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In Annapolis, pomp and ceremony as another year of lawmaking begins For one day in Annapolis, bickering — mostly — gave way to celebration
(about 2 hours later)
The 2016 Maryland legislative session opened at noon Wednesday with a call for bipartisanship from Republican Gov. Larry Hogan (R), even as he and the Democrats who control the legislature have continued to spar over education funding and other issues. Democrats in the Maryland General Assembly are likely to spend much of the next three months in a tug-of-war with Gov. Larry Hogan (R) over his tax proposals and plan to revamp the budget process.
Hogan received a standing ovation as he entered into the Senate chamber with Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford. He spoke for less then a minute before heading to the House of Delegates to offer similar — and similarly brief — greetings. But on Wednesday -- the opening day of the 90-day legislative session - there was none of that. Instead, it was a day to congratulate lawmakers whose children had been born over the past nine months, say farewell to a retiring U.S. senator and catch up with old friends.
The governor told the senators that he is “always available” to lawmakers regardless of party, adding “I don’t care which side of the aisle the ideas come from.” “Families are here, babies are here, Congressional people from Capitol Hill are here,” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D) told reporters, explaining why the legislature would wait until next week to try to overturn vetoes of bills dealing with online hotel-booking sites, voting rights for former inmates, drug paraphernalia, criminal-asset seizures and funding for an arts center in Annapolis.
[What to expect during the 2016 legislative session] There was some sniping — Hogan blasted Democrats for criticizing his budget ideas, while Miller groused that Hogan’s recent proposals have been recycled from Democratic ideas without collaboration or credit.
Democrats, meanwhile, complained that Hogan’s recently unveiled initiatives to provide aid to Baltimore and tax relief to poor families, senior citizens and some businesses are based on previous proposals made by their party. But mostly, there was celebration, with lawmakers taking care to recognize the many staffers, family members, friends and other lawmakers sitting in the galleries and in the chambers.
“These proposals are old Democratic ideas rehashed,” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert) said in a radio broadcast Wednesday morning that is an annual first-day-of-session ritual. [Seven things to watch during the General Assembly session]
“The problem is communication. It’s the same problem between husbands and wives: you want to stay married, you got to be able to communicate.” Retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Milkulski (D-Md), U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md), Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker (D), Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz (D), and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) were each welcomed in turn.
The opening of the 90-day session is filled with formalities. Votes were taken to decide to give Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) another year in those roles, which each of them has held for many years. “I forgot to recognize my niece,” said Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George’s), standing up for a second time to welcome a guest.
The Democratic and Republican caucuses held short meetings. Several bills were be introduced, and the calendar was set for both houses. Spouses and children joined lawmakers in the chambers and at receptions. Each chamber took ceremonial votes to reinstate their leaders: Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden, (D-Baltimore City) as Senate President Pro Tem; Miller as Senate President; Busch as House Speaker, and Del. Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore) as Speaker Pro Tem.
[Democrats say party must not flounder in Hogan’s second year] Busch delivered remarks aimed at inspiring delegates, reminding them of accomplishments such as improving education, restoring the Chesapeake Bay, advancing renewable energy plans, providing health care for children, delivering services for the developmentally disabled and maintaining the state’s long-standing AAA bond rating.
As expected, both the House and Senate voted to delay until next week any action on overturning Hogan’s vetoes from last year, on bills last year that dealt with taxes for online hotel-booking sites, voting rights for former inmates who are still on parole or probation, drug paraphernalia and criminal-asset seizures. “We have passionate debates over these issues,” Busch said. “And that’s where these debates should take place.”
Miller and Busch both have said their chambers will vote on those overrides next week. They expect to have cobbled together enough votes to put the bills into law. In the Senate, McFadden, who has served in the Senate for 20 years and as president pro tem since 2007, was tearful as he thanked his colleagues for their votes.
Asked about the voting rights legislation in a radio interview, Hogan said he disagreed with allowing felons to vote after their release from prison if they are still on parole or serving probation. Miller was seated on the Senate floor when Ramirez nominated him to return to the podium where he’s stood for the last 28 years. “He is the Michael Jordan of politics,” Ramirez said of Miller, believed to be the longest-serving state senate president in the United States. “He is a living legend.”
“If the legislature wants to override the veto, they certainly have that right,” the governor said on the “Annapolis Summit” broadcast on WEAA (88.9 FM), a first-day-of -session tradition. “They have the super-majority, they have the ability to do that. Politically, and legally, I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” Miller thanked the senators for the well wishes they have offered to his wife, who recently broke her hip. He welcomed his daughter and grandson and gave silver-wrapped gifts to Minority Leader J.B. Jennings (R-Baltimore County) and Sen. Justin Ready (R-Carroll), both of whose wives have had babies since the legislature last convened.
Hogan used his appearance on the show to defend his proposal to relax spending mandates, which Democrats are blasting it as a veiled attempt to cut planned spending increases for education and other basics. In what she called her final speech before the two chambers, Milkulski, a legend in Maryland politics, thanked lawmakers for working with her to represent the state’s interests. “We put Maryland families first working with you,” Mikulski said. “When it comes to fighting for Maryland’s fair share, it was ‘Don’t mess with Maryland.’”
[Seven things to watch during the session] Then Miller introduced Hogan, his “longtime friend.”
“We had dramatic increases in education despite rhetoric to the contrary,” Hogan said during the interview, in a packed hotel conference room just steps from the State House. “We are not rolling things back, we’re moving them forward.” [Defiant Democrats say their will fight for their priorities]
He said details of the proposals will come later. The governor, who was joined by Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford (R), received a standing ovation. He gave Miller a slight hug and a slap on the back before delivering a 42-second welcome.
The governor cautioned against legislation that would require Maryland business to provide paid sick leave if it would hurt small businesses. He promised increased attention and funding to combat the state’s heroin epidemic and said lawmakers would be misguided in overriding his veto of a bill to allow felons to vote while they are still on probation or parole. “I’m very much looking forward to working with each one of you on both sides of the aisle to try to continue to make some progress here,” Hogan said. “I want you to know I’m always available to you. Pick up the phone, let us know what you want to talk about. As I’ve said before, I don’t care which side of the aisle the ideas come from, we want to just come up with good ideas to help the citizens of our state.”
Two legislators from Montgomery County used opening day to push for “Noah’s Law,” a bill named in memory of county police officer Noah Leotta that would require ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. Leotta, who worked for the department’s traffic division, was killed by a repeat drunk driver last month while on duty. Hours earlier, Miller had complained that Hogan was in fact forgetting where some of his ideas had come from — specifically the allocation of money to bulldoze blight in Baltimore, and a proposal unveiled Tuesday to ease taxes for the poor and senior citizens.
[Overwhelming grief and unspoken anger] “These proposals are old Democratic ideas rehashed,” Miller told host Marc Steiner during the “Annapolis Summit,” an annual first-day-of-session broadcast on WEAA (88.9 FM).
Del. Ben Kramer (D-Montgomery) called the bill “nothing more than common sense . . . this is one piece of legislation we can say for a fact can save lives.” After the session, Miller showed more signs of the battles to come, calling Hogan’s modest tax relief proposals “little bills” that “aren’t worth a hill of beans in terms of the state budget.”
He and Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery) have introduced similar bills for the last several years, but those have not moved out of the House Judiciary Committee, led by Del. Joseph Vallario (D-Prince George’s). They are hoping that Leotta’s recent death will lead to passage this year. He said Hogan and lawmakers need to talk about the state income tax if they want to address a tax that affects everybody, including businesses looking to locate in the Maryland.
During the session, lawmakers also are expected to debate whether Maryland should join a handful of other jurisdictions in the country that allow assisted suicide. They will consider bills to address poverty and other problems in Baltimore, reform the criminal justice system, improve the business climate, increase college affordability, boost retirement security and expand early voting. Later in the session, lawmakers will debate whether Maryland should join a handful of other jurisdictions in the country that allow assisted suicide and require paid sick leave. They also will consider bills to address poverty and other problems in Baltimore, reform the criminal justice system, improve the business climate, increase college affordability, boost retirement security and expand early voting.
Josh Hicks contributed to this report. On Wednesday, Cardin, who once served as Maryland House Speaker, warned them not to become bogged down by the type of partisan gridlock that has plagued Congress in recent years.
“So many Marylanders depend upon what you’re going to do during these next 90 days,” he said. “Take advantage of that opportunity by working together, by listening to each other.”
Fenit Nirappil contributed to this report.
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