Maryland legislature ends session marked by budget surplus | Live Well

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland lawmakers shut their legislative session late Monday with approval of legislation to strengthen cybersecurity in a year marked by a funds surplus that enabled updates to parks, infrastructure, schools and facts engineering methods, as effectively as tax aid.

In a yr of big surplus largely due to federal pandemic reduction, the Standard Assembly handed a bundle of cybersecurity measures and virtually $570 million for information engineering upgrades. It arrives just after Maryland’s health and fitness office was hit by a ransomware assault in December that impeded data about overall health metrics relating to COVID-19.

Lawmakers attained an arrangement Monday on increasing the authorized age of relationship in the condition from 15 to 17, with judicial assessment if there is no parental consent, after a long time of having difficulties with the challenge. They also permitted restrictions on extended-long lasting substances regarded as PFAS and switching to safer possibilities for firefighting foams.

Democrats, who handle the legislature, and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan already had agreed to a bipartisan finances offer. It involves virtually $1.86 billion in tax relief more than five years for Maryland retirees, smaller firms and small-money people in a yr of tremendous funds surplus for the state’s $58.5 billion funds.

The deal involved a tax credit rating as an incentive for businesses and firms to employ the service of and keep workers from underserved communities. It also features income tax exemptions for child treatment goods these as diapers, automobile seats, and baby bottles, and health solutions for dental hygiene, diabetic treatment and health care units.

Senate President Bill Ferguson, hrs just before adjournment at midnight, cited bipartisan function in an election 12 months that resulted in significant investments in the state.

Investments integrated about $150 million for point out parks to deal with a servicing backlog and funding for new parks and updates. Lawmakers also authorised big investments in mental overall health initiatives to assistance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel that Marylanders must be actually proud of the spending budget that we passed, the investments that we are making, and I imagine across the board it was truly an historic 12 months,” reported Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat.

Hogan highlighted the tax reduction for retirees that he has been advocating for yrs as one particular of the motives for contacting this his best session as governor.

“Look, we’ve stood up and disagreed strongly on different challenges, but I feel we have attained a lot collectively,” Hogan reported, referring to bipartisan do the job with Democrats.

Democrats indeed experienced their disagreements with the term-minimal governor, now in his previous calendar year in workplace.

Lawmakers overrode Hogan’s veto on Saturday to create a paid household go away insurance plan that has been discussed for several years in the point out. Maryland employees will be able to acquire up to 12 months of partly compensated depart to deal with these types of family challenges as possessing a child, caring for a unwell relative or working with a armed service deployment.

They also overrode the governor’s veto of legislation to grow entry to abortion in the state. Maryland will close a restriction that only medical professionals carry out abortions, enabling nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and health practitioner assistants with teaching to perform them.

The Standard Assembly handed a wide evaluate aimed at slowing local weather transform. Hogan mentioned Friday he would enable the monthly bill go into law devoid of his signature. The “Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022” speeds up Maryland’s latest purpose of lowering greenhouse gasoline emissions from 40% of 2006 stages to 60% by 2031. It also sets a aim of obtaining carbon neutrality by 2045 in the state.

Lawmakers accepted a constitutional modification to legalize leisure marijuana in July 2023, offering the remaining final decision to voters in November. A measure lawmakers passed to take initial methods toward implementation went into regulation with no Hogan’s signature. Licensing and taxing concerns will be taken up future year, if voters approve.

Individually, lawmakers passed a invoice environment aside $1 million to fund choice therapies which includes psychedelics and hyperbaric oxygen remedy for veterans with article-traumatic strain ailment and traumatic brain injuries in scientific trials.

Lawmakers also authorized a bill to devote $400 million in growth in the area all over FedEx Area Stadium, dwelling to the Washington Commanders football team, though the funds would not be used to pay out for a new stadium. A companion invoice to shell out $1.2 billion to improve Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Financial institution Stadium also was passed. Hogan is scheduled to indicator those people costs Tuesday.

Legislators and the governor agreed to a new congressional map for the condition, after a decide struck down the map authorised by lawmakers over Hogan’s veto in December as a “product of severe gerrymandering.” The Common Assembly redrew the state’s 8 U.S. Dwelling districts to be a lot more compact, and Hogan signed the measure very last 7 days.