Kramer Hit on Committee Votes

A prominent local activist has distributed records of many of Delegate Ben Kramer’s (D-19) votes inside the House Judiciary Committee to rival campaigns. The revelations are sure to stir up the District 4 race.

Jonathan Shurberg, a Silver Spring Democratic activist and a lawyer who is locally famous for winning Equality Maryland’s transgender bill lawsuit, has obtained House Judiciary Committee votes by Kramer on seven bills. Committee votes are not available on the Internet and must be physically gathered in Annapolis. Shurberg emailed the votes to Democratic candidates other than Kramer and that information is circulating rapidly through the county’s political community. Following is Shurberg’s email:

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Shurberg
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:08:07
To: [Democratic Candidate Emails]
Subject: Ben Kramer Voting Record

I am a Democratic activist who is very concerned about the potential election of Ben Kramer to the County Council. I have compiled a list of what I consider to be very problematic and politically indefensible committee votes by Delegate Kramer in 2007 and 2008. See attached. I am sending this list to all Democratic candidates because I think this information needs to be publicly disseminated and discussed prior to the primary election on April 21. All of this information is from public sources in Annapolis.

Kramer’s Judiciary Committee Votes (partial):

Anti-Consumer: HB606 2008 – Kramer voted to limit amount of money an injured person could recover when harmed through medical malpractice. Repealing a $15,000 annual increase in a specified limitation on noneconomic damages in a health care malpractice claim or action for a cause of action arising on or after January 1, 2009.

Pro-Criminal: HB619 2008 – Kramer voted to kill a bill that would’ve stopped the early release of child rapists: “Prohibiting the earning of diminution credits to reduce the term of confinement of an inmate who is serving a sentence in a State or local correctional facility for committing first degree rape, second degree rape, first degree sexual offense, or second degree sexual offense against a child under the age of 13 years; etc.”

Pro-Criminal: HB252 2008 – Kramer voted to kill a bill that would’ve stopped the early release of child sex offenders: “Prohibiting the earning of diminution credits to reduce the term of confinement of a specified offender or a child sexual offender committed to the custody of the Commissioner of Correction or sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a local correctional facility; etc.”

Pro-Criminal: HB22 2008 – Kramer voted to kill a bill that would’ve increased penalties for carrying firearms while possessing drugs: “Prohibiting a person from knowingly and intentionally possessing, carrying, or transporting a firearm while simultaneously possessing specified controlled dangerous substances; providing penalties for a violation of the Act; providing that a sentence imposed under the Act shall be consecutive and not concurrent with another sentence imposed for a crime based on the Act; establishing the violation of the Act; etc.”

Pro-Criminal: HB621 2008 – Kramer voted to kill a bill that would’ve stopped the early release of those convicted of murder, rape, or other violent crimes: “Prohibiting the earning of diminution credits to reduce the term of confinement of an inmate committed to the custody of the Commissioner of Correction or sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a local correctional facility if the inmate has been convicted of murder, rape, or a second or subsequent commission of specified crimes of violence.”

Hate-Crimes: HB80 2008 – Kramer voted to kill a bill that would’ve prohibited hate speech from those who hang nooses on the property of others, because of their race/religion, etc.: “Prohibiting a person from placing or displaying a noose on the property of another person because of the person’s race, color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or national origin, etc.”

Anti-Gun Control: HB880 2008 – Kramer voted against a bill that would’ve required gun dealers to let customers know they should notify the authorities if their gun is lost or stolen: “Requiring a dealer or other person who sells or transfers a regulated firearm to notify the purchaser or recipient at the time of purchase or transfer that the purchaser or recipient is required to report a lost of stolen regulated firearm to the local law enforcement agency; requiring the owner of a regulated firearm to report the loss or theft of the regulated firearm to the local law enforcement agency within 72 hours after the owner discovers the loss or theft; etc.”

Note from Adam:
All of these bills were defeated in the House Judiciary Committee. The Washington Post has noted “the power of the defense lawyers who dominate the committee.”

In the past, state legislators have wandered a bit in committee more than on the floor because committee votes are not listed on the General Assembly’s website. Our prediction is that in the wake of this post and our previous post on Delegate Luiz Simmons’ expungement bill, committee votes will be subject to more scrutiny in 2010.