Legum’s New Line

I’ve written previously about Del. Heather Mizeur’s open government bill that, among other things, would require committee votes to be posted online, create a real time tracking system for floor votes and allow people to sign up online to testify before a committee.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought it was a good idea. Mizeur’s bill attracted a majority of lawmakers in both chambers as co-sponsors, seemingly putting it on the fast-track for passage.

But yet, the Washington Post reported this morning that Mizeur’s bill is not expected pass this year. Why?

Some of those close to the committee say codifying anything about putting hearings online, for example, could be a bad idea because technology may change. Chairmen of some powerful committees have also told the Rules Committee they are concerned about a provision letting members of the public sign up online to testify on legislation because they fear it could lead to too many people attending hearings.

In other words, some powerful members are concerned that if we make government more transparent more people will participate. This is exactly why we need this bill. The more people who participate in government, the better government works. When fewer people participate government ends up being controlled by insiders and special interests.

Unfortunately, there are still people committed to keeping citizens on the sidelines. I’m running to help change that.

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Here is the text of the endorsement letter Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen sent to his supporters today:

I am supporting Judd Legum in his campaign for delegate in District 30, which includes the City of Annapolis. I encourage you to do the same.

Judd, like myself, has longstanding ties to this community. His mother was my second grade teacher and his family has lived in Annapolis for five generations. I first met Judd 20 years ago when we attended school together.

I was incredibly fortunate to have Judd’s assistance during my recent campaign for mayor. He was a valued partner throughout a long and highly competitive campaign. I came to trust and rely on his ability to quickly make sense of complicated issues, distilling them down to their essential points.

Judd has a strong commitment to public service and our city. In his law practice, he has volunteered as a pro-bono representative and advocate for dozens of low-income area families. He recently served on my transition team, chairing the City Dock and Market House committee, and has agreed to represent Annapolis on the Severn River Commission, providing advice to the city and county on how to restore one of the Bay’s dirtiest rivers.

Judd is exactly who we need representing us in the state legislature. He will bring new energy, passion and intelligence to the pressing issues that face our city, our region and our state. If we hope to make progress creating jobs, improving schools and revitalizing the Bay, we need Judd.

He has my full and enthusiastic support.

I hope you can join me at an event in support of Judd’s candidacy on April 19. Here are the details:

*April 19, 5:30PM to 7:30PM

* Level Lounge

* 69 West Street, Annapolis, MD 21401

Please RSVP online at JuddLegum.com/april19. (Info on how to purchase tickets by mail HERE.)

If you are unable to attend, I hope you’ll still make a contribution to Judd’s campaign. We need Judd representing us in the state legislature and Judd needs our help to get there.

Best regards,

Josh Cohen

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Delegate Bill Frick (D-Montgomery) recently introduced an interesting piece of legislation that would encourage the state government and localities to use banks chartered in Maryland for financial services. The Baltimore Sun has the story:

The Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation that would essentially give state-chartered banks an edge when bidding to serve state agencies or local governments.

Del. Bill Frick, a Montgomery County Democrat who sponsored the legislation, says he’s been frustrated watching giant out-of-state banks gouge Marylanders with high fees and rate increases.

“Why do we turn around and give them our money on state contracts?” he says. “Why do we want our state dollars going into Wall Street bonuses instead of local small business loans?”

Frick’s legislation is compelling because Maryland banks are much more likely to take the cash they earn from state government and lend it back to Marylanders. Local lending has significant economic benefit to the state, ultimately leading to more economic growth and higher tax revenue.

The legislation would provide a small edge to local banks when bidding against Wall Street giants for the state’s financial services.

You can check out the full text of Frick’s legislation HERE.

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Yesterday, I expressed my opposition to a resolution recently co-sponsored by Ron George, the incumbent Republican Delegate in District 30. The resolution states that climate change is a “conspiracy” and urged the Environmental Protection Agency to “immediately halt” all efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. I noted that, setting climate science aside, this action would have disastrous consequences for the Chesapeake Bay.

This morning, Ron George responded. You can read his full response here.

First, George claims that I “misrepresent” his views on climate change because “The term ‘climate change conspiracy’ did not come from us and does not refer to climate change itself but to falsehoods that have been uncovered.” He states he actually believes that “Climate Change is a true concern.”

The best way to respond is to simply quote from the resolution George co-sponsored. The stated purpose of the bill is to investigate the “climate change conspiracy.” More from the body of the resolution itself:

[T]here is a well–organized and ongoing effort to manipulate global temperature data and incorporate tricks to substantiate the theory of climate change.

The Earth’s climate is constantly changing, and recent warming indicates a return to more normal temperatures

Second, George claims that “The resolution asks the EPA to separate facts from fiction so we can deal with the science. That is all it does.” Actually, the bill urges the EPA to “immediately halt its carbon dioxide reduction policies and programs.”

This is the real problem for District 30 and Maryland as a whole, because of severe damage such action would cause to the Chesapeake Bay. Of course, the co-sponsors of this resolution did not take that into account. They simply copied the language verbatim from a contentious resolution in the Utah legislature.

Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay is a huge challenge. To succeed, we need to set aside the kind of partisan ideology that is embodied in George’s resolution and work together toward our shared goals.

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A few days ago, Ron George – the incumbent Republican delegate in Maryland’s District 30 – co-sponsored a resolution stating that climate change is a “conspiracy” and urging the Environmental Protection Agency to “immediately halt” all efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Besides ignoring the overwhelming consensus among the world’s climate scientists, George is advancing a position with disastrous consequences locally for the Chesapeake Bay:

– Increased carbon dioxide concentrations can increase algae blooms, which are the source of large “dead zones” in the Chesapeake Bay. [Source]

– Many of the most effective agricultural practices to sequester carbon — such as forest buffers, no-till farming and cover crops — are also essential to improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. [Source]

In a time of economic challenge, Maryland can’t afford to allow the Chesapeake Bay to continue to degrade. The Bay is Maryland’s most valuable economic resource: driving commerce, buttressing property values and attracting tourists.

But Ron George is more focused on far-right ideology than our shared goals in Maryland. We need to work together to clean our water and grow our economy. That’s why I’m running for Delegate.

Please stand up for the health of the Bay by signing this petition protesting George’s anti-environment resolution: juddlegum.com/baypetition

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