For the 2020 General Election, Represent Maryland members and volunteers met for three nights to discuss and vote on whether to endorse, be against, or take no position on each of the 2020 ballot questions for the state and all Maryland counties. Our results are below along with statements about the question where applicable. 

There are no local questions for Allegany County.

Question G
Charter Amendment
Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission

Language:
To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to require the Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission.
​
For the Charter Amendment
Against the Charter Amendment

Background and Explanation: If passed, Question will require the existence of the Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission. Currently the commission is not codified in the county charter.

Represent Maryland Position: FOR

Questions A-D: Bond Issues
Represent Maryland Position: NONE

Question K
Charter Amendment
City Administrator

Language:
Resolution No. 20-26 would establish the position of City Administrator as the Chief Administrative Officer of Baltimore City. The law would provide for how the City Administrator is appointed and removed and would establish the powers and duties of the City Administrator. The City Administrator would be required to appoint a Deputy City Administrator and certain other staff.

For the Charter Amendment
Against the Charter Amendment

Background and Explanation: If passed, a new position of City Administrator will be created and codified in the city charter. The position will be filled by the mayor, confirmed by the council, and report to the mayor.

Represent Maryland Position: NONE

There are no local questions for Calvert County.

There are no local questions for Caroline County.

There are no local questions for Caroline County.

Question A
Charter Amendment
County Council Qualifications

Language:
To amend the Cecil County Charter to provide that non-elected Board Members, Committee Members, and Employees of State, County and Municipal agencies, not directly supervised or substantially controlled by the Executive or Council, to be qualified to be County Council Members.

For the Charter Amendment
Against the Charter Amendment

Represent Maryland: NONE

There are no local questions for Charles County.

There are no local questions for Dorchester County.

There are no local questions for Garrett County.

There are no local questions for Harford County.

Question C
Charter Amendment
County Employment Discrimination

Language:
Changing the Howard County Charter to prohibit employment discrimination by Howard County based on a person's disability, color, national origin, immigration status, age, occupation, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status, or personal appearance. The prohibition would no longer include the word sex and the County could still not make an employment decision based on a person's political or religious opinions or associations or race.

For New Discrimination Protections
Against New Discrimination Protections

There are no local questions for Kent County.

Questions A-E: Bond Issues
Represent Maryland Position: NONE

There are no local questions for Queen Anne's County.

There are no local questions for St Mary's County.

There are no local questions for Somerset County.

There are no local questions for Washington County.

There are no local questions for Wicomico County.

There are no local questions for Worchester County.

Federal races are much different then state and local races for a number of reasons. They are often more expensive, some candidates get national attention from individual and non-individual donors, and a lot of donors prioritize donating to federal candidates over state/local. To qualify for research, candidates must receive at least $10,000 in campaign contributions.  

Because of that, we've established three possible certifications for federal candidates. 

**Small Money Certified Federal**
These candidates have gotten the majority of their donations from individuals who live in Maryland and their average donation size is under $300

**Small Money Certified Federal Super Donors**
These candidates have gotten the majority of their donations from individuals who live in Maryland and their average donation size is over $300

**Small Money Certified Federal: National Attention**
These candidates have gotten the majority of their donations from individuals, but the majority do not live in Maryland.

Additional Notes:

For federal candidates, we did not scrutinize the profession of individual donors, but if that is something that you are interested or concerned about we recommend you do you your own research on the FEC.gov website.

Federal certification is based only on the information reported to the FEC for their federal campaign committee. Many candidates currently hold state office and therefore have a second campaign committee. Information for their state campaign committee can be found on the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System (CRIS.) Federal campaign committee certification does not guarantee state campaign committee certification.

Currently, there are two bills in the Maryland General Assembly to change the way some legislative vacancies are filled by using special elections -- SB0010, introduced by Senators Lam and Hough, and HB0103 introduced by Delegate Moon. We appreciate these lawmakers for introducing these bills and creating space for public discourse about how our state’s vacancy process works. And we agree with all three of these lawmakers when they say SB0010 and HB0103 are compromise bills. Represent Maryland does not think these bills are strong enough to fix the real problem – legislative appointments by central committees.

To us, the key talking point isn't whether or not we should adopt special elections for vacancies -- we absolutely should -- but rather how our current appointment process is being abused by political parties for their own gain. It's been a long running open secret that if a person wants to make it to the General Assembly without running in a state election they can get simply cozy up to or get themselves on one of their party’s central committees, and wait around for an opening. Nearly 20% of the current MDGA was appointed to their first or current seat; for the 2020 session alone, 9 vacancies have already been filled by central committees. 

The role of a central committee is not to be a pipeline to the General Assembly but that is how it's currently treated by members of both parties. Central Committees should be working to advance their party vision through outreach, education, campaigning, and fundraising. However if you ask many CC members what they think about abolishing the appointment process, they will say, non-ironically "then what will the central committees do?"

In many cases, the decision about who is sent to the governor for approval falls on less than 10 people. In the case of the opening made in legislative district 45 when Cheryl Glenn was forced to resign after being indicted on fraud and bribery charges, seven people were responsible for deciding who the next representative would be for over 100K voters. And if you followed that situation, you'll know that the winning nominee is not only the daughter of another delegate in that district, but that she is also a CC member who cast the tie-breaking vote -- for herself.

Appointments are un-democratic and lead to crony corruption at all levels of government. Those who are hoping to get an appointment are more willing to toe their party line, instead of work for the benefit of the people they are meant to serve. It's time for the current members of the Maryland General Assembly to say enough is enough and put an end to this antiquated (at best) practice. It's time for them to stand up for the people of Maryland, to say they won't compromise on ending crony corruption, and work to make these two bills stronger by amending them to abolish appointments completely, regardless of timing.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

​TAKE ACTION NOW TO TELL LAWMAKERS TO END APPOINTMENTS COMPLETELY!
Contact the following senators and tell them: "Don't compromise on ending crony corruption. Strengthen SB0010 by amending it to abolish appointments entirely, in favor of special elections for all legislative openings."

(copy/paste these email addresses into your email app; sample language is below.)
Senator Clarence Lam, bill sponsor: 410-841-3653 | 301-858-3653  |  [email protected]
​Senator Michael Hough, bill sponsor: 410-841-3704 | 301-858-3704  |  [email protected]
 
Senator Paul Pinsky, Committee Chair: 410-841-3155 | 301-858-3155  |  [email protected]
 
Senator Bill Ferguson, Senate President: 410-841-3600 | 301-858-3600  |  [email protected]
 
Sample language for email:
“Dear senator,
I am writing today to let you know that the people of Maryland do not want you to compromise when it comes to ending crony corruption in Maryland. SB0010 – “Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office” is a good start but it must be amended to be stronger by abolishing all legislative appointments in favor of special elections.
Central Committees are not meant to be pipelines for un-elected people to make their way to the General Assembly, but that’s what they’ve become. The recent situation in LD45 was one of the most undemocratic political events to happen in Maryland in years, and the handful of people behind the decision don’t think they did anything wrong. Marylanders are counting on you to fix this problem now, before it can happen again.
There are many ways that Special Elections can be made to work for all openings, including vote by mail and/or Instant Run-Off Ranked Choice Voting, and per Comptroller Franchot, the cost is nominal and well worth the investment into our future. There is no non-political reason to not push for a final solution now.
Please amend your bill to abolish appointments entirely and in the process, ensure that all eligible voters can participate in the democratic process of selecting their replacement lawmaker, regardless of timing. There is nothing more important to the future of Maryland and America than protecting and strengthening our democratic process.”
 
Sample language for phone:
“Please let the senator know that I want him to strengthen SB0010 by amending it to abolish appointments entirely. The people of Maryland do not need a compromise on ending crony corruption in Annapolis, we want a real, final solution.”
​

Thanks to everyone who has signed our ResignMayorPugh.com petition! Now, let's figure out next steps to convince the Mayor to resign so Baltimore can move forward.

But first, to recap:
1999-Catherine Pugh was elected to the Baltimore City Council where she served until 2004.
2001-Catherine Pugh joins the UMMS board. UMMS is a private, non-profit entity in MD that took over the operation of the formerly public University of Maryland hospital. 
2005-Pugh is appointed to an opening in the MD House of Delegates by then Gov Bob Ehrlich, where she served until 2007.
2007-Pugh wins a seat as a state senator for Baltimore City. She is assigned to the finance committee and serves in that role until 2016. 
2011-Pugh incorporates Healthy Holly, LLC
2011-The University of Maryland Medical System purchases 20,000 "Healthy Holly" books, authored by Pugh. They are donated to city schools and day cares, according to Pugh.
2013-2018-UMMS purchases additional books from Pugh's Healthy Holly LLC, totaling at least $500,000. Some of the payments were labeled as "grants" in federal tax filings, which according to tax experts, is improper.
2015-Healthy Holly LLC donates $5000 to Pugh's mayoral campaign. 
2016-Columbia, MD businessman JP Grant (CEO of Grant Capital Management) cuts a check for $100,000 to Healthy Holly LLC, while Pugh was the democratic mayoral nominee. He says he received one copy of the book and did not know how the money would be used.
2016-Then State Senator Pugh wins her election to become the 50th Mayor of Baltimore city. 
2016-Shortly after winning, Mayor Pugh vetoes the city council passed Fight For $15 legislation, which she had campaigned on.
2017-Pugh's Campaign Aide, Gary Brown JR, who was slated to take over her senate seat, is indicted for election law violation "stemming from alleged illegal contribution" to her campaign committee. What he was accused of "bundling.' Brown did not take over as senator, but instead was given a job on the Mayors communications team. In May 2017 he was found guilty on two counts of violating election laws and was given probation before judgement. 
2019-Senator Jill Carter introduces legislation to make it illegal for board members to profit from deals with hospitals they govern. This bill tipped off journalists to dig into UMMS dealings. Mayor Pugh resigned from UMMS in early 2019. It's also revealed that Kaiser Permanente paid $114,00 to Healthy Holly LLC, and the Associated Black Charities (a non-profit) says it collected almost $90,000 from five separate entities including CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, to buy and distribute 10,000 copies of Pugh's books, sending nearly $80,000 to Healthy Holly, LLC and keeping the rest.
April 2019-Mayor Pugh announces she is sick with pneumonia and cancels all public appearances.
April 2019-Mayor Pugh announced she is taking a leave of absence, due to illness, and city council president Jack Young assumes the role of Ex-Offico Mayor (acting mayor.)
April 2019-It's announced that the Office of the State Prosecutor and the Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General (who Represent Maryland helped make independent in 2018) have opened investigations into Mayor Pugh's conduct. 
April 2019-The Maryland General Assembly passes Sen Carters bill, prohibiting board members from profiting from deals with the hospitals they govern. Several other high profile board members take leaves of absence, step down, or are asked to resign. 
April 2019-Several of Pugh's aides and employees are places on paid-leave. Three are later fired by Exo Mayor Young, including Gary Brown, JR.
April 25 2019-The FBI and IRS raid both homes of Mayor Catherine Pugh, City Hall, and other locations associated with the mayor. UMMS is served with a federal warrant. It's revealed that the investigation leading to the raids is at least one year old. 
April 25 2019-According to Pugh's lawyer and spokesperson, Mayor Pugh is not "lucid" enough to make a decision about whether to resign or not. He say's she might make a decision the following week. 
(List compiled from Wikipedia, The Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Brew, and WBAL TV.) 

And some info about our options as voters:
1) Neither the city council nor the Exo Mayor of Baltimore City have the authority to remove a sitting mayor from office. 
2) The governor of Maryland does have the authority to remove a mayor, per the state constitution. However this opens the door to preemption in future cases. 
3) All 14 members of the council (excluding Exo Mayor Young) have gone on record calling for her to resign as has Governor Hogan. A number of businesses have as well. 
5) It's unclear whether the MD General Assembly can remove Mayor Pugh from office; they do have the power to remove the Governor or Lt Governor. Although the #HealthyHolly scandal broke while they were still in session, they did not act to have her removed before it ended. In order to do so now, they would need to call an emergency session.
6) Mayor Pugh's lawyer has gone on record stating that she is not "lucid" enough to make the decision on whether to resign or not. 

Essentially residents, voters, and tax-payers are being held hostage by her refusal to step down, so that the city can move forward. 

But there is some good news! In her absence, the City Council is working on a number of bills to strengthen our democracy and bring much needed checks and balances, over-sight ,and transparency to our local government 
Starting on April 22, a number of bills are being introduced to change the city charter or establish new guidelines, removing some power from the mayor. They are:

Plus, the meat and potatoes of the Baltimore City Fair Election Fund will be introduced in the next 30 days!

At first blush, Represent Maryland supports all of these initiatives, however we won't make final determination until we see the full text of each bill. These are a good start to #FightingForDemocracy in Bmore, but we believe the council needs to go further by amending the charter to include a recall option (voters can petition to bring whether to remove an elected official from office to vote,) and by adopting special elections, to end the cronyism and "toe the line" party politics that have plagues the city (and state) for decades. We'll be sending out more information about how you can help push for these two solutions over the next few weeks, so please keep an eye on your inbox.

Yesterday, Baltimore County Council Members Cathy Bevins and Julian Jones both made identical posts on their social media pages asking for input on the bill that would allow creation for a public election fund for Baltimore County. (Bevins was on her personal page which was screenshot and shared into local groups. Jones was public.) Read the full bill here. We are 100% in support of the county creating a public election fund. It's our #1 realistic solution to fighting big money in politics, and we believe these posts were written to mis-lead the public with the intention of stopping this program before it can get started. Below are explanation of how they mis-lead the public and steps we need YOU to take in order to save the fund! 

Mis-lead #1: "Should the county spend approx. $4M on a public election fund, or should they spend it on schools, etc." 

There is currently nothing stopping the county from spending money to improve schools, roads, parks, police or the fire department. The money exists. If the council members wanted to prioritize these things, they could. Instead, they work to give million dollar tax breaks to developers. Read more here. Additionally, a bill was introduced in 2018 to give fire fighters a break on their property taxes, but was defeated in 4-3 along party lines (all R's voted for it, all D's voted against it.) Read more here. If the council is concerned about Fire Fighters and the Fire Department, they haven't shown it in the past. 

Mis-lead #2: "I do not support giving tax dollars to candidates."

This is a gross over-simplification of a robust and voter-centered solution to the problem of big money in politics. Every one of the dozens of jurisdiction across the country that have enacted public election funds require that an applying candidate meets a certain threshold of viability before receiving matching funds. Montgomery County created a program in 2014 which went into effect for the 2018 election. Of the over 3 dozen candidates who applied, less than 20 qualified. And all 4 at-large council seat winners used the fund. The county had dedicated $11M to the fund, and at our last check, they only used about $4M. That $4M ensured that at least four members of the council have no financial connections to businesses or developers. All 4 of those candidates had to canvass and campaign across their jurisdiction in order to receive enough small, individual donations to qualify for matching funds, and in the process they met their future constituents in-person and listened to them talk about the real issues they face. 

Compare that to Ms. Bevins and Mr. Jones. From 2010 until now, Ms. Bevins has raised over a half a million dollars - $508,214.78 -from businesses and lobbyists, with an average donation of over $800. From individuals? She's only received 552 donations, with an average amount of $265, totaling $146,457.95.

Of course Ms. Bevins does not want a public option for candidates in her county. She is already getting more than enough money to successfully win her campaigns from her business and lobbyist supporters. If a challenger used the fund, voters might decide to elect a representative who represents them, not Kingston Realty LLC, Franklin and Reisterstown LLC, Northridge Limited Partnership, and Dulaney Venture, LLC. See her full campaign finance report here. 

Mr. Jones started his career in 2006 by taking mostly individual donations, ranging from $2 to $400, with an average of $100. It wasn't until 2014 that he regularly started receiving donations from businesses, lobbyists and PACs. Since then he has accepted over 100 donations from non-individuals, totaling over $103k. Some donors include: GGCV Real Estate, LLC, GGCV Energy LLC, Red Run Ventures, LLC, and again Dulaney Venture, LLC. See his full campaign finance report here. 

Additionally, Mr. Jones has stated on his personal campaign website the following:

"I can not do it without your help and support, so please join me in my quest to make our community great. My goal is to make our community a desirable place to live because of the great schools, great places to eat and shop and the piece of mind of having a safe neighborhood. So if you want to join me please:
​
1) Vote for me. I need your vote and will not let you down.
2) Tell your neighbors, friends and family to vote for me.
3) Make a contribution to my campaign, no matter how small. I need it to spread my message.
4) Join the campaign."

(Emphasis added. View on his site here.) 

Mr. Jones talks about the value of small dollar donations for his own campaign, and yet it appears he is scared to enact a program to help candidates without access to large donors, just like he was when he first ran. We believe this attempt to mis-lead the public is just plain selfish. 

Mis-Lead #3: "I do not support giving pubic tax dollars to candidates; I think it is not an appropriate use of funds."

We appreciate the honesty of both Ms. Bevins and Mr. Jones. However, the decision on whether to "give public tax dollars to candidates" is not theirs to make. The bill before the council is a charter amendment. All charter amendments must go to the voters to let them decide on whether this is a good use of public funds. We believe most will. To obstruct this solution, that has been enacted in dozens of jurisdictions across the country, and in Montgomery, Howard, Prince George's Counties and Baltimore City, is undemocratic. 

1) Sign our petition to bring a public election fund to Baltimore County.

2) Share the our Facebook post with your friends and followers, so we can grow this movement.

3)Contact ALL members of the Baltimore County Council now, and tell them to let the voters decide on whether this is a good solution for Baltimore County, by voting in favor of bill 3-19!

Call and email-
​CC: [email protected] 
Main Email:
[email protected]

Tom Quirck-District 1
[email protected]
410-887-0896
410-887-3386
We believe Mr. Quirk IS NOT in support of the fund. Tell him to vote in favor of it on March 18th!

Izzy Patoka-District 2
[email protected] 
410-887-3385
We do not know whether Mr. Patoka supports the fund or not. Tell him voters want the change to decide for themselves and to vote in favor of bill 3-19 on March 19th!

Wade Kach-District 3
[email protected]
410-887-3387
We believe Mr. Kach IS in favor of the fund. Thank him for the support!

Julian E. Jones-District 4
[email protected]
410-887-3389
We know Mr. Jones is against creating the fund. Contact him now and tell him to live up to the word on his website, and empower candidates who take small donations only and to vote in favor of bill 3-19 on March 18th! 

David Marks-District 5
[email protected]
410-887-3384
We believe Mr. Marks IS in favor of the fund. Thank him for the support!

Cathy Bevins-District 6
[email protected]
410-887-3388
We know Ms. Bevins does NOT support the fund. Tell her not to stand in the way of democracy, and to vote in favor of bill 3-19 on March 18th, so that voters can decide what is best for them!

Todd K. Crandell
[email protected]
410-887-3383
410-887-3383
We believe Mr. Crandell is NOT in favor of the fund. Contact him now and tell him to vote in favor of bill 3-19 on March 18th, and to let the voters decide! 

This Thursday, anti corruption activists from across the Baltimore region are celebrating that we were able to get Question H-For the Fair Election Fund, on November's Ballot!

Join us for our campaign kick-off, from 7p-9p, at Next Phaze Cafe.

There will be food, fun and information about Question H. Plus speeches by local activists and Kristerfer Burnett, the lead sponsor of the bill that got this on to the ballot.You'll also be able to meet other Represent Maryland volunteers and sign up as a Represent Maryland member.

We hope to see you there! Click here to RSVP

The Transparency in Lobbying Act, introduced by Councilman Zeke Cohen, goes to second reader at tonight's city council meeting. We need your help to make sure it passes!

Please take a few minutes to send the following email:

SUBJECT: City Council Bill 18-0230
 
"Dear Baltimore City Councilmembers,
 
Thank you for your support of Council Bill 18-0230, the Transparency in Lobbying Act. We are greatly appreciative of the efforts and work of the Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee in moving the bill forward with one amendment and we look forward to passing this legislation with no further amendments. Your commitment to the democratic process as well as what is best for the citizens of Baltimore City is applauded and appreciated.
 
On Monday, September 17th, 2018 when the Transparency in Lobbying Act returns to City Council for second reader, please vote to pass Bill 18-0230 with no further amendments.
 
Thank you for your continued support of the Transparency in Lobbying Act. We look forward to the council meeting on Monday.
 
Sincerely,
 {Your Name}"
 
Send to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

And CC: [email protected] and [email protected]

How to: Open up an email, copy and paste all the council addresses above into the "To" filed. Copy and paste the Represent Maryland and President address in the "CC" field; copy and paste the text into the body of the email; replace {your name} with your name (you do not need to add any other info unless you want to; copy and paste the subject into the subject line; press send!!

Next steps for democracy in Baltimore: Join us on Wednesday night for a Baltimore Fair Elections volunteer training, to learn how you can help make sure Question H passes on Novembers ballot!
7p-9p, Maryland PIRG HQ, 3121 St Paul Street, Suite 26 (enter on the side of the building, take elevator to second floor.)
RSVP here: ​https://www.facebook.com/events/1175839359232922/

Last: Become a member of Represent Maryland and keep fighting for democracy all year! Membership gets you a t-shirt, exclusive sticker and button, membership card, invites to volunteer events, and the knowledge that you are helping to fight for the people of Maryland! We have made the decision to never take large grants or donations from anyone other than individuals, so your $50 a year membership fee is really important to our success! Click here to learn more.

​

This session, a number of bills were introduced which fall into the democracy reform solutions which Represent Maryland advocates for. The following is an overview of these bills.
As public awareness about the problem with money in politics builds, and as the demand for democracy reform grows, we will continue to advocate for these solutions in 2019 and beyond.

Download a pdf of our review below.

HB 174 and SB375-Election Law - Local Public Campaign Financing – Expansion
Sponsored by: Delegate Moon, Senator Pinsky       

Expanding on the 2014 bill that allowed Counties to establish public election funds, this pair of bills expands the offices for which the county may establish a system of public campaign financing to include: (1) an elected member of the county board of education; (2) clerk of the circuit court; (3) register of wills; (4) sheriff; or (5) State’s Attorney.
This is a much needed “next step” to establish public election funds in Maryland and will be a focus of Represent Maryland in the 2019 legislative session.

Read more:
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0004/hb0174.pdf
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0005/sb0375.pdf           

Status: No committee vote in either chamber.

HB 227-State Legislature Local Public Campaign Financing Act
Sponsored by: Delegate Korman

Expanding on the 2014 bill that allowed Counties to establish public election funds , this bill allows for the governing body of a county to establish a system of public campaign financing for candidates for member of the General Assembly from legislative districts within the county.
This is a much needed “next step” to establish public election funds in Maryland and will be a focus of Represent Maryland in the 2019 legislative session.

Read More: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0007/hb0227.pdf

Status: No committee vote-ways and means


SB 374-Public Funding and Small Donor Act for General Assembly Elections
Sponsored by: Senator Pinsky

This bill establishes the Public Funding and Small Donor Act for General Assembly Elections and a Commission to Study Public Financing of Elections in Maryland. The bill takes effect June 1, 2018, and the provisions that establish the study commission terminate June 30, 2020.
We believe this bill us unnecessarily cumbersome and a delay tactic to establishing public elections funds across the state. Represent Maryland will be supporting the bills previously mentioned, which take real, concrete steps toward this solution.

Read More: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0004/sb0374.pdf 

Status: No committee vote-EHEA
 

HB 260-Campaign Finance - Disclosure of Contributions and Expenditures - Preelection Period
Sponsored by: Del Carr           

The bill requires a political committee to file a specified contribution report within 48 hours after a day on which the political committee receives a single contribution of $1,000 or more from a contributor, a single transfer of $1,000 or more from a political committee, or a single loan of $1,000 or more that occur during the period between the closing date (third Sunday prior to an election) of the final campaign finance report filed before an election and the date of the election. A political committee must also file a specified expenditure report within 48 hours after a day on which the political committee makes a single expenditure of $10,000 or more. Represent Maryland supports this bill as it increases transparency during a time when, historically, a lot of money is spent on campaigns. Without this addition to Maryland Campaign Finance Laws, this information is not available until several weeks after an election. We will be supporting this bill in 2019.

Read more: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0000/hb0260.pdf

Status: No committee vote-ways and means

 
HB 1287-Election Law - Business Entity Campaign Contributions – Prohibition

Sponsored by: Delegate Moon

Maryland is one of only a few states that still allow direct contributions by businesses to candidate committees, most others prohibited the practice in 1907 with passage of The Tilman Act. This bill prohibits a business entity from directly making a contribution to a campaign finance entity. “Business entity” includes a corporation, a sole proprietorship, a general partnership, a limited partnership, a limited liability company (LLC), a real estate investment trust, or other entity.  Although business entities can still make contributions by forming a PAC (political action committee) this law would eliminate “double donating” from the same source. Represent Maryland will be supporting this bill in 2019.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0007/hb1287.pdf

Status: No committee vote-ways and means

HB 152 and SB1048-Secure and Accessible Registration Act (SARA),
Sponsored by: Delegate Luedtke, Senator Smith   

Also knows as “AVR” or Automatic Voter Registration, This bill modifies provisions established under Chapter 287 of 2016 by changing“ electronic voter registration agencies” designated under Chapter 287 to “automatic voter registration agencies” and redefining the “electronic voter registration systems” those agencies must establish, as “automatic voter registration systems.” The State Board of Elections (SBE) must also work with (1) the State Comptroller, to provide individuals who file a tax return electronically the opportunity to register to vote through a link to the online voter registration system and (2) the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) and Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE), to identify specified individuals who are eligible to register, but not registered, to vote, in order to mail voter registration forms and other information to those individuals.     

Read more:
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0002/hb0152.pdf
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0008/sb1048.pdf

Status: Passed both houses, will become law.
 
HB 532 and SB 375-Elective Franchise - Registration and Voting at Precinct Polling Place
Sponsored by: Delegate Reznik, Senator Pinksy     

Also called Election Day Registration, this constitutional amendment gives the General Assembly the power to allow a qualified individual to register and vote at a precinct polling place on Election Day.
EDR has shown to increase voter participation by at least 6% where implemented. Represent Maryland will be encouraging voters to vote YES on this ballot questions in the November 2018 general election.

Read more:
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0002/hb0532.pdf
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0005/sb0375.pdf

Status: Passed House (and senate), goes to voters on November General Election Ballot for a MD Constitutional Amendment
 
HB 173-Montgomery County - Ranked Choice Voting MC 19-18
Sponsored by: Montgomery County Delegation    

The bill authorizes the Montgomery County Council to adopt, by law, a ranked choice voting system for elections for county executive, member of the county council, judge of the circuit court, State’s Attorney, clerk of the circuit court, register of wills, judge of the orphans’ court, sheriff, or member of the board of education. The enacted local law may provide for the ballot format, procedures for tabulating votes, and any other provision necessary to implement ranked choice voting. “Ranked choice voting” means a method of casting and tabulating votes in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, and votes are tabulated in a manner that reflects voter preference. Represent Maryland supports RCV and will be supporting this bill in 2019.

Read more: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0003/hb0173.pdf

Status: No committee vote-ways and means

HB 280-Ballot Access - Voter Registration - Affiliating With a Party

Sponsored by: Del Tarlau

Currently, an unaffiliated voter must change their affiliation 21 days before a primary election, in order to be able to vote in the primary election of their choice on Election Day. This bill allows unaffiliated voters to, during early voting, appear in person at an early voting center in the individual’s county of residence and change party affiliation on an existing voter registration. If an election judge determines that the voter is a resident of the county, the election judge must issue the voter the appropriate ballot for the voter’s new party affiliation. The bill also specifies that a registered voter who has declined to affiliate with a political party may change to a party affiliation at any time an individual may register to vote under Title 3 (voter registration) of the Election Law Article.
Represent Maryland supports full open primaries. Allowing voters to change their affiliation on the spot is helpful, but ultimately maintains all political power within the two established main parties. This bill is a small step to allowing more voters to participate in primary elections, however we believe more can and should be done to enfranchise the nearly 40% of Maryland voters who are unaffiliated or affiliated with a third party, without requiring them to affiliate with a main party. We will support this bill in 2019 and continue to advocate for full open (top 4) primaries in Maryland.

Read more: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0000/hb0280.pdf

Status: No committee vote-ways and means
 
HB 1444-Election Law - Primary Elections - Voters Not Affiliated With a Political Party
Sponsored by Delegate Flanagan

This bill requires a political party that uses primary elections to nominate candidates for office to allow voters not affiliated with the party to vote in the party’s primary elections. An individual may vote only in the primary election of a single political party.
Represent Maryland supports full open primaries. Primary elections are paid for by all tax payers, and prohibiting the nearly 40% of voters who are not affiliated with a main party is not democratic. This bill is a small step to allowing those voters to participate, however it also opens the door for destructive cross-over voting. Represent Maryland will advocate for full open (top 4) primaries in Maryland in 2019.

Read More: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0004/hb1444.pdf

Status: In the House - Unfavorable Report by Ways and Means

HB 356 and SB307-General Assembly and Congressional Legislative Redistricting and Apportionment Commission
Sponsored by Governor Hogan   
      
This Administration bill proposes a constitutional amendment that, if approved by the voters at the next general election, repeals existing constitutional provisions related to the legislative and congressional redistricting process and requires the appointment of a General Assembly and Congressional Legislative Redistricting and Apportionment Commission. The bill prohibits two-member delegate districts and any consideration of party, incumbency, or candidates when drawing districts. The bill also includes provisions related to commission membership, votes required for passage of a plan, the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals, the process for developing and enacting redistricting plans, and funding for the commission and agencies specified in the bill.
Represent Maryland supports an independent redistricting commission to re-draw Maryland’s congressional maps. We will continue to support and advocate for this bill in 2019.

Read More:
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0006/hb0356.pdf
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0007/sb0307.pdf
 
Status:
In the House - Unfavorable Report by House Rules and Executive Nominations
In the Senate - Unfavorable Report by Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
 
HB 1022-Congressional Districts – Standards
Sponsored by Delegate Malone

This proposed constitutional amendment would define congressional districts in the Maryland constitution, and if approved by voters at the next general election, requires each congressional district in the State to consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form, and be substantially equal in population. In addition, due regard must be given to natural boundaries and the boundaries of political subdivisions.
Represent Maryland supports an independent redistricting commission to re-draw Maryland’s congressional maps. We will continue to support and advocate for this bill in 2019.

Read more: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0002/hb1022.pdf

Status:  In the House - Unfavorable Report by House Rules and Executive Nominations

HB 307-General Assembly - Special Election to Fill a Vacancy in Office
Sponsored by Delegate Moon

This proposed constitutional amendment requires the Governor to declare a special primary and general election immediately after a vacancy occurs in the office of a State senator or delegate if the vacancy occurs on or before the date that is 21 days before the deadline for filing a certificate of candidacy for the regular statewide primary and general election in the second year of the term. The special primary election and special general election must be held at the same time as the regular statewide elections. The Governor must appoint an eligible individual to fill the vacancy until a successor is elected by special election. If the vacancy occurs after the date that is 21 days before the certificate of candidacy deadline, the individual appointed by the Governor serves the remainder of the term.           
Represent Maryland supports special elections for vacancies of office at the state level. We believe they should be held within 90 days of the vacancy, before a replacement is appointed by the governor. Appointees become incumbents, which too often are re-elected, leading to cronyism within political parties. We will be watching this bill in 2019.

Read More: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0007/hb0307.pdf

Status: No committee vote-ways and means

HJ11 and SJ7-United States Constitution - Amendments Convention - Democracy Amendment
Sponsored by Delegate Gaines, Senator Pinksy

This joint resolution applies to the U.S. Congress for an amendments convention to be called for the purpose of proposing an amendment (or amendments) to the U.S. Constitution authorizing the regulation of contributions and expenditures intended to influence elections.
Represent Maryland supports adding a “Democracy Amendment” to the US Constitution. The amendment should include provisions that declare that spending money on elections is not protected as a first amendment right and that only natural persons are protected by the US Constitution (no artificial entities such as corporations, etc.) We will be watching this resolution in 2019.

Read More:
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0001/hj0011.pdf
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2018RS/fnotes/bil_0007/sj0007.pdf

Status: Passed in the House; Unfavorable Report by Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs in the Senate

WHAT:                             
On the last Friday of the 2018 Maryland Legislative Session, Represent Maryland, the all volunteer, non partisan anti corruption group, will bring a live statue of liberty to Lawyer’s Mall, and chain her up with “chains of corruption” to demonstrate the dysfunction, apathy and greed happening in politics at local, state and federal levels. The demonstration will be followed by speeches from Represent Maryland Volunteers and advocates for popular legislation which has been stalled or stopped by our elected officials, or who’ve been working against legislation that would bring further harm to citizens. The event will end with a march to city dock, through the streets of Annapolis, where the Statue of Liberty will be freed from her chains.
 
INTERVIEW & PHOTO OPS:  
Live statue of Liberty at Lawyer’s Mall and City Dock; anti corruption activists; advocates for many popular bills such as $15 an hour minimum wage increase, criminal justice reform and gun control.
 
WHEN:                             
Friday, April 6, 6p-730p
 
WHERE:                          
Lawyer’s Mall, Bladen Street and College Ave, Annapolis MD 21401
 
CONTACT:                      
Cristi Demnowicz, Represent Maryland
[email protected]