March 4, 2024

The Maryland General Assembly (MGA) is quickly approaching the March 18 crossover deadline, by which bills must pass out of their chamber of origin to avoid getting stuck in the opposite chamber’s Rules Committee before possibly being assigned to the standing policy committee. The weeks leading up to the crossover deadline are generally defined by long bill hearings and a flurry of voting to move as many pieces of legislation to the Senate floor as possible. Unfortunately, this week’s most notable news was the lockdown of the State House and legislative complex on Thursday in response to a call placed to the Annapolis Police Department threatening an active shooter situation.

Although Thursday’s law enforcement response was the most acute and visible to date, the threat that precipitated the lockdown didn’t happen in a vacuum. Even before Session, State Houses across the nation were subjected to bomb threats. We are reaching an untenable situation in which a tiny group of bad actors attempt to disrupt the basic functions of our democracy.

Speaker Jones and I have been working with the MGA’s Information Technology Office to create a text message emergency notification system for situations exactly like this one. A contract for that system was signed last Monday, three days before the lockdown. Thursday’s events pointed to areas of improvement in our internal communications, and we are expediting getting that system operational as a result.

The entire legislature is immensely grateful to all the law enforcement officers who responded on Thursday, quickly ensuring the security of the complex and allowing our body to continue its work on behalf of all Marylanders. The brave men and women of the Maryland Capitol Police, Maryland State Police, Annapolis Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police, and Annapolis Fire Department are the best of us, running towards potential danger to ensure the safety of others.

A top priority going into the 2024 Legislative Session was making necessary adjustments to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act from 2022 to ensure the implementation of its policy matches legislative intent. Youth crime, though a small percentage of crime in Maryland, causes especially deep impacts to our communities and the perception of security that Marylanders feel each day.

It is incumbent on those of us in policymaking roles to shape a juvenile justice system that effectively serves all those who come into contact with it, while also making sure no children in need of services slip through the cracks. The MGA is committed to an equitable system in which that trajectory of children who engage in behavior negatively impacting our communities receive necessary supports to positively change their paths.

Tonight, the Senate passed Senate Bill 744, which will improve the accountability, rehabilitation, and collaboration (ARC) of Maryland’s juvenile justice system. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, led by Chair Will Smith, engaged in a collaborative and often contentious process to shape the legislation to best meet the needs of this moment.

Thanks in large part to the leadership of my 46^th District teammate, House Judiciary Committee Chair Luke Clippinger, the House of Delegates passed similar legislation last week. Although there are minor differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill, I am confident both chambers will reach consensus in the coming weeks.

I am increasingly dismayed at recent decisions by local boards of education to ban the inclusion of certain books in their school libraries and ongoing attempts to replicate these efforts throughout the State in public libraries. As a former educator, I wholeheartedly believe in the importance and benefits of holistic and relevant educational curriculum. Although I am sympathetic to the rights of parents to make decisions about the books their children are exposed to, I have deep concerns about approaches like book bans where a small group of parents are influencing access for all students in a given jurisdiction.

This Session, Senator Nancy King and Delegate Dana Jones introduced the Freedom to Read Act, to set necessary guardrails against specious challenges to ban books with content contrary to a tiny group’s personal belief systems. I am a proud co-sponsor of the Freedom to Read Act. We must protect the freedom of expression in our libraries while balancing parental rights to make choices for their individual children. The Senate Committee on Education, Energy, and the Environment is working hard to advance this critical legislation to the Senate floor, where I look forward to supporting its passage.

One of the more discussed issues from the 2023 Legislative Session was the Access to Care Act, which would have allowed for all Maryland residents, regardless of immigration status, to purchase health insurance on the Maryland Health Benefits Exchange (MHBE). The bill as originally introduced last year would have also created a State-level subsidy to increase the affordability of these insurance plans. That bill did not progress last Session due in large part to corresponding fiscal concerns.

Immediately after last Session ended, my office worked with the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) to compile a list of health insurance plans that Marylanders can access regardless of immigration status. The MIA put together this resource, which was also translated to Spanish and Korean, detailing the options available to every Marylander. At our request, the MIA worked with advocacy groups like CASA to ensure that information reaches our State’s immigrant community.

The Access to Care Act was reintroduced this Session by Senator Antonio Hayes to mandate that MHBE apply for a federal waiver to allow undocumented immigrants in Maryland to purchase health insurance through the Exchange. The Senate Finance Committee approved the legislation last week and it will be on second reading on the Senate floor tomorrow.

I have heard from many of you in recent weeks with deeply personal stories that underpin your support for the End-of-Life Options Act, to allow terminally ill Marylanders who are facing unspeakably difficult circumstances to receive medical aid-in-dying. This issue is one of the most challenging policies the legislature considers with personally held beliefs on either side of the debate. Ultimately, I believe individuals should have the personal choice to end suffering and pain with a peaceful death if procedures and practices are safe and appropriately regulated.

Although I had hoped this would be the year for the legislation’s passage, it has become clear that there are insufficient votes for it to progress through the legislative process. I am grateful to Senator Waldstreicher for his sponsorship, and to all the Marylanders continuing to advocate for dignity at the end-of-life with sufficient protections. Having access to the Exchange will make it easier for individuals to purchase plans because of the availability of staff to guide them through the process.

The 46^th Legislative District was struck by tragedy last week as a rowhome fire spread across the 3400 block of East Lombard Street in our Highlandtown neighborhood. I am mourning for the losses of 8-year-old Angel Gustavo Adolofo Paz Gutierrez, 13-year-old Yeymi Rubi Gutierrez Paz, and 22-year-old Jeremías Gutierrez Gomez, as well as all 19 individuals displaced between four homes. Moreover, I am horrified that Angel, Yeymi, and Jeremías’ home did not have working smoke alarms and its rental license expired in November.

I joined a Fire Safety Neighborhood Sweep on Saturday morning alongside Mayor Brandon Scott, Councilmember Zeke Cohen, the Baltimore City Fire Department, American Red Cross, and other City agencies to stand in solidarity with the community and install smoke alarms in nearby homes.

I am continually in awe of Southeast Baltimore’s capacity to rally in support of one another when crises occur. In particular, Pastor Mark Parker consistently marshals resources to help those in need following dire events. His church, Breath of God Lutheran Church, is currently accepting donations to assist the families impacted by last week’s fire. If interested and able, you can contribute here.

On Friday, the Senate of Maryland recognized our incredible Local Teachers of the Year, including Jared Perry from Baltimore City Public Schools. We were fortunate to hear from Mary Kay Connerton, the 2024 Maryland Teacher of the Year, who hails from Anne Arundel County.

The Senate of Maryland recently approved legislation to remove the Governor from the medical parole process. Fundamentally, parole decisions should be made without political interference, especially when there is no risk to public safety because of the individual’s poor health or incapacitation.

Following last year’s legislation to protect patients and providers from out-of-state interference for engaging in reproductive care, the Senate took a similar step around gender-affirming care last week. The dignity and privacy of both medical professionals and patients must be absolute.

The Maryland State Department of Education approved a new sliding scale to assist Maryland families with the cost of pre-K tuition as mandated by the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Reducing the cost of early childhood education and setting our State’s children up for success in their earliest years is vital to their, and our, long term success.

I am increasingly concerned by the cost overruns of the Purple Line light rail construction in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties and what it means for future transit projects. We recently learned that the Purple Line is over budget by another $425 million with further delays ahead of completion. These updates come in the midst of an incredibly tight transportation budget statewide.

As the revenue impact of a declining commercial real estate market comes into focus, the importance of bolstering Baltimore’s Downtown Business District is even more apparent. As I’ve repeatedly said, no City in America has thriving uptown with a declining downtown. I am hopeful that the move of State agencies from State Center to Downtown will help secure the commercial market as it rebounds following the pandemic.

Jonathan Heyward, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s conductor, was in Annapolis last Thursday where the Senate recognized him. I am excited for the upcoming 2024-2025 season which will begin in September with cellist Yo-Yo Ma as its first performance.

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.