The General Assembly was working feverishly last week to give final approval to several pieces of legislation to present to the Governor during session to provide time for a potential in-session veto override. These measures, several of which are outlined below, needed to be presented to the Governor by Saturday, April 2 to provide sufficient time to override any potential vetoes before the session ends on April 11.
GHOST GUNS
The Maryland General Assembly approved a measure to ban non-serialized firearms, widely referred to as ghost guns. The Senate approved the bill 35-11 earlier this month and the House gave the measure final passage 92-41 last week.
Hogan’s spokesman Michael Ricci said the governor will consider this legislation when it reaches his desk, but “he continues to call on the General Assembly to take action to hold those who use guns to commit violent crimes accountable.” –Baltimore Sun
JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM
SB 691, introduced by Senator Carter, aims to reform the Maryland juvenile justice system by including new sentencing rules and no confinement for first-time misdemeanor offenses, unless the crime involves a gun. The bill passed the Senate 29-17 earlier this month and passed the House 92-42 this past week.
The other major juvenile justice bill moving through the General Assembly, also sponsored by Senator Carter, addresses police interrogations of children. Delegate Sandy Bartlett is the sponsor of the House crossfile.
Senate Bill 53 would add steps to the process before an officer can interrogate a child: Police would first have to tell a parent, guardian or custodian where the child was going and why. And an officer wouldn’t be able to do an interrogation until the child had consulted with an attorney. –Baltimore Sun
SB 53 passed the Senate 31-15 earlier this month and passed the House 91-42 this past Thursday, March 31.
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, the all-encompassing piece of climate change legislation that would push the state to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, passed the Senate 32-15 earlier this month and passed the House 92-42 earlier last week after being amended in the House Environment and Transportation Committee. The Senate concurred with the House amendments and approved the bill for final passage on March 31.
The Baltimore Sun outlines important measures in the bill:
The bill sets a 2031 target for the state to reduce its carbon footprint to 60% below 2006 levels, make the state carbon neutral by 2045 and require owners of large buildings to take steps to significantly reduce or offset use of fossil fuels by 2030. It also invests in youth conservation work and creates a “green bank” to help fund clean energy projects around the state.
The bill differs from the original bill proposed by the Senate after being amended heavily in the House.
For example, the 2031 emissions reduction target is a compromise halfway between Senate and House proposals. The bill also requires most buildings of at least 35,000 square feet to reduce their carbon footprints by 20% by 2030, slightly smaller reductions in fewer buildings than an earlier version of the legislation called for but also over a quicker timeline. –Baltimore Sun
ABORTION
The Abortion Care Access Act will allow certain trained health care professionals besides physicians to start performing abortions in Maryland, ensure the procedure would be covered without cost by most insurance plans in the state, and allot $3.5 million in annual funding for training medical professionals to perform abortions.
The bill passed the House 89-47 earlier this month and passed the Senate 28-15 last week. The bill has now been presented to the Governor’s desk.
It’s unclear whether Hogan, a Republican, plans to veto the legislation to expand access to abortion. Hogan has previously said he personally opposes abortion but called it “settled law” in Maryland. In 1992, voters statewide approved guaranteeing the legal right to abortion under state law with 62% of the vote.
A spokesperson for Hogan did not respond to questions about his stance on the abortion access legislation. –Baltimore Sun
PAID FAMILY LEAVE
The House of Delegates gave final approval to The Time to Care Act that would offer Marylanders 12 weeks of partially paid family leave each year to care for themselves after a serious health issue and up to 24 weeks of paid leave for new parents on Wednesday in a 90-43 vote. The bill passed out of the Senate 31-15 earlier this month.
The bill establishes a paid family and medical leave program that would cover most Marylanders but does not specify how much employers and workers would have to contribute until an analysis is complete.
For more information, please visit the resources below.
Maryland Reporter – State round-up on all issues
Baltimore Sun – Juvenile justice reform
Baltimore Sun – Climate change
Baltimore Sun – Abortion care access
