Solutions

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Delegate Mizeur's 2011 Action Agenda

Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Act of 2011 - House Bill 852 - Click here for more information. Natural gas within the Marcellus Shale rock formation in Western Maryland and across Appalachia holds enormous potential for our energy future. However, the method of extraction – hydraulic fracturing – may cause considerable long-term contamination of our air and groundwater. This legislation will require drilling companies to demonstrate that wetlands, forests, critical habitats, and other vital natural resources would not be put at risk before building and operating wells. * Update: Passed by the House of Delegates on March 21; failed to pass in the Senate by adjournment.

Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act - House Bill 175 - Click here for more information. Thanks to the election of progressive-minded legislators in 2010, Maryland stands its best chance ever of enacting marriage equality. This legislation would end marriage discrimination under state law by allowing same-sex couples to marry, securing hundreds of state-granted protections for Maryland families. * Update: Passed by the Senate on February 24th; recommitted to the Judiciary Committee by the House on March 11th, effectively killing the bill this year.

Funding the CENTR Program to Support Maryland Biotech - Click here for more information. In 2008, Heather sponsored and passed legislation creating the Coordinating Emerging Nanobiotechnology Research (CENTR) Program, which sought to invest millions in this new industry. Unfortunately, CENTR went unfunded for the last two years. As Vice Chair of the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee, Heather will seek to restore funding for CENTR, which will create high-tech jobs and draw research dollars. * Update: Included in the FY 2012 budget passed by the General Assembly.

Family Planning Works Act - House Bill 778 - Click here for more information. This legislation will allow all low-income women up to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level to receive family planning services, improving birth outcomes and women's health, averting thousands of unplanned pregnancies, and saving the state tens of millions of dollars per year. * Update: Passed both the House and the Senate; effective date for newly eligible women will be January 1, 2012.

Joint Committee on Transparency and Open Government Act - House Bill 766 This legislation will build on last year’s Maryland Open Government Act by creating a legislative body that coordinates State efforts to develop and implement open government and transparency policies for all branches of our state government. * Update: Passed both the House and the Senate.

Invest Maryland - House Bill 173 Maryland's road to recovery and long-term success begins with believing in our people and our entrepreneurs. Invest Maryland will be a $100 million venture capital fund that can be invested in our state's knowledge-based small businesses, who would then be able to create thousands of much needed jobs. Update: Passed both the House and the Senate.

Protecting Transgender Marylanders from Discrimination - House Bill 235 Transgender Marylanders are no different than other citizens of our state: people working steady jobs, raising their kids, and paying their taxes. Nevertheless, they routinely face discrimination on the job, in our communities, and in the housing market – simply because of who they are. This bill would prohibit bias against our transgender neighbors in housing, labor, and employment. * Update: Passed the House on March 25 – a victory despite the removal of public accommodations protections; recommitted to Committee by the Senate, effectively killing the bill this year.

Renewable Energy for All Act - House Bill 829 This legislation will establish a residential biomass heating grant program, giving all Maryland households the tools to expand their renewable energy incentive options. * Update: Hearing held in the House Economic Matters Committee on March 16; failed to pass.

Improving Composting in Maryland - House Bill 817 More than one-third of municipal waste consists of biodegradable material that could be diverted from landfills and incinerators and into valuable soil products through composting. Unfortunately, Maryland lags behind many other states in its support for composting. This legislation will create a state composting regulatory structure. * Update: Passed by both the House and Senate.

Earned Income Credit Information Act - House Bill 632 Low-income Marylanders depend heavily on the federal EITC and state EIC to supplement their income. This legislation will require employers to notify their employees that they may qualify for each. * Update: Passed by both the House and Senate.

Requiring Equity in International Baccalaureate Course Credit - House Bill 652 High school students who work hard in an International Baccalaureate (IB) program and do well on their exams should get the same college course credit as those who opt for AP classes. This legislation would ensure that Maryland's public colleges and universities do just that. * Update: Bill withdrawn after a commitment by the University System of Maryland to collaborate with IB program directors to address the issue.

Commission to Study Medical Malpractice Innovation – House Bill 924 This legislation will establish a commission to consider how Maryland could create and implement a state-based medical malpractice liability insurance program. If this state program were pursued, Maryland could qualify for federal tort reform innovation grant funding made available through the federal Affordable Care Act.