By Marc Korman.
On April 26th I attended the District 16 town hall. With Delegate Bronrott’s resignation effective at midnight on the 26th, it was his last official act as a legislator and a chance for him and his colleagues to update their constituents on the legislative session.
Delegate Bill Bronrott
Delegate Bronrott spoke last, but in tribute to his service I am moving him to the front. Everyone who spoke mentioned Bronrott’s 12 years of service, with Delegate Frick even tearing up a bit. In his own comments, Bronrott took a moment to discuss each of the District 16 legislators he worked with over his tenure including the current crew and former Delegates Goldwater and Kopp.
Bronrott compared the House of Delegates to any family’s house. You love it and the people inside, but you do not always love everything they do. He then spoke about the changes over 12 years in the state. He discussed the improvements in K-12 Education, emergency medical services, the University of Maryland, improved environmental standards, the increased interest in pedestrian safety, and the decline in drunk driving from 50% of all traffic deaths being alcohol related to 33%. That work is not done of course and in response to a question, Bronrott promoted interlock devices and an alcohol tax increase, two efforts that did not pass during the session, as further solutions.
The first questioner of the night was Simon Atlas, my fellow central committeemember from District 16. He told everyone in the audience the procedure for filling the vacant delegate seat at our May 11th meeting. Simon confirmed that a caretaker was going to be appointed who would not run in the fall election.
Bill Bronrott helped immerse me in District 16 politics, including inviting me to my first meeting of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Democratic Breakfast Club and giving me a list of people to approach for Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee Spring Ball donations. He was a tireless advocate for his issues and a solid progressive vote who will be missed by his constituents.
Delegate Susan Lee
Delegate Lee framed her comments in terms of the budget. She said it was a tough session with painful cuts including furloughs and cutting positions. But there were real results including: a budget that is smaller than last year, though that is partly due to a decline in federal funds; the state has maintained its AAA bond rating; the rainy day fund has $633 million in it, which is 5% of general fund revenues and important in keeping the AAA bond rating; and there is a fund balance of $195.5 million, which means if spending and revenues exactly match projections $195.5 million will remain in the state’s coffers at the end of the year. Of course, when was the last time the projections exactly matched the reality?
Lee talked about some of her own legislative initiatives. Her signature issue has been identity theft and in 2010 she continued that pursuit. She successfully shepherded through two bills on the topic. HB 785 requires uniform reporting of identity theft cases so the state and local law enforcement can share information with each other and share it with the Federal Trade Commission. HB 779 requires specialized police training for identity theft.
Next time we will take a look at the other District 16 legislators’ comments.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
District 16’s Town Hall, Part One: The Long Goodbye
Monday, April 12, 2010
Saluting Bill Bronrott
By Aaron Kaufman.
It was with mixed emotions that I read of my dear friend and mentor Bill Bronrott‘s (D-16) decision to resign from the House of Delegates after an amazing 12 year run. Bill has taken a great job at the US Department of Transportation. I am confident through Bill‘s efforts our roads will be safer. However he leaves a huge void because one does not find a legislator of Bill’s caliber and decency everyday.
Countless important laws bear his name. Bill fought for what he believed regardless of the political consequences. He took on a powerful Chairmen and lobbyists in an attempt to increase the state’s alcohol tax and toughen drunk driving laws and vehicle safety. He was not swayed by powerful lobbyists but by the concerns of the people he served. This decision on his part may not have made him a favorite of State Circle insiders but he was beloved by his constituents.
Bill is a true environmental champion but what I will remember most fondly about his time in the legislature was his passionate advocacy for people with disabilities. The Developmental Disabilities community had few better friends in the House of Delegates than Bill Bronrott. As a result of Bill’s tireless advocacy, I believe the momentum has shifted and we will soon overcome the alcohol lobby and their legislative supporters to pass an increase in the state’s alcohol tax.
For the past four years, Bill, Rich Madaleno and I have on worked on a bill to extend the age that the insurance companies must pay for vital therapies for individuals with Autism and Cerebral Palsy. Bill agreed to be the lead sponsor of this legislation for me even though I am not his constituent, because he knew the cause was just. The General Assembly will be losing a principled progressive who ran for office to fight on behalf of those who need an advocate the most. In closing, I thank Bill’s amazing wife Alberta and wonderful stepdaughter Megan for all the sacrifices they made so Bill could make Maryland a better place.
I will greatly miss this mensch (true gentleman) of a man!
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Delegate Bill Bronrott Resigning; MCDCC Will Appoint Successor
Delegate Bill Bronrott (D-16) is resigning his seat in the House of Delegates. That means the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee will appoint a successor for the remainder of his term, which will not include any more general sessions. This could be VERY interesting given that the election season is upon us. Following is Bronrott's press release.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 8, 2010
Contact: Bill Bronrott, 202-270-4415; bill4md16@aol.com
Candice Tolliver, 202-366-2309 or 202-306-4580; candice.tolliver@dot.gov
DELEGATE BRONROTT TO LEAVE MARYLAND HOUSE FOR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT AT U.S. TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
Longtime Transportation Safety Leader Accepts Deputy Administrator Post at Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Delegate William A. Bronrott (D-District 16, Montgomery County) today announced that he is resigning from the Maryland General Assembly to accept a position in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Delegate Bronrott will become Deputy Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) effective April 27, 2010.
The mission of the FMCSA is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The FMCSA was established as a separate administration within DOT in 2000. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and employs more than 1,000 people in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.
A nationally-recognized transportation safety leader of 30 years, Bronrott will join FMCSA after serving 12 years in the Maryland House of Delegates where he has championed passage of numerous bills to strengthen the state’s teen driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving, pedestrian safety, and child passenger safety laws.
Prior to his election to the House of Delegates in 1998, Bronrott served as press secretary and transportation safety advisor to Congressman Michael D. Barnes of Maryland (1979-1987). During that time, he helped launch MADD and the war on drunk driving and rallied the Congress to successfully urge President Reagan to appoint the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving.
Bronrott also was instrumental in the U.S. House passage of bills establishing the National Uniform 21 Minimum Drinking Age Act, a DOT incentive grant program that provides additional federal aid to states adopting model highway safety laws, and the annual National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month and National Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week.
Since 1987, Bronrott has directed his own public affairs and communications firm specializing in a wide range of transportation safety and injury prevention issues at the federal, state and local levels, including truck, bus and car safety. Over the past two decades, he has also worked with various highway safety organizations on the congressional reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program known as ISTEA, SAFETEA and SAFETEA-LU.
“Bill Bronrott brings an extraordinary combination of skills and experience from his three decades as a respected highway safety leader, a highly effective public communications practitioner, and as someone dedicated to government service,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “Bill’s passionate commitment to transportation safety and his amazing track record of bringing people together to make our roads safer makes him uniquely qualified to help us achieve our safety mission of reducing commercial vehicle crashes and saving lives.”
In the House of Delegates, Bronrott serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and the Environment, chairs the Montgomery County Delegation’s Land Use and Transportation Committee, and represents the Maryland House on the National Capital Region’s Transportation Planning Board.
Bronrott also chairs the House Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, is House vice chair of the General Assembly’s Joint Audit Committee, and is a member of the Joint Committee on Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). He is a board member of the American Trauma Society of Maryland and the Charles McC. Mathias National Study Center on Trauma and EMS.
Additionally, he has been a leading advocate for Smart Growth policies that encourage greater transit, bicycle and pedestrian options, environmental programs that require eco-friendly green building and energy efficiency standards, and measures to address the needs of persons with developmental disabilities.
“I am thrilled and honored to have this opportunity to support the President and Transportation Secretary in making safety our nation’s number one transportation priority,” Bronrott said. “I am eternally grateful to the people of Maryland’s 16th legislative district for the highest privilege of serving them for 12 amazing years in pursuit of our shared vision of communities that are sustainable, healthy and safe. We’ve made enormous progress, and the work carries on.”
A Washington, D.C. native and Bethesda resident, Bronrott earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland at College Park.
# # #
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
District 16 Delegation Slams SHA on Snow Removal, Pepco on Power
Senator Brian Frosh and Delegates Bill Bronrott, Susan Lee and Bill Frick sent the following sharply worded letters to the State Highway Administration on snow plowing and Pepco on power restoration. Additionally, Delegate Frick appeared on WTOP this afternoon calling for better coordination between state and county authorities on snow plowing.
Monday, January 18, 2010
District 16 Delegation Opposes Ride-On Cuts in Bethesda and Chevy Chase
The District 16 Delegation - Senator Brian Frosh and Delegates Bill Bronrott, Susan Lee and Bill Frick - has sent the following letter protesting the County Executive's planned Ride-On cuts in Bethesda and Chevy Chase.
Friday, November 06, 2009
A Tribute to The Honorable Jean Cryor (1938-2009)
By Delegate Bill Bronrott (D-16).
The death of Jean Cryor is a very sad loss for everyone who knew her and for the community that she served so ably and honorably as a newspaper editor and a policymaker for two decades.
I had the good fortune of sitting next to Jean on the House Floor during her final four years in the General Assembly. In a line of work known for sharp elbows, long knives and ambitious climbers, Jean Cryor was widely admired as a class act, a decent human being, and a thoughtful legislator. She was all about grace, charm and wit, and had a grown-up's perspective about life and a wonderful sense of humor to go along with it.
During her last term, Jean was the only Republican in the 32-member Montgomery County Delegation. At times, she joked about her status as the “chair” of the county delegation’s “GOP Caucus” and its remarkable harmony under her leadership. In fact, Jean’s natural ability to analyze an issue on its own merit and reach across the aisle was proof that once in a while party labels really don't matter.
No matter how tense the moment or difficult the task facing us, Jean never lost her smile or generous spirit. Her words were measured, and when she spoke people listened. Jean also knew instinctively when less said was better. She also had a certain sparkle in her eye that could speak volumes without having to say a word.
Jean Cryor will be greatly missed, but how fortunate we were that this Philadelphia native made Montgomery County, Maryland, her home and professional passion.
May she rest in peace.
Bill Bronrott
House of Delegates
District 16, Bethesda
Thursday, May 14, 2009
A Tale of Five Sessions, Part Two
By Marc Korman.
Last time, we reviewed each D16 legislator’s view on the 2009 legislative session. Today we will see what their constituents had to say during the event’s Q&A.
Before diving into the questions asked, it is worth noting what was not asked. Unlike the last two years, no one asked about the Purple Line or the effect of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process on Bethesda.
The D16 team took thirteen questions. I will divide them into the categories of civil rights and liberties, environment, taxes, and miscellaneous.
Civil Rights and Liberties
Two questions were asked of Senator Frosh on these issues. The first was whether the General Assembly had determined the genesis of the police spying. Senator Frosh said it was not entirely clear, but the Police Superintendent took responsibility, saying it was a decision made by him.
The second question was much more rigorous. Scott Davenport, a D16 constituent and president of Equality Maryland’s Board, asked Senator Frosh why he would not let SB 566 out of committee. The legislation would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, explicitly adding transgendered individuals to the state civil rights law.
Senator Frosh gave a vigorous defense of his actions regarding the bill and went on the offense against Equality Maryland. According to Senator Frosh, he has now brought the transgender bill to a vote three times. The first time was two years ago, when it failed. The other two times were this year, when both times the committee voted to table the bill. Equality Maryland’s position is that this year’s votes were procedural and not substantive votes on the bill. If Senator Frosh would force that vote, Equality Maryland says the bill would move out of committee and to the full Senate. The House of Delegates will not consider the bill until the Senate does.
Senator Frosh also questioned Equality Maryland’s singular focus on the transgender bill, at the expense of other issues like civil unions. Although he said he supports marriage equality and has told Senator Rich Madaleno he would cosponsor a constitutional amendment to that effect next session, he felt that civil unions were more achievable and would make a real difference.
A recent court decision, Schroer v. Billington, may have also changed the equation on transgender issues. That case found that the prohibition on gender discrimination in the federal Civil Rights Act included transgendered individuals. Senator Frosh indicated his belief that state civil rights law may do the same and thought Equality Maryland should work to test the law in court. Of course, the federal case is likely to work its way through the appeals process and could still be reversed.
Environment
Most of the questions asked were about the environment.
One D16 constituent asked how the new Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act would actually be executed. Senator Frosh conceded that no one quite knew how the full 25% cut by 2020, but that there would be a combination of efficiency improvements and other incremental steps to eventually reach the goal.
Another constituent raised the idea of connecting the growing green economy to workers with special needs, who often have good vocational education skills.
The next environmental questions were about the Chesapeake Bay and whether anything could be done to really improve the situation and if there were ways to increase education on the issue. Senator Frosh said that the lack of progress was not for lack of trying. Throughout his entire legislative career he had been working on the issue, and there had been no measurable improvement. What there has been is an increase in the Bay’s basin population of 1.5 million people, bringing with them new impervious surfaces and run-off that add to the damaging nutrients in the bay. But there is new hope on the horizon with the appointment of Chuck Fox to head the EPA’s national effort to save the bay.
Another set of environmental questions concerned improved efficiencies. One constituent asked about gas furnace efficiency, which Delegate Bronrott said he hoped to see improved in future years. The other question asked why the legislature had chosen to apply the International Building Code to schools and government buildings and not the well known LEED (Leadership in Environment and Energy Design) Code. Senator Frosh said Republicans in Annapolis had an extreme distaste for LEED and wanted to advance the Green Globe standard, but the legislature adopted the more efficient International Building Code standard as a compromise.
The final environmental question was on Maryland’s air and water pollution. The legislators said much progress had been made, but there were limits to what Maryland could do alone due to federal regulatory constraints.
Taxes
The two tax questions involved income tax skimming and home buyer tax credits. On income tax skimming, there was concern by one constituent that the same proposal could come again in the future. Delegate Frick acknowledged that was true, but felt the County delegation’s unity on the issue would endure in the future and be able to fight off future attempts.
The second question was posed by Matt Herrmann, president of the District 16 Democratic Club. Mr. Herrmann asked if the state had considered adding a first time home buyer tax credit, similar to recent federal legislation which allows a $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers. Delegate Frick explained that Maryland already had a recordation tax credit and stressed that tax credits were hard hitting to the budget.
Miscellaneous
There were three other questions that were not as easily categorized.
The first question was about what strings might be attached to stimulus funds the state receives. Delegates Bronrott and Frick discussed the various programs funding was going towards. While the funds do not need to be repaid, each individual program has certain requirements. For example, if a state accepts funds for unemployment payments, they must provide benefits to part time workers. Maryland now does this, but several states refused to make the change because of concerns about the long term cost after the two years of stimulus funding ended.
The second question was about the 2010 Census and the changes it might bring to District 16. It was too early for any definitive answers, but Senator Frosh doubted D16 was growing as fast as other parts of the state.
The third question was about what limits were placed on nanobiology funding, specifically whether there could be weapons funded through the state. Delegate Lee said she had not thought of the issue and would look at it further.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A Tale of Five Sessions, Part One
By Marc Korman.
The recent District 16 town hall reminded me of the old Kurosawa film, Rashomon. The Japanese classic shows the same series of events from four different perspectives. Others may think of this as the Quentin Tarantino method. In Part One, we will look at what all four District 16 legislators had to say about the 2009 legislative session. In Part Two, we will examine the fifth perspective on the legislative session, that of the District 16 constituents who asked questions at the May 11th town hall.
Delegate Susan Lee
Delegate Lee’s primary focus was on education and her own legislative accomplishments and initiatives. Despite the financial crisis, Delegate Lee was proud that Maryland had maintained its education commitment, including funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index for the first time. Delegate Lee linked the legislature’s commitment to education to Maryland’s recent ranking by Education Week as the top state for education. She also heralded the legislature for not shifting the cost of teacher’s pensions to the counties and keeping public university tuition frozen for a fourth straight year.
Shifting to her own agenda, Delegate Lee departed this year from her signature identity theft issue and focused on biotechnology and nanotechnology. She was happy to have helped champion the biotech investment tax credit, preserving it at a $6 million value. Governor O’Malley also signed Delegate Lee’s legislation, HB 1124. The legislation adds to the mission of the already existing nanobiotechnology program within the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, pushing investment in public private partnerships for nanobiotech. Nanobiotechnology is the specialized field of nanotechnology focused on the human body, essentially seeking improved medical treatments.
Delegate Lee also heavily pushed HB 1117 during the session. The legislation would expand the liability shield for the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), protecting users from civil suits. There is already immunity for the use of the devices, but the legislation would have eliminated the requirement that assistance or aid be provided in a reasonable manner for immunity to apply. That vast expansion of immunity brought concerns from trial lawyers and the bill died in the Senate.
Delegate Bill Frick
Delegate Frick discussed the session from the angle of existing and potential conflicts among the counties. Maryland has twenty-three counties and the City of Baltimore, and each one is different. But they can also be divided into a few broad categories. For example, ten Maryland counties operate under a Charter form of government, meaning they have home rule and do not general require General Assembly approval of their local legislation. Some counties are also more reliant than others on the local income tax. Montgomery and Howard Counties have the highest tax rate, 3.2%. The lowest is Worchester County, with 1.25%. As Adam Pagnucco has explored on this blog, there are also differences in the size of the teacher pension obligation in each county.
Both teacher pensions and skimming the local income tax were considered by the General Assembly to balance the state budget, as required by the state Constitution. But Montgomery County’s legislators stayed united against both of those efforts and neither were used. The budget did rely on a one time use of a reserve fund available for local income tax refunds if the collected taxes are not sufficient to cover the refund needs. The now exhausted fund will need to be repaid in the future.
Delegate Frick also discussed the Senate Finance Committee’s defeat of his credit card legislation, chronicled on this blog. However, there may soon be federal action to address the issue, as discussed at a recent press event with Congressman Van Hollen and Delegate Frick.
Delegate Bill Bronrott
Delegate Bronrott reviewed the session primarily through the scope of transportation. Some type of cut was necessary in order to balance the budget and maintain the state’s AAA bond rating, which Delegate Bronrott said sounded like “pocket protector talk” but was extremely important. Local governments took a transportation funding hit, but according to Delegate Bronrott the county government told the legislature this was their performed form of pain compared to the pension shifting or income tax skimming discussed by Delegate Frick. But stimulus funding is helping to pay for some local transportation programs, such as new hybrid buses and road and bridge maintenance.
Delegate Bronrott also highlighted his work on highway safety, which is something he labors on each session. One of the new laws going into effect on the road safety issue is SB 265, raising the driving age by six months.
Senator Brian Frosh
Given his chairmanship of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, it is not surprising that Senator Frosh viewed the session from the perspective of that committee. After hearing his colleagues complain about legislation that died in the Senate, he started off with an old joke about a young member of the US House of Representatives who told his senior Democratic colleague ‘I can’t wait to debate the enemy, those darn Republicans.’ To which the senior Democrat responded ‘The Republicans are not the enemy, they are the loyal opposition. The Senate is the enemy.’
The highlight of the Senator’s session appears to have been overturning the Supreme Court. In 2007, the Supreme Court reversed years of precedent and decided that manufacturer imposed minimum prices on retailers no longer violated federal anti-trust law. State law in this regard usually mirrors federal law, but SB 239 divorces the two on this specific issue and makes minimum price requirements by manufacturers a violation of anti-trust. This will allow retailers to, if they choose, set lower prices which is good for consumers.
Senator Frosh was also happy to see the two domestic violence bills involving guns pass, as well as the legislature’s step in the right direction on the death penalty. All of these initiatives flowed through the Judicial Proceedings Committee.
Conclusion
Each legislator discussed the legislative session in a different light. Next time, we will look at what their constituents had to say.
Friday, October 24, 2008
State Legislators Cry Foul on Sentinel Coverage
Two state legislators claim that the Montgomery Sentinel has inaccurately characterized their responses on the slots issue. These are serious allegations that the Sentinel must address immediately.
In Part Two of our series reprinting the Sentinel's questions to state legislators on slots, we reported the Sentinel's statement that it did not receive return communications from Delegates Bill Bronrott and Bill Frick, both of District 16. Both Delegates claim that is untrue.
Delegate Bronrott told me, "The reporter and I traded calls a couple of times. While we did not connect in time to have a conversation before his deadline, I did leave him a message letting him know that I oppose the slots referendum." Nevertheless, Sentinel reporter Joe Slaninka wrote, "Though the Montgomery Sentinel tried repeatedly to get in contact with Bronrott, by press time he still had not returned our phone calls."
Delegate Frick received an email from Slaninka on Tuesday, October 14 at 11:56 AM saying:Dear Delegate or Senator,
Delegate Frick emailed Slaninka four minutes later:
I am polling the Montgomery County Delegation about your positions on the Slots Referendum on the upcoming November ballot. I am asking for your position (either for or against) and your reasons for your position. If you are against, I am also asking what alternatives you would like to see to help fix the current budget crisis in Maryland.
I have a deadline of tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 15) so I would appreciate it if you could respond as soon as possible. You can respond to this email or you can call me at my office or on my cell phone (provided below). I appreciate your time and I look forward to hearing from you very soon. Thank you.Joe, I am voting "no" on the referendum.
Nevertheless, Slaninka wrote, "Though the Montgomery Sentinel tried repeatedly to get in contact with Frick, by press time he still had not returned our phone calls."
This is irresponsible press coverage on multiple levels. First, given the woeful understaffing of state legislative offices when the General Assembly is out of session, it is absolutely unreasonable to give them 24 hours notice to respond to press questions. Anyone who covers Annapolis would understand this. Second, the Sentinel blatantly mischaracterized these two Delegates as unresponsive when they in fact did reach out to the reporter. In Frick's case, he did so in four minutes.
The Sentinel's editors need to investigate this and issue a retraction and an apology to these two Delegates. And they should do it yesterday.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Rumor du Jour
Reggie Oldak and Don Mooers are planning to run a slate for the House of Delegates in 2010 and are currently looking for a third person. Both competed unsuccessfully for the recent vacancy caused by Del. Marilyn Goldwater's resignation which went to Del. Bill Frick. Oldak was endorsed by the Washington Post and came in a strong fourth for the House in 2006. After the election, she took a job as an aide to newly-elected County Councilmember Roger Berliner. Don Mooers, an attorney, ran for Congress unsuccessfully against then Rep. Connie Morella.
If the rumor is true, it would make for the most interesting race in District 16 in years. Oldak and Mooers would both be strong candidates. In contrast, the incumbents have not faced strong challenges, running on full incumbent slates. Like Bill Frick, Del. Susan Lee also arrived in the legislature by appointment in 2002. Del. Bill Bronrott also has not faced a strong challenge since he won the seat vacated by Del. Gilbert Genn in 1998. Bronrott won at least partly because of a backlash against Genn's attempt to give the seat to a friend by announcing his retirement from the House after the filing deadline for candidates and has also not faced a strong challenge.
