And the best way we do that here is by finding the perpetrators and prosecuting them and ensuring that they feel the consequences of their acts.”
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Retail Giant PetSmart Names PETA in Spying Lawsuit
Pet superstore PetSmart has filed a lawsuit against PETA, claiming a former employee who illegally filmed internal operations was being paid by and acting with orders from the animal-rights group that aims to fully eradicate pet ownership.
PetSmart had already filed a lawsuit against the employee, Jenna Jordan, for lying on her job application and proceeding to transmit secretly recorded audio and video to PETA. The newly filed lawsuit, however, names both Jordan and PETA as the defendants.
The lawsuit alleges that Jordan was on the receiving end of both "funding and logistical support" from PETA while she was employed by PetSmart. It says Jordan lied on her job application by omitting her employment with PETA, as well as the fact that she had previously been fired by a zoo for secretly collecting information on its operations for PETA.
"When Jordan applied to work at PetSmart in March 2017, Jordan deliberately concealed from PetSmart that she was a PETA agent and operative with a clear and obvious conflict of interest preventing her from discharging her duties and honoring the common law and contractual duties that she owed to PetSmart as a PetSmart employee," the lawsuit says.
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PetSmart had already filed a lawsuit against the employee, Jenna Jordan, for lying on her job application and proceeding to transmit secretly recorded audio and video to PETA. The newly filed lawsuit, however, names both Jordan and PETA as the defendants.
The lawsuit alleges that Jordan was on the receiving end of both "funding and logistical support" from PETA while she was employed by PetSmart. It says Jordan lied on her job application by omitting her employment with PETA, as well as the fact that she had previously been fired by a zoo for secretly collecting information on its operations for PETA.
"When Jordan applied to work at PetSmart in March 2017, Jordan deliberately concealed from PetSmart that she was a PETA agent and operative with a clear and obvious conflict of interest preventing her from discharging her duties and honoring the common law and contractual duties that she owed to PetSmart as a PetSmart employee," the lawsuit says.
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OCASIO-CORTEZ SUGGESTS TOP DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE AS DUMB AS SEA SPONGES
New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said “you’d have to have the social intelligence of a sea sponge” to take her literally when she invoked a 12-year deadline to stop “world ending” global warming.
However, at least five Democrats running for president in 2020 invoked the “12 years left” talking point as a sign of how seriously they took climate change to build support among the environmental left.
In January, Ocasio-Cortez said young people were worried “the world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change.” In April, Ocasio-Cortez warned again there were only 12 years left and that “for everyone who wants to make a joke about that, you may laugh, but your grandkids will not.”
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However, at least five Democrats running for president in 2020 invoked the “12 years left” talking point as a sign of how seriously they took climate change to build support among the environmental left.
In January, Ocasio-Cortez said young people were worried “the world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change.” In April, Ocasio-Cortez warned again there were only 12 years left and that “for everyone who wants to make a joke about that, you may laugh, but your grandkids will not.”
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Equality Act Could Impose Left-Wing LGBT Curriculum on Whole Nation
If Democrats’ priority legislation becomes law, public schools could be forced to include discussions about transgenderism in math and history classes for elementary school students.
The Equality Act, if passed and signed into law, would add gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of classes—race, color, religion, sex, and national origin–protected in the Civil Rights Act.
And although it sounds good to say you oppose discriminating against people on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s priority bill, known as HR 5, has far-reaching legal implications.
A variety of Supreme Court cases, including Meyer v. Nebraskaand Pierce v. Society of Sisters, affirm the rights of parents to control their child’s education. But the Equality Act would create precedent for federal courts to require curriculum celebrating lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual orientations.
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The Equality Act, if passed and signed into law, would add gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of classes—race, color, religion, sex, and national origin–protected in the Civil Rights Act.
And although it sounds good to say you oppose discriminating against people on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s priority bill, known as HR 5, has far-reaching legal implications.
A variety of Supreme Court cases, including Meyer v. Nebraskaand Pierce v. Society of Sisters, affirm the rights of parents to control their child’s education. But the Equality Act would create precedent for federal courts to require curriculum celebrating lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual orientations.
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Farmers Remain Silent at Auction So This Young Man Can Buy His Family Farm Back
Throughout his life, David dreamed of somehow getting back the family’s land and rebuild their business.
Several years after losing the family land, it suddenly appeared on auction. David and his father decided they would do their best to collect whatever modest means they had to try to get it back, reports goodnewsnetwork.com.
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Democrats Displace U.S. Kids to Favor Economic Migrants
The Democrat-run city of Albuquerque is forcing U.S. kids out of city accommodations to provide cheap temporary housing for foreign migrants.
The first victims were American children in a state 4H club who were expecting to use the temporary accommodation at the Expo New Mexico convention center for a four-day horse riding course.
“My daughter was in tears about this,” Dr. Donny MacDougall told KRQE.com, which continued:
“We were extremely disappointed when we have a quality facility like Expo New Mexico and the rug gets ripped out from under our kids’ feet,” MacDougall says.
Just days ago, parents received a letter explaining the camp would now be held in Las Cruces because the state wants to use the dorms to help with the rush of asylum-seekers entering the U.S.
“A different venue is a challenge for a lot of parents. It will cost more money and be more difficult logistically to get the kids there,” MacDougall says.
“The city says this was an opportunity to save money for the [pro-migration] organizations that help the asylum seekers,” according to KRQE.com.
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The first victims were American children in a state 4H club who were expecting to use the temporary accommodation at the Expo New Mexico convention center for a four-day horse riding course.
“My daughter was in tears about this,” Dr. Donny MacDougall told KRQE.com, which continued:
“We were extremely disappointed when we have a quality facility like Expo New Mexico and the rug gets ripped out from under our kids’ feet,” MacDougall says.
Just days ago, parents received a letter explaining the camp would now be held in Las Cruces because the state wants to use the dorms to help with the rush of asylum-seekers entering the U.S.
“A different venue is a challenge for a lot of parents. It will cost more money and be more difficult logistically to get the kids there,” MacDougall says.
“The city says this was an opportunity to save money for the [pro-migration] organizations that help the asylum seekers,” according to KRQE.com.
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Felicity Huffman cries in court while pleading guilty to college admissions scam
Felicity Huffman broke down in court Monday while pleading guilty to rigging her eldest daughter’s SAT score as part of a massive college-admissions scam.
The former “Desperate Housewives” star — who faces a recommended four months in prison under her deal with prosecutors — began crying while discussing the evidence against her with Boston federal Judge Indira Talwani.
After Talwani noted that daughter Sophia Grace Macy got extra time to take the test because an unidentified psychologist certified that she has learning disabilities, Huffman addressed the judge directly.
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The former “Desperate Housewives” star — who faces a recommended four months in prison under her deal with prosecutors — began crying while discussing the evidence against her with Boston federal Judge Indira Talwani.
After Talwani noted that daughter Sophia Grace Macy got extra time to take the test because an unidentified psychologist certified that she has learning disabilities, Huffman addressed the judge directly.
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Governor Hogan Signs Measures to Add Marylanders to Health Insurance Rolls, Raise Tobacco Age to 21
Also Signs Legislation Introducing Tough Penalties for Violent Crimes Against Pregnant Women
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today signed a number of critical health care and crime prevention measures, including legislation that will add more Marylanders to the health insurance rolls, and raise the minimum age tobacco can be sold to 21 amid an epidemic of teen vaping. The governor also signed Laura and Reid’s Law, which introduces tougher penalties for violent crimes against pregnant women.
“There is no more important job than protecting the health and safety of Marylanders,” said Governor Hogan. “The bipartisan measures we are enacting today – to confront the sharp rise in teen vaping and protect pregnant women and unborn children – are important steps in achieving that goal. We are also proud to continue Maryland’s record of leadership on health care by enacting legislation to further improve access and lower costs.”
Health Care
House Bill 1169—Business Regulation—Tobacco Products and Electronic Smoking Devices—Revision. The FDA has declared teen vaping to be an epidemic. This legislation includes vaping in the definition of ‘tobacco products’ and raises the minimum age for purchasing these products from 18 to 21.
House Bill 814—Maryland Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program. This legislation implements a simple, straightforward process for more Marylanders to obtain health coverage. By checking a box on their state income tax return, uninsured Marylanders can have the Maryland Health Benefits Exchange determine their eligibility for benefits under the federal Affordable Care Act. This will help enroll as many as 220,000 more Marylanders in Medicaid or the Maryland Health Benefits Exchange, further reducing uncompensated care and lowering health insurance premiums.
House Bill 155/Senate Bill 164—Maryland Department of Health—Capital and Grant Programs—State Grants. This legislation will improve our ability to build community mental health, addiction, and developmental disabilities facilities by increasing the state’s share of the commitment to these projects. It also increases the caps on the percentages of certain costs that may be covered by state grants under the Federally Qualified Health Centers Grant Program.
House Bill 1098—Health Insurance—Maryland Health Benefit Exchange—Small Business Tax Credit Subsidy. This legislation paves the way for the Maryland Health Benefits Exchange to provide tax credit subsidies to small businesses who provide their employees with health care benefits. The tax credit benefits employers who have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees, pay an average wage of less than $51,600 a year, and pay at least half of employee health insurance premiums.
House Bill 116—Public Health—Correctional Services—Opioid Use Disorder Examinations and Treatment. This legislation puts Maryland at the forefront of opioid addiction treatment for inmates. It requires correctional facilities to offer all three FDA-approved forms of medication-assisted treatment to inmates diagnosed with opioid use disorder. The legislation also calls for mental health and substance use status screenings for each inmate.
House Bill 754—Health Insurance and Pharmacy Benefits Managers—Cost Pricing and Reimbursement. This emergency legislation protects pharmacies against a number of predatory practices that have come to light over the last few years regarding contract negotiations with Pharmacy Benefit Managers. The bill also gives the Insurance Commissioner greater powers to review and disapprove contracts if they violate these prohibitions.
Crime
Senate Bill 561—Laura and Reid’s Law. This legislation is named after Laura Wallen and her unborn son, Reid. Laura, a Howard County educator, was murdered in 2017. The bill prohibits a person from committing a crime of violence against another person when the offender knows or believes the other person is pregnant. An individual who violates this law is guilty of a felony and—in addition to any other penalty imposed for the underlying crime of violence—is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years.
Senate Bill 346—Public Safety—Regulated Firearms—Prohibition of Loans. This legislation is designed to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not possess them. It prohibits the act of loaning a firearm to someone if the individual has cause to believe the recipient meets one of the legal disqualifiers for firearm possession, such as a felony conviction or involuntary commitment for mental illness. The bill also adds to the list of disqualifying circumstances under which a dealer or other person may not sell a regulated firearm to another person.
These measures are among 181 bills Governor Hogan signed on Monday morning, alongside Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller and House Speaker Adrienne Jones.
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