WCBC

May 29th, 2021 by WCBC Radio

Governor Larry Hogan Friday announced in letters to General Assembly leaders that, in accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, he has vetoed the following legislation passed during the 2021 legislative session:

HB 1322 – Primary and Secondary Education – School Personnel Not Returning to In-Person Instruction and Work – Accommodations and Discipline
“As we move forward in our recovery, we must do everything in our power to keep Maryland students healthy, safe, and learning. We cannot create additional barriers, which would only lead to further confusion with limited time left in the school year. Our students deserve better.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 133/HB 319 – Local Tax Relief for Working Families Act of 2021
HB 933 – Anne Arundel County – Transfer Tax – Housing Trust Special Revenue Fund
HB 1209 – Sales and Use Tax – Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing-Alterations
“As we begin our road to recovery, it would be unconscionable to raise taxes on our citizens and job creators at this critical time. To do so would further add to the very heavy burden that our citizens are already facing and short-circuit Maryland’s economic recovery.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 9 – State Employees – Collective Bargaining – Applicability, Bargaining Processes, and Memorandums of Understanding
SB 717/HB 904 – State Personnel – Collective Bargaining – Exclusive Representative Access to New Employees
SB 746/HB 894 – Education – Community Colleges – Collective Bargaining
“These pieces of legislation seek to address problems that do not exist and change labor practices that have worked for decades, while creating several burdensome fiscal and operational hardships.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 460/HB 419 – Economic Development – Advanced Clean Energy and Clean Energy Innovation Investments and Initiatives
“I have always supported thoughtful investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and the clean energy industry and infrastructure. This bill, however, would divert funds from existing programs with a great deal of accountability and strong records of success.” Read the governor’s letter here.

HB 719 – Commercial Tenants – Personal Liability Clauses – Enforceability
“House Bill 719 contains well-intentioned goals to assist struggling businesses that temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this legislation will have a negative impact on other Maryland small businesses by altering private contracts between commercial landlords and tenants and causing personal liability clauses to be unenforceable.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 199/HB 114 – Transportation – Maryland Transit Administration Funding and MARC Rail Extension Study (Transit Safety and Investment Act)
“Had this legislation been in place as the pandemic hit, MDOT would not have had the flexibility to shift funds and would have been forced to lay off valuable employees and/or further delay and even cancel critical projects across the State.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 417/HB 777 – Power Plant Research Program – Review of Application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity – Alterations
“HB 777/SB 417 imposes a six-month deadline for review of all CPCN cases including hydroelectric, natural gas, nuclear, wind energy, and transmission cases. The environmental complexity of the vast majority of these cases requires a longer review period than six months in order for PPRP to adequately meet its mission.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 95/HB 174 – Public Utilities – Investor-Owned Utilities – Prevailing Wage
“This legislation threatens to put additional undue financial stress on Maryland ratepayers at a critical period where they continue to face the detrimental fiscal and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Read the governor’s letter here.

HB 278 – Economic Development – Job Creation Tax Credit – Qualified Position and Revitalization Area
“House BIll 278 will cause Maryland’s Job Creation Tax Credit to become underutilized, defeating its purpose. We need to support Maryland’s job creators, not impose burdensome restrictions on successful incentive programs that bring economic growth to our state.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 97 – Purple Line Marketing Act
“This bill is premature in its timeline, reduces budget flexibility, and is legislatively unnecessary.” Read the governor’s letter here.

HB 464 – Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission – Mandatory Referral Review MC/PG 101-21
“House Bill 464 jeopardizes economic development in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties by delaying critical projects through a unique and subjective set of processes and approvals not followed in other parts of the State or region.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 741/HB 836 – COVID-19 Testing, Contact Tracing, and Vaccination Act of 2021
“These misguided bills would revert the State back to the early planning phases of Maryland’s COVID-19 pandemic response efforts by requiring the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to re-develop its testing, contact tracing, and vaccination plans that have already been serving Marylanders effectively and saving lives for over a year.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 780/HB 1003 – States of Emergency – Emergency Procurement and Budget Amendments – Notice and Authorization
“The arbitrary notification and reporting requirements that this legislation requires does little for transparency yet creates administrative challenges when time is of the essence. It is unreasonable – and frankly, out of touch – for the legislature to expect the Governor or an agency head to check boxes on a form rather than focus on the emergency at hand.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 829/HB 1091 – State Procurement – Emergency and Expedited Procurements – Revisions and Reporting
“If enacted, House Bill 1091 and Senate Bill 829 will delay emergency procurements – and when time is most critical, lengthening the emergency procurement process simply does not make sense.” Read the governor’s letter here.

SB 30/HB 133 – State Finance and Procurement – Appropriation Reductions (Board of Public Works Budget Reduction Clarification Act)
“By targeting the Governor’s authority to make midyear budget reductions, House Bill 133 and Senate Bill 30 are yet another power grab by the legislative branch that serves only to inhibit the executive branch’s ability – and Constitutional responsibility to best manage the State’s fiscal health in times of unforeseen crisis and fiscal uncertainty.” Read the governor’s letter here.

Also today, in accordance with Article II, Section 17(c) of the Maryland Constitution, Governor Hogan announced that a number of measures will become law without his signature.