Issues

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to initiate and support measures to improve our quality of life—for your family and mine. I've been privileged to be your voice in Annapolis fighting for better education, health and hospital care, the environment, police protection and public safety, rights of the developmentally disabled, as well as many other areas.

Recent Issues

2006:

1. HB 189 - Healthy Air Act (enacted)
   
   This law requires coal fired plants in maryland to adhere to higher standards regarding the plants pollution output. This will save taxpayers money because healthier air will require less medical costs for marylanders. This law also includes Maryland in a regional initiative of Mid-Atlantic states to assist each other in protecting the air in all states.
    
2. HB 1467 - Maryland Cares (enacted)
   
   The purpose of the program is to assist Medicare beneficiaries (including beneficiaries with disabilities and those who are at least 65 years old) in obtaining Medicare Part D prescription drug benefits. Due to the many programmatic problems citizens have encountered signing up for Medicare Part D, this measure is critical to the health and well-being of older individuals and individuals with disabilities.

2005:

1. HB 1542 - Maryland Quality Home Care Services Act (enacted)
   
   This law established a Personal Assistance Services Advisory Committee in the Office of Individuals with Disabilities. Historically, individual care providers, workers who provide direct care services such as housekeeping, bathing, and dressing for seniors and people with disabilities in their homes, have been plagued by low wages and a high turnover rate, making it difficult for consumers to hire and retain qualified providers and making it difficult for providers to earn enough to support themselves. place. House Bill 1542 seeks to stabilize and support this workforce in three ways: 1.) by creating a commission that sets training requirements for individual care providers, 2.) by providing referrals of qualified individual care providers to consumers, and 3.) by giving consumers a voice in policy making and implementation. In short, a network of better-skilled, more-accountable providers will support engaged and empowered consumers.

2004:

1. HB 240 - Public Schools - Interstate Transfer of Military Personnel Dependents - Reciprocity Agreements (enacted)
   
   This law requires the State Board of Education to pursue reciprocity agreements with other states regarding the terms of transfer of school-aged student dependents of military personnel to from public schools of this state. A reciprocity agreement would require the timely transfer of student records, awarding credit for completed course work, allowing graduation requirements to be met through successful completion of comparable courses in another state, and allowance of a student to satisfy the requirements of state high school assessments through successful performance on comparable assessments administered in another state.

2003:

1. HB 61 - Qualified Hybrid Vehicles - Exemption from Motor Vehicle Emissions Test and Inspection Requirements (enacted)
   
   This law exempts qualified hybrid vehicles from mandatory tests and inspections required by the State of Maryland, provided the vehicle obtains a rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of at least 50 miles per gallon during city fuel economy tests. A hybrid vehicle is defined as a vehicle that meets all applicable regulatory requirements, meets the current vehicle exhaust standard, and can draw propulsion energy from both gasoline or diesel fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system.
    
2. HB 478 - Money Follows the Individual Act (enacted)
   
   This law requires the State of Maryland to offer everyone residing in nursing homes who qualify under certain waivers the opportunity to move back into the community. The money used for nursing home care would follow the individual into their new setting in the community for needed supports. This will provide individuals with disabilities opportunities for employment, more self-directed housing and community partnerships.

Safe Neighborhoods

• Increase community-based policing.
• Add more police officers on the streets and in our neighborhoods.
• Expand the Emergency Medical Services Program and hire more firefighters.
• Implement programs to deter juvenile crime and drug addiction.

Family Protection

• Ensure safe and affordable before and after school child care.
• Identify alternative funding sources and programs for victims of domestic violence and child abuse.
• Enforce harsher criminal penalties for child abusers and abductors.
• Support home health care and assisted living options for senior citizens.

Children

• Accelerate the construction and renovation of neighborhood schools.
• Decrease class sizes.
• Expand recruitment efforts to hire more certified teachers and guidance counselors.
• Guarantee that each child will have access to modern and innovative learning tools in an environment that encourages educational progress for all students.
• Encourage expansion of vocational education in schools.
• Support funding for special education to meet every child’s needs.
• Increase funding for targeted early childhood education (0-6).

Jobs

• Develop comprehensive economic development plans to better utilize our local universities to stimulate business investment.
• Encourage an environment that will promote and nurture small business.
• Work with the business community to develop effective workforce strategies and develop public-private partnerships.
• Accelerate public transportation initiatives.

Environment

• Vigorously enforce environmental laws to ensure healthier places in which to live and work.
• Protect the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River Basin through a working coalition of community, business, environmental and government agencies.
• Promote “Smart Growth” through reasonable land use controls and transportation planning.
• Oppose the construction of new trash transfer stations.

Health Care

• Require HMOs to be legally responsible for their medical decisions.
• Increase the frequency of State quality reviews of HMO services.
• Expand programs providing mammograms, clinical examinations, and follow-up diagnosis and treatment.
• Expand Maryland’s Senior Prescription Plan to include all senior citizens.
• Ensure that all uninsured children are included in Maryland’s managed care program.