Nicole Stallings, senior vice president of the Maryland Hospital Association, says the legislative session resulted in several health policy wins that will benefit all Marylanders. In an interview with State of Reform, Stallings breaks down the session successes and explains why they matter.
Prince George’s County officials celebrated the groundbreaking Monday for a behavioral health center that is being constructed with funds diverted from a police training facility, part of the county’s response to nationwide calls for racial and social justice. County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks (D), who decided to redirect the $20 million after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, said her response was also shaped by encounters Prince George’s police have had with mentally ill people over the years.
An administrative hearing board for an Anne Arundel County police detective facing termination was postponed after County Executive Steuart Pittman posted Facebook comments that drew concerns about the officer’s due process. Detective Daniel Reynolds’ three-day hearing board, sometimes called a police trial board, was postponed after Pittman mentioned Reynolds’ alleged misconduct in a Facebook post that also referenced the ongoing criminal trial for Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was charged with murder for George Floyd’s death in his custody.
Before leaving Annapolis following the conclusion of the 2021 General Assembly session, House Republicans on Tuesday elected new leaders. Del. Jason C. Buckel (R-Allegany) is the new House minority leader; Del. Christopher T. Adams (R-Lower Shore) will be minority whip. They were elected to lead the 43-member caucus after a Tuesday morning meeting.
A swath of bills that aim to address health inequities in Maryland have successfully passed through the General Assembly this session, including legislation cementing pandemic telehealth expansions into law, a permanent revitalization of a major 2012 public health pilot and medical debt protections. The Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021 passed through both chambers with overwhelming support and was signed by Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday.
For the third straight year, the Maryland General Assembly adjourned on Monday night without balloons or confetti — a nod to the serious nature of lawmakers’ work due to COVID-19 and the restrictions placed on outsiders’ access to the State House complex in Annapolis. It was a fitting coda to a grueling year that required all the usual hard work but contained none of the joy the carnival-like atmosphere of the 90-day session usually brings.
The Maryland Senate has unanimously voted for more enhanced disclosure requirements for elected officials, following a Washington Monthly exposé of Governor Larry Hogan who, unbeknownst to legislators or the public, advanced road and highway infrastructure projects near properties owned by his real-estate firm—a move that can increase the value of those properties. According to insiders privy to legislative maneuvers in Annapolis, the state capital, Senate leaders were expecting the legislation, dubbed the Integrity in High Office Act, to provoke intense debate on the chamber floor over the weekend.
In a frantic rush Monday, Maryland’s lawmakers capped a legislative session in which they spent billions of dollars to help the state rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, enacted sweeping reforms to policing practices and expanded options for voting by mail in the state. Members of the Maryland General Assembly pushed green and red buttons — mostly green — for hours at a stretch as hundreds of bills crossed the legislative finish line on a day known in Annapolis by the Latin term “Sine Die.”
Maryland’s General Assembly capped a legislative session focused on systemic inequity Monday night by passing a string of liberal priorities, stripping control of parole decisions from the governor, banning for-profit immigration detention centers and requiring the planting of 5 million trees in the state over the next 10 years. The 90-day session was largely defined by fixing long-standing social unfairness in education, health and criminal justice. In addition to a landmark policing overhaul, lawmmakers sought to bolster civil rights and aid for immigrants and assist those most devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Session is over and we’ve heard from some of the most storied names in Annapolis. On episode 9 of The Lobby, Damian brings together the next generation of Annapolis operatives. We are joined today by Gregory Snyder of Bellamy Genn, P.K. Owusu-Acheaw of the Maryland State Education Association, and Neal Karkhanis of Funk & Bolton. Join us for a far-reaching conversation about what led our guests to where they are, the changing face of lobbying and the tools of the future, and the realities of networking in the era of COVID-19. We hope to see you soon in the Lobby.
We’re staying up to the minute on the issues shaping the future. Join us on the newsletter of choice for Maryland politicos and business leaders. It’s always free to join and never a hassle to leave. See you on the inside.
