Good afternoon. I am pleased to see so many of our legislators here today. I know that this year’s legislative session, and the special session that preceded it, were very busy times, and the last few days have been no exception. I appreciate all of you making time to be here this afternoon. From the beginning of the special session last November, until the moment the gavel fell on Sine Die this past Monday, Maryland’s General Assembly faced a formidable and complex task. Not only did it have to ensure the continuation of those services, programs, and resources that are essential to preserving prosperity for this County and this State, it also had to confront the consequences of a lingering structural deficit and put Maryland’s fiscal house in order. Solving these complex problems simultaneously was not easy, and I am proud of how much was accomplished in Annapolis this year. By working with Governor Martin O’Malley, President Miller, and Speaker Busch, the General Assembly approved $333 million dollars in school renovation and construction funding statewide, and passed legislation that protects our environment, strengthens public safety, and supports the renaissance of County communities, making certain that none of these accomplishments compromised the progress made in addressing Maryland’s structural deficit reconciliation. The famous author Isaac Asimov once said, "No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account, not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be …” By providing for the essential needs of today without undermining the potential for prosperity tomorrow, we made significant progress on behalf of the people of Baltimore County and the entire State of Maryland. However, what was accomplished during this legislative session would not have been possible without the outstanding leadership Baltimore County provides in both houses of the General Assembly. We have our delegation chairs, Senator Norman Stone and Delegate Eric Bromwell; Delegate Adrienne Jones, our House of Delegates’ Speaker Pro Tem and Chair of the House Capital Budget Sub-Committee; Senator Ed Kasemeyer, Vice Chair of the Senate Budget and Tax Committee; Delegate Dan Morhaim, the Deputy Majority Leader in the House; and Delegate Jimmy Malone, Vice-Chair of House Environmental Matters. The teamwork and guidance of our delegation guaranteed that the people of Baltimore County had an important voice in the State House. On behalf of the citizens of this County, thank you for getting the job done, once again this year. Quality education in our public schools is the foundation of our future. During the last five years, with the support of our County delegation, Baltimore County has spent over $600 million in order to give our teachers and students the finest facilities possible. Once again, improving the quality of public education was our delegation’s number one priority in Annapolis. We know that quality educational programs require school facilities that are safe, well maintained, and up-to-date. As home to the second-oldest school stock in the State, Baltimore County has many schools that have served our children for more than fifty years. In order to ensure that these schools can continue to serve effectively for years to come, Baltimore County initiated a program of systemic renovation. The need for additional school renovation and construction funding from the state was and still is urgent. That is why we are so grateful that even in the face of our State’s fiscal crisis, Governor Martin O’Malley understood that urgency. I thank him for including $333 million dollars for statewide renovation and construction funding in his budget, and I thank the members of the General Assembly for supporting that request. I congratulate our County’s delegation for already securing more than $30 million dollars of this funding for Baltimore County this year, with the prospect of significant additional funding when the final recommendations are announced on April 22nd. Because of this support, Baltimore County is prepared to complete the systemic renovations of our middle schools and begin the renovation program for our high schools. Baltimore County also knows that success in school depends on the availability of quality early childhood education programs for ages birth to three years old. By providing intervention services at an early age, we are supporting families and creating brighter futures for our children. Between 2002 and 2007, the number of eligible infants and toddlers and their families receiving program services in Maryland grew by 46 percent. Beginning in 2005, Baltimore County has added 24.5 positions in our local program and has converted all previous 10-month positions to 12 month. Since 2003 Maryland’s Infants and Toddlers Program has had minimal funding increases, never exceeding $5.8 million statewide. Thanks to the advocacy of School Superintendent, Dr. Nancy Grasmick, and our Infants and Toddlers citizen advocates, and with the support of the General Assembly, the Governor included an additional $4.6 million for the program. This will increase Baltimore County’s share by almost $700,000 to more than $1.5 million for FY 09. I am very appreciative of the leadership of State Superintendent, Dr. Grasmick and her staff, our County delegation, and folks like Kelli Nelson, Michelle Hart, and Paula Boykin who are constant advocates for children and who are here with us today. Our most important responsibility as elected officials is public safety. People must feel safe in their homes, communities, and places of business. In Baltimore County, we are fortunate to have outstanding Police and Fire Departments that work tirelessly for our security. During this session, our delegation pushed for important legislation that will allow law enforcement officials to release the names and photographs of juvenile offenders who escape from a juvenile facility like the Hickey School. Supported by Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger, this law will make it possible for our police officers to apprehend escapees more quickly and to more effectively protect our County neighborhoods. Despite the best efforts of our delegation, we were unable to gain passage of legislation that would have required pawnbrokers and precious metals and scrap metal dealers to report their acquisitions to local police departments electronically on the next day. This legislation would have made it possible for law enforcement officials to check acquisitions against current burglary reports and to expedite the recovery of stolen goods and the arrest of thieves and those who sell stolen property. The theft of precious and scrap metals in Baltimore County alone has increased by more than 625 percent over the past four years, which is the reason we will make this legislation a priority in next year’s legislative agenda. In response to the growing threat of sophisticated and high tech identity theft, the Baltimore County delegation took the lead this year in supporting legislation that would make the proceeds of identity theft crimes subject to forfeiture, as are the proceeds from drug crimes. I was disappointed that this common sense legislation failed, but I applaud Senator Delores Kelley’s for her tireless efforts to pass this legislation. I am confident that we will be back again next year seeking an identity theft forfeiture law. Our Baltimore County delegation was a major player in the passage of a number of important statewide initiatives during this legislative session. Vice Chair of the House Environmental Matters Committee Jimmy Malone’s leadership was extremely important as lawmakers worked to provide a healthier, cleaner environment. Baltimore County was very involved with the passage of HB 1253, the Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas law. This legislation provides for stricter standards and greater regulations enforcement in our coastal areas. I want to thank Baltimore County’s own Pat Farr, Jonas Jacobson, and Erin Favazza for their work on this important environmental initiative. While we are talking about the bay, the second annual Chesapeake Bay Report Card was released just last week by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Two of the three waterways in the State that have improved were here in Baltimore County. The Gunpowder and Middle Rivers moved from a D+ in 2006 to a B in 2007. We are working hard to live up to our commitment to the environment.
The support of Baltimore County’s delegation was also critical in passage of the BRAC Community Enhancement Act, SB 206. This Act will help jurisdictions, like Baltimore County, impacted by BRAC, by creating zones that will offer those impacted jurisdictions fiscal support toward significant infrastructure improvements related to BRAC development. Delegate Johnny Olszewski, Jr. worked very hard to secure bill amendments that would protect Baltimore County. It is also important to note the important role that the Baltimore County delegation played in repealing the sales tax on computer services—the TECH Tax, SB 46. Senator Ed Kasemeyer and Senator Bobby Zirkin were key votes for its repeal on the Senate’s Budget and Tax Committee, while Delegates Johnny Olszewski, Jr. and Jon Cardin were important votes on the House Ways and Means Committee. I also want to thank all those members of our House and Senate delegations that voted for the repeal on the floor. This computer services tax would have been harmful to the economy of both Baltimore County and the State of Maryland. It was repealed thanks in large part to the courage of members of our Baltimore County delegation. For the past six years, we have worked together with the people of Baltimore County to bring about a renaissance of our older communities. Through improving infrastructure, securing new economic opportunities, and providing critical resources, our neighborhoods and local business districts are thriving. Bond bills and funds from the State capital budget play a vital role in our renaissance. Thanks to the delegation’s hard work, and under the leadership of Senator Ed Kasemeyer and Delegate Adrienne Jones, Baltimore County was successful in many of our bond bill requests. Baltimore County secured more than $18 million for County capital projects. These projects will enhance the quality of life of everyone in Baltimore County. $175,000 was secured toward the construction of the Heritage Trail and improvements to St. Helena Park in eastern Baltimore County, and $1 million was approved to support construction of the Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture. Baltimore County is proud to be home to a $300 million agriculture industry. The Baltimore County Center for Maryland Agriculture will promote our agricultural industry and thanks to the efforts of our Baltimore County delegation, the State will provide $1 million dollars toward the development of the Center’s first phase. Hurricane Isabel caused severe shoreline erosion along Baltimore County’s waterfront. One of the hardest hit sites in our County was the shoreline of Pleasure Island. Governor O’Malley included $750,000 in the State budget toward a shoreline erosion control plan that will stabilize and enhance the deteriorating shoreline of Pleasure Island. In addition to pursuing the capital requests that we put forward at the start of this session, Baltimore County’s delegation secured additional funding that improves the quality of life in our region. The delegation obtained important state money for the renovation of the Community Post building in Turner’s Station, funds for construction of a new district courthouse in Catonsville, $250,000 toward construction of Weinberg Village, $100,000 for the historic safe house on Rolling Road, and bond funds for the completion of the Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills. $12.8 million in funding was also secured for the construction of a new library at the Community College of Baltimore County’s Catonsville campus. With more support from Dr. Grasmick, we also obtained funding to obtain LEED certification for the new Perry Hall Library in the amount of $188,000 and $520,000 in funding for a 7,000 square foot addition at the Cockeysville Library. Finally, the support of our County delegation has supplemented the County’s effort to make open space more accessible in our older neighborhoods. County lawmakers obtained state funds toward construction of the Hawthorne Trail through the Hawthorne peninsula, which will eventually connect with other pedestrian and bicycle enhancements proposed in the Eastern Baltimore County Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Plan. Funding was also secured for the Catonsville Community Park Trail for improving access from Dunbar Avenue and the Catonsville Senior Center. All of these initiatives and projects will be important to our County and to our State, and I thank every member of our delegation, as well as Frank Principe and our entire legislative team, for their hard work in Annapolis this year. I am sorry to see the departure of Stephanie Merther. She has been an important member of our legislative team and I wish her well in her new career. As elected officials, we have a tremendous responsibility to our constituents. It is our duty to give the families that we serve the resources they need today without compromising the security of their future. As we all learned during this legislative session, this is a difficult task. But our County delegation rose to the occasion. I am proud of the work they did on behalf of the people of Baltimore County this year, and the work they did to keep our State fiscally sound. I congratulate them on their accomplishments. | 
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