O’Malley launches presidential bid amid protesters

(Originally published the East County Times, Vol. 20, No. 35 [June 4, 2015], pp. 5 and 6)

- By Emily Blackner -Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley officially launched his campaign for U.S. president with a rally at Federal Hill Park in Baltimore City on Saturday, May 30.

The rally drew a modest crowd of supporters- including many families with young children- as well as protesters, who objected to O’Malley’s policies as mayor and governor.

“I believe O’Malley is not concerned about what is good for the people and is only concerned with furthering his own career,” said Andrew Fair, who was at the rally with a large sign that read “NO’Malley.” “As a Maryland native, I’ve experienced him in many offices in the state, and I think he left the city, as mayor, in bad shape and left the state in bad shape as governor.”

Another organized protest involved a group of African-American residents of the city who were objecting to the zero-tolerance policing policies O’Malley instituted as mayor that they claim led to the current tensions in the city. “What about police brutality? What about Freddie Gray?” protesters shouted over O’Malley’s prepared remarks.

Robert Fain, a Washington, D.C., resident who came up to the Baltimore event with a friend, was more positive. “It’s good to see other Democrats putting their hat in the ring,” he said. “I liked what I heard but I would like to see more, especially about the issue of race relations.”

The candidate did touch on the recent unrest in Baltimore City, attempting to tie the events into his larger campaign theme of rebuilding the American dream.

“It was a heartbreaking night in the life of our city. But there is something to be learned from that night, and there is something to be offered to our country out of those flames,” he said. “For what took place here was not only about race, not only about policing in America, it was about everything it is supposed to mean to be an American. The scourge of hopelessness that happened to ignite here that evening transcends race or geography.” He said that a lack of economic opportunity was at the root of much of the city’s- and country’s- troubles.

The supporters who introduced O’Malley onstage, including Yvette Lewis, who was Maryland Democratic Party chair until March 2015, praised the former governor for championing marriage equality in the state, getting the DREAM Act passed and keeping state college tuition from rising.

O’Malley himself took an urgent tone, lamenting the state of the economy, the political and economic inequality between elites and everyday citizens, and more. “There is a growing injustice in our country today. It is the gap between the strong and just country our children need for us to be and the country we are in danger of becoming,” he opined.

“This is the urgent work calling us forward today: to rebuild the truth of the American dream for all Americans. And to begin right now.”

He announced that his agenda would include strengthening the middle class through a higher minimum wage, more overtime pay and stronger unions; a jobs agenda focused on renewable energy; comprehensive immigration reform; new national security strategies that include stronger alliances with other nations in our hemisphere and a more engaged, collaborative foreign policy globally; reinstating Glass-Steagall (legislation from 1932 repealed in 1999 that separated the activities of commercial and investment banks), breaking up “too big to fail” banks and prosecuting those on Wall Street who are engaged in illegal activities; and rebuilding American cities.

“Whether the American dream becomes a lie, or becomes an ongoing truth that our children can enjoy, can build upon, can live, is really up to you and me,” O’Malley declared.

After the Baltimore rally, O’Malley traveled to an event in the early primary state of Iowa, where polling shows him trailing Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton by 55 points and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont by 14.

County budget debate reveals school enrollment projection discrepancy

(Originally published in the East County Times,Vol. 20 No. 34 [May 28, 2015], page 5.)
- by Emily Blackner -

The Baltimore County Council approved the operating and capital budgets on May 21, leaving both largely unchanged from the proposal made by the county executive. However, in the course of the Council’s work on the budget, it discovered that Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) had changed the way it determines projected enrollment at its facilities, creating a discrepancy between the numbers the county was using to allocate funding and the ones the school system had generated.

With nearly half - $824 million - of the operating budget and 41.4 percent of the $375 million capital budget going towards schools, Council Chair Cathy Bevins (D-6) expressed concerns about this change in the methodology.

“Recently, BCPS changed the methodology for its 10-year enrollment projections, without consulting or communicating this change to the executive or the County Council,” she said in her Budget Message. “This new methodology changes enrollment projections at many of the county’s schools, which could have ripple effects across the system.”

The county is in the midst of a $1.3-billion, 10-year Schools for Our Future plan aiming to improve existing schools’ facilities and technology and add new seats county-wide to eliminate current and projected overcrowding. Funding for the various programs associated with this plan is allocated based on enrollment projections and other measures, and so “the Administration will need to re-evaulate its previous plans regarding future school construction and additions” based on these new figures, Bevins said in the speech.

BCPS spokesman Mychael Dickerson said that these changes were put into place just this school year. “We implemented this change to be even more accurate and to align with what the state is doing with their projections,” he explained.

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz (D) will ask the Council to approve an additional $50,000 to hire an outside consultant to review the competing methodologies to determine which one is more accurate. It was this expense that most bothered Bevins.

“This is both time and money that could be better spent elsewhere if there had been a more timely flow of information from BCPS,” she said in her speech. “We remind the public school system that it must communicate and cooperate with both branches of county government if the Schools for Our Future program is to be successful.”

Speaking with The East County Times, Bevins admitted, “I guess I didn’t mean to sound quite so accusatory. But 52 cents of every taxpayer dollar goes to the school system, and we don’t really tell them how to spend it. The conversation [about this methodology change] should have happened sooner.”

“We think that this methodology is better, but if they want to take an outside look at it, that’s fine,” Dickerson said.

When asked, neither Bevins nor Dickerson knew whether the BCPS projections were higher or lower than those the county had. The “Recommendations” section of the Council’s Budget Message notes, “Council members have specific concerns about projections for the out-years in particular districts, including in a number of districts that previously showed no official signs of being threatened by overcrowding.”

Bevins also stressed that “we on the Council have a wonderful relationship with the [BCPS] superintendent overall.

“Fifty thousand dollars is not all that much considering the total budget,” she continued, “but it’s something we only have to spend because the administration had one sense of direction where we were going and the schools had another. The changed methodology affects our projections, affects development and where seats will be added. We have a right to know if their projections are different from the county’s.”

County Executive proposes $1.9 billion operating budget for 2016

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20 No. 29 [April 23, 2015], page 5.)
- by Emily Blackner -

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz unveiled his proposed Fiscal Year 2016 budget as part of the annual State of the County address delivered on Tuesday, April 14, in the County Council chambers.

The general fund operating budget proposed is just over $1.9 billion dollars, which represents a 4.7 percent increase over the 2015 budget. Kamenetz said that this figure is within the County Council’s spending affordability guidelines and is accomplished without raising property or income taxes. The capital budget is $375 million.

Specific spending areas seeing an increase include PAYGO contributions, up $32 million; education, with a $46.8 million increase and public safety, with nearly $3.8 million more. An additional $10.8 million in expenses is associated with Kamenetz’s proposal to give all county employees a cost-of-living allowance (COLA) raise of three percent. Certificated Board of Education employees would receive an additional two percent raise.

Within the public safety umbrella, the county will devote $800,000 to add four new medic units to the fire department and $300,000 for two new division chiefs. Subsidies for volunteer EMS providers are increased by $250,000 to almost $2 million to encourage companies to fully staff their medic units.

Sixty percent of the county’s operating budget is devoted to funding schools, colleges and libraries. Although the Division of Library Services is slated to receive a cut of $315,470, education funding would increase by 5.66 percent. Part of that is the $155,334,000 devoted to capital improvement projects in the school system. $16.33 million of that is for roof repair and replacement in county schools, including Middlesex Elementary, Chesapeake High School and Essex Elementary in District 7 and Parkville High School in District 6. Patapsco High School will also receive funding for air conditioning. BCPS’s ongoing digital conversion initiative would receive $5.6 million.

“Once again, County Executive Kamenetz has shown his commitment to Baltimore County Public Schools,” said BCPS Superintendent S. Dallas Dance. “Our partnership has never been stronger.”

And, $2.8 million has been pledged towards building a new elementary school in the northeast area of the county. The initial sum covers design and engineering, and an additional $45.6 million would be spent in fiscal year 2017 to actually construct the school.

“I am very pleased that the county executive listened to the concerns of parents in northeastern Baltimore County and has included money for this desperately-needed new school,” stated Councilman David Marks (R-5), who has championed this project for years in the face of overcrowding in current facilities. “As we have seen recently, there is near-universal support for new schools in the Perry Hall area. Construction of an elementary school is an important step forward.”

PAYGO, or the pay-as-you-go funding system that allows the county to pay cash up-front for projects rather than take out loans, received a lot of attention in Kamenetz’s speech. The budget includes increased PAYGO contributions in anticipation of projects slated for future fiscal years, bringing the funds up to $123.3 million. Another name for PAYGO funds is a fund balance or even a surplus. Kamenetz said that the credit rating agencies look at the fund balance as one of the criteria when assigning credit ratings to the nation’s counties. Baltimore County is one of only 38 counties to receive a triple-A rating from all three rating agencies, and Kamenetz said it is due to our PAYGO practices.

“Some people misunderstand why we keep a fund balance. They would like to use these funds to pay for programs, projects and even pay raises that involve ongoing, recurring costs; but we can’t guarantee surplus funds will be available the next year,” Kamenetz explained. “That is why Baltimore County has always used its fund balance to pay for one-time projects, not ongoing expenses.”

Environmental initiatives across the county continue to receive strong support, even as the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability sees its funding decrease by just over $230,000. A total of $10.9 million has been allocated for the waterway improvement fund, including money for watershed improvement projects on the east side ($100,000 for the Gunpowder watershed, $250,000 for the Patapsco watershed and $200,000 for the Back River watershed).

Other budget points of interest include an increase in funding of $2.8 million for the Community College of Baltimore County system “to prevent tuition increases,” according to Kamenetz; nearly $25 million towards road resurfacing, with more money allotted in 2017; $330,000 for background checks for recreation council volunteers; $100,000 more for the Department of Social Services for cold weather emergency programs including warming centers, shelters and utility assistance; and money to provide turf fields for Merritt Point Park. The Dundalk Heritage Trail will not receive money in Fiscal Years 2016 or 2017 but is slated to get $1 million in 2018.

The County Council has to approve the budget, and can make changes or cuts to this proposal. It will begin its formal deliberations at a hearing on April 28 at 6 p.m.

General Assembly approves $200,000 in grants for Angel Park

(Originally published in The East County Times, Vol. 20, No. 28 [April 16, 2015], pages 2 + 6)
- by Emily Blackner -

Both the Maryland House and Senate voted to approve bond bills in the amount of $100,000 to help finance the construction of Angel Park, an all-access playground planned for Perry Hall. Legislators from the 7th and 8th districts collaborated to get the measures approved, netting $200,000 toward the $1.5-million project.

Delegate Kathy Szeliga (R-7) noted that this was a bipartisan effort, with herself and fellow Republicans Rick Impallaria, John Cluster and Christian Miele working with Democrat Eric Bromwell to sponsor the measure. Across the state house in the Senate, Democrat Kathy Klausmeier and Republican J.B. Jennings pushed for their bill.

“I’m thrilled. I really can’t be more proud of the community and all the groups that have come together,” Del. Szeliga said. “I believe this park will be something Perry Hall is proud to have.

“Passing legislation is never easy, but there was a lot of support behind this,” she continued. “The Assembly felt that, number one, the project was funded to such a tremendous level by the community, when a lot of times you get people who say ‘well, give us this money and then we’ll do fundraisers.’ And number two, it was shovel ready.”

According to Angel Park Planning Co-Chair Kelli Szyczbor, the campaign has $823,000 in the bank, with another $120,000 pledged. This leaves $400,000 to go to reach their fundraising total.

Szyczbor and three other committee members travelled to Annapolis on Saturday, March 14, to testify in both the House and the Senate about their project and why it should receive funds.

“It was a neat experience testifying in Annapolis. You only get a few minutes to sum up this awesome project that you’ve spent so much time on,” she commented. She also noted that Szeliga and Jennings, who introduced them, as well as Bromwell and Klausmeier were very supportive throughout the process.

“[The legislators] said they could see our passion for it, and that it is going to be a unique playground,” Szyczbor recalled.

As previously reported in the East County Times, Angel Park will be an all-access playground, meaning that children of all abilities, including those with special needs, can play together. The equipment and layout will be designed to accommodate everyone’s needs under the guidance of New York-based Leathers & Associates. The staff at Leathers & Associates, along with Angel Park committee volunteers, solicited suggestions from over 4,000 area schoolchildren to find out what elements they would like to see in a playground, and many of these ideas were included in the final design.

The park will be located on 2.5 acres of land acquired by the county through a land swap agreement in 2012. Also on the property will be a 200-seat amphitheater that will allow community groups to present outdoor concerts, plays and other shows. The amphitheater is financed by a gift from the Cole Foundation.

The 2012 land transfer was approved by County Councilman David Marks (R-5), who Szczybor says has been a big supporter of the project from the beginning, offering advice and guidance to the committee.

“We’ve worked with our state legislators to obtain funding for worthwhile projects in the past, and I applaud my colleagues for supporting Angel Park,” he stated. “The community has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to build Angel Park, and I believe government should support that type of private sector support.”

The website, www.Angel-Park.org, allows for community members to donate money or pay for individual pieces of equipment in honor of their loved ones, the angels we all have in our lives for whom the park is named, said Szczybor.

For her, that angel is her son Ryan, who she lost to leukemia at the age of 15 months.

“This whole project is all about the community. My son’s memory is what’s pushing me and inspiring me, but in the end it’s about the whole community and coming together,” she declared.

Szczybor said that they hope to begin construction on Angel Park the first week of September. Hundreds of community volunteers will be needed to build the park, she said. Those interested in helping can visit the Angel Park website or contact Michelle Streckfus at shellestreck@gmail.com.

District 6 delegation sees success with Night in Annapolis, bill passage

(Originally published in The East County Times, Vol. 20, No. 25 [March 26, 2015], pages 5 + 7)
- By Emily Blackner -

The General Assembly delegation from District 6 and 7 welcomed constituents to Annapolis on Monday night, March 23, for the District Night in Annapolis.

This free event was designed to give residents of the district the opportunity to meet their elected officials where they do their work and to observe a General Assembly session. From 6 - 8 p.m., a reception was set up in the Thomas V. Mike Miller Senate Office Building’s President’s Conference Center for visitors to eat food and meet fellow District residents. The elected officials milled about the room speaking to the voters, who came out in large numbers; the room was standing-room only for portions of the night with over 175 constituents in attendance. There were also slideshows featuring facts about the delegates and senators, the General Assembly in general and the legislation introduced this session.

The evening was hosted by the entire District 6 and 7 Delegation, but Sen. Johnny Ray Salling (R-6) spearheaded the effort. “On behalf of myself and Delegates Metzgar, Long and Grammer, we want to thank each and every one of our constituents who joined us for District 6 Night in Annapolis,” Salling stated. “It was a great success and we hope to continue hosting events like this for the hard-working residents of the sixth district for years to come.”

The delegation also welcomed Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford as its special guest for the evening.

“It’s good to be here- well, it’s good to be anywhere, but I was pleased to accept this invitation from these fine representatives,” Rutherford said.

Other notable attendees were 7th District County Councilman Todd Crandell and Al Mendelsohn, chair of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee.

Senators Salling and J.B. Jennings (R-7) attended for most of the night; however, the House of Delegates was called into session earlier than originally planned, so Dels. Ric Metzgar (R-6), Bob Long (R-6), Robin Grammer (R-6), Kathy Szeliga (R-7), Pat McDonough (R-7) and Rick Impallaria (R-7) had to leave early to attend.

“The House is going in a little early, and that always makes me a little nervous thinking of what they will get up to,” joked Rutherford.

That evening’s session addressed several topics, including a discussion of fracking in Maryland as well as a second reading vote on HB 644, the Welcome Home, Stay Home Act, which was introduced by Del. Metzgar. The bill authorizes county, municipal and city governments to grant a tax credit for senior citizens age 65 years and older who have lived in their homes for 40 years and for all retired members of the armed forces aged 65 or older. The credit would last for up to five years and equal as much as 20 percent of the total property tax assessed. Monday’s vote cleared the way for a third and final reading, which took place on Tuesday morning and resulted in the measure’s passage by a vote of 138 - 0.

“It passed unanimously; not a single red dot was on that board,” Metzgar said. “The word that comes to mind is ‘awesome.’ It was something that I ran on; I’m a strong advocate for veterans and an even stronger advocate for seniors.”

The bill’s initial title is the Welcome Home, Stay Home Act because when first introduced in February, it also included people who had previously resided in Maryland, left the state and then returned in its list of individuals who would be eligible for the tax credit. That version made it out of the Ways and Means Committee with only three “nay” votes, but the general House membership expressed concerns and the language about returning residents was removed from the bill after its first reading.

“They struck a couple of things, but it’s still a workable bill. The important thing to know is you got a bill through by a freshman delegate,” Metzgar said. He also noted that the individual counties and municipalities can decide how - or perhaps whether- to grant the credit.

The bill will now be introduced in the Senate and follow the same process.

“They seem to be moving pretty fast,” Metzgar said of his colleagues in the other chamber. “Now I’d want to urge people to call their senators and ask them to support House Bill 644.”

County Council votes to reduce “rain tax;” amendment for repeal fails

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20, No. 22 [March 5, 2015], page 1 + 6)
- Article & photo by Emily Blackner -

At its March 2 meeting in Towson, the Baltimore County Council voted to reduce the amount charged for the stormwater remediation fee, commonly referred to as the “rain tax.”

The Council unanimously passed bill 9-15, which will lower the fee collected in each category by about a third, from $39 to $26 for single-family homes and mobile homes, from $21 to $14 for attached homes and from $32 to $22 for condominiums. For businesses and nonprofits, the rates will fall from $69 to $46 and $20 to $14, respectively, for each 2,000 square feet of impervious surface on the property.

Although the Council’s vote was unanimous, the meeting was not without discord. Councilman Todd Crandell (R-7) introduced two amendments to the bill, one of which would have reduced the fee down to one cent

“This amendment effectively zeroes out the stormwater remediation fee,” Crandell described. “This fee, in my opinion, unfairly targets Baltimore County employers. We pay a lot of lip service to business-friendliness, and this is an opportunity to put our votes where our mouths are.”

Speaking in support of the measure, Councilman Wade Kach noted that the county is running a surplus in its rainy day and emergency funds which could be used to pay for the stormwater remediation projects currently funded by this fee.

Councilman Tom Quirk argued that these funds are already earmarked to fund school construction and upgrades in future fiscal years, and that those projects are at risk if the fee is lowered any more than the one-third proposed.

Councilman David Marks (R-5) acknowledged that he voted against the initial bill imposing a fee, but said he had concerns about the amendment. “One of them has to do with the mechanics of lawmaking,” he explained. “If we pass this and the County Executive vetoes it, and there aren’t the five votes to override, we’re stuck with the current rates.”

Council Chair Cathy Bevins (D-6) agreed, stating that she had confirmed with the administration that the amended bill would be vetoed. “I am not going to risk the reduction,” she declared. “I think the constituents want real relief. All or nothing is not good governing and real relief is better than a failed repeal.”

Crandell responded, “I disagree with the contention that we will somehow miss out on the one-third reduction, because there is still time to introduce a new bill. We could put in another bill on our own.” 9-15 was submitted by Bevins at the request of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.

In the end, the Council agreed with Bevins’s view and the amendment failed 2 - 5. Crandell and Kach were the two “aye” votes.

A second amendment introduced by Crandell stated that should the General Assembly change the state law mandating that the county initiate a fee, the County Council would review this issue again. That amendment passed unanimously.

Before voting to approve the reduction, the Council heard from Vince Gardina, director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability, who testified before the Council that the one-third reduction would still provide enough money to fund the county’s stormwater remediation projects. Gardina had previously spoken with the Council during the Feb. 24 work session when Bill 9-15 was first discussed. There, he explained that, as the stormwater remediation program underwent a review, the expert panel was able to pinpoint approximately $8 million in savings from the initial $34.4 million cost estimate. This gave the county the opportunity to propose the reductions.

“We absolutely can meet TMDL goals [even with these reductions],” Gardina assured. “This would not mean cuts in implementation of the projects to reduce the pollutant load.”

However, he did note that under the new rate, the projected revenue would be $16.4 million, which is close to the $16.3 million projected cost of the projects the county will undertake. “So any lower and we have to take from the general fund or somewhere else,” Gardina asserted.

“This is not a political issue,” Gardina declared at Monday’s meeting. “You have to realize that no matter who’s in charge at the state level or who’s in charge at the federal level, this is an order by the federal courts on a law that’s been on the books since the 1970s. We don’t have an option.”

The stormwater remediation fee was imposed after a federal court case brought against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation over its lack of enforcement of the Clean Water Ac of 1972. The case was settled when the EPA agreed to enforce the total maximum daily load (TMDL) restrictions on pollutants heading into the Bay. The projects funded by the fee are designed to reduce the amount of the pollutants nitrogren, phosphorous and suspended sediment through restricting the runoff of polluted water.

Gardina had told the Council that the other counties that do not have a fee or who have a very minimal one are out of compliance with the EPA regulations and could face fines of up to $10,000 a day and a denial of the MS4 permits used for new construction.

“I spoke with the EPA director for Region 3, and he said that they are giving some flexibility up front to allow the programs to get ramped up, but I think they are limited in that flexibility,” Gardina said. The county attorney confirmed on Monday that defiance could lead to litigation.

In the end, it was this view, as well as the unanimous desire of the Council to maintain a healthy Chesapeake Bay, that won the day and led to the defeat of Crandell’s repeal amendment.

“The other counties seem to be thumbing thier noses at the state,” Councilman Quirk said. “But I think Baltimore County should be commended for following the rules. And I am willing to pay my fair share for a clean Chesapeake Bay.”

House of Delegates members offer legislative update

(Originally published in the East County Times, Vol. 20, No. 22 [March 5, 2015], pages 2 + 5)
- by Emily Blackner -

With the 2015 legislative session just over a third completed, the East County Times reached out to several local Delegates to find out what they have been able to achieve so far.

District 6

With all three of its delegates freshman, and all three Republicans for the first time in memory, the District 6 contingent had to “hit the ground running,” according to Del. Ric Metzgar.

He is the primary sponsor of three bills and co-sponsor of dozens of others. Among them is a proposal for a toll plan for the Francis Scott Key Bridge, calling for commuters to be able to pay a flat $20 for a two-axle vehicle to make unlimited trips over the bridge.

“It’s exactly the same toll plan as they have at the Hatem Bridge in Harford and Cecil counties,” he explained. “I feel our residents deserve the same benefits. We want to save them money however we can.”

Metzgar is also the driving force behind the Welcome Home, Stay at Home Act, HB0644. The bill calls for a property tax credit of 20 percent to be granted by counties, cities and other municipalities to seniors over 65 who have lived in their home for 40 years, retired military personnel and people who lived in Maryland within the last ten years, then left the state and have now returned.

“We want to bring people back home where they belong and have them spend their money here,” Metzgar declared.

The credit would be granted for five years as the legislation is currently written, but Metzgar hopes that the committee will amend the proposal to extend that time frame. The process began on Feb. 25 when the bill had its first reading.

Metzgar noted that he had bipartisan support for all of the bills he submitted. He also said he feels there is bipartisan support and momentum for a repeal of the stormwater management fee, known as the “rain tax,” which was a campaign promise for many of the Republicans elected last November.

Robin Grammer, Metzgar’s colleague, is also advocating for a “rain tax” repeal. His other main focus this session is on gun rights; specifically, he has a bill in that would repeal parts of SB231 of 2013, Gov. O’Malley’s gun control bill.

“That bill basically criminalized the ownership and sale of certain firearms in this state,” Grammer explained. “It’s a big issue we ran on; I am very much in favor of gun rights and a lot of people here are, too.”

The bill has been titled the Firearm Decriminalization Act of 2015.

Grammer is also the primary sponsor of the Junior Advancement via Association Act, which is a complicated name for a relatively simple problem: the closure of the student-run coffee shop at Patapsco High School last year. Grammer explained that federal laws prohibited the sale of caffeinated beverages but that the coffee house was a valuable way for the students, many of them with special needs, to gain work and social skills. The bill would apply to any similar program at any Maryland school, not just Patapsco.

“It’s like a one sentence bill, but just that required about 10 to 15 manhours,” he revealed. “We had to consult with the Attorney General’s office and just do a lot of legwork. There’s a lot of work that goes on in the background that people don’t see.”

In spite of the demanding nature of the job, Grammer is enjoying it and looking forward to casting votes as that process ramps up.

“This year will be primarily consumed by budget, taxes and jobs,” he explained. “We’ve gotta be realistic about what we’re gonna be able to do down here, so we wanted to keep it relatively simple for the first year.”

District 8

As one of only a few veteran legislators to make it through the election, and the only remaining Democrat from eastern Baltimore County on the House side, Eric Bromwell is finding the biggest adjustments to be working with other members of his own party.

“It hasn’t really changed anything about the way I work,” he explained. “District 8 has always been a split district. But the biggest challenge, unfortunately, is that a lot of the Democrats who lost are from moderate areas, like me. So I went from having a group of people to count on to stick up for a more moderate approach to taxes and fees to losing some of that with the more tax-and-spend people here.”

He is instead working to build coalitions with Republicans in the chamber, mindful of some of the Republicans who served as mentors to him when he was just starting out in Annapolis. “I am very supportive of all my colleagues and try to be helpful to them. It helps get work done, but I also think it’s important that people have someone to go to to help slow it down a bit when things get hectic.”

On the policy side, Bromwell has sponsored 12 bills and co-sponsored many others. A few of these bills attempt to address the growing heroin epidemic in the state, calling for a Opioid Use Disorder Consortium and an overdose response program.

There is also HB0898, which is a follow-up to legislation passed last year to allow first responders to carry naloxene, a medication that can reverse a heroin or other opioid overdose.

“That bill, which I put in with the help of the state police, would give [additional] legal protection to police officers carrying the naloxene. The police didn’t feel the protection was enough,” he said.

Bromwell is also the primary sponsor on a measure to allow slots at BWI airport. He has introduced this measure before, he said, but it fell short of passage.

“I don’t know if the new administration will be opposed,” Bromwell said. “The new governor might recognize that he has a new form of revenue in front of him.”

The slots would be located inside the terminal itself, “so you couldn’t drive to the airport just to play them,” Bromwell noted. “It’s designed to capture money from people flying into and out of Baltimore.” The funds would be used to replenish the Transportation Trust Fund.

Maryland law means that even if the bill passes both chambers, it would still go before the voters as a referendum. Bromwell said he has this session and the next to get it passed in time for the 2016 ballot. “I’m very, very confident that the voters would uphold this,” he declared.

While Bromwell has focused on heroin crisis, fellow District 8 delegate Christian Miele has been studying another issue in the news: redistricting reform. He has submitted a bill to address the flaws in Maryland’s current system, which results in highly gerrymandered districts.

“I call it a good government plan because I don’t think there should be partisanship or gamesmanship involved in popular representation,” he asserted.

Miele’s plan would call for districts to be drawn starting from the lower eastern shore and to be as compact and concise as possible, using natural boundaries like major roads, rivers and municipal lines to help form the district boundaries. It would also call for only two-member districts, because the current system means that citizens in three-member districts are, on paper at least, receiving closer representation because each member represents fewer citizens. The districts would be drawn by a committee featuring Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate as well as registered voters affiliated with each party and those unaffiliated.

“We have a great opportunity in Maryland to be the national leader in showing that any partisan drawing of district lines is antithetical to democracy,” Miele declared.

However, he does not believe that his bill will advance, he admitted. “I think the governor is positioned to issue an executive order to create a commission to study this issue, and I think the legislature will give him the leeway to do that.

“I am hopeful to be appointed to that commission,” he added. “I’ve made it known around here that I would love to serve to at least bring all of my research to the table.”

Miele is also the primary sponsor of the Animal Shelter Standards Act of 2015, which is adapted from the CAPA ( Companion Animal Protection Act) model legislation specifically to meet Maryland’s needs.

“This is probably one I’m most proud of,” he admitted. “A lot of taxpayers assume that county shelters are more rescue-oriented, but that’s not the case.” Instead, county shelters, including Baltimore County’s, have very high euthanasia rates.

“This was an issue I began hearing about on the campaign trail when I was door-knocking,” he explained. “And then I found out it’s not just a Baltimore County issue, that concerns were raised in other jurisdictions as well. People want the shelters to do more to avoid euthanizing.”

The Animal Shelter Standards Act will receive its first hearing on March 4.