News from Annapolis

• Regulatory Overhaul for Nursing Homes, Hospitals, other Health Facilities Will Promote Efficiency, Effectiveness
• Carroll County's Delegates Work Together To Advance Local Initiatives
• Pension Reform Agreement Painful

April 8, 2011

Carroll County's Delegates Work Together To Advance Local Initiatives

Carroll County Delegation Members (from left) Justin Ready, Nancy Stocksdale, Susan Krebs and Don Elliott discuss strategy for a House Floor Session. 

When Carroll County's four Delegates arrived in January for the 2011 Session, there was one new Member and a new office-mate for each.  New Del. Justin Ready, 28, moved into the space shared with Del. Nancy Stocksdale; and Del. Krebs moved down the hall to join Del. Don Elliott. Since then, the House Delegation has worked closely to advance local legislation (specific to Carroll County) that was requested by either county officials or residents.

All our local bills appear headed toward passage, including the following:

Retirement Community Property Tax Credits (HB480/SB470). Authorizes Carroll County, or a municipality in the county, to grant a property tax credit for independent living retirement communities, with the full benefit of the credit going to the individual residents. There are three independent living retirement communities located in Carroll County: Carroll Lutheran Village, Fairhaven and Manchester Manor.

Commissioners Terms (HB477/SB472). Sets Carroll County Commissioner terms at four years, and prohibits each commissioner from being elected to serve more than two consecutive terms.

 Winery Permits (HB476/SB466). Authorizes the Comptroller's Office to issue additional winery special event permits each year for use at farmers' markets in Carroll County The permits authorize the permit holder to provide one-ounce samples, sell wine by the glass for on-premises consumption, and sell no more than four 750 ml bottles to a consumer for off-premises consumption.

Repeal of fortune-telling ban (HB900/SB469). Since such bans have been ruled unconstitutional for violating the First Amendment, the Delegation wants to repeal Carroll County's ban. Under current Carroll County law, a person is prohibited from demanding or accepting payment or a gratuity to forecast or foretell, or pretend to forecast or foretell, the future of another person by: (1) reading a card; (2) reading a palm; or (3) any other scheme, practice, or device. Violators are guilty of a misdemeanor and are subject to maximum penalties of six months imprisonment and/or a $100 fine.

 Sunday hunting (HB625/SB468). Allows one day of Sunday hunting on private property in Carroll County during firearms season. Currently, no Sunday hunting is permitted in the county. Under the State Code, Sunday hunting is not allowed in Maryland, except for in counties that have obtained state legislation that excepts them from that law. Hunters in more counties, including Carroll, have been seeking exceptions.

Pension Reform Agreement Painful 

The General Assembly is taking a painful first step to resolve the state's long-term fiscal crisis by shoring up the state workers' pension system. Under a compromise plan worked out by the House and Senate, employees will pay more toward their retiree pension and health care benefits and will get less in return.

Maryland's pension system is underfunded by $19 billion, and retiree health care benefits by $16 billion.

State employees, including teachers, will be required to contribute 7 percent for their retirement. They now pay 5 percent. The multiplier for current employees will remain at 1.8 percent of their average final salary for every year of service. Future employees will have a 1.5 percent multiplier.

For new employees, the age for normal retirement will follow the "rule of 90" (age +service=90), or the worker must be 65 with at least 10 years of service.

The retirement fund now is only 64 percent funded. Although the 2 percent increase in contributions was sold to the employees as necessary to reach the fund goal of 80 percent, Gov. O'Malley has violated the spirit of this action by taking the first two years of increased contributions and putting it in the General Operating Fund. I call this a "teacher and state employee tax." The additional contribution should be put into the pension fund. 

Although these changes will make the pension plan less generous for new hires, we must move forward with pension reform to ensure that today's promises will actually be fulfilled when it is time to retire, and we must do this without putting additional burden on the taxpayer. Maryland's current pension system is unsustainable. Doing nothing would lead to drastic benefit cuts in the future.

Register to Vote!

Note from Susan:

   I am dedicated to being your voice in Annapolis as we work toward better roads, schools and jobs, and also a reduced tax burden.
   Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or ideas you may have. My legislative aide, Linda Schmuck, and I are always happy to help. 

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Susan W. Krebs

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