Dear neighbor,
The winter of 2010 is one for the record books! Thankfully the snow is behind us and warmer weather is here. While the blizzards were taking place, so too was the 427th session of the Maryland General Assembly. Every year beginning on the second Wednesday of January, the legislature meets in Annapolis for 90 days to discuss the laws that govern our state. This year we acted on 2,699 bills including the state budget. Much like a blizzard, this is a time that most taxpayers can’t wait to be over!
However, there is good news to share. First and foremost, I am extremely pleased to share with you that we successfully fought off attempts to raise taxes this year. This is important because Maryland is already the fourth highest taxed state in the country and our taxpayers work, on average, one hundred nine days each year to pay their share of the cost of government. This puts our state at an economic disadvantage, especially considering some of our neighboring states have lower taxes and are aggressively soliciting employers away from our state. The state budget is balanced. However I am very concerned that the $32,000,000,000 budget is growing faster than revenues, creating a perfect storm on the horizon for massive tax increases. As a member of the House of Delegates I will continue to vote to hold the line on taxes and advocate for fiscal discipline.
We strengthened criminal laws addressing the threat posed to our communities by organized criminal gangs like MS-13, Bloods, and Crips. These thugs have been increasingly working to recruit our children by popularizing “gang- banger” culture through the internet, on television, and especially through music. Prosecutors have been telling the legislature that they have been ineffective in obtaining maximum sentences for gang members because Maryland law is too weak. Delegates Dwyer, Schuh, and I co-sponsored HB756 Maryland Gang Prosecution Act of 2010, which passed 111 to 28. This will support their prosecution by allowing a broader definition of a gang member and by adding new penalties for gang leaders.
In response to the tragic death of Sarah Foxwell, an eleven year old Salisbury girl, who was brutally abducted, molested, and murdered by a man who was previously convicted of child molestation, we passed a series of laws to protect our kids from these deranged predators. We passed HB473 Criminal Procedure - Sexual Offenders - Lifetime Supervision to require that GPS be used to monitor convicted sexual offenders after they are released from jail. We also passed HB289 - Correctional Services - Child Sexual Offenders - Diminution Credits which will eliminate the use of “good time credits” that shortens the time an inmate serves if they were convicted of first or second degree rape or first or second degree sexual offense against a victim under sixteen years of age. We also finally passed a substantial reform to increase the penalty for second degree rape of a child who is thirteen or younger. Someone convicted of this crime currently serves no more than five years behind bars for this heinous crime. But our very own Delegate Steve Schuh sponsored and successfully passed HB254 - Crimes - Sexual Offenses Against Children - Jessica's Law Enhancement. This long overdue law requires a fifteen year mandatory minimum sentence for second degree child rape. The law does more to substantially improve the state’s protection of minors from pedophiles than anything else the legislature has done this year. I am extremely proud of Delegate Schuh and our team for standing up for our kids and advocating for their safety.
As a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee, I listen to thousands of hours of testimony and briefings on health care policy. This has given me a chance to stand up for consumers on a wide array of health insurance and medical issues. For years my grandparents lived in a long term care facility and I would take turns with other relatives to chauffeur them to doctor’s appointments, this became increasingly difficult as their health failed. This prompted me to look at ways to integrate access to onsite services at long term care facilities. So this year we passed HB1302 - Health Occupations - Dental Hygienists - Practice in Long-Term Care Facilities which will allow dental hygienists to work independently, within their scope of practice, in long term care facilities and nursing homes. Emerging evidence suggests that oral infections lead to a greater risk for other health complications in the body, including heart disease, diabetes, even pneumonia. I believe this will improve the quality of life for thousands of aging Marylanders by expanding their access to an important opportunity to prevent, identify, and treat oral health issues.
We also made some important progress on the Clean and Healthy Creeks Workgroup. As you are likely aware, addressing the deteriorating condition of our local waterways is a passion of mine. Last fall I requested that several sewage pumping stations be upgraded. I am very pleased to share with you that County Executive Leopold is supporting the complete upgrades of the two largest stations in our district, one on Marley Creek and the other on Furnace Creek. Additionally, a complete rebuild of the largest sewage treatment plant in Anne Arundel County, Cox Creek WRF located on Ft. Smallwood Road, is underway. This will dramatically reduce the amount of nitrogen and other pollution that currently flows into our bay. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the main culprits causing algae blooms which deplete the oxygen content in the bay.
Representing our community in the General Assembly has been a tremendous honor and one of the most exciting experiences of my life. It has also been an extremely trying time for our country and those challenges have weighed heavy at the State House in Annapolis. During this time I have focused my time and energy supporting policies to grow our economy, hold the line on taxes, and to be a voice for common sense issues that matter to families in our community. I work diligently to be the responsive representative that our community deserves. Please be in touch if I can be of any assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Nic Kipke