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Email Newsletter of March 25, 2006
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News Update from Senator Nancy Jacobs
District 34: Harford and Cecil
Counties
March 25, 2006
In this Issue...
* SB 297- Contraception Dispensing
Program
* Teacher Pension Update
* News You Can Use
* I Want to Hear from You
This was an eventful week as every week
will be until April 10, the last day of
session. The week has been filled with
updates about the BGE situation
as well as some clear progress on
teacher’s pensions that has been
passed from the Senate to the House of
Delegates for their approval.
Not a day has gone by that I don’t think
about the Eminent Domain crisis
that is facing our community, our county
and our state.
We had a bill on the floor that we were
about to amend to make it a
constitutional amendment. By doing this,
the bill would then go to referendum in
November to be voted on by the people of
Maryland. The Senate leadership didn’t
want the issue before the people so they
recommitted the bill back to committee.
A referendum on eminent domain would
bring out the more conservative voters
for this year’s election, which is
obviously not something the Senate and
House leadership want with Governor Bob
Ehrlich up for re-election.
While the issue has been de-railed for
now, stay tuned. If there is a way to do
it, you can be sure we will attempt to
get a bill before the body on the issue
that will allow the people of Maryland
to vote on this most important
fundamental right.
I want to thank everyone who took the
time to fill out my survey this past
week. The responses that I have
received have been inspiring. The
comments that some of you have left have
been terrific and I truly appreciate
everyone’s support.
One issue that became clear through the
survey is that the BGE deregulation
and the increase of energy prices has
not been explained clearly enough.
The lead article in this newsletter is
an exclusive discussion written by
Public Service Commission for my
website.
Be sure to visit our new website at
www.nancyjacobs.com
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Exclusive Plain
Language Explanation of the BGE Rate
Hike
Many of you have asked for a
plain explanation about this most
concerning issue. With help from the
Public Service Commission I am able to
answer many of your questions
- How were Rates Set Before
Deregulation?
- What Influences the Price of
Electricity?
- How will the New Prices Affect
my Bill?
- And many more...
CLICK HERE TO READ
THIS EXCLUSIVE ARTICLE NOW
Please forward this newsletter to
anyone that you think would be
interested in reading this explanation
of the BGE rate
hike.
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SB 297- Contraception Dispensing Program
Senate Bill 297, which has passed
through the Education Health and
Environmental Affairs Committee, is
being heard on the Senate floor this
week. This bill creates a Contraception
Dispensing Program within the Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene to
authorize licensed pharmacists to
dispense emergency contraception without
a prescription.
As part of the program, pharmacists must
screen a woman for the appropriateness
of emergency contraception on a case by
case basis, as well as provide
educational materials on the use and
effects of such a drug. It is impossible
for a comprehensive consult by a
pharmacist to take place at the counter
of a public pharmacy with a line of
waiting patients to overhear.
One of the most popular forms of
emergency contraception is Plan B; a
proposal to make Plan B available
without prescription has been rejected
by the FDA twice.
Furthermore, it is important to note
some key facts when considering making
emergency contraception widely available
to females of all ages. According to
studies done in Europe, easier access to
emergency contraception does not reduce
pregnancy nor abortion rates. In fact,
in England where emergency contraception
is available without prescription, the
rate of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
has sky rocketed.
Parents are responsible for the health
of their minor children, including
signing permission for the child to be
dispensed Tylenol in a school setting.
Yet, Senate Bill 297 would allow these
same minor children to walk into a
pharmacy and receive emergency
contraception, when the medical impact
on teenagers using this drug has not be
adequately researched. Emergency
contraception has many known and unknown
health risks and should not be used very
often because of the high doses of
powerful hormones it contains. Emergency
contraception is intended to be taken
for "emergency" use only, and could
become very harmful if taken on a
regular basis.
Easy access to this powerful drug could
lead to a detrimental decline in family
values, as well as a negative impact of
the lives of young women. For example, a
victim of rape may forgo the necessary
medical, emotional, and legal care and
counsel that they need because of their
easy access to addressing their primary
concern of unwanted pregnancy. Emergency
contraception prevents pregnancy by
stopping ovaries from releasing eggs, an
egg from being fertilized by sperm, or a
fertilized egg from attaching to the
wall of the uterus. Doctors have
extensive educational backgrounds and
are the most qualified to determine in
which medically necessary circumstance
emergency contraception should be
dispensed. This decision should not be
left in the hands of the local
pharmacist who are not able to conduct
the necessary patient evaluation at the
back counter of a crowded pharmacy.
I urge you to voice your opposition to
Senate Bill 297 and the damaging impact
on patient care and family values that
this bill would have.
Click here to contact me with your
thoughts on this critical issue.
Teacher Pension Update
"Will the last teacher to leave
Maryland for better pensions please turn
off the lights?" reads the sign in the
window of the Maryland State Teachers
Association office building on Main
Street in Annapolis. Maryland teachers
have made their presence known this
session through letters, phone calls,
visits, t-shirts, and stickers all
bearing the message "Push for Pensions."
This group of Maryland citizens has
announced that it is tired of accepting
poor compensation for performing one of
the most important jobs in any state,
the job of educating our children. We
have heard the outcry, and now it is
time for action.
There are two pieces of legislation
currently under consideration in
Annapolis. On the Senate side, I have
co-sponsored Senate Bill 1019 -
Employee's and Teacher's Pension Systems
- Pensions Benefit Enhancement,
which would increase the benefit
multiplier from 1.4% to 1.8%, with a 5%
employee contribution, and allow the
bill to be retroactive to 1998.
I favor the Senate Bill over the House
Bill for a number of reasons. The
retroactive aspect of the Senate Bill is
far more beneficial to current and
recently retired teachers because it
allows them to receive the new benefits
for previous years of work since 1998.
It doesn't go back as far as many would
have liked, to take in more of our
teachers, but in my mind, it is much
more fair to our teachers than the House
Bill. The Senate bill is a true
compromise that really helps our
teachers. I've been hearing from
teachers who are upset with the house
bill. Many of the teachers contacting me
believe the house pension committee has
ignored their concerns.
Seventeen per cent of our teachers leave
Maryland after teaching here for only
6-10 years. The senate bill is an
excellent way to retain current teachers
and attract new teachers. This is
especially important to Harford and
Cecil Counties because of the Base
Realignment (BRAC) bringing upwards of
10,000 jobs to Harford and Cecil
Counties.
The other bill being considered on the
House side is House Bill 1737 - State
Employee's and Teachers' Retirement
Enhancement Benefit Act of 2006. These
bills differ in that the House version
raises the contribution to 5.5%, which
would be phased in over a span of 5
years, but is limited to state
employees. It also offers a 2%
multiplier, but does not allow for
retroactivity.
This somewhat contrasts the Senate view
that the guiding principle for the
Senate Bill is not only to gain new
teachers, but also to provide for the
teachers currently working in Maryland.
As you can see, the differences in the
two bills accurately portrays the
mindset of each side of the legislature
as the House focuses on the future,
while the Senate seeks to also
compensate the past.
In any case, we have made great strides
in our effort to provide just
compensation for one of our most
valuable tools, our teachers.
Click here to contact me with your
thoughts on this critical issue.
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News You Can Use
Ehrlich Seeks More Concessions on BGE
Rates
Panel OKs bill blocking regent political
actions
Md. House Approves Budget Bill
Populism and Electric Bills
Lawmakers split over tax break for
retired veterans
State's leaders demand a better deal
from BGE
Political notes: Lamone urges evacuees
to vote
Moderate pension rhetoric
Discord strikes hard in appointments
fight
Rascovar: Averting an electric train
wreck
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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.
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