What Are Our State Senators Doing?

From Marc Korman.

With approximately a month left in the state legislative session, are you wondering what Montgomery County’s Senators are working on? To save you the trouble, I have assembled a list below of each Montgomery County State Senator’s sponsored bills.

The list includes the total number of sponsored bills, how many are bond bills authorizing state debt for a particular local spending project, how many are substantive bills, a brief description of the substantive bills, and what the legislator’s major theme appears to be.

The list tries to capture the bills’ major purpose and includes a link to media where possible, but I encourage you to visit the General Assembly website for detailed information about the legislation and its status.

Sponsored legislation is not the only indicator of what our legislators are doing, but it should demonstrate what their priorities are during the 2008 session.

Rona Kramer
District 14
Total Bills Sponsored: 13
Bond Bills: 7
Substantive Bills: 6
Major Theme: Senior Citizen Protection
SB 333-Requiring collection of DNA from arrested violent crime suspects.
SB 498-Requires the creation of an “Amber Alert” type program for missing senior citizens with cognitive impairment like Alzheimer’s.
SB 499-Establishes a task force to study off shore wind farms.
SB 500-Criminalizes obtaining the property of a senior by deception, intimidation, or undue influence.
SB 501-Criminalizes offenses against a senior with a disability.
SB 597-Exempts domestic partners from paying recordation taxes when transferring property between them.

Rob Garagiola
District 15
Total Bills Sponsored: 19
Bond Bills: 5
Substantive Bills: 19
Major Theme: Energy
SB 294-Expands the definition of law enforcement official for crimes committed against law enforcement officials.
SB 342-Mandates that 50% of the state’s flexible fuel fleet run exclusively on E85 (ethanol and gasoline mix) by 2012.
SB 343-Mandates that 50% of the diesel vehicles in the state’s fleet use a diesel blend that is at least 10% biodiesel.
SB 344-Allows flexible use of leave with pay to care for sick, immediate family members.
SB 473-Requires parental consent forms before schools can administer a Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey.
SB 474-Exempts county and municipality biodiesel vehicles from the state motor fuel tax.
SB 565-Provides a state income tax credit for the purchase of home heating oil with biodisesal.
SB 566-Provides visitation and other medical rights to domestic partners.
SB 567-Repeals the computer sales tax and increases the state gas tax from 23.5 to 27.5 cents a gallon.
SB 570-Alters the state program for automated external defibrillators.
SB 608-Extends the ‘Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts’ scholarship program.
SB 677-Reforms the state’s nursing facilities program including developing a plan for pay-for-performance.
SB 884-Allows certain uses of alternative medical treatments.
SB 991-Requires consideration of energy alternatives before electric companies can enter into long term contracts.

Brian Frosh
District 16
Total Bills Sponsored: 17
Bond Bills: 3
Substantive Bills: 14
Major Theme: Judiciary Bills
SB 42-Allows judge’s to require persons subject to temporary protective orders to surrender their firearms.
SB 103-Alters Maryland’s procedures for depositions and discovery in legal cases.
SB 245-Business subsidiaries or businesses with substantial overlapping ownership are subject to the campaign finance limits of one business.
SB 246-Requiring a phase out of phosphate content in fertilizer.
SB 293-A constitutional amendment authorizing some counties and the City of Baltimore to request additional qualifications for orphan court judges.
SB 389-Limits trustee commissions and attorney’s fees on foreclosure actions.
SB 441-Makes changes to the offender registry as it relates to juvenile offenders.
SB 442-Increases the fees for clean air permits.
SB 443-Sets requirements for subpoenaing mental health records.
SB 492-Allows the Maryland Transportation Authority to designate vehicular crossings for bikes and pedestrians.
SB 493-Alters the requirements for lawyers paying taxes and unemployment insurance.
SB 610-Requires license suspension for children who violate alcohol prohibitions.
SB 654-Requires public utilities to do more to protect and preserve trees.
SB 771-Makes technical changes to laws governing personal representatives and fiduciaries.

Jennie Forehand
District 17
Total Bills Sponsored: 25
Bond Bills: 3
Substantive Bills: 22
Major Theme: Domestic Violence
SB 28-Creates a task force to study All Terrain Vehicle Safety
SB 46-Repeals the computer services sales tax.
SB 232-Increases the alcohol tax by $3.00/gallon of distilled spirits, $.80/gallon of wine, $.45/gallon of beer.
SB 392-Authorizes judges to use law enforcement to return a minor child to a custodial parent if a protective order has been issued.
SB 393-Makes protective orders permanent if the party subject to the order is convicted and sentenced.
SB 394-Makes it a misdemeanor for a suspect to violate an order of “no contact” with the alleged victim.
SB 412-Establishes a task force for automotive warranty enforcement.
SB 546-Requires the Governor to declare June 20th as Maryland Charter Day, the day the British granted the initial charter for the Maryland colony.
SB 575-Requiring collection of DNA from arrested violent crime suspects.
SB 576-Prohibits the state from implementing the federal REAL ID Act involving uniform identification.
SB 577-Providing further protections and services for animals assisting the disabled.
SB 578-Allows the use of state collected statistical medical information for research purposes.
SB 579-Creates an immunity from liability for the use of automated external defibrillators.
SB 700-Authorizes the use of GPS electronic monitoring of domestic violence offenders.
SB 789-Strengthens the requirements that any child under eight years old be secured in a car seat.
SB 790-Requires the titling of off-highway recreational vehicles.
SB 791-Authorizes municipal corporations to impose building excise taxes.
SB 917-Authorizes arrests for violating health quarantines.
SB 918-Makes long term care insurance subject to genetic non-discrimination requirements.
SB 942-Makes changes to the “Master Settlement Agreement,” the 1990s tobacco company settlement with states.
SB 943-Regulates the relationship between auto manufacturers and distributors and dealers.
SB 972-Allows for government seizure of instruments used in support of identity theft.

Rich Madaleno
District 18
Total Bills Sponsored: 22
Bond Bills: 4
Substantive Bills: 18
Major Theme: Budget and Tax Issues.
SB 290-Legalizes gay marriage.
SB 423-Requires increased campaign finance disclosure for committees supporting or opposing the slots referendum.
SB 424-Establishes a task force to study the notary commission process.
SB 475-Establishes a commission to study the impact of immigration in Maryland.
SB 476-Provides for information sharing between health insurance companies and the state Department of Budget and Management.
SB 477-Establishes May as “Dandy-Walker Syndrome and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month.”
SB 478-Makes technical changes to the state property tax law
SB 559-Applies the state recordation tax to different types of mortgages.
SB 560-Allows state employee health insurance to be extended to other members of a family.
SB 561-Authorizes counties to impose different levels of property tax on different classes of property.
SB 562-Increases the alcohol tax to pay for addiction treatment and prevention services.
SB 690-Requires “Limited Service Pregnancy Centers” to disclose that they are not medical centers.
SB 691-Establishes a task force to study the budget needs and expenditures of state programs.
SB 692-Makes technical changes to line items presented in the state budget.
SB 693-Requires some state legislative vacancies to be filled by special election.
SB 728-Allows non-State employees to contribute to tax-deferred retirement plan accounts under the state retirement program.
SB 885-Consoldiates existing Maryland energy and conservation programs as the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program.
SB 976-Prohibits transgender discrimination.

Mike Lenett
District 19
Total Bills Sponsored: 16
Bond Bills: 0
Substantive Bills: 16
Major Theme: End of Life Care
SB 2-Prohibits text messaging while driving.
SB 45-Alters the membership of the State Advisory Council on Quality Care at the End of Life.
SB 289-Increases the tax deduction for seniors.
SB 315-Expands the tax benefit for members of the military.
SB 355-Requires disclosure by medical facilities of their practices involving life sustaining care.
SB 612-Sets state procurement preference programs to include businesses owned by disabled individuals.
SB 709-Authorizes optometrists to prescribe and dispense contact lenses.
SB 710-Extends by six months the date a ban on phosphate in dish washing detergent begins.
SB 711-Prohibits the advertising of live musical performances without appropriate copyright disclosure.
SB 785-Prohibits smoking in vehicles with minor passengers.
SB 792-Alters the Maryland Building Performance standards for residential homes.
SB 845-Establishes a state false claims act to punish contractor fraud.
SB 851-Limits the issuance of fire arm dealer licenses to ensure that someone prohibited from holding one is in no way involved in a new license application.
SB 857-Allows other state’s licensed health practitioners to volunteer in Maryland during an emergency.
SB 888-Establishes a biotechnology scholarship program.
SB 995-Authorizes increased disclosure to improve minority owned business participation in state procurement.

Jamie Raskin
District 20
Total Bills Sponsored: 19
Bond Bills: 5
Substantive Bills: 14
Theme: Legal Issues
SB 92-Authorizes those under 18 to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election.
SB 158-Establishes a farm to school program to bring local farm products into local schools.
SB 336-Establishes a task force to study required deposits on returnable beverage containers.
SB 337-Altering the definition of legal newspapers.
SB 515-Requires the Public Services Commission to collect increase data on the deployment of broadband services from broadband providers.
SB 516-Providing a procedure to end a father’s parental rights if he rapes his child.
SB 528-Makes changes to the Maryland Human Relations Commission in cases involving employment discrimination cases.
SB 529-Allows defendants to remove state constitutional claims to the Anne Arundel Circuit Court.
SB 563-Extends the length of time back pay can be recovered in unlawful employment practice cases.
SB 614-Establishes the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment.
SB 615-Extends stalking laws to protect animals.
SB 616-Authorizes direct wine selling, removing wholesalers from wine sales.
SB 617-Extends collective bargaining rights to adjunct faculty and graduate students at the University of Maryland. (Disclosure: As a graduate student employee at the University of Maryland this legislation may have affected me).
SB 689-Repeals all references to marriage in Maryland law and replaces with domestic partnerships.

Nancy King
District 39
Total Bills Sponsored: 10
Bond Bills: 3
Major Theme: Adult Education and Horse Industry.
SB 131-Authorizes municipalities to levy a hotel tax not to exceed 2%.
SB 257-Exempting computer services used in fulfilling government contracts from the computer services sales tax.
SB 297-Authorizes a state income tax credit for work based education programs.
SB 298-Authorizes a state income tax credit for adult literacy programs.
SB 444-Alters corporate tax reporting to the Comptroller.
SB 658-Allocates certain state lottery funds for horse racing purses and bred funds.
SB 784-Alters the horse racing and bred funds allocation of slots revenue.