Delegate Eric Bromwell Declares 2018 Session a Bipartisan Success

The 438th session of the Maryland General Assembly could rightly be labeled the most bipartisan session in memory.

The Senate President and the Speaker of the House promised passage of a bill to allow rape victims who become pregnant to legally strip their attacker of his parental rights. It is downright cruel to make rape victims negotiate with their attackers on matters of adoption, custody and visiting rights. Nationwide, an estimated 17,000 to 32,000 pregnancies result from rape each year.

The legislature approved legislation to prevent Marylanders from paying higher taxes as a result of the federal tax bill. One bill raises the state's standard deduction from $2,000 to $2,250 for single filers and from $4,000 to $4,500 for joint filers. Another bill expands Maryland's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to all low income people who qualify and erases the under age 25 barrier. Qualifying adults of any age can claim the tax benefit.

THE BUDGET The budget was balanced and contained no new tax or fee increases. The $44.5 billion spending plan included $6.5 billion for public schools K-12, a 2.9% increase - $41 million to pay for school safety initiatives - a 4.1% increase for public colleges and universities, which makes it possible for them to keep tuition increases to 2% - $178.1 million in Highway User Revenue for local roads and transportation facilities - and $1.2 billion toward Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

The "Lockbox" bill will be on referendum this November. It asks Marylanders to decide whether all the state's casino revenue should be used to help fund K-12 public school education. When constitutional amendments were okayed by Maryland voters in 2008 to allow slot machines and in 2012 to allow table games, voters were promised that the revenue would be spent on education. In 2009, the Education Trust Fund was created, but other than that, the promise was not kept. According to the Maryland State Education Association, since 2009, $1.9 billion in casino revenue has been taken out of the Trust Fund and spent on other things, such as balancing the budget. The Lockbox bill backs up the promise in the law. It's about time. The promise made ten years ago will now be kept. I strongly support a lock box for education.

School safety was a big issue this session. The Governor committed $10 million annually for grants to local school systems and local law enforcement agencies to accelerate and enhance school safety improvements, such as secure doors and windows, metal detectors, security cameras, panic buttons, and other capital improvements. The legislature identified another $30 million. Starting in 2020 and every year thereafter, not less than $2 million will be given to the Maryland Center for School Safety. Each school will develop plans for identifying and reporting students whose behavior poses a threat to individuals attending or working in the school. The new law requires service resource officers or adequate local law enforcement coverage for every public school.

I was pleased with the passage of a bill to reduce the state tax on military retirement benefits by exempting from taxes the first $15,000 of these benefits. I was also pleased that correctional personnel were added to such protection under the Hometown Heroes Act. The first $15,000 of their retirement benefits will also be exempt from state taxes. Police, fire, rescue and emergency services personnel are already covered under the Hometown Heroes Act.

Legislation was approved, which I strongly supported, to allow judges to admit as evidence other similar sex offenses committed by a suspect accused of rape. Today, 37 states and the federal government allow admission of evidence of a pattern of behavior in sexual assault cases.

The Assembly approved a one-year remedy to stop health care insurance premiums from a huge increase. By putting a $380 million surcharge on insurance companies, the state will establish a reinsurance fund, which will be used to lower premiums. Currently, the insurance companies pay $380 million in federal taxes, but next year, they were exempted from making that payment. This bill remedies that exemption. A second part of the agreement requires Maryland's health care exchange to apply for a federal waiver that will provide long-term funding for the reinsurance program.

Also approved was legislation that allows Marylanders to automatically register to vote whenever they interact with the MVA, Social Services or the Board of Elections, unless they object. Another approved bill is headed for referendum in November. It asks voters to amend the state constitution to allow people to register to vote at polling places on election day.
It was a pleasure to again work with Governor Hogan to pass bipartisan legislation to address the opioid epidemic. Together, we took several steps to combat the opioid epidemic that plagues our nation and our state. In the state, between 2015 and 2016, heroin-related deaths increased 62%, from 748 to 1,212; fentanyl-related deaths increased 229% from 340 to 1,119. The budget contains nearly $500 million for programs and initiatives to fight the epidemic. The legislature also approved a bill patterned after a 2015 Massachusetts law which permits analysis of opioid deaths in order to answer complex questions about the best way to handle the epidemic. The legislation requires the Secretary of Health to examine all the pertinent factors in individual overdose deaths in the preceding four calendar years and report findings to the Governor and the General Assembly. The legislation also requires the Maryland Department of Health to establish a tip line for a person to report a licensed prescriber who the person suspects is prescribing medication or overprescribing medication in violation of the law.
Also approved was a bill to require EMS providers or law enforcement officers who treat or transport to a medical facility a person experiencing a suspected or actual overdose to report, within 24 hours, the incident to the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). In turn, MIEMSS must report the incident to an appropriate information technology platform. Reported incidents cannot be used for criminal investigations or prosecutions. The more information we have about opioid deaths or near-deaths, the better equipped we will be to understand and take appropriate action to combat the epidemic.

A bill to make prison sentences tougher for repeat violent offenders, such as eliminating parole eligibility for second time violent offenders and increasing penalties for witness intimidation from 5 to 10 years, was passed. The measure also adds fentanyl and its analogs to the current volume dealer law, making it possible to apprehend and prosecute those who deal fentanyl. In addition, the use of a firearm in drug trafficking draws a mandatory 5 year sentence.

Of the 3,101 bills introduced in both Houses of the General Assembly, 889 bills, along with 17 Joint Resolutions, were approved.