Howard County Delegation Shares General Assembly Views, Expectations

By George Berkheimer, STAFF WRITER

On their way to Annapolis for the start of the 427th Maryland General Assembly, members of the Howard County Delegation made a ritual stop in Ellicott City last month to present their views and expectations for the upcoming session.
The budget is foremost on everyone's mind again, just as it has been for the past two years. Among new revenue-generating remedies being discussed this year is a recommendation to raise taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, soft drinks and other nonessential luxury items.
Del. Guy Guzzone (D-13) said he would favor raising the alcohol tax, but only if the revenue could be dedicated primarily to the developmentally disabled.
"There is a sizable waiting list for services," he said. "I am not particularly interested in using any additional revenues to deal with getting us out of the situation we are in, but I would support it for that specific purpose."
Del. Liz Bobo (D-12B) put no conditions on her support, however. "I think it's been 30 years since that tax has been raised, that is just entirely too long to go without an increase in that kind of tax," she said, referencing a study of the state's alcohol tax history by the Abell Foundation. "I would prefer to see us do it now and not be afraid of doing it because it's an election year."

Question of Affordability
Sen. Ed Kasemeyer (D-12) agreed that the alcohol tax is due to be raised. "I think it's definitely coming," he said, but probably next year. "I can see the alcohol industry frankly coming forth with [its] own proposal to raise it; I think that's what's going to happen."
Kasemeyer advised against dedicating the money to any specific purpose. "A couple of years ago, we dedicated part of the corporate tax to the University of Maryland system and ... that corporate tax has actually diminished, so the university system isn't getting the money they thought they were going to get. That's the danger you run into."
Problems with the pension system are also on Kasemeyer's radar this year. "It's costing us a lot of money, more than we can afford. We've got an issue with state retirees' health care; there's a significant deficit there," he said.
Among the elected officials who do not support the alcohol tax are Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-9) and Del. Warren Miller (R-9A).
"I'm one of the members who believe that we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem," Kittleman said. "[W]e actually have more revenue coming in every year, even in bad years; we just don't have enough to pay for what folks would like us to do. There are a lot of good things to do, we just don't have the money to do it."
He expressed concern that giving money to developmentally disabled groups could lead to money they already receive being supplanted.

Incumbent Perks
Incumbent protection has emerged as a new target in Sen. Kittleman's crosshairs. "[Challengers] shouldn't have to fight against incumbents having ... perks such as legislative scholarships," he argued, citing his ability as a state senator to distribute $130,000 a year in his district. "It's kind of hard to run against somebody when they can give out thousands of dollars to people."
He would also like to do away with a requirement for state senators to review Notary Public applications and bar special interest groups from having special access to legislators.
"Thousands of dollars are spent a night taking out legislators for meals," Kittleman said. "[The average citizen] can't afford to take me out to dinner and big corporations, big special interest groups shouldn't do it as well ... sit down in my office for 15 minutes and we'll talk and everybody will have the same right."
Miller said he will continue to support transparency and sunshine initiatives, and is pursuing a bill that will allow school boards to post contract awards on their web sites. "They've found a way to do it for less than $2,000," he said. "As we move forward with transparency, it's very important to look at costs."

Recurring Issues
Among other bills being championed by Howard County legislators this year is an increase in the penalty for cruelty to animals sponsored by Sen. Jim Robey (D-13).
Robey is also pushing a bill that would require mobile home park owners to pay the equivalent of 10 months' rent to tenants evicted due to property redevelopment. The delegation is no longer seeking the right of first refusal for tenants to buy mobile home parks when owners receive redevelopment offers, he said.
MedEvac helicopter privatization will remain an issue this year, said Guzzone, as will figuring out how to build in long-term funding for emergency medical services.
On the education front, Kasemeyer said he is trying to get ahead of an issue tied to Maryland and the nation having a majority minority high school graduation population. "If the trend continues, fewer and fewer people [will be] going to college," he said. "We are threatened by a lesser educated population in the future than we have now."
The state needs to address both access and affordability to turn the trend around, he argued, adding that approximately 60% of high school graduates entering both four-year colleges and community colleges currently need remedial work in math or English.
Transportation will be getting some attention from Del. Bobo, who announced her intention to work with some statewide environmental groups to discuss how transportation projects will be prioritized in the future.
"We can do that this year without having to spend a lot of money on it," she said.