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June 24, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

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Foxwell, Franchot’s Former Top Adviser, Launching Communications Firm

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Len Foxwell, the veteran political strategist who until recently was the longtime top adviser to Maryland Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D), is setting up his own communications shop.

Foxwell on Thursday is set to announce the creation of Tred Avon Strategies ― a firm named after the Tred Avon River, a tributary of the Choptank on the Eastern Shore, where Foxwell grew up and lives.

“As the founder, principal and only full-time employee of this new firm, I’m excited about the chance to put my 25 years of experience at the highest levels of Maryland politics and government to work on behalf of my clients,” Foxwell says in a Facebook post that’s due to go live Thursday morning. “Whether you are a business owner trying to survive the most volatile economy of our lifetime, an aspirant for political office, or a community advocate who is fighting for meaningful change, I’ll be there for every step of your journey.”

Foxwell will work out of the Annapolis office of Capitol Strategies, LLC, the lobbying firm at One State Circle, across the street from the State House. His firm will have an administrative relationship with Capitol Strategies but will otherwise be an independent entity.

One of the partners at Capitol Strategies is Sushant Sidh, Foxwell’s brother-in-law. Foxwell in his Facebook message refers to Sidh and Capitol Strategies’ other principal, David Carroll, as his “strategic partners.”

Foxwell was asked to resign as Franchot’s chief of staff earlier this fall, following the former’s admission of a personal indiscretion. He had been the comptroller’s top aide since 2008 and had been advising Franchot ― formally or informally ― for almost two decades.

Foxwell has been an integral part of Franchot’s political rise, and the comptroller earlier this week announced that he had hired the Baltimore-based consulting firm Tidemore Strategies to be his principal advisers for his 2022 gubernatorial campaign.

But Foxwell also became a lightning rod for controversy in recent years, with provocative social media posts that attacked Democratic leaders and conservative Republicans.

Foxwell’s career began well before his time with Franchot. He served in a variety of political and policy roles under former Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D); worked on the gubernatorial campaign of former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D); was community and government relations director for Salisbury University, his alma mater; and was director of government relations for the Greater Washington Board of Trade. He also teaches a communications course at Johns Hopkins University.

Foxwell has also offered informal advice to scores of politicians, including Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), community groups and business entities ― especially the state’s craft brewery industry, which Foxwell and Franchot have fiercely championed.

Tred Avon Strategies’ new website features testimonials from state Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City), Salisbury Mayor Jacob Day, and Julie Verratti, co-owner of Denizens Brewing Co., which has tap rooms in Silver Spring and Riverdale.

Foxwell is hanging his shingle at the start of a consequential election cycle in Maryland and his services could be quite sought after.

In an interview, Foxwell said he had signed up a few clients but wasn’t prepared to name them yet.

“I’m going to allow them to announce our relationship on their own timeframe,” he said.

By Josh Kurtz

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Study Shows Dramatically More Flooding in Md.’s Future

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Four out of five coastal Maryland communities regularly monitored by the federal government experienced a record number of days of high-tide flooding in 2019, according to a study issued Tuesday. The fifth community withstood its greatest number of high-tide flooding days — a phenomenon where a coastal area floods even if there has been no rain or severe weather — in 2018.

The study, issued by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, suggests that an increasing amount of high-tide flooding — often seen as a harbinger of climate change — is almost certain to occur in Maryland and other coastal states in the years ahead. The acceleration is going to begin this year, the agency projects.

“America’s coastal communities and their economies are suffering from the effects of high tide flooding, and it’s only going to increase in the future,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, acting director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service.

Nationwide, coastal communities saw a median flood frequency of four days in 2019, just shy of the record set in 2018. However, 19 locations along the East and Gulf coasts set or tied records, and rapidly increasing trends in high-tide flooding have emerged.

The phenomenon is also known as sunny-day flooding or nuisance flooding and can be exacerbated dramatically by rain storms.

Annapolis saw 18 days of high-tide flooding last year, a record. Also setting records in Maryland last year were Tolchester Beach in Kent County (17 days), Cambridge (11 days) and Solomons Island (11 days). Baltimore City hit its record number of high-tide flooding days — 12 — in 2018, and recorded 11 such days last year.

Twenty years ago, NOAA reported, these communities barely experienced any high-tide flooding. For Cambridge and Solomons Island, it typically happened once a year; in Tolchester Beach and Annapolis, it happened twice a year; and Baltimore City experienced the phenomenon three times a year.

NOAA made projections for high-tide flood days for 2020, 2030 and 2050 — and the problem is expected to grow exponentially.

“As a Chesapeake Bay resident, I see the flooding first hand and it is getting worse. Records seem to be set every year,” said William Sweet, an oceanographer for NOAA’s National Ocean Service and lead author of the report. “Communities are straddled with this growing problem. Fortunately, NOAA’s tide gauge network is keeping a close watch and helping us provide guidance about the disruptive flooding that is likely next year and for decades to come.”

Here are the projections for the five Maryland communities that NOAA monitors:

2020

Cambridge 5-8 days

Tolchester Beach 7-12 days

Baltimore City 5-9 days

Annapolis 6-10 days

Solomons Island 6-9 days

2030

Cambridge 9-20 days

Tolchester Beach 15-25 days

Baltimore City 15-25 days

Annapolis 15-25 days

Solomons Island 10-20 days

2050

Cambridge 40-150 days

Tolchester Beach 50-160 days

Baltimore City 50-155 days

Annapolis 55-170 days

Solomons Island 45-165 days

By Josh Kurtz

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Spying in Annapolis: Mayor Gavin Buckley

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Editor’s note: Well before the COVID-19 crisis emerged, Spy Community Media, the nonprofit parent of the Chestertown Spy and Talbot Spy, had concluded that the city of Annapolis would join its sister publications in providing an online educational resource for its community. We intend to start that publication soon. In the meantime, we wanted to share with our existing readers, many of whom have their own unique relationship with the capital city, content that eventually find its way unto a new Spy in Annapolis.

We begin with Gavin Buckley, mayor of Annapolis. In his first interview with the Spy, the Spy catches up on how this Australian found his way to city hall after a life of sailing and a downtown merchant. Mayor Buckley also talks directly about the coronavirus impact of a town highly dependent on the hospitality sector and plans moving forward.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length. For more information about the city of Annapolis please go here.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Maryland Could Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

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At 2 a.m. Sunday, hundreds of millions of Americans will “spring forward” one hour in the annual observance of Daylight Saving Time — gaining an hour of sunlight but losing an hour of sleep.

Some Maryland lawmakers are aiming to change that.

Whether it’s gaining an hour or losing an hour, the time change can be disruptive.

In the fall, the days feel shorter, sometimes leaving people to start and end their day in darkness. In the spring, when Daylight Saving Time begins with losing an hour, changes to sleep schedules can impact people in a variety of ways.

Legislation in the General Assembly would alter Maryland’s standard time to be Eastern Daylight Time year-round.

If passed, the legislation would be contingent on changes being made to the federal Uniform Time Act, which allows states to exempt themselves from observing Daylight Saving Time, but requires a change in federal law to remain on Daylight Saving Time year-round.

Currently, Hawaii and Arizona are the only two states that do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

“We have a whole host of reasons on why we do this daylight savings, but they all seem antiquated in theories,” said Delegate Brian Crosby, D-St. Mary’s, sponsor of House bill 1610. “When you start breaking down the data of why to not do it, that far outweighs why we do do it.”

The modern practice of observing Daylight Saving Time began with the Uniform Time Act in 1966.

According to a legislative analysis of the bill, the act was passed when the U.S. Department of Transportation was founded, giving the department regulatory power over time zones and Daylight Saving Time for transportation and commerce-related issues.

The first U.S. Daylight Saving Time was observed for energy conservation for seven months between 1918 and 1919 and year-round between 1942 and 1945, during World War I and World War II.

But a 1974 report by the U.S. Department of Transportation found the energy savings minimal, and a 2008 Department of Energy study found a total primary energy consumption reduction of 0.02%, according to the state legislative analysis.

Between 2015 and 2019, 39 states introduced legislation to abolish the observance, with many states seeking to keep their clocks set one hour ahead, according to data from the Congressional Research Service cited in the legislative analysis.

On March 11, President Donald Trump weighed in, tweeting “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!”

If the Maryland legislation passes, it would take effect the second Sunday in March or the first Sunday in November after the change is made to federal law, whichever occurs first.

Sen. Clarence Lam, D-Howard and Baltimore counties and a co-sponsor of Senate bill 517, which is expected to be heard Thursday, said he has heard the time change is considered outdated and not needed by some of the state’s agricultural communities. Crosby’s identical House bill does not yet have a hearing scheduled.

“In my district, we don’t have very many farms, so it seemed like it made sense to me to give a little bit more time in the day where there is daylight occurring,” Lam said.

Crosby pointed to published research that shows the detrimental health effects Daylight Saving Time can have on people. Studies show an increased chance of heart attacks, accidents while driving, increased work injuries and a temporary increase in suicides in the days after the spring time change.

“To me, it’s a quality-of-life issue,” he said.

Crosby also noted the effect the yearly time change can have on parents with children.

“Nobody likes getting their kids up for school the next day,” Crosby said. “I promise you, on March 9th, parents will be struggling to get their kids out the door.”

By Jeff Barnes

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Report from Annapolis 2020 – Part 4 by Laura Price

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We have gotten through the first 30 of 90 days in Annapolis legislative session. MACo reviewed three dozen bills which prompted wide-ranging discussion. The tax committee had our usual assortment of subtraction modification bills that MACo again sent letters to advocate issuing State tax credits instead.

There was a bill, HB565 – “Income Tax – Business and Economic Development Tax Credit Termination,” which is similar to HB223, “End Ineffective Business Subsidies Act,” that I previously wrote about and MACo opposed. Our economic development departments need these tools to attract and retain businesses that help create and add jobs to our economy. It seems the purpose behind some of these bills is to see how much money the State can claw back from the counties to pay for the Kirwan education bill. On the opposite end of the spectrum is HB492/SB493 – “Small Business Development Center Fund,” which MACo supports. This bill would increase the minimum appropriation from $950K to $1.5 million. This helps fund our local offices that work directly with our small businesses which are just getting started, helping them create business plans to become successful business in our communities.

From the education committee, HB665 – “Public School Construction and State Buildings – Use of Geothermal Energy,” was considered. This would prohibit the construction of a new public school unless it had geothermal installed. It would also require a State building to install a geothermal energy system. While there is an interest in more environmentally friendly buildings, this is not a technology that can be utilized everywhere. It might work well for the soils on the Eastern Shore, but would not be cost effective to drill down through rock in Allegany County. It also doesn’t make sense to rip out existing systems and do systemic upgrades. It would be problematic in a building that has a chiller. The decision to use geothermal should be made on a case-by-case basis, by the engineers and architects and by considering what actually makes the most sense and will be efficient.

A bill we did support, SB495 – “Bay Restoration Funds – Municipal Wastewater Facilities (Eckardt), would especially benefit the more rural counties. This would expand the authorized uses of the BRF to include costs associated with connecting a property to an existing municipal wastewater facility with enhanced nutrient removal. Here in Talbot, we have been particularly focused on getting people off of septic and onto a sewer line. If we can expand the use of funds to help offset some of the capital costs, we can really make progress on removing more nitrogen and phosphorous from reaching the Bay waters.

HB586 – “Public Safety – Criminal History Check – Fire Departments and Ambulance Services” would prohibit our public safety departments from conducting a criminal history check or requiring an applicant to disclose those records before an initial interview. This is an add-on to the “Ban the Box” bill that passed last year. The question asks whether the job applicant has a criminal history and is now prohibited on employment applications. We can debate if this is a good idea or not, however, when it comes to our emergency and public safety positions, it is vitally important that the employer know this information. These employees are our front-line defense, often going into individuals’ homes. It would also require these departments to establish a peer review committee and they would have some input in the hiring process. Our department heads should not have to abdicate any of their authority to decide who is the best candidate to employ.

SB388 – “Circuit Court Employees – Collective Bargaining” would establish collective bargaining rights to employees of the circuit and district courts. These are state-mandated positions that the counties have to fund completely. The local jurisdictions ought to be able to control the wages of our local employees without a State labor relations board also mandating how much a county must pay. This is another example of the State mandating the position and the pay, when the county taxpayers are footing the bill, hence MACo opposes this bill. We do like HB498 which would appropriate $1 million in the State budget to be used to make grants to area agencies to expand aging in place programs for seniors. It is so much more cost-effective than having our senior citizens have to go to nursing homes and have a much better quality of life if they can stay in their own familiar homes.

All that and the Kirwan bill had not been officially introduced as of this writing. By the time you read this, Education bill SB1000/HB1300 most likely will have been made available for all to read. (https://mgaleg.maryland.gov ) I’m sure by next week, this entire column will cover what is in the bill. Word is that it will follow pretty true to the actual recommendations that were made by the Kirwan commission and also maintain the funding formulas and the split between the State and the Counties.

My fear is that it still may not identify any actual funding source for how to pay for it. That would be almost exactly like “Thornton” from almost 20 years ago. Big policy ideas for improving education, but no specific way to pay for it. In reality, at least for the county share, it will require large tax increases, because we can’t possibly cut enough in current spending to be able to afford it.

The final report from November left some questions unanswered. Such as, what is the County timetable phase in? What will count toward the mandate (school nurses from health department, school resource offices in our law enforcement, for example)? Will there be any triggers to not increase for a time period, if there is a downturn in the economy? And will there be any changes to wealth formulas? For example, in Caroline county, One penny only raises about $250k, to fully fund Kirwan, they may have to come up with $10m, which would be an increase of 40 cents on their property tax rate. That is unaffordable for the citizens and there are many, if not most counties in similar situations.

Once again, stay tuned and stay informed.

Laura Price is 2nd Vice President on the Executive Board of Directors of MACo, Chair of Budget and Tax, Talbot’s legislative liaison and member of the Talbot County Council.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Gov. Hogan: Fighting Baltimore Crime a Priority in New Maryland Budget

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Gov. Larry Hogan said his 2021 budget will prioritize fighting violent crime in Baltimore, provide “record levels” of education funding and finish paying for a major economic development project.

The governor released the details of his “Accountability Budget” at a news conference  Tuesday morning. The full text of the $47.9 billion budget isn’t expected until Wednesday, but Hogan touted the highlights that include a 1% increase in expenditures with no new taxes.

Hogan said his legislative package to fight violent crime in Baltimore is “the most important thing” legislators can do this session, emphasizing that it is the top concern of Marylanders, according to a recent poll.

“It would be outrageous if we cannot get that done,” Hogan said.

“Right now, we have to stop the bloodshed in the streets that is happening every single day.”

Hogan has proposed $74.5 million in police aid for local governments, $38.7 million in local law enforcement grants and $6.9 million to support crime prevention and witness protection.

The line items coincide with legislation Hogan has said he would propose that would increase penalties for offenders who use or possess illegal guns and crackdown on witness intimidation.

He also proposed $2.6 million to fund 25 new prosecutors in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General who would handle violent crime, as well as $23 million for Project C.O.R.E, a state and Baltimore city initiative that demolishes blighted and abandoned buildings with the aim of revitalizing the city.

Education has long been expected to dominate this year’s General Assembly because of the Kirwan Commission’s recommendations, and it dominates the governor’s proposed budget.

Hogan said Tuesday that his budget will provide $7.3 billion for K-12 schools in the state, going “above and beyond” funding formulas, as well as $94 million to expand access to Pre-K. Education spending makes up about 75% of spending on new buildings and infrastructure in his proposed budget.

“No governor in the history of our state has ever invested more in K-12 education,” Hogan said. “But Marylanders are demanding, and we are pushing for, more accountability in our school systems to make sure those dollars are being well spent, they are making it into the classrooms and we are achieving better results for our children.”

Hogan’s record spending comes with a caveat, though, said Senate Majority Leader Guy Guzzone, D-Howard, who also chairs the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. He said the mandatory spending required by laws passed by the Democrat-dominated General Assembly, inflation, and more children in classrooms means education spending “effectively goes up every year.”

“But we are grateful he is adhering to the budget mandates,” Guzzone said.

“This is about what we value the most. The education of our kids is at the very top of it.”

Guzzone had not seen Hogan’s proposals when he spoke to the Capital News Service on Tuesday afternoon but said he expects the budget process to “look pretty much like it does every year.”

Hogan’s budget will appropriate $80.3 million to pay for the expansion of the Howard Street Tunnel — a rail passthrough in Baltimore — to “break this major East Coast bottleneck.” The money will join $125 million in federal grant dollars to pay for the project, which will expand the tunnels to allow double-stacked rail cars through. Hogan said it would create thousands of jobs and increase production at the Port of Baltimore. The CSX freight railroad is also expected to pay for part of the cost.

Hogan said he has also allocated $57.2 million to the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund and will contribute more than he is required — $242 million — to state reserves. That would leave $1.3 billion in reserves.

During a briefing with the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee meeting Tuesday, Dan White, an economist with Moody’s Analytics, warned lawmakers about the risk of another recession, which he said could happen right around the end of the state’s 2021 fiscal year.

The 2021 fiscal year starts on July 1 and ends July 30, 2021.

White said there is an “uncomfortably high risk” of another recession, citing the low unemployment rate and other economic indicators. White said the next recession would likely be less severe, but may take longer for the economy to recover.

“Recessions are not the end of the world,” White said. “It’s not armageddon.”

White said it may be a good time for the state to look at financing infrastructure to take advantage of current interest rates and to stimulate the state’s economy if and when the recession hits.

The official budget is expected to be released in its entirety on Wednesday. Both chambers of the General Assembly will likely make changes to it before it is finalized.

By Ryan E. Little 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Under New Management: ‘Stability Through Transition,’ Ferguson Says

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Even in the organized chaos of a half boxed-up office in the Miller Senate Office Building last week, 36-year-old Baltimore City Sen. Bill Ferguson was focused on a mantra of stability as his transition to Maryland’s first new Senate president in 33 years drew nearer.

“This session is really about showing stability through transition,” Ferguson (D) said. “There are lots of systems and protocols and things that over time probably need a fresh look, but right now we are in an evolution mode, not a revolution mode.”

After a vote on Wednesday at noon, Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), who has presided over the chamber since 1987 and served in it since 1975, will not take the gavel, but instead the title of Senate President Emeritus and a seat in the back half of the chamber between two freshman senators.

Ferguson is grateful that Miller will not retire, but will stay in the chamber to guide him and other lawmakers.

“There is nothing that Senate President Miller cares more about than the institution of the Senate of Maryland. And I think we both share this strong value that in transition we must be strong,” Ferguson said. “He’s already been a tremendous mentor and guide and thought partner. I’m very thankful that I’ll continue to be able to rely on him to help build others’ capacities and skill and help to lead.”

After a refurbishment of the Senate president’s office to remediate mold from an overflowing gutter, Ferguson said he’s not sure yet whether he’ll fill the office’s walls with relics of Maryland history as Miller did.

But he will have a bit of a library.

Miller, known for his encyclopedic knowledge of Maryland history and expansive book collection, recently gave Ferguson a series of books about Maryland legislative history.

The volumes include a study of the General Assembly in 1927 and 1929, and collections about other times of transition in the chamber, including in the 1960s, when committees were reorganized and legislative jobs were professionalized.

“It was amazing how similar the complaints about the session were in 1928 as they are in 2019 and 2020,” Ferguson said.

Understanding the ebb and flow of the history of the Senate’s operations has helped Ferguson put the current sea change in perspective.

“This is a big moment of change that I think is a little bit different than others that had been more gradual over time. But that is the one constant here: that elections have consequences and the people change,” Ferguson said. “The institution itself is what drives the work.”

Twenty of the 47 members in the Senate chamber this year will be in the first or second year of their term.

Ferguson has visited most of the lawmakers before or since the October Democratic caucus meeting when he was unanimously selected by the party as the nominee to replace Miller, who is stepping down from the leadership post while battling cancer.

During Ferguson’s tour, he’s received plenty of ideas from colleagues about how the chamber could be changed, though big moves aren’t likely until at least his second year.

“I’m trying to think through a process for vetting those ideas and being thoughtful and deliberative about changes that may make sense for the institution moving forward,” Ferguson said.

His top priority for the legislative session isn’t legislative at all. “It’s the perception and reality of a strong and stable deliberative body in transition. It’s really important that we continue to be the strong institution that we’ve been,” he said.

Ferguson’s next focus is on guiding the body to meet its constitutional obligations to pass a budget and provide a “a thorough and efficient system of free public schools.”

A former Teach for America fellow in Baltimore City, Ferguson fervently supports the Kirwan Commission recommendations for education reform, an issue over which he has butted heads with Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) in the past.

Hogan, who has said he supports many of the policy ideas in the plan, has expressed concern about the overall cost, which is estimated to increase education spending by $4 billion annually in 10 years.

“Everything is relative in this world, right? So the question of what’s too expensive, in my mind, immediately brings me to the cost of where we are now,” Ferguson says in response. “And if we continue to have less than 40 percent of our high school graduates reading at a 10th grade level and doing Algebra I in an ever more sophisticated economy is an astronomical cost. And it’s not just in hard dollars, it’s a cost societally. And it’s a cost I think all of us should be unwilling to bear.”

Ferguson and Hogan had what Ferguson called a “very productive” lunch in December.

“We had a really engaging and thoughtful discussion about the future,” Ferguson said. “I left that conversation feeling hopeful that the governor understands what the scope of the problem is and is open to the idea of moving forward.”

There will still be sticking points. Hogan has said he will oppose efforts to raise taxes to cover the cost of the reforms. Ferguson thinks a lot can be accomplished by having a “much more tailored and nuanced conversation around our tax structure generally” that would allow the state to ensure it’s not “relying on a 19th century tax system to fund a 21st century school system.”

Ferguson will have an ally in that debate in new House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County), the first woman and first African American to lead that chamber, which is also in an era of transition.

Like Ferguson, Jones was a member of the Kirwan Commission and they’ve worked collaboratively in years past as chairs of the education subcommittees of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.

“I think she’s very talented, smart, dedicated and pragmatic,” Ferguson said of Jones. “We each have our own different opportunities and challenges in our own chambers. …I couldn’t be more excited to work with someone I have so much respect for.”

As far as opportunity in the Senate chamber, Ferguson said he will focus on ways to help individual lawmakers achieve success.

“It’s increasingly clear to me that success in this role is about the strength of the 46 other members of the chamber,” he said.

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By Danielle E. Gaines

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Hogan: Crime and Corruption are Top Priorities for New Session

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A day ahead of the start of Maryland’s 441st legislative session, Gov. Larry Hogan claimed overwhelming popular support throughout the state –  and Baltimore in particular – for a series of legislative proposals aimed at reducing violent crime.

“Our bills have the support of more than 90% of people in Maryland and even higher support in Baltimore City,” Hogan said at a news conference on Tuesday at the State House in Annapolis. Hogan did not cite or indicate where he got the 90% figure from.

“This absolutely must be job one for the legislature when they begin this session…Nothing is more important.”

MarylandReporter.com asked Hogan if he has spoken with Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young about the proposals.

“We’ve talked to Jack Young about this extensively and obviously we’ve been working together on this crime problem for quite some time and we’re hoping to get the mayor’s support,” Hogan said.

Young has pushed for better education and jobs for the city to empower the residents as a means to take back the streets as opposed to more punishment and harsher sentencing.

“We have a number of crime bills that we’re proposing, including the judicial transparency bill and the witness intimidation bill, which, by the way, has 97-to-0 support in Baltimore City. So, we’re hoping we’ll get the mayor on board,” Hogan said

The governor went on to take a subtle jab at Young.

“I can’t imagine that anybody that’s a Baltimore City official, or [who is] running for office in Baltimore City, would want to take any position that 90 percent of the people are against.”

The former Baltimore City Council president became mayor last May after Catherine Pugh resigned under pressure and was indicted on federal charges of conspiracy and tax evasion. He is running in the city’s mayoral race.

Young’s office did not respond by deadline to a request from MarylandReporter.com for comment.

Hogan unveiled the proposals last month.

The Judicial Transparency Act would require the state to make public the sentencing records of judges who adjudicate cases involving violent crimes.

The Witness Intimidation Prevention Act would increase penalties for retaliation against those who cooperate with authorities. The legislation includes a provision under which restitution payments would be made to victims.

The Violent Firearm Offenders Act would drastically toughen penalties for those who commit gun violence. The legislation targets those who illegally possess guns, such as in cases of theft or ownership by felons.

Additional measures introduced by the administration would provide $21 million in additional funding for Baltimore city prosecutors as well as funds for the attorney general’s office to hire 25 new prosecutors and personnel to assist in the prosecution of violent offenses.

Hogan also unveiled ethics reform legislation on the heels of the recent convictions of Pugh and former delegate Tawanna Gaines, D-Prince George’s, as well as the indictment of former delegate Cheryl Glenn, D-Baltimore.

The Ethics and Accountability in Government Act would increase the fines placed on those who bribe public officials by 1000%. The legislation would force lawmakers convicted of taking bribes to forgo their taxpayer-funded pensions. It would empower the Ethics Commission to bypass the courts and directly assess penalties against public officials.

“It has become clear in recent months and recent weeks that a pervasive culture of corruption continues to exist, and that even tougher and more stringent laws are needed,” Hogan said. “The Ethics and Accountability in Government Act of 2020 will strengthen and toughen the state ethics laws in an effort to help restore the public’s trust and bring further transparency, accountability, and honesty to Annapolis.”

He responded to questions on his own personal wealth when asked if he would release his tax returns detailing his finances before he became governor.

“No one has ever been more transparent,” Hogan said. “No elected officials has ever disclosed more than I have.”

The 90-day legislative session convenes today at noon.

By Bryan Renbaum

 

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Legislators Look to Attack Structural Deficit in 2020 Session

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Despite an expected surplus this budget year, Maryland lawmakers will work during the 2020 legislative session to close an anticipated budget deficit for 2021 ― and that’s before figuring in additional spending for proposed education reforms.

The Spending Affordability Committee, a bipartisan panel of legislative leaders, voted unanimously Tuesday on several recommendations to address and eliminate the predicted deficit for the 2021 fiscal year.

David C. Romans, fiscal and policy coordinator for the Department of Legislative Service’s Office of Policy Analysis, told committee members that current spending and revenue patterns are likely to produce a $206.1 million cash shortfall at the end of the 2021 fiscal year, resulting in a structural deficit of about $419.2 million. That structural deficit is expected to deteriorate further in the future, growing to about $1.2 billion by the 2025 fiscal year.

He recommended that the legislature look at $419 million in budget adjustments ― cuts or establishing new revenues, or a combination of both ― to address the structural budget issue, particularly because current projections reflect a relatively healthy economy with less dependence on government programs.

 “This is kind of a best-case forecast in some respects,” Romans said. “At some point, things are going to slow down a little bit and it will get worse. So we think it’s important that you try to take some action this year.”

The committee unanimously recommended that the legislature maintain structural balance in the state’s final 2021 spending plan, which would position the state to deal with long-term budget challenges, economic uncertainty and allow new investments in education.

While the state’s budget process is largely driven by Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), the Spending Affordability Committee is charged with making recommendations for state spending, new debt authorization and state personnel levels. Since the committee was created in the early 1980s, the legislature has adhered to the committee’s recommendations in all but one year.

Other recommendations unanimously supported by the committee on Tuesday include maintaining a general fund balance of at least $100 million and a Rainy Day Fund balance of at least 6 percent of revenues. The committee also recommended that lawmakers ratchet up a revenue volatility cap, which generally limits how much the state budget can depend on capital gains tax revenues from Maryland’s wealthiest residents and limits how much of those taxes can be spent in a given year.

The committee also recommends a $1,095 million limit on new general obligation bonds in the 2020 session and $32 million in new academic revenue bonds for the University System of Maryland.

The committee’s final recommendation expressed concern about vacancies in state agencies that are chronically understaffed or deal with public safety or vulnerable populations. The committee noted the more than 2,000 vacant positions within the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, where union employees have complained about unsafe conditions in state prisons.

The committee agreed to encourage the Hogan administration to act expeditiously to fill the positions and remove barriers to employment in critical positions. Earlier in the day, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Robert Green said state efforts to fill needed positions in state prisons include an increased starting salary and streamlined hiring fairs.

By Danielle E. Gaines
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