This past year, Governor Hogan vetoed 23 bills after the session that we will be taking up during the Special Session. Here are some of the vetoed bills the General Assembly will be trying to override:
SB202 Correctional Services – Parole – Life Imprisonment
This bill, if overridden, would allow someone who committed first degree murder (meaning someone who committed premeditated, deliberate murder) to have the opportunity to go free in only 17 years. This bill absolutely stomps on victims’ rights and will force a family, who had a loved one murdered in cold blood, to face and potentially see the murderer of their family member go free in only 17 years. I voted no on this bill and will fight to sustain the Governor’s veto.
HB23 Personal Information – State and Local Agencies – Restrictions on Access (Maryland Driver Privacy Act)
This bill would prevent Federal immigration authorities from accessing Maryland driving records of individuals who are here illegally, which would completely undermine our federal immigration policy by ignoring the law. Picking and choosing what laws we enforce opens up a Pandora’s Box that we may never be able to close.
HB894/SB746 Education – Community Colleges – Collective Bargaining
Our community colleges are a major educational and cultural center in our community. They’re also a place where so many start their career by receiving an affordable, quality education. This bill undermines that opportunity by giving community college employees, who are already well-compensated, the ability to unionize. This will, in turn, drive up the cost of tuition and hinder students from low income families from accessing a quality, post-secondary education.
HB 319 Local Tax Relief for Working Families Act of 2021
Government is full of bills that have a name like “The Happy Sunshine Act” or termed “Infrastructure Bill” when it has almost no infrastructure language included, so don’t let this name fool you. This bill will allow counties to increase your taxes.
HB1209 Sales and Use Tax – Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing – Alterations
Plain and simple, this bill will tax ride shares…….
HB836 COVID-19 Testing, Contact Tracing, and Vaccination Act of 2021
This bill forces local governments (towns and counties) to come up with or raise taxes to pay for
pandemic responses mandated by the state, which makes this a tax bill.
SB420 Criminal Law – Drug Paraphernalia for Administration – Decriminalization
Legalizes drug paraphernalia such as heroin needles, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns about the Special Session, redistricting, any of the veto overrides, or any other matter, please don’t hesitate to contact me at delegate35b@gmail.com.