February 26, 2024

As President of the Senate of Maryland, I rarely sponsor legislation, but I've introduced Senate Bill 774 based on community advocacy alongside Delegate Luke Clippinger, Delegate Robbyn Lewis, and Delegate Mark Edelson to create a Maryland Entertainment District Security Grant Program. The 46th Legislative District is home to several entertainment districts, including Federal Hill, Canton, and Fells Point. Those areas help Baltimore's economy and neighborhoods thrive, but also present public safety challenges at peak hours.

Senate Bill 774 will create a statewide grant program to support enhanced security operations that community organizations, local governments, and nonprofits can apply to for support. This program will benefit Baltimore City and places like Frederick, Ellicott City, and Ocean City. 

I was proud to present Senate Bill 774 to the Judicial Proceedings Committee last week alongside Baltimore City Sheriff Sam Cogen, Howard County Sheriff's Office Col. Verderaime, Federal Hill Neighborhood Association Public Safety Chair Brad O'Brien, and Brewers Hill Neighbors President Brant Fisher. I'm immensely grateful for their partnership and advocacy.

Last week, we  announced $111 million in grant funding awarded by the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports to organizations across the State to bolster behavioral health services for Pre-K to 12 students. The last several years have been extremely difficult for students across Maryland, from the increased stress and strains of social media to the deep and lasting impact on learning and socialization that resulted from the pandemic.

The grants will be provided to over 100 service providers, including 11 in Baltimore City, to provide after-school programs that teach children social and emotional skills like stress management techniques, coping strategies, and relaxation training. Organizations will also offer services such as psychiatric rehabilitation, substance use treatment, and family education.

The Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports was created in 2021 as part of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. I am hopeful that this historic investment in the behavioral health of Maryland’s school-aged children will have an immediate and positive impact in the coming months.

I was disappointed to learn that funds set aside to pay for private home monitoring for low-income Maryland defendants have been depleted, forcing people to either pay hundreds of dollars a month for their own tracking devices or potentially end up in jail. The idea that someone’s freedom is premised on whether they can afford an ankle monitor is unfair and raises the ugly and unacceptable specter of what is functionally a debtor’s prison. 

The State’s private home monitoring program was instituted in 2021 and was paid for by a $5 million federal Cares Act grant to pay bail bondsmen and private monitoring companies $450 a month for each released defendant. The  Maryland General Assembly (MGA) was not informed that federal funds were running out until last week, allowing limited time to find additional resources to continue the program. The MGA is currently in conversations with the Judiciary on funding and, if necessary, a legislative mechanism to ensure Marylanders continue to enjoy equal justice regardless of wealth.

Baltimore City has reached a $1.2 million settlement with Polymer80, one of the largest makers of ghost gun kits and parts in the nation. The company was accused of marketing "build your own" gun kits to minors, criminals, gun traffickers, and others seeking to circumvent legitimate background checks required by law.

The settlement requires the company to end sales and advertising in the State and prohibits Polymer80 dealers from selling parts and kits to Maryland residents. The company must also submit quarterly reports of all ghost gun sales in neighboring districts. As we grapple with ways to address gun violence in our State, this is an important and powerful message to those who prioritize profit over public safety.

I was proud to keynote this year’s Jewish Advocacy Day last week, organized by the Baltimore Jewish Council, The Associated Jewish Federation of Baltimore, the JCRC of Greater Washington, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and the Jewish Federation of Howard County.

The Jewish community in Maryland, throughout the United States, and globally is experiencing one of the most troubling periods in modern history. The drastic rise in antisemitism should concern every single one of us. The current conflict has exposed how much work there is to do to ensure our educational environments remain balanced and focused on our shared humanity. 

This Legislative Session, we must send a clear message that hate, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, has no place in Maryland.

I was humbled to join Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Senator Ariana Kelly, and the Maryland's Women’s Caucus last week in support of the long-awaited ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Maryland has been fighting for gender equality to be codified in the U.S. Constitution for over 60 years, and we won't stop now!

Thanks to Maryland’s Congressional Delegation and advocacy from the 46th District Delegation, more than $213 million in federal infrastructure funds will go toward replacing all 52 of Maryland’s aging Light Rail trains with new, modern railcars. Funding is provided by the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The State Department of Assessments and Taxation failed to mail about 107,000 updated property tax assessments before the deadline at the end of last year. Left unfixed, county governments might receive a quarter of a billion dollars less in anticipated property tax revenue over a three-year period. The MGA is currently working with the Moore Administration on a solution.

Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller testified this week on a measure to address the extreme danger faced by those who work in highway construction zones. The bill incorporates a set of recommendations released by the Work Zone Safety Work Group which was created after six workers died in a horrific crash on I-695 last March. The bill increases the number of cameras in work zones and raises fines for speeding during work hours.

The CIAA Basketball Tournament returns to Baltimore this week for its fourth consecutive year. The gathering brings together student-athletes, alumni, families, and fans to support the nation’s oldest historically Black athletic conference. Since coming to Baltimore, the CIAA Tournament has generated nearly $30 million in economic impact and supports more than 1,500 part-time and full-time jobs. 

After a successful holiday shopping season at Harborplace, the Made in Baltimore store reopened in the same location this past weekend. The store features unique and handmade gifts crafted by talented Baltimore artisans. Come out and support local businesses and find one-of-a-kind goods.

If there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to contact my office via email, bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us, or by phone, 410-841-3600.