 Dear Friends & Neighbors:
Maryland's 2024 legislative session just ended, and I wrote a summary of notable new laws that'll take effect in coming months (details & news links below). We tackled numerous challenges, including the Key Bridge collapse, growing budget deficits, soaring housing & child care costs, local governments banning books, and more.
Additionally, a few of my policy proposals managed to pass into law this year, and we were able to bring home funding for local projects (details below).
But first and foremost, I'm breathing a sigh of relief that we stopped big cuts to transportation projects & public schools throughout Maryland.
Read about the tough choices we made to avert cuts to services & infrastucture below. It was my first session as Majority Leader, and we had to deal with budget deficits my first day on the job.
Thanks for being engaged!
 Delegate David Moon
House Majority Leader
david@davidmoon.us
P.S. My office has college & grad school scholarships available to District 20 residents attending school in Maryland. Apply by 5/17/24 at https://tinyurl.com/mooncollege2024.
My Legislative Successes
Protect Gender Affirming Care from Out-Of-State Punishment (SB19) - I joined Sen. Clarence Lam to pass legislation to shield Maryland health care workers & patients from out-of-state punishment for medical care that is legal in Maryland.
The Washington Blade wrote: "A bill that would make Maryland a sanctuary state for transgender people and their health care providers received final approval this week. The Maryland House of Delegates on April 4 passed a version of Senate Bill 19, the Trans Shield Act, that state Del. David Moon (D-Montgomery County) introduced.... The Washington Blade previously reported Maryland would become the 12th state to implement such a law if Democratic Gov. Wes Moore signs it."
Restrict Police Use of Facial Recognition Technology (HB338, SB182) - I worked with Sen. Sydnor on legislation to set rules for law enforcement use of facial recognition.
GovTech wrote: "A plan to limit police use of facial recognition technology is likely on track to pass in this year’s session of the Maryland General Assembly, capping a multiyear effort with a compromise that’s drawn support from both law enforcement and public defenders.... The bill would allow police to use facial recognition while they investigate violent crimes and other serious offenses. It’s set to put Maryland among roughly a dozen other states that have attempted to regulate the technology in law enforcement.... Del. David Moon, a Montgomery County Democrat who sponsored the bill, said that when he began working on the issue a few years ago, he discovered 'the technology was being widely deployed in Maryland, basically unchecked in a sort of wild, Wild West manner.'"
Plan for Automatic Expungement of Old Convictions (SB11) - In an effort to automate expungement of eligible, years-old convictions in Maryland, we added language to legislation by Sen. Jill Carter that would require the state to procure software capable of achieving automatic expungement. Many residents have old convictions for petty offenses that remain on their public record & hurt employment chances.
The Clean Slate Initiative notes: One million Maryland residents have a criminal record, and 41% of them are eligible for expungement.
Require Montgomery County to Use Crossing Guards or Move Bus Stops At Dangerous Locations (HB761) - I was able to work with Montgomery County colleagues to pass a bill requiring the county to move dangerous school bus stops or use crossing guards if a road is five lanes or more and has no median to protect pedestrians.
70% of MoCo school bus camera tickets come from drivers in the opposite direction of traffic (not drivers failing to stop behind the bus). The data indicates that for roads with many lanes and no median, drivers going in the opposite direction of the bus are consistently unaware they need to stop for school buses.
New Maryland Laws Coming Soon
I was proud to vote for some great legislation to help Marylanders this year. Here's a sampling of notable new Maryland laws that will take effect soon:
Note: You can find more info about each bill above here (search by bill number). You can also read a digest of all the major bills passed this year online: Read the "Annapolis 90 Day Report."
Funding For Silver Spring & Takoma Park Projects
Your District 20 state legislative team (me, Senator Will Smith and Delegates Jheanelle Wilkins & Lorig Charkoudian) were able to secure funding & commitments for a few capital projects this year:
Maryland Lawmakers Halt Major Cuts to
Transportation Infrastructure & Public Schools
After weighing tough choices about Maryland's budget, I'm pleased we stopped massive cuts to transportation and schools -- without need for broad tax increases. Instead, some vehicle fees & tobacco taxes will rise. It's not a decision we arrived at lightly, but ultimately we believe continuing to invest in infrastructure and education is critical to Maryland's economic competitiveness.
 Details on how the budget story evolved below:
LOOMING BUDGET DEFICITS - At the start of the legislative session, we learned of budget deficits in Maryland's transportation & education funding that would grow to billions in coming years:
MARYLAND MATTERS: "Tough Decisions, Possible Tax Increases Cloud Coming Legislative Session" - "Taxes and cost shifts are on the table for the coming General Assembly session as Gov. Wes Moore (D) and lawmakers look to solve both a structural budget shortfall and massive cuts to transportation projects.... Moon said it may be time to 'pull up some grown-up pants and do something' or resort to 'living within our means' and accepting cuts....'"
"Counties now face the additional pressure of $3.3 billion in cuts to highway and transit projects and local shares of highway user revenues over the next six years. The cuts hit favored projects in every jurisdiction in the state.... 'I think we’re all very concerned by the transportation cuts that have been proposed,' Moon said. 'I was surprised by the breadth and the depth of them and how they touch nearly every corner of the state.'"
ACTING NOW TO STOP WORSENING FORECASTS - House Speaker Adrienne Jones was committed to dealing with the deficits now, instead of kicking the can down the road and burning through emergency funds. House members put a range of options on the table (big & small) to spark a conversation:
WTOP: "Maryland’s Got a Math Problem: How Will it Fill a $3B Structural Deficit?" - "Del. David Moon, the House Majority leader in Annapolis, told the Ways and Means Committee this week he had been keeping a 'nervous eye' on the state’s fiscal outlook.... 'I’m not an economist, but I can do some basic math.' Moon said between the $3 billion structural deficit faced by the state and the need to fund the massive education reforms in the state’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future plan, 'we need to get going on the conversation about what the heck we’re going to do about our deficits....'"
"Del. Jason Buckel, the House Minority Leader, challenged the value of bringing the bill late in the session. Buckel added, 'Gov. Moore’s said over and over again he doesn’t want things like this in session, [Senate President Bill Ferguson has] said it over and over again.'"
FINAL COMPROMISE AVOIDS BROAD-BASED TAX INCREASES - Ultimately, House & Senate leaders reached a deal that takes care of our core transportation & education funding goals for this four-year term -- without need for a broad tax increase:
BALTIMORE BANNER: "Maryland Budget Deal Would Increase Vehicle Fees, Tobacco Tax" - "Maryland lawmakers reached a deal on the next state budget that will hit residents when they register their cars or buy nicotine products, but does not include a broad-based tax increase. The framework of the deal will eventually raise about $320 million to $350 million per year through a variety of vehicle-related fees and $80 million annually from hiking taxes on tobacco and nicotine products."
"Negotiators for the House of Delegates and the state Senate had been at an impasse for weeks over whether now is the right time to raise significantly more money for the state budget.... Most of the vehicle-related money will be used to shore up the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for state and local road and transit projects. And the tobacco tax increase will be sent to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, an ambitious and expensive multiyear program to improve public schools...."
"Republican leaders in the House of Delegates issued a statement expressing relief that the deal got done and no extended session is necessary. And while they also were pleased that there are no broad-based tax increases, they noted that Marylanders will still pay more money."
My 100% Environmental Rating
I'm pleased to announce I received a perfect score for my environmental voting record. The Maryland League of Conservation gave me a 100% score on votes for a greener Maryland in 2023. 🌳!
 By Authority: Friends of David Moon.
Chair: Marlana Valdez. Treasurer: Nathaniel Giddings.
DISCLAIMER: By making a donation above, you are certifying that each of the following statements is true: (1) I am not a foreign national who lacks permanent residence in the United States; and (2) This contribution is made from my own funds, and not those of another. Note that a person can contribute no more than $6,000 to each Maryland state campaign account during the four year cycle, including in-kind contributions. The current cycle began on 1/1/2023 and ends 12/31/2026. Contributions to political campaigns are not tax deductible.
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