December 18, 2023

The most important obligation for those of us serving in elected office is to be responsive to the concerns of our constituents. That’s why Delegates Clippinger, Lewis, Edelson and I have organized a Town Hall for 46th Legislative District residents tonight (December 18) around public safety and youth.

The Town Hall will include critical discussions ahead of the 2024 Legislative Session with partners throughout City and State agencies, including Secretary Vincent Schiraldi (Department of Juvenile Services), Deputy Commissioner Monique Brown (Baltimore City Police Department), and Cate Rosenblatt (Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office).

There will be an opportunity to share feedback with the Delegation and learn more about the Juvenile Justice Reform legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2022, including possibilities to build on and improve executive operations and Maryland’s legal framework surrounding youth violence.

There is no more important issue confronting our City and State than the need for Marylanders to feel safe in their communities. I look forward to seeing many of you on Monday and hope those who cannot attend in-person will watch the Facebook livestream.

I was excited to recently join community leaders from the Riverside and  Federal Hill neighborhoods, Delegates Clippinger and Edelson, and other partners to announce the installation and operation of License Plate Reader (LPR) technology on the peninsula. 

I’m especially excited by this project because LPRs communicate real-time data to the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) by alerting them when it detects a tag for a vehicle that was reported stolen. As the number of stolen vehicles in Baltimore City and statewide increase due to social media challenges and other factors, these LPRs provide BPD with one more tool to respond effectively soon after a crime occurs.

These state-of-the-art LPRs were funded through the Maryland Community Safety Works grant program thanks to a $10 million allocation by the Maryland General Assembly to be administered by the MD Department of Housing and Community Development. As I’ve noted previously, this program is an important mechanism to empower communities to pursue community safety projects responsive to their unique needs. 

A new round of applications for the grant program will launch in January. My office is already assisting eligible organizations and community associations interested in pursuing this additional $10 million in State funding to ensure the 46th Legislative District capitalizes on the available funding.

Securing a long-term partnership between the Orioles and State of Maryland is a vital component of the revitalization of Downtown Baltimore City. That's why I was pleased to join Governor Moore at a press conference today, announcing a long-term lease for the ballpark at Camden Yards.

I have continued to believe that a long-term lease for the use of the ballpark should not have been conditioned on whether a private owner receives a 99-year ground lease to develop land owned by Maryland taxpayers. I deeply appreciate the Moore Administration taking that feedback to heart and incorporating it into the terms of the agreement the Board of Public Works is considering today.

I'm proud that we're on the cusp of securing a long-term lease that is good for Baltimore, good for taxpayers, and good for the future of the Orioles.

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) announced on December 7 that it was shutting down the Baltimore area’s light rail line indefinitely out of concern for rider safety. The move, which took the next day, has left thousands of daily riders without daily service, instead relying on shuttle buses to ferry them between light rail stops. Baltimore’s aging light rail cars are in the process of critical rehabilitation work that is long overdue.

Investing in reliable and efficient modes of public transit is fundamental to growing our economy. It’s immensely frustrating to see services paused due to deferred maintenance leading to safety concerns. The situation also highlights the importance of the State identifying new funding mechanisms to pay for maintenance and expansion of our transportation infrastructure.

That’s why the Maryland General Assembly created the Commission on Transportation Revenue and Infrastructure Needs (TRAIN Commission) to review, evaluate, and make recommendations on the prioritization and funding of transportation projects. The Commission has since released an initial set of recommendations ahead of the 2024 Legislative Session with more work to be done in the coming year.

State health officials and doctors are urging Marylanders to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and influenza ahead of celebrations with family and friends. The CDC has encouraged people ages 6 months and older to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine and a flu shot now, as the vaccines take a few weeks to fully take effect. 

The Maryland Commission on Caregiving wants to know more about the experiences of family caregivers across our State, those who assist adults aged 18 or older with limitations that require care. The Commission has developed a 15-minute online and anonymous survey that asks questions about the person being cared for and the caregiver’s knowledge of available programs and priorities for support and services. Those who complete the survey will have the chance to enter a raffle for a $20 e-gift card. Results from the survey will be used to improve policies and programs for MD caregivers. The survey is open until December 31, 2023.

Environmental officials have sounded the alarm about “forever chemicals” found in 15 species of fish caught in Maryland waters. PFAS, man-made chemicals that can linger and accumulate in the human body, include over 4,000 chemicals that have been used in a range of products, including stain-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints, cookware, food packaging and fire-fighting foams.  Fish consumption advisories provide recommended limits on how often certain fish may be eaten to help minimize health risks. 

Maryland has saved nearly half a billion dollars in hospital costs over the last 15 years thanks to expanded insurance coverage according to the medical advocacy group, Maryland Healthcare for All. Over the past 15 years, the State reduced the number of those who are uninsured from thirteen percent to six percent thanks to implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the Maryland General Assembly passing legislation to augment those subsidies.

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.