2009 End of Session Review
May 6, 2009
Dear Friend:
I wanted to take a moment to report to you about
the tumultuous 2009 Legislative Session which drew to
end at midnight on April 13, 2009. Unlike most sessions,
this session was unique for the variety of major issues
facing us, including budget woes, the death penalty,
speed cameras, driver's licenses for illegal immigrants,
mandated union dues, energy policies and much more.
For starters, I want you to know that
I voted against the amnesty plan that will allow
illegal immigrants to continue renewing their driver's
licenses through 2015. I strongly believe that
Maryland should require lawful presence when issuing
driver's licenses and I have consistently voted
accordingly.
Additionally, I voted against
new rules on the death penalty that would effectively
end the death penalty; these new evidentiary
standards require video evidence (not still photographs)
or DNA evidence (not fingerprints). This legislation
effectively ends the death penalty for contract killing
and the 'stop snitching' movement that has invaded our
streets. If these standards were applied today only two
of five people currently on death row would be eligible
for the death penalty. We must protect our corrections
officers and all Marylanders from the violent crime that
has continued to plague our streets.
I also opposed speed camera legislation,
but I strongly support our law enforcement community and
providing them with the necessary tools to increase the
number of officers on the streets. I encourage you to
signup with www.mdscamera.com to help put this issue to
referendum.
While I want a clean and green environment, I do
think that we must approach this subject with prudence,
especially in these down economic times.
Governor O'Malley's greenhouse gas bill offered immunity
to big business, but not to consumers. I stood up
against this favoritism and said what is good for the
goose should be good for the gander, but my amendment
failed along party lines. Subsequently I voted against
legislation that unfairly targets ratepayers.
There is a distinct difference in policy between
Governor O'Malley and many legislators, including
members of the minority caucus (visit their website at
http://www.mdsenategop.com). While many
states have sought out measures to reduce spending in
these troubling economic times, Maryland has taken the
opposite approach. State spending has increased every
year under Governor O'Malley. Taxes and fees have also
increased every year under Governor O'Malley too.
I was so very proud to address two different
Taxed Enough Already parties on April 15th.
I want to reaffirm my opposition to tax hikes. Your
families, your businesses, and your properties are
already overtaxed and I have no doubt that Governor
O'Malley's 2007 Special Session tax hikes have acted as
gasoline to the flames of our downturned economy.
In fact, Maryland's higher taxes have led us down
the path of the worst of the worst in tax rankings.
Maryland is now the 45th "best" state to do business in
and Maryland now ranks as the worst state for personal
income tax rates according the Tax Foundation, a
non-profit and non-partisan organization that
investigates tax statistics nationwide.
While many of the outcomes were different than
what I would choose, I am proud to say I had two bills
pass this year that will go a long way toward protecting
our children. One of the bills will cross-reference
vital statistics with records of termination of parental
rights for abuse or neglect.
A few years we lost a two year old named Bryanna Harris
to a methadone overdose. Her mother had previously had
two children taken from her by social services for
severe neglect. This law would help to prevent tragedies
like Bryanna's.
My other bill would retroactively apply the
sexual offender registry. The problem is that people who
committed sex crimes before 1995 but were convicted
after that date do not have to register. It was
an unforeseeable loophole to the law that I worked hard
to fix. You can search the Maryland Sexual Offender
Registry by clicking here
http://www.socem.info .
I had many other bills up for consideration and some
unfortunately did not see the light of day. A number of
you took the time to write me about S.B. 420, civil
immunity for protection of your homes and businesses. I
appreciate your support on this bill and had this bill
come up for a vote, I am confident it would have passed.
For those of you unfamiliar with S.B.420, the basic gist
of the bill is that it would provide for civil immunity
in cases where you found it necessary to defend your
family or business against home invasion or other
violent crimes so long as you did not act with malice or
negligence. Right now, burglars have the right to sue
you for everything you have if you attempt to defend
your family. That is just wrong.
I wish the outcomes were different on many bills, but I
am convinced that we are making progress toward goals
that all Marylanders share: opportunity for our
children, success in our economic sectors, upholding our
existing immigration laws, and common sense legislation
that does not punish our working families and small
businesses.
I am grateful for your support and I look forward to
continuing to fight for you in Annapolis.
Sincerely,
Nancy Jacobs
|
|
