As you may have heard, we have just adjourned the Special Session called by the Governor to conclude budget matters left unfinished during the Regular Legislative Session that ended last month. 

First, I want to thank all of you who contacted me over the last few weeks with your concerns about the proposed cuts to our State budget and the proposed tax increases.  Hearing from my constituents is the most effective way I have to gauge their concerns and opinions. 

Both the House and the Senate passed the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA) of 2012, which included a shift in normal teacher pension costs to the counties over the next four years.  Also passed was a tax increase of .25% - .5% (depending on income bracket) for federally adjusted incomes of $100,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples to prevent approximately $540 million in cuts.

I voted against both of these measures and I wanted to let you know the reasons why.  As a legislator who has spent the last 6 years fighting for progressive causes, I saw these bills as an unacceptable burden to our lower and middle class working families in Maryland. 

As a vocal critic of the teacher pension cost shifts, I believe that this shift will force counties, particularly Montgomery County, to either increase property taxes, cut services to the community, or both.  The pension shift, coupled with the tax increases passed, put too heavy a burden on middle class families, especially those with children.  This was not a plan that increased taxes on the top 1%.  Rather, over 40% of Montgomery County residents will see a tax increase of one form or another from this plan, and I refused to vote for a plan that was not progressive.   

I am glad that the proposed cuts to vital government functions, such as those to education, were prevented.  However, I am disappointed that these were the only options for cuts that were presented, and I believe that there are other ways we could have found the money to avoid those cuts without targeting Montgomery County’s middle class to the extent that we did. 

I know that the legislative process is just that, a process, and I believe wholeheartedly that moving forward we can work to improve on our existing policies.  So now that Special Session is over, I look forward to working with all my colleagues; those who voted for and those who voted against this plan, to find more efficiencies in state government while focusing on ways to grow our middle class and economy. 

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Below is information in our community that I think some of you may find of use:

1) During the legislative session, I was proud to have joined with a bi-partisan group of legislators working to advocate on behalf of our constituents for improved and expanded MARC service.  The working group met with MARC to voice our concerns.  

MTA will host town hall meetings in the coming weeks to discuss the new proposed Brunswick Line schedule.  Below is information for the Montgomery County meeting:

Tuesday, May 22, 2012
5:30p.m. – 8:30p.m.
Council Office Building
Ground Level Auditorium
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20852

If you would like a copy of the proposed new schedule please contact my office.

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2) Through the efforts of Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler, Maryland was involved in a court settlement with many of the nation’s largest banks that committed numerous abuses heavily contributing to the foreclosure problems Maryland, along with the entire country, now face.  As a result of this settlement, our state will receive $957 million in monetary benefits and relief to distressed Maryland homeowners.  Click HERE to read more about the settlement and how the money will be used.  

I will also be working with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office to organize a Homeowner Settlement Relief & Foreclosure Prevention Workshop in our area this Summer.  Please stay tuned for more information.

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3)  Click HERE to read a Gazette article mentioning a bill I sponsored and worked with the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce to pass that will help small businesses in Maryland by allowing them to more easily compete with larger firms for state government contracts.

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Saturday, May 5th
Hosted by Darrell Anderson
406 Grove Avenue, Washington Grove
2:30 p.m. Meet and Mingle
3:00-4:00 p.m. Campaign Update and Discussion
Please RSVP to 301-963-8555 / darrellanderson01@comcast.net

Opportunity to meet your district's OFA organizers and network with local activists.

Drinks and appetizers will be served.

(Grove Ave can only be accessed through Chestnut Rd. See Directions on reverse side.)
Grove Avenue is a walking path and you cannot drive on it
In Washington Grove, all avenues are walking paths and all roads are drivable.
For houses with addresses on Grove Avenue, access is through Chestnut Road.

DIRECTIONS:

From Rockville:
1. Driving North on 355 toward Gaithersburg, pass Shady Grove Road and make a right
at the third trac light (East Deer Park).
2. Go to the end of East Deer Park and go through the Stop Sign and trac light at the
Humpback Bridge.
3. Make a right over the bridge onto Railroad Street.
4. Make a left at the rst street on the left (very soon after the bridge).
This is Chestnut Road.
5. Pass through 3 Stop signs.
6. 406 Grove Avenue is the third house on the right after the third Stop sign
(dark blue garage on the right).
You will need to nd parking along the street---carpool if possible.

From Gaithersburg/Germantown
Travel South on 355 past Gaithersburg High School to the next light (East Deer Park).
Make a left onto East Deer Park and follow directions 2-6 above.
If you get lost, call Darrell at 301-963-8555 (home), or 240-506-2341 (cell

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Dear Friend,

Maryland’s 2012 Legislative Session has just concluded.  We’ve been very busy in Annapolis over the last three months, and I wanted to update you on the important things we’ve accomplished.  A more in-depth Annapolis Report from the District 39 team will follow as well.

This session I sponsored a number of bills that I believe will benefit both our State and our District. Five of those bills passed through both Chambers to successfully pass into law.  These measures included (1) Small Business Procurement Reserve Program Expansion which will help Maryland’s small businesses win state contracts when they wouldn’t otherwise be able to compete with larger companies; (2) legislation debarring entities engaging inInvestment Activities With Iran from entering into a contract with the State; (3) E-Waste Reform requiring the State to only contract for electronics recycling with certified recyclers so harmful equipment or chemicals are not dumped domestically or abroad; (4) clarification that Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners have the right to practice within the scope of their license, including in a sleep laboratory; and (5) new regulations on Morticians’ Handling of Human Remains which establishes requirements for the proper handling of the body of a decedent by funeral establishments and crematories in response to recent scandals involving the treatment of remains of Maryland veterans awaiting burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Below are several of the key bills that were proposed, debated, and in most cases, passed by the General Assembly this session that will make a significant impact on our state.  These include: 

• SB 150, SB 152, and SB 523 State Budget:  For the first time in twenty years, the leadership of the House and the Senate failed to reach an agreement on legislation balancing the budget before the end of the legislative session.  As the situation stands now, by law, a “doomsday” budget will go into effect on July 1 drastically cutting funding for education, transportation, grants for the counties to assist with police, fire, and emergency services, and many other deserving programs.  This budget will have a very damaging effect on Maryland families; and as a result, we will likely return for a Special Session in the coming weeks to finish the financial business of the State.
• SB 848 Maintenance of Effort (MoE) (Passed): Montgomery County’s effort to make our school system our top priority while the economy was strong saw us investing hundreds of millions of dollars over the requirements MoE put on the County.  However, as a direct result of that prioritization, the County has found itself struggling to maintain such a high investment year after year to meet the requirements of MoE. Thanks to the leadership of our State Senator, Nancy King, we were able to pass legislation fixing this problem to make sure our County can continue to prioritize our public schools in good and bad fiscal times.
• HB 987 Storm Water Management (Passed): This measure will allow local governments to establish an annual stormwater remediation fee for both public and private properties to fund local watershed protection and restoration measures.  
• HB 446 Bay Restoration Fund (Passed): Through this measure more funding will now be provided to the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund to upgrade our wastewater treatment plants and help reduce the amount of pollution in our Bay.
• HB 441 Maryland Offshore Wind Act: I have been a strong supporter of this issue for the past two sessions.  I was happy to have had the opportunity to vote it out of the House this session, but unfortunately the Senate failed to move on it. 
  

As you may know, I sit on the Health and Government Operations (HGO) Committee, which considers legislation on all issues relating to healthcare, as well as state government organization, procedures, and procurement.

The following bills are key pieces of legislation passed after going through the HGO Committee:

• HB 443 Health Benefit Exchange: This bill establishes the marketplace by which people can buy private individual health insurance, starting Jan. 1, 2014, and creates a competitive marketplace to find insurance. In doing this, Marylanders are given more choice in finding the best health insurance plan for themselves as is mandated by federal healthcare reform. The Exchange will allow individuals and small business owners to compare prices for health insurance, buy policies, and obtain federal subsidies.
• HB 438 Civil Marriage Protection Act: The right to marry is a civil right that should be granted to everyone and this Session civil marriage equality was finally extended to same-sex couples.  While many of my constituents contacted me in support of this effort, I respect the fact that many of my constituents had different views.  With the likelihood that this legislation will be put on the November ballot for referendum by Maryland voters, I hope that our community can continue to have respectful conversations with our friends and neighbors when discussing this issue.
• HB 439 Health Disparities Reduction Act (Enterprise Zones): This bill aims to reduce health disparities by targeting zones that are underserved.  Health enterprise zones will be established to direct state resources strategically to reduce disparities, improve outcomes, reduce costs, and reduce hospital readmissions. In addition, incentives will encourage physicians to lend their services to provide quality care to residents of those zones. 
• HB1055 Habilitative Insurance Coverage Study: This bill requires that the State create an advisory board to determine what services are required by health insurance companies to be covered to meet and expand the state’s habilitative care mandate passed 12 years ago, and requires insurers to provide notice of the benefit to members annually.   

With another session behind us, I would like to say that it is an honor to serve you in Annapolis and continue to communicate with you via email, video, phone, or by letter.  As always, please feel free to contact me throughout the year with your thoughts and concerns.  I would also love the opportunity to personally meet you or any groups of which you are a member in the District, to talk about the session, neighborhood issues, or plans and thoughts for the future.

Sincerely,
Delegate Kirill Reznik

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We have finished the final full week of the 2012 session, with Sine Die approaching on Monday. Below is my weekly “Reznik Report” video blog, where I will discuss important happenings and issues in Annapolis:

Reznik Report Week 13

In addition to the Reznik Report, below is some information I wanted to share with you:

1)  As a member of the committee in the House of Delegates dealing with health issues, including health insurance, I was mentioned in a recent Gazette article discussing the impending Supreme Court decision on federal healthcare reform and its potential impact on Maryland.  To read the article click HERE.

2)  The Maryland National Park and Planning Commission is currently in the process of rewriting the Zoning Code to modernize antiquated, redundant zoning regulations and create new tools to help achieve goals in community plans.   They will be hosting six open houses scheduled around Montgomery County in April and early May so that the general public can be more involved with the effort.  To learn more about the project and locate an open house near you click HERE.

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