Governor lays out legislative wish list
*** UPDATED with Race to the Top information.
Governor Martin O'Malley has just released his 2010 legislative agenda, and there aren't a lot of surprises in it; he and his aides have been touting the big items for weeks. In this election year, the Democratic governor is undoubtedly hopeful that most of these proposals will go over well with the General Assembly.
First up for consideration, most likely, are proposed changes to the state's unemployment insurance system. The insurance fund stands to gain a huge infusion of federal cash -- $127 million -- if the state increases the period of time that can be considered when someone applies for unemployment benefits. Both the House and Senate are to hold hearings this week.
Notably, the governor's agenda does not specifically address teacher tenure and incentive pay, changes that state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick believes are necessary if Maryland wants to compete for up to $250 million in federal Race to the Top money.
*** UPDATE *** However, those bills appear to be on the way in short order. In a press release about O'Malley's legislative agenda, his office writes, "The Governor also plans on introducing legislation at a later date to better position Maryland for federal Race to the Top funding. The Governor continues to work with stakeholders to craft reforms that will further improve the nation’s number one public school system."
Here's a quick rundown of other O'Malley agenda items:
Sex offenders: Require lifetimes supervision for certain offenders.
Jobs: "Jobs, jobs, jobs," O'Malley has repeatedly said when asked about the three most important issues of this session. He wants to give businesses that hire unemployed Marylanders a $3,000 tax credit and stimulate small-business lending.
Energy: O'Malley isn't pushing for energy reregulation this year. Instead, he has proposed accelerating the state's solar energy use, giving the Public Service Commission the authority over offshore wind facilities and reuathorizing the renewable energy production tax credit.
Foreclosures: As the administration has said over the past few months, O'Malley will push for mandatory mediation before an owner loses his or her home.
The governor is also again pursuing a Medicaid false claims bill, which didn't succeed last year.
Comments
Ahhhh, that 3 letter word J O B S!!
So the$365,000,000 "stimulus" that O'Malley PROMISED would create 10,000 jobs worked so well he is promising to create more?
Are all the "shovel ready projects" done?
When will the ignorant voters stop beLIEving this man and his lies?
What happened to those 10,000 job Marty?
http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/21911536/crunching-the-numbers.htm
Posted by: Voters Ignorance | January 25, 2010 3:35 PM
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/statestat/recoveryjobs.asp
Posted by: Scott | January 25, 2010 4:38 PM
How about this, Governor Owe'malley, How about cutting some taxes and helping us saving some dough out in this time of NATIONAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN!
Posted by: Joshua | January 25, 2010 6:06 PM
Scott links the boy govs site!?!
How many of those are in zip codes in Martyland that do not exist?
http://www.marylandreporter.com/page6101119.aspx
What the HELL is an "induced" job?
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/statestat/recoveryjobs.asp
And there is 8167 of them! In health education and transportation.
THE BIGGEST union groups!!!! Get it people? Not a union member? NO STIMULUS FOR YOU! The Stimulus nazi, like the soup nazi , will decide what you get.
Posted by: Voters Ignorance | January 25, 2010 6:53 PM
i dont care what he does anymore he a crock and a liar i m tired of being taxed out the u know what on tobacco and other items hopefully a REP. wins next time
Posted by: russell blackwell | January 25, 2010 7:08 PM
heres an idea too. lets stop giving drug addicts money. lets stop giving illegals benefits. lets stop letting our government take our money and give it to someone who does not want to help themselves. how about we stop letting crooks get away with state funded pensions right after being convicted. i know i would go to jail. lets stop letting foriegners run for public office. let stop letting muslims do security at bus yards.
Posted by: brad | January 25, 2010 7:44 PM
This story is laughable on so many levels...
#1: SEX OFFENDERS: Gov. Ehrlich already put into place strict sex offender laws and policies, but because O'Malley must get credit for everything he does, O'Malley chose to ignore those sex offender changes resulting in the deaths of several children. NOW, O'Malley is proposing his OWN sex offender plan TOO LITTLE TOO LATE TO SAVE LIVES!
#2: GREEN: O'Malley keeps touting himself as the green energy Gov. yet he opposed wind turbines in Western Maryland. O'Malley is also against the LNG plant in Dundalk, which is clean natural gas energy. SOLAR is NOT the answer. What a complete moron.
#3: EDUCATION: Once again, O'Malley is a TOOL for the teachers unions at the expense of children's education even though charter schools are a lifeline for poor children in urban neighborhoods with parents who desperately want a better future for their kids but have nothing but bad schools as options. O'Malley would sooner turn down Federal money for our kids than to buck the teachers union! Also, O'Malley's failure at Slots has underfunded education as well. If Ehrlich's slots plan had passed, nearly an entire generation of Maryland's children would have had a better education by now.
#4: ENERGY RATES: O'Malley failed to get a good deal for energy rate payers from CEG/BGE resulting in higher energy rates than the deal that Bob Ehrlich struck with BGE (which never took effect thanks to O'Malley). Even The Baltimore Sun stated the Ehrlich compromise with BGE was better than O'Malley's and O'Malley's plan ultimately failed and BGE did whatever it wanted.
#5: JOBS: Laid off state workers, has run businesses like Black & Decker & others out of the state. Maryland has lost more private sector jobs than almost any other state. If not for the increase in Federal jobs and BRAC, we'd all be a ward of the state by now!
O'MALLEY = EPIC FAIL!
Posted by: ComicsHero | January 25, 2010 7:59 PM
Wow.....The Boy Guv can walk on water too, just like Obama. Induced jobs are like structural deficits and phoney zip codes. No one knows exactly what they mean or where they are but it just sounds so right.
Next thing the Boy Guv will say is that he's needing the stimulus money to purchase new shovels for the functionally stupid to continue with the shovel ready jobs and help those who suffer from cranium rectalis.
Posted by: Kelly | January 26, 2010 5:33 AM
Ther governor's agenda is pathetic. Politicians (at all levels - federal, state and local) should rethink the proper role, size, scope and cost of government - not just trim around the edges, particularly after recently having gone on a huge spending binge.
Posted by: Vote2010 | January 26, 2010 6:16 AM
Green Jobs? Marty, tell us ALL what steps you took to try to keep BP SOLAR GREEN JOBS MANUFACTURING PLANT ans it 200 GREEN JOBS in Martyland?
Did you meet with the CEO? Did you offer any tax incentives to stay in Martyland?
Did you discuss it AT ALL with ANYONE?
Please enlighten us all on your efforts to save 200 GREEN JOBS in the state of Martyland.
These were REAL EXISTING jobs, not phantom jobs from some non-existent zip code somewhere!
Posted by: Voters Ignorance | January 26, 2010 3:51 PM
You forgot one. Fully adhere to the Constitution of the United States, including the 2nd Amendment.
Posted by: JohnQ4Public | January 28, 2010 1:35 PM