Delegate Jon S. Cardin

Insights Into the Coming Legislative Session

As the 2010 legislative session approaches, I begin my weekly Annapolis Report with both a sense of trepidation and opportunity. I want to share with you my concerns about the economy in general and how Maryland is fairing. I will then describe some of the policies I expect to focus on and suggest how they may help us in the midst of our economic downturn. Finally, I want to remind my readers and constituents that because of your input, suggestions and comments, together, we have been able to have lasting impacts on the important decisions made in Annapolis.

The overarching fiscal situation looms as a backdrop behind us in this political season and will be followed by what will certainly be an interesting election. The signs are good that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and recovery is on its way. Nevertheless, this is a national and international economic crisis that has hit every state hard (and many states much harder than Maryland). To its credit, Baltimore County has managed maintenance of effort for its schools and even provided slight raises without tax increases, furloughs or layoffs.

While the Board of Public Works has made more than four rounds of cuts since our passage of the 2010 budget, Maryland has managed to balance our budget, stave off cuts to education, and work within the boundaries of reasonableness as tough decisions are made. As we prepare to pass a new budget, and as difficult as it will be, we will find a way to balance it through reductions likely totaling more than $1.5 billion.

The national unemployment rate breached the 10% mark, but given our disproportionate number of highly educated people and highly skilled workforce, as well as our proximity to Washington, our rate is significantly lower. That statistic is meaningless to my constituents who have lost their jobs, and for that reason, I will redouble my efforts to support policies that bring improved quality of life and job opportunities to our state.

I have focused my efforts over the past few years on healthy lifestyles, Chesapeake Bay restoration, election law and bicycle/pedestrian safety. This year will be different only in that I aspire to promote the same with added business opportunities and either negligible fiscal impacts or revenue positive outcomes.

My frustration over the national healthcare debate, and specifically why the issue of “access” has wholly dwarfed the issue of “cost” is shared by many. As a nation, we loathe to discuss the sensitive issues surrounding “cost” containment. Coincidentally, the President recently released over $600 million of stimulus for wellness programs, and with the unprecedented help of the Coalition for a Healthy Maryland and Senators Catherine Pugh and Kathy Klausmeier, I plan to reintroduce HB 711, from last year, giving Marylanders a tax deduction for sustained demonstrable healthy behaviors such as smoking cessation, weight loss, and wellness program membership. An ounce of prevention is worth more and costs less than a pound of cure!

Along those same lines, in an effort to take advantage of federal stimulus money, I am seeking to improve overseas voter access, specifically for the adult sons and daughters of Maryland citizens who are living overseas.

In the coming weeks, I will revisit the issue of bicycle safety and our efforts to improve both Maryland’s roads for bicyclists and Maryland’s reputation for bike friendliness. In spite of efforts made to encourage drivers and bicyclists to share the road, I learn of more and more accidents where cyclists are seriously hurt. As the number of cyclists commuting or riding for recreation continues to expand at exciting rates, I will be seeking to clarify laws and policy initiatives aimed at safety.

Finally, learning that tree cover is the best protection for land, water and air, the Governor took my tree planting bill from last year and made it a state policy challenge to plant more than a million trees annually. Now, after the debate about impervious surface that I started last year and the importance of monitoring it as a way to keep tabs on Bay decline, I will be reintroducing a bill that will address storm water management. With a $12 billion backlog of projects, this is a debate that must continue if we plan to leave a viable Bay for our children. My uncle, Senator Ben Cardin, has addressed this issue in Congress with an interstate Chesapeake Watershed bill. As we look to what Maryland will do, I believe that a serious commitment to address storm water management, nutrient runoff, and replenishment of the Chesapeake fisheries has to be undertaken.

This will not be a pleasant legislative session insofar as we are facing difficult budget times. I am confident that we will be cutting in most areas of the budget. Therefore, any new legislation will need to be innovative and costless, and I expect to discuss some of those innovative ideas over the next few months.

I look forward to communicating with you during the 2010 legislative session in my weekly report. It is my honor to serve the 11th District and the people of Maryland. It is our collective goal to make Maryland a better place for everyone to enjoy.

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