Email Newsletter of March 11, 2006
|
News Update from Senator Nancy Jacobs
District 34: Harford and Cecil
Counties
March 11, 2006
In this Issue...
* SB 197 – Umbilical Cord Blood
Donation – Education Materials
* SB 1030 – Accurate Crime Reporting
Act of 2006
* SB 201 "Vehicle Laws - Recording
Devices - Limitations on Release of
Information"
* BGE Rates going up
* Other Critical Issues From The
Past Week
* I Want to Hear from You
This has been an eventful week in
Annapolis. I thought you might be
interested in hearing about some of this
week's issues. |
SB 197 – Umbilical Cord Blood Donation –
Education Materials
I am pleased to announce that the
first bill in my 2006 legislative
package has unanimously passed the
Senate. SB197 insures that hospitals
will offer the opportunity for a new
mother to donate the blood found in her
child’s umbilical cord, which can be
stored for later use and research. It is
very important that this option is
offered to new mothers and that they are
educated about the benefits of umbilical
cord blood stem cells.
Umbilical cord blood is usually
discarded after the birth of a baby.
However, it is rich in blood-making
cells that could be used later in the
life of that child should he or she need
a bone marrow transplant or have cancers
such as lymphoma and leukemia. They
could actually save their own life if
their parents saved their cord blood in
a cord blood bank. Unfortunately,
parents are unaware that the process of
donating a child’s umbilical cord blood
exists.
There is so much promise with
umbilical cord blood stem cell
treatment. In fact, using cord blood,
scientists in South Korea repaired the
damaged spine of a 37-year-old woman,
who had been paralyzed for 20 years. The
possibilities are endless.
SB 197 focuses on having literature
developed and distributed about cord
blood donation programs as part of
prenatal care, similar to how
information on SIDS (Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome) is now disbursed.
It is imperative that parents are
given the option to donate their child’s
umbilical cord blood and to be a part of
this growing and exciting field of
research.
My bill is about knowledge, and it
is about saving lives in the present,
and in the future. |
SB 1030 – Accurate Crime Reporting Act
of 2006
As you have heard, there is a lot
of debate over the accuracy of crime
statistics in Maryland. This has led me
to introduce SB 1030 which would require
local law enforcement agencies and the
State Fire Marshal to provide crime
statistics to the Department of State
Police. It prohibits them from
intentionally providing inaccurate
information, and shields police officers
from reprisals if they refuse to report
false crime statistics. I call this my
“whistle blower bill for police
officers.” My bill has the support of
the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). I’m
also the co- sponsor of SB 1026 which
would require the Governor’s Office of
Crime Control and Prevention to conduct
a statewide audit of crime statistics at
least once every three years. There has
been so much controversy with this issue
that Senator Jennie Forehand of
Montgomery County and I have teamed up
on this effort.
|
SB 201 "Vehicle Laws - Recording Devices
- Limitations on Release of Information"
Not many Marylanders are aware
that there is a small data recording
device that is now being placed in
vehicles which can capture information
about the speed and direction of a
vehicle, brake application, and steering
performance. These vehicle recording
devices are often referred to as
automobile black boxes, similar to the
black box in an airplane.
The power of an event data recorder, or
black box, can be equated to wire taps.
A party that desires to record a
conversation needs to get the other
party’s permission, or if the permission
was refused, a court order granting
permission. Event data record s capture
a "conversation" between your car and
this small device.
State law does not currently address the
disclosure of information collected with
this evolving technology, and it is
important that this data is protected
from misuse and abuse. This session I
have sponsored a bill, SB 201 "Vehicle
Laws - Recording Devices - Limitations
on Release of Information" I have worked
closely with all of the major automobile
manufacturers, insurance agencies, state
prosecutors, state police, and accident
investigators to insure that the
priceless data recorded on these black
boxes is only used with the proper
permission and consideration of the 4th
amendment, which protects our citizens
from illegal search and seizure.
The benefit of the information found on
vehicle black boxes is that it records
the eight seconds preceding and
following the deployment of the airbags
in your car. The data can be very
helpful for accident dispute, as it can
provide insight on the speed and brake
application that occurred at the time of
the hit. With technology playing an
increasing role in our everyday lives,
it is very important that the citizens
of Maryland remain alert to the rights
they have to the protection of the
information that technology has made so
accessible.
|
BGE Rates going up
As I'm sure you've heard that
our gas and electric bills could be
going up as much as 70 percent.
The BG&E situation is going to effect
the majority of our Maryland families.
This critical issue is as complex as it
is unsettled. This issue is likely going
to be with the General Assembly until we
end session on April 10th. I am aware of
the plan submitted by the Public Service
Commission but I wouldn't say that I
agree with much of it. However, you have
my total assurance that this is a top
priority for me. I am confident that we
will have some kind of resolution by the
end of session. I’ll be sure to keep you
up-to- date on this issue.
|
Other Critical Issues From The Past Week
I thought you might be
interested in hearing about some of the
other issues we worked on in Annapolis
this week. The following is from a
weekly wrap-up that our Library and
Information Services produces each week.
To address the controversy
surrounding the accuracy of electronic
voting machines without paper trails,
the House amended and passed HB 244 that
requires the State Board of Elections
for the 2006 primary and general
elections only to lease an optical scan
voting system that will produce a
voter-verified paper record of each
voter’s vote. The amended bill
specifically directs that the current
Diebold electronic touch screen system
may not be used. Original language
remaining in the bill, now with an
effective date of March 1, 2008,
requires implementation of a system that
will produce voter-verified paper
records, adoption of specified
procedures for verification of voting
results, and states that the
voter-verified paper record is to be the
official true and correct result of the
votes cast. Access for individuals with
disabilities is addressed in both the
2006 and following elections, but there
is disagreement in that community as to
the effectiveness of paper votes. The
companion measure is SB 713.
|
I Want to Hear from You
If these issues or others are of
concern to you please contact me. I
represent you and your interests in
Annapolis.
Click here to access our contact page.
|
Contact Information
phone: 800-492-7122 x3158
|
|
|
