2005 Legislative Session
Delegate Marvin E. Holmes, Jr., 2nd Vice Chair,
Prince George’s County Delegation
Each year the Maryland General Assembly convenes in Annapolis for a 90-day session to consider proposed changes to Maryland law. This 2005 General Assembly session was one of the most unusual in Maryland history. It began when the Governor requested that the entire legislature commence the session earlier then the January time frame constitutionally mandated.
Governor Robert Ehrlich sent letters to all 47 State Senators and 141 House of Delegate members. We were called back to Annapolis to pass emergency legislation to help defer some of the escalating medical malpractice insurance rates. The danger of not passing this legislation could have resulted in hundreds of Maryland doctors being wooed to neighboring states where insurance rates are lower. I am very proud to have been a co-sponsor on this very important piece of legislation.
After overwhelmingly passing this legislative relief for our Maryland doctors, the Governor vetoed the bill. When the General Assembly convened for its regular session in January we overrode the Governor’s veto, thus guaranteeing by law a better business environment to keep qualified doctors in our state.
Slots, again for the third year, were a large part of the discussion in the General Assembly. I have been adamantly opposed to bringing added gambling venues into Maryland and especially into Prince George’s County. As a Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Delegation I am proud to report that we were able to remove any consideration of slots to our county. Most do not realize the negative social impacts, and their associated costs, of these addictive machines. One only needs to look at the state budgets of most states with slot machine gambling.
We were able to balance the budget without raising taxes and without including slots. Additionally, the $26 billion budget passed by the legislature is $150 million less than originally proposed by the governor. We also increased the K–12 education budget by nearly $400 million and added $43 million to the state university system. All without slots.
Teenage driving deaths has been a issue long haunting parents and lawmakers alike. This year several bills were passed affecting Maryland’s young drivers. Teenage drivers can no longer talk on a cell phone while driving. Drivers with learner’s permits must now hold that learner’s permit an additional two months. Increasing the supervised driving experience from four months to six months will hopefully give teens the extra judgment needed to keep our youth out of harm’s way. There are many other new laws addressing provisional drivers, and I suggest that if you have a young driver in your household, please make yourself aware of the new laws.
In closing, I encourage you to contact my office if you have questions concerning the contents of this communication or if you have suggestions for new legislation. Although the 2005 session has just ended we are beginning to plan for the 2006 session. By contacting my office, you have an opportunity to bring your hot-button issues to the attention of our state legislators.
Thank you for allowing me the honor of representing you in Annapolis. My office is always open to you.
District Office
13215 Burleigh Street
Kettering, Maryland 20774
301-249-2602
fax: 301-249-2215
