Maryland Matters - Centreville Spy

Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Friday issued the first vetoes of his young administration and also allowed 10 bills to become law without his signature — including a measure that addresses traffic stops when the odor of cannabis is present and fines for smoking marijuana in public.

“This is the last action” by the governor on bills passed during the recent General Assembly session, according to a spokesperson for Moore, Carter Elliott IV.

Only one of the governor’s three vetoes actually sends a piece of legislation back to the drawing board; the other two were versions of bills he had previously signed, meaning “it is not necessary for me to sign” the companion legislation, Moore said in veto messages to legislative leaders.

The cannabis bill, sponsored by Del. Charlotte Crutchfield (D-Montgomery), prohibits a law enforcement officer from stopping and searching a vehicle or motorist solely on the basis of cannabis odor and also places restrictions on searches. The bill also addresses fines for possession of marijuana.

This was the legislation that was being voted on on the House floor during the final minutes of the General Assembly session, which Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) pushed through even though several Republicans sought to delay the process by explaining their vote. Jones’ unwillingness to let them speak led to an unprecedented outburst on the House floor by Del. Nicholaus R. Kipke (R-Anne Arundel), a former House minority leader. Several Republicans walked off the floor at that point, and Jones gaveled the 90-day session to a close.

The cannabis bill will take effect on July 1 — the same day a regulated recreational cannabis marketplace opens in Maryland.

The other bills that will become law without Moore’s signature are:

HB 131, sponsored by Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery), which repeals the crime of unnatural or perverted sexual practice, and SB 54, the companion bill from Sen. Clarence K. Lam (D-Howard);
HB 239, from Del. Jeffrie E. Long Jr. (D-Prince George’s), which establishes an Accessory Dwelling Unit Policy Task Force in the state, and SB 382, the companion bill from Sen. Mary L. Washington (D-Baltimore City);
HB 371, from Del. Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City), that sets new thresholds for indemnity mortgage transactions that are exempt from the state recordation tax;
HB 701, from Kipke, which sets pay scales for the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission and lays out guidelines for setting pay scales in the Offices of the Comptroller, Treasurer, and Attorney General;
SB 545, from Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s), addressing the hours when towed vehicles can be recovered;
SB 610, from Washington, which establishes requirements for virtual education programs;
SB 691, from Sen. Nancy J. King (D-Montgomery), which applies the state’s sales and use tax to home amenity rentals

Moore’s office did not immediately explain why he chose to let the bills become law without his signature.

Moore vetoed House Bill 472 and Senate Bill 217. The identical bills proposed changes to how the Maryland Transportation Administration awards commuter bus contracts.

Under state law, the agency has a number of options in the bidding process. Currently, MTA uses an invitation for bid process. Lawmakers wanted to move to a sealed bid process.

The legislature passed the bills over the objection of the MTA. The agency expressed concerns that the proposed mandate would result in decreased competition. In a letter of opposition, the agency said less competition would add as much as 15% to the cost of the commuter bus contracts, or about $42 million over a five-year period.

The estimate did not include potential increases caused by inflation.

Moore, in his veto message, said such a change would be time consuming and potentially more expensive and set an unwanted precedent.

“As we work in partnership with the legislature at the task of rebuilding state government, one of my administration’s key goals has been to make the procurement process more efficient, transparent, and fair,” Moore wrote. “In particular, my administration is working to ensure that small business owners and minority- and women-owned businesses have equitable opportunities to compete for and receive procurement awards.”

Moore issued an executive order in January requiring state agencies to report on the progress in meeting goals for hiring minority- and women-owned businesses.

Moore has already signed versions of the two other bills he vetoed Friday.

One, SB 144, from Sen. Brian J. Feldman (D-Montgomery), would have required the state to set energy savings performance targets for subsidized low-income housing. But Moore already signed the companion bill, HB 169, sponsored by Del. Lorig Charkoudian (D-Montgomery).

Similarly, Moore on Friday vetoed HB 557, a bill from the Carroll County House delegation setting bond limits for county government, but he had already signed its cross-file from the Senate delegation.

By Josh Kurtz and Bryan P. Sears

Approval of local plans for reforming Maryland’s public schools will be delayed until July because state education officials are taking additional time to assess them.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB), which met in person Thursday for the first time since December, could’ve begun approving some plans this month.

Board Chair Isiah “Ike” Leggett said the delay stems from “an unforced error” in communication, and that it is especially important to rectify any misunderstandings when dealing with a multi-billion-dollar plan to reform Maryland’s education structure.

“This is a major transformation. The Blueprint is not just simply dotting the I’s [and] crossing the T’s,” he said. “We are…making a huge change as it relates to education. We anticipate some challenges and disagreements.”

The miscommunication involves the process for assessing each Blueprint plan from the state’s 24 local school systems.

The state Department of Education continues to review school system documents based on “Criteria for Success” which emphasize early childhood education, recruiting and retaining high-quality and diverse teachers and leaders, ensuring that students are prepared for college and careers, and providing additional resources for students.

By state law, the department provides recommendations on the Blueprint plans and the accountability board grants final approval.

According to a timeline the department released Wednesday, plans would be reviewed between Wednesday and Monday and the department would submit recommendations to the accountability board by Tuesday.

If the state needs additional time to review plans — or plan revisions — beyond next week, review periods are scheduled for May 31-June 5 and June 21-June 26.

“MSDE’s Blueprint implementation team members have proactively engaged with AIB staff regularly and with great frequency since the AIB became operational to facilitate continued and appropriate collaboration…” according to a statement from the department. “The State Board [of Education] and MSDE remain committed to working with the AIB within the current statutory framework to deliver transformative educational outcomes for all of Maryland’s children and to help make Maryland the best place to live, learn, and succeed.”

Rachel Hise, executive director for the accountability board, said information has been shared. However, some Blueprint feedback has gone directly to local school systems (also referred to as local education agencies or LEAs), creating a “two-step process.”

“The hope was that the MSDE feedback and the AIB feedback would be given to the LEAs at the same time…so that there would be one revision process,” Hise said after the nearly two-hour meeting. “Now, there will be a two-step process and the potential that the AIB may ask LEAs to revise their plans again after they’ve revised them for MSDE. We’re trying to avoid that as much as possible.”

There also lies a small “quirk” in state law.

Blueprint plans can be reviewed but cannot be approved in the month of June, to avoid confusion about funding when a new fiscal year begins July 1.

“The month of June is like a no go in the statute,” Hise said.

The board isn’t scheduled to meet again until June 8.

Meanwhile, the board approved a $76,747 expenditure to hire Ad Adstra Inc. of Montgomery County to transcribe all of this year’s Blueprint plans into Spanish.

Hise said school districts reported that Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language behind English.

The goal will be to review future long-term contracts with Ad Adstra or other companies to transcribe future Blueprint plans and other documents into more languages, board members agreed.

Thursday marked the first meeting for Justin K. Robinson, whom Gov. Wes Moore (D) appointed to join the seven-member board.

Robinson currently serves as the only educator on the board. He teaches eighth grade math and helps mentor other teachers in Prince George’s County public schools.

By William J. Ford

Moore Issues First Vetoes, Lets Cannabis Search Bill and Others Become Law without His Signature

Miscommunication Delays Approving Blueprint Education Reform Plans

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