March 25, 2024

Happy Maryland Day! It is hard to believe that Sine Die, the final day of  the 2024 Legislative Session, is only two weeks away. Last week was the quiet before the storm as the General Assembly moved past the crossover deadline on March 18, and committees began scheduling and hearing bills that moved out of their original chamber.

The next 14 days will be one of the most intense periods in the Legislative Session. Both chambers are working around the clock to reconcile differences in legislative language, work through different policy approaches to reach consensus, and, most importantly, pass a budget that reflects Marylanders’ values while maintaining our economic competitiveness.

The most acute difference in approaches right now between the Senate of Maryland and House of Delegates remains the potential increase of taxes and fees. Governor Moore’s budget reflected the reality that after years of historic federal stimulus, maintaining temporary increases in funding is unsustainable. We must focus on growing our economy and spending public dollars wisely.

There is no doubt that we need to modernize our revenue streams to account for market changes, like the transition to electric vehicles, but that has to be done in a targeted and purposeful way. An ad hoc approach that is largely regressive and disproportionately impacts working Marylanders is the wrong way to resolve the potential structural deficit several years out.

We can and must get this right. I am confident that both chambers will achieve a meeting of the minds in the coming days and pass a balanced, thoughtful budget that sets Marylanders up for success.

Last week, I was honored to celebrate two distinguished Marylanders with the prestigious First Citizen Award. The Award was created in 1992 by  Former Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. to recognize dedicated public servants who have worked to elevate Maryland’s work “for the benefit of all.”

Reverend Dr. Frances Murphy “Toni” Draper, the CEO and publisher of the AFRO American newspapers, was honored as the first woman and fourth-generation member of her family to lead the longest running, Black-led media outlet in the nation. In presenting the award, Maryland State Archivist Elaine Rice Bachmann said Dr. Draper embodies the, “Critical and historical intersection of the Black church, the Black press, and civil rights, an integral partnership that has enabled the march toward a more equitable society.”

The Senate also recognized Governor Marvin Mandel posthumously for his courage, foresight, and tenacity as he worked to improve the lives of all Marylanders. The Democratic governor served from 1969 through 1979 and is credited with modernizing Maryland’s government. During his tenure, he created Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center, the Department of Transportation, and what is now the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. Mandel’s award was accepted on behalf of his family by retired Maryland Court of Appeals Judge Alan M. Wilner, who served as Mandel’s counsel and chief legislative officer.

I am proud that my bill to establish a new Entertainment Security District Grant Program passed the Senate before last week’s crossover deadline. On Thursday, I had the opportunity to present the bill in front of Chair Luke Clippinger’s House Judiciary Committee. Delegate Clippinger is not only my friend and 46th Legislative District colleague, but cross-filed this critical bill in the House of Delegates.

If passed before the legislature adjourns in two weeks, the bill will create a new grant program to enhance security operations in designated entertainment districts at peak hours. The Fiscal Year 2025 budget as passed by the Senate includes $250,000 to jumpstart the program, contingent upon the bill’s passage.

I want to thank the community advocacy that led to the bill’s conception following the murder of off-duty Howard County Sheriff Deputy Ryan Demby in Federal Hill last year. It was an honor to have community leaders come to Annapolis to testify in support of the bill earlier in Session, and I am hopeful the bill will pass both chambers in the next two weeks.

Based on updated policies and procedures, Safe Streets will now notify the City of large community events as a part of a new escalation protocol developed in response to last July’s Brooklyn Homes mass shooting. The Safe Streets program is overseen by the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) and focuses on community outreach, public education, conflict mediation, and violence interruption.

Safe Streets workers will now be required to share details they learn about all large community events. If workers hear of an event with the potential for 'mass harm or destruction' they are required to notify MONSE officials immediately. The agency can then, depending on the circumstance, boost the presence of City-connected violence intervention resources and consider escalating the issue to the attention of the mayor’s administration.

I was saddened to hear of the passing on Saturday of businessman and longtime Orioles owner Peter George Angelos. A Baltimore institution, Mr. Angelos grew up in Highlandtown as the son of a tavern owner. He earned his fortune as an attorney, winning awards on behalf of workers exposed to asbestos across the State. 

He also handled Maryland’s litigation against tobacco companies in which the State received close to $4 billion over two decades from a national settlement with tobacco companies. He was keenly interested in politics, serving a brief stint on the  Baltimore City Council.

Mr. Angelos bought the Orioles for a record $173 million in 1993, saying he believed the team should be owned by Baltimoreans. Over the next three decades, he ensured that the Birds would stay in the City that loves them.  I offer my deepest condolences to the Angelos family as they mourn an extraordinary life.

A Baltimore Banner analysis of a nationwide database of state legislators has found that the Maryland General Assembly is one of the most diverse in the country. The data on race and gender for every state lawmaker in the United States from 2023 to 2024 shows Maryland’s General Assembly is 34% Black—the highest percentage of Black lawmakers in any state legislature.

The number of high school-age shooting victims in Baltimore is decreasing for the first time in three years. While the number of teen shooting victims between ages 13 and 18 remain above pre-pandemic levels, they have fallen sharply this year compared to the same time period in 2023.

Baltimore City is taking drug companies to court over insulin prices. The lawsuit names Eli Lilly, CVS, Novo Nordisk, and Caremark, and accuses them of artificially inflating the cost of insulin and other diabetes medications. The lawsuit claims that as a result of high prices, the city has to pay higher insurance costs. The lawsuit also claims the prices can lead to some patients dangerously rationing medications.

Philanthropist Makenzie Scott’s organization Yield Giving announced new awards of $2 million each to several local organizations, including Marian House, Wide Angle Youth Media, the St. Francis Neighborhood Center, and the Baltimore Tree Trust. I am grateful for the investment by Yield Giving for organizations that seek to directly impact the most vulnerable communities in our City.

The Baltimore Farmers’ Market will return to its home beneath the JFX on April 7th, when the market will launch its 47th season and feature 47 vendors. The market will operate every Sunday from April 7 through December 22, rain or shine, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. New this year will be the debut of “quiet shopping hours” from 7:00  to 9:30 a.m. when there will be no music, buskers, or barkers in an effort to create a “more sensory-friendly environment for people who prefer a calmer shopping experience.

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.