In Governor Moore’s first press conference as he took office last week, he announced the release of $69 million in funding approved by the General Assembly, but withheld by the administration of former Governor Hogan. These funds will be used for several initiatives approved by the General Assembly in the fiscal year 2023 budget:
- $9 for environmental protections;
- $10 million for the Department of Labor to start a paid family and medical leave program;
- $46.5 million toward a new recreational cannabis legalization process; and,
- $3.5 million to train additional clinicians to perform abortions.
During the press conference, he also announced the signing of an executive order to create the Department of Service and Civic Innovation and another to implement ethics standards for all employees in his administration.
The new Department will oversee the Governor’s proposal to allow all high school graduates to be paid to learn trade skills. Creating the program must be approved by the General Assembly.
The executive order on ethics standards is nearly identical to an order signed by previous governors, including Hogan eight years ago. It prohibits state employees from soliciting or accepting gifts from people or entities that do business, or are seeking to do business with, the state worker’s agency. It also bars employees from engaging in financial transactions using internal government information, among many other provisions.
