What a difference a year makes! I’m obviously partial, but the 46th District is one of the most vibrant places in the entire State.
I had the opportunity to visit every corner of the 46th District on Tuesday--from Lakeland to Highlandtown--for National Night Out. It was a joy to see so many friendly faces. Kudos to all of the community leaders who organized events to bring neighbors together with the aim of forging new relationships to lift up our City. Thank you for inviting me to take part in your celebrations!
We also celebrated the Aquarium’s 40th anniversary on Tuesday. The Aquarium is a vital part of the Inner Harbor, an economic force for the Downtown Baltimore community, and inspires generations to appreciate and preserve our fragile environment. I look forward to continuing to support its mission in partnership with Delegates Luke Clippinger, Robbyn Lewis, and Brooke Lierman.
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A Cleaner, Greener Maryland Economy |
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This multi-million dollar investment in clean energy jobs is just a drop in the bucket of what’s possible here in Maryland. Transitioning to a 21st century economy means embracing a clean energy future that relies on renewable energy, and the jobs that will support that industry.
The Maryland Senate will be intensely focused on taking steps to reduce our State’s greenhouse gas emissions next Session after consensus could not be reached around the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021 last year. We will be taking a close look at how to align State policy to leverage federal investments through the potential infrastructure bills in Congress. The increasing frequency of intense fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes fueled by rapidly rising temperatures makes clear that immediate action is necessary.
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Delta Variant and New Mask Mandate in the City |
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New cases of COVID-19 in the City have increased by 115% over the past four weeks, and Baltimore’s positivity rate has nearly doubled since June. Despite these alarming numbers, it is abundantly clear that the vaccine is working and continues to be the best defense against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
On Thursday, Mayor Scott announced a new indoor mask requirement for all Baltimore City residents and guests, regardless of vaccination status. This Health Order, issued by Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa will take effect at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, August 9th.
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Federal Eviction Moratorium Extended |
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This week the CDC extended the Federal Eviction Moratorium, a bold move driven by the Biden Administration to give local governments more time to distribute federal funding for the more than 129,000 Maryland who are behind on their rent.
Almost $3 million in rental assistance was delivered across Maryland during June, more than the entire previous five months combined. That is just a drop in the bucket compared to the funding available to prevent evictions that must be deployed efficiently and effectively before the new moratorium expires.
We know that too many in our State are still struggling to cover housing costs after a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and our economy facing an unequal rebound across various sectors. Rental assistance is one of the best mechanisms for keeping roofs over families’ heads and must be deployed quickly.
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Improving Maryland's State Parks |
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Over the Fourth of July weekend, nearly a dozen State parks reached capacity and turned away Maryland residents from enjoying these important State assets. As many can attest, public outdoor spaces are essential to Marylanders’ emotional, mental, and physical health and bring people of all walks together. It is imperative that geographic location, race, or income do not limit a person’s ability to enjoy our parks’ benefits.
I am pleased that former Governor Parris Glendening will chair the commission and that Senate Capital Budget Chair Craig Zucker, Senator Sarah Elfreth, Senator Obie Patterson, and Senator George Edwards will represent the Senate. We must enhance our State park offerings and recreational opportunities as we protect Maryland’s rich natural resources.
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The Redline Project, killed by Governor Hogan early in his tenure, may have a second chance. Efficient and effective public transit is fundamentally a question of equity and mechanism to expand economic opportunity, and as noted by the Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, efforts to resurrect this critical transit project must address current realities that impact the east-west transportation line.
Attorney General Frosh announced the selection of Dana Mulhauser to head a new Independent Investigations Unit that will examine cases with police-involved deaths as a result of the police reform legislation the Maryland General Assembly passed last Session.
The Maryland State Board of Elections has settled a longstanding dispute over ballot-marking devices that disability advocates, including the National Federal of the Blind, argued forced them to cast segregated ballots.
Summer programs are opening state-wide to address learning losses driven by the coronavirus pandemic, but State Superintendent Choudhury stressed the need to understand learning gaps that existed before the pandemic.
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If there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to contact my office via email, bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us, or by phone, 410-841-3600.
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