Message From Governor Larry Hogan
Dear Friend,
The 2017 Legislative Session is officially over, and I am proud to report that it was a very successful session for Maryland. Every day our team is working hard on behalf of all our citizens, and the past 90 days have been no exception. From introducing a robust legislative agenda and a common sense, balanced budget, our administration will always be focused on making it easier to live, work, and raise a family in our great state.
Working together with the General Assembly, we were able to pass many of our top initiatives, including: the More Jobs for Marylanders Act, the Road Kill Bill Repeal, and the first major ethics reform in nearly two decades.
This special edition of our newsletter gives you a look into these and many more of our major initiatives from this session. To see a full, detailed list of all we accomplished on behalf of Marylanders across the state, visit bit.do/TheBipartisanshipAlert.
Even though the 2017 Maryland General Assembly has adjourned, our work is far from over. In the coming weeks, we will sign hundreds of bills into law and continue working to Change Maryland for the Better.
Your Governor,
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Session 2017 – A Win For All Marylanders
Governor Larry Hogan’s top legislative priorities achieved final passage by the Maryland General Assembly, ensuring that the governor’s proposals to create thousands of new jobs, restore integrity to state government, and move forward with dozens of critical transportation projects across the state will become law. These priority items included the More Jobs for Marylanders Act, the Public Integrity Act, and the Road Kill Bill Repeal.
“It was a great day for the legislative process and a win for bipartisanship – but most importantly, it was a win for the people of Maryland, who deserve more jobs, improved roads, and the highest level of integrity from their elected officials,” said Governor Hogan. “Creating jobs, building roads, and ensuring ethical and transparent government will always be top priorities of our administration. I want to thank Senate President Mike Miller, Speaker of the House Mike Busch, and all of the members of the Maryland General Assembly who worked with us to achieve these tremendous results for the citizens of our great state.”
Governor Hogan joins Senate President MIke MIller and Speaker of the House Mike Busch for the first post-session bill signing.
More Jobs For Marylanders – Bringing Thousands of Jobs To The Areas That Need Them Most
The More Jobs for Marylanders Act continues the administration’s focus on creating jobs and improving the state’s economy. While nearly 105,000 jobs have been created and employment reduced to 4.2% – the lowest in nearly a decade – since Governor Hogan took office, some regions of the state continue to experience higher unemployment. This legislation will target job creation to the areas that need it the most – such as Western Maryland, Baltimore City, and the Lower Eastern Shore – by incentivizing manufacturers to relocate and expand in these areas. The legislation provides major tax incentives for new manufacturing companies that move into these areas, as well as tax credits for any new jobs created by existing manufacturers.
Governor Hogan, joined by advocates and legislators, signs Senate Bill 317, the More Jobs for Marylanders Act, into law.
Fighting For All Our Students
Governor Larry Hogan vetoed HB 978, legislation that would mandate weak accountability standards for Maryland public schools, risk federal funding for K-12 education, and trap thousands of children in failing schools.
“We are proud of the many great schools in Maryland, but too many equally deserving children continue to be stuck in schools that are consistently failing them, year after year,” said Governor Hogan. “Last week, the legislature passed a piece of legislation which, if not reversed, would directly threaten Maryland’s well-earned reputation as a national leader in education. Instead of racing to the top, we would be trapped in a race to the bottom. This bill would make us one of the least accountable school systems in the United States of America.”
The entire Maryland State Board of Education, Maryland State Department of Education, bipartisan education advocates, and the state’s leading editorial boards joined the governor to oppose the bill and its disastrous consequences for Maryland’s most vulnerable students.
However, the veto was overridden by the legislature. “I’m sad for the kids they are trapping in failing schools, and concerned about losing our federal education funding,” the governor said in response to the override. “This will long be remembered as a low point in Maryland’s legislative history.”
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