Commentary

Few things are more confusing to the American public than health care. Navigating insurance, high costs, ever-changing rules and regulations — the list of concerns for the average patient are legitimate and daunting. So, it is no surprise to see Maryland lawmakers committed to increasing transparency within our health care system, especially in the face of a global health crisis. However, the same complexities that can confuse and frustrate our patients can sometimes lead to misguided legislative proposals.

Ever since the vaccines for COVID-19 became available, the public health data has been very clear. Vaccines prevent serious disease and death, while the unvaccinated suffer more serious disease, higher rates of hospitalization and higher mortality. Nearly a year has passed since vaccines have been available and nearly 64% of the population has been fully vaccinated. From those who’ve chosen to remain unvaccinated — not counting those who are too young to be eligible — you will hear a number of different reasons for their decision, including personal choice or concerns about the vaccines not being well tested.

I seldom use the expression “a special place in hell” because it has been suggested as the ultimate destination for too many people by now, from serial killers to women who voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Invoked too often, it loses its punch. Still, it’s a tempting phrase to employ in certain situations — like the one I’ll be describing later in this column.

Twenty-nine years ago, as a Justice Department lawyer advocating the U.S. Attorney General’s position in an immigration case, I stood before a distinguished panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and argued in favor of a man’s deportation from the United States. The man in that case was the recipient of a probation before judgment, entered by a Maryland state court judge. Even though he was not considered to have a conviction under Maryland law, I persuaded the court that he still stood convicted under federal law. In Maryland criminal cases, first-time offenders and individuals charged with minor offenses are often given “probation before judgment,” wherein they are not convicted but rather given a period of probation.

The war in Afghanistan is over, but 2022 will mark 19 years of American troops in Iraq, 11 in Somalia and seven in Syria. But Maryland House Bill 273, the Defend the Guard Act, can help address these undeclared wars by demanding that Congress reclaim its war powers, restore accountability and ensure Maryland’s National Guard serves our communities. Defend the Guard is part of a veteran-led nonpartisan effort that includes similar legislation introduced in more than 40 states.

Having recently completed my 40th year as a card-carrying journalist, I feel compelled to share the one small nugget of wisdom I have gleaned from all those misspent hours hanging out with mayors, governors, legislators and other ne’er-do-wells of elected office. They are not all the same. This will shock some of you, I know, but like other human beings, they range from truly nice people to miserable jerks. This is not a matter of political viewpoint, age or gender. Awful people come in all shapes and sizes and party affiliations. But here’s the question: Can you spot them?

Legislators are frequent targets of social media attacks, harsh critiques and general unpleasantness. Accordingly, when legislators get something clearly right, we are obliged to take the time to offer praise. One area in which legislators have been getting it more right than wrong in Maryland is clean energy, especially with respect to the growing pervasiveness of offshore wind and attendant investments in our economy. In 2019, the state passed the Clean Energy Jobs Act by decisive, veto-proof margins of 95-40 in the House of Delegates and 31-15 in the Senate. That set the stage for the clean energy revolution we are now experiencing.