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Showing posts with label MD State of the State address. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MD State of the State address. Show all posts

Friday, February 06, 2015

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s State of the State address

Text of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s State of the State address courtesy of the Washington Post February 4, 2015

February 4, 2015

The following is the prepared text of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s first State of the State address, delivered to a joint session of the Maryland General Assembly on Feb. 4, 2015 Courtesy of the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/text-of-maryland-gov-larry-hogans-state-of-the-state-address/2015/02/04/dfc4d03c-ac8e-11e4-abe8-e1ef60ca26de_story.html?wprss=rss_local

Speaker Busch, President Miller, members of the General Assembly, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It is an honor, and I am truly humbled, for the opportunity to appear before this 435th General Assembly - as Maryland’s new governor - to report on the state of our state.

Marylanders are among the nation’s hardest working and most educated people. We have universities and schools that are among the best in the nation.

No state can match the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay, our beaches and farms, or the mountains of Western Maryland, the Port of Baltimore, or the historic charm of every corner of our state.

But while our assets are many, and our people are strong and hopeful, their state is simply not as strong as it could be - or as it should be.

We have a lot to do, to get Maryland back on track and working again.

The challenges we face are great.

High taxes, over-regulation, and an anti-business attitude are clearly the cause of our economic problems. Our economy is floundering, and too many Marylanders have been struggling, just to get by.

40 consecutive tax hikes have taken an additional $10 billion out of the pockets of struggling Maryland families and small businesses. We’ve lost more than 8,000 businesses, and Maryland’s unemployment nearly doubled.

We’re number three in the nation in foreclosures, and dead last in manufacturing. We’ve had the largest mass exodus of taxpayers fleeing our state - of any state in our region, and one of the worst in the nation.

And, while most states around the country have turned the corner - sadly, Maryland continues to languish behind. The federal government ranked our state’s economy 49th out of 50 states.

That is simply unacceptable.

According to a recent Gallup poll, nearly half of all Marylanders would leave the state if they could. As a lifelong Marylander who loves this state - that just breaks my heart.

We fail all Marylanders if we simply accept these dismal facts as the status quo.

Well - I refuse to accept the status quo, because the people of Maryland deserve better.

Over the past few years, as I traveled across the state, I listened to the concerns of Marylanders from all walks of life. The common theme I kept hearing was frustration. People everywhere feel a real disconnect between Annapolis and the rest of Maryland. They feel that we are way off track, heading in the wrong direction, and that change is desperately needed in Annapolis.

The problems we face aren’t Democratic problems, or Republican problems. These are Maryland’s problems.

And they will require common sense, Maryland solutions. With the will of the people behind us, and with all of us working together, we can put Maryland back on track.

And we will.

Today, Marylanders look to us for leadership. They look to us to put Maryland on a new path, toward opportunity and prosperity for all our citizens.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for us to listen to Maryland’s hard working taxpayers and our job creators.

The people of Maryland simply cannot afford for us to continue on the same path of more spending, more borrowing, more taxes, and politics as usual.

It is time for a new direction for Maryland.

Our administration will chart a new course; one guided by simple, common sense principles. Our focus will be on jobs, struggling Maryland families, and restoring our economy.

And every decision I make as governor will be put to a simple test.

Will this law or action make it easier for families and small businesses to stay in Maryland?

And - will it make more families and small businesses want to come to Maryland?

Our administration will work with all of you to enact the necessary budgets, tax reductions, regulatory reforms, and legislation that is necessary, to ensure that we turn our economy around.

Just 24 hours after being sworn into office, I proposed a budget for Fiscal Year 2016 that fairly and responsibly controls spending.

When my team began the budgeting process, we encountered a baseline budget of $17 billion in expenses and projected revenue of only $16.3 billion. The state was poised to somehow spend $700 million that we simply did not have.

Mandatory payments on state debt had increased by 96 percent just this year. We face an $18.7 billion unfunded pension liability.

Faced with this troubling reality, we revised that script - delivering a fiscally responsible budget that only expends what we take in. This is just common sense. And will come as no surprise to anyone that manages a family’s finances, or runs a small business.

Our team created a structurally balanced budget for the first time in nearly a decade. This budget sends a clear and important message that the days of deficit spending in Maryland are over.

We had to make some very tough decisions in just the first few days of our administration in order to get this state budget under control. But our budget puts Maryland on sound financial footing, without raising taxes or fees, without eliminating agencies, departments, or services, without imposing furloughs and without laying off a single state employee.

Our new budget also funds our priorities, including providing record investment in K-12 education and increased investment in higher education.

This proposed FY2016 budget is just a start. We will have much more to do in the days and months ahead to correct our state’s fiscal course. I am eager to work cooperatively with the General Assembly to meet these challenges head on.

Before I became governor, increases in spending were promised that simply could not be kept. If ever Maryland needed a dose of honesty, it’s now.

The debates that take place in this chamber in the weeks ahead cannot ignore the certainty of our current fiscal situation. We will make every effort to be fair, judicious and thoughtful, and my administration will work hard to preserve jobs and to fund priorities.

Budget choices are never easy, and you may have different ideas and solutions. And we look forward to hearing them, and to working together with you to find common ground.

As long as those solutions don’t include increasing taxes, spending more than we take in, or going further into debt.

And remember, every penny that is added to one program, must be taken from another.

Failing to spend the taxpayer’s money in a responsible way could eventually jeopardize our ability to adequately fund education, transportation, environmental programs, and provide support to the vulnerable and those most in need.

We simply cannot let that happen.

So, how do we begin to change direction, and to improve the state that we all love?

It wont happen overnight, and there will be times and issues that will test us all, but there are a number of initial actions that I believe we must begin working on immediately.

1. Making Maryland More Competitive

Maryland’s anti-business attitude, combined with our onerous tax and regulatory policies have rendered our state unable to compete with any of the states in our region. It’s the reason that businesses, jobs and taxpayers have been fleeing our state at an alarming rate.

It’s at the heart of the fiscal and economic issues we are currently dealing with, and it is something we must find solutions to.

A year ago, I held my second annual Change Maryland Business Summit on Improving Maryland’s Economic Competitiveness.

We became the leading voice on these issues - it’s the reason I have the honor of being your governor, and it will be the primary focus of our administration.

I want to commend Senate President Miller and Speaker Busch for recognizing the need to make Maryland more economically competitive.

A year ago, at their urging, this legislature created the Maryland Economic Development and Business Climate Commission, also known as the Augustine Commission, to make recommendations to make Maryland competitive. It was a great first step, and we are anxiously awaiting the recommendations of this commission.

But, I am confident that we will find many areas of agreement to make Maryland a more business friendly and more competitive state, so that we can create more jobs and more opportunities for our citizens.

2. Making State Government More Efficient And More Responsive

I’m proud of the experienced, diverse and bipartisan Cabinet that we have assembled to take over the reigns of state government.

Many of them bring fresh, innovative ideas and valuable real world, private-sector management expertise to their agencies. Their primary mission will be to find ways to restructure their agencies and to make state government more efficient, and more cost effective.

But, we also want to change the culture of state government.

The voters have given us an opportunity to build a government that works for the people - and not the other way around.

Comptroller Franchot noted at his swearing-in last week that we must reinstate old-fashioned customer service to every aspect of government.

I completely agree - and together we will.

3. Repealing The Rain Tax

Dealing with the problem of storm water management and working to restore our most treasured asset, the Chesapeake Bay, is a goal we all strongly agree on.

But in my humble opinion, passing a state law that forced certain counties to raise taxes on their citizens - against their will - may not have been the best way to address the issue.

If there was one message that Marylanders have made perfectly clear it was that taxing struggling and already overtaxed Marylanders for the rain that falls on the roof of their homes was a mistake that needs to be corrected.

This week, our administration will submit legislation to repeal the rain tax.

4. Tax Relief For Retirees

Nearly every day I hear from folks who say that they love the state of Maryland, that they have spent their entire lives here, and that they don’t want to leave their kids and grandkids. But, that they simply cannot afford to stay here on a fixed income.

We are losing many of our best and brightest citizens to other states.

Eventually, once we solve our current budget crisis, and turn our economy around, I want to reach the point where we are able to do away with income taxes on all retirement income, just as many other states have done.

This week, we will start heading toward that goal by submitting legislation that repeals income taxes on pensions for retired military, police, fire, and first responders.

These brave men and women have put their lives on the line for us - they deserve it - and they have earned these tax breaks.

5. Tax Relief For Small businesses

I have spent most of my life in the private sector, running a small business in a state that, at times, seemed openly hostile to people like me.

There is much more for us to do, but as a first step, I’m proposing cutting personal property taxes for small businesses.

This burdensome tax and bureaucratic paperwork discourages the creation of new business, and drives small businesses and jobs elsewhere.

This legislation would create a tax exemption on the first $10,000 in personal property, entirely eliminating this tax for more than 70,000 small business owners -- or one-half of all Maryland’s businesses.

6. Repealing Automatic Gas Tax Increases

After syphoning a billion dollars from the Transportation Trust Fund, a decision was made to enact the largest gas tax increase in state history. This legislation also included language that would automatically increase taxes every single year without it ever having a coming up for a vote.

Marylanders deserve the transparency to know how their elected leaders vote every time the state takes a bigger share of their hard-earned dollars. This is a regressive tax that hurts struggling Maryland families and our most vulnerable, and which adds to the cost of almost everything.

These automatic tax increases should be repealed, and we will submit legislation to do so.

7. Improving Transportation

Over the last several years, monies for local road improvements have been slashed by up to 96 percent.

Our administration is committed to restoring the money that was taken from the transportation trust fund, and to making sure that it never happens again.

Today I am pleased to announce a supplemental to our FY2016 budget that will increase Highway User Revenues by $25 million and give counties and municipalities the most money for road improvements that they have received since FY 2009.

Further, we are committed to increasing the local share of Highway User Revenues from 10% today to its original high point of 30% over the next 8 years.

This initial tax relief package is just a starting point in the process of rebuilding our state’s economy, and of course tax relief is only part of the solution. We have other important initiatives as well.

8. Improving Education For All Maryland children

Education is our top priority.

In our proposed budget, we spend more money on education than ever before. We fund K-12 education at record levels and have committed over $290 million to school construction.

And this is the first time in history that any administration has provided additional supplemental funding for education through GCEI in their first year.

We have some great schools here in Maryland, but the gap between the best and the worst schools is dramatic.

I believe that every child in Maryland deserves a world-class education, regardless of what neighborhood they grow up in. We must fix our under-performing schools while also giving parents and children realistic and better alternatives.

So, let’s expand families choices. Let’s encourage more public charter schools to open and operate in Maryland.

This month, our administration will submit legislation to strengthen Maryland’s charter school law. This legislation will expand choices for families and make it easier for more public charter schools to operate in Maryland.

Our administration will also push for the enactment of the “Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers” legislation, also known as “BOAST.”

It provides tax credits to those who make voluntary contributions to private or parochial schools, and it will help free up more money and resources for our students in public schools.

This legislation has been debated in these chambers for more than a decade. The Senate has already voted to support it. We need to work to convince our colleagues in the House that it is the right thing to do.

9. Protecting The Environment

A healthy Bay is key to a strong economy and high quality of life – for all Marylanders. It will be a top priority of our administration.

Even after spending $15 billion in Maryland tax dollars, the health of our Chesapeake Bay has declined. Maryland just received a D+ on a recent report card.

This is just the latest indicator that our current strategy for protecting and restoring our greatest natural asset is failing. Our administration intends to reverse that trend.

It’s time for a new approach. We can, and we must do better.

We all agree on the problem: there’s too much phosphorous, nitrogen, and sediment entering our bay. We must take action to prevent as much of this pollution as possible from entering the bay.

However - restoration of our bay must not fall on one group disproportionately. Placing unreasonable burdens upon Maryland’s farmers will serve only to devastate more rural communities.

We will work with the agricultural and environmental communities to find fair and balanced solutions for limiting phosphorus. In addition, we will take a comprehensive approach to restoring our bay by addressing the long-ignored impact of upstream polluters, and the sediment spilling over the Conowingo Dam.

We will work with all stakeholders to come up with fresh, innovative solutions to protect and restore our greatest natural asset.

10. Tackling Maryland’s Heroin Epidemic

As I travel throughout our state, I hear the devastating stories from our families and friends who hurt from the devastation heroin has wreaked on our communities.

Throughout Maryland, from our smallest town to our biggest city, it has become an epidemic, and it is destroying lives. I have tasked Lt. Governor Rutherford with bringing together all of the stakeholders in order to come up with a plan to tackle this emergency.

Later this month, we will execute an executive order to address this heroin epidemic.

11. Campaign Finance And Election Reform

The strength of our democracy rests on a balanced, honest and open political process that challenges convention and encourages progress.

The Fair Campaign Financing Act for gubernatorial elections provides this balance and opens discord. It levels the playing field and holds our elected leaders accountable.

And while many said we would never elect a governor because of the low spending limits mandated in our public finance laws, I stand before you today as proof that the system does work.

We must replenish this fund as soon as possible and make it available for future candidates. Therefore, we will submit legislation to reinstate the voluntary check-off which allows a taxpayer to make a donation to go towards the public campaign financing system each year.

Finally, we need to address redistricting reform.

We have some of the most gerrymandered districts in the country - this is not a distinction that we should be proud of.

Gerrymandering is a form of political gamesmanship that stifles real political debate and deprives citizens of meaningful choices. Fair and competitive elections - and having checks and balances - make for a more vibrant and responsive citizen republic.

To advance this discussion, I will execute an executive order that creates a bipartisan commission to examine Maryland’s redistricting process with the goal of fully reforming this process and giving this authority to an independent, bipartisan commission.

Though this is an ambitious agenda, I believe that these actions will begin to put Maryland on a new path, one that leads to a new era of opportunity, and prosperity for all our citizens.

Though our visions may differ, our goals are the same: a better, stronger, cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous Maryland. We can’t accomplish these goals alone. We need your help, your ideas, and your support.

And while I’m sure we will disagree on a few points in the coming weeks, I am prepared to create an environment of trust and cooperation, one in which the best ideas rise to the top based upon their merit, regardless of which side of the political debate they come from.

So let us commit ourselves to that goal: to live up to our potential, to work together to solve the big problems with cooperation and good faith, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

Let us renew our sense of optimism, and make Maryland a place of unlimited promise. Together, let’s change Maryland for the better.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the great state of Maryland.

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

20080123 January 23rd, 2008 State of the State Address by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley


January 23rd, 2008 State of the State Address by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley

Speeches by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley:

January 23rd, 2008 State of the State Address by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley

Related: [ Read the press release - Listen to audio mp3 ]

Additional Speeches

20080123 Press Release: Governor O'Malley Delivers 2008 State of the State Address

January 23, 2008

Introduction

Thank you. If you all would remain standing for just one second -- before I begin our talk here about the urgent business of building a better future for our State, there's some really important people here in the gallery and in the audience with us. I ran into the family of Officer Christopher Nicholson, the Smithburg officer who died in the line of duty protecting us. And in addition to that, we're joined by the family of Maryland Transportation Authority Police Corporal Courtney Brooks, who was tragically taken from us and we thank you for being here as well. Our hearts go out to you, and we'll never be able to repay the debt of gratitude we owe you, but we thank you for being here.

My friends, over the last year four State and local law enforcement officers and one firefighter gave their lives in the line of duty. And twenty of our sons and daughters gave their lives for us fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

So I ask you to just join me, before we talk here, in a moment of silence in their honor.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Mr. Chief Judge, Mr. Attorney General, Mr. Comptroller, Madam Treasurer, Mayor of the District of Columbia Adrian Fenty, former Governors, former Attorney General Joseph Curran, Judge Katie O'Malley, Ambassador Collins, Ambassador Bruton, my colleagues in local Government, men and women of the Maryland General Assembly, my fellow citizens.

We gather today in the very building where, since Revolutionary times, generation after generation, the people of our State have come to assess our strength and our weaknesses as a community and to decide how we will overcome the challenges of our times.

The most important days are not always the easy days, but time and time again we have overcome challenges because of our respect for the dignity of every individual, because of our commitment to the common good, and because we have had the courage to protect our priorities especially when we are faced with times of great adversity.

For these reasons Maryland has been a strong State and, in many respects, we're stronger today than we were at this same time last year. But the future of our State is very much determined by the strength and the security of the families of Maryland, the hardworking and loving families that we have the honor and the responsibility to represent in this place.

And today the vast majority of Maryland's families, like families throughout our country, are finding it harder and harder just to pay their bills and maintain the quality of life that they have worked so very, very hard to achieve.

And this is not just a Maryland problem, this is a national problem. For the sad truth of our shared reality is that over the last seven years, real wages in our country have risen by just about 1 percent. And, unfortunately, as all of us know, all of the other essential things that a family needs to survive have grown by a lot more than just 1 percent, haven't they?

Over the last seven years the price of a gallon of milk is up 30 percent, the price of a loaf of bread is up 20 percent, and yet real wages have only increased by 1 percent. The price of a gallon of gasoline, up 100 percent over those last several years. The price of health insurance is up 78 percent and yet real wages have increased in our nation by only about 1 percent.

Our families are struggling to get ahead, our parents are working harder and harder as national forces and trends keep pulling them back. A dollar that's being devalued by huge mounting national debt, rising unemployment in the nation, and look at the foreclosures -- unprecedented in modern times.

Home foreclosures in our State alone are up 600 percent since last year. And, of course, we didn't need those numbers to tell us that, did we? We can see it in the eyes of the people that we serve, we can hear it in their voices. People are concerned, and rightly so.

No wonder then that so many of us were frustrated when in the midst of this national economic downturn we were also forced to confront a long neglected structural deficit. The frustration is totally understandable and there is good reason for all of us to be concerned and worried about our economic future.

But I submit to you that the way that we get through this, the way that we get through these tough times together and the way that we get through them more quickly than other States in the union is not by abandoning our priorities, but by protecting our priorities.

The Priorities That Unite Us in Maryland

The most important things in life are not always the easy days, but our State has weathered difficult times before and we're going to weather these difficult times now.

And we're going to come through this more quickly than other States, but only if we can continue to protect the priorities of our people, to protect and strengthen our middle class, our family owned businesses and our family farms. To protect our communities so that we can improve public safety and public education in every part of our State and to protect opportunity; the opportunity to learn, to earn, to enjoy the health of the people we love, as well as the health of the environment that we love, the Bay that we love -- for more people rather than fewer.

Yes, to get through these tough times, my friends, the people of our State are working as hard as they can to protect their families and defend their quality of life. And in their hearts they expect us to do the same, even when it's not easy and even when it's not politically popular.

Restoring Fiscal Responsibility

At this same time last year you will recall that days after officially inheriting a crushing deficit, this new administration presented a budget to you that had been cut by $400 million. Months later we cut another $280 million out of that budget. And over the last few months of important work we were able to reduce spending growth by another $552 million.

The budget that we have now presented to you for consideration for this upcoming year actually comes in, for the second year in a row, under spending affordability. And because of the $1.2 billion in cuts and spending reductions and because of the other difficult choices on revenues, we are able now to protect the priorities of our people. The priority of public education and school construction, the priority of public safety, the priority of more affordable health care.

And because you had the courage to restrain spending and restore fiscal responsibility, we can stand up and we can stand up this year to end the fast track to foreclosure that has been allowed to exist in the law in Maryland and we can also help thousands of families slipping into foreclosure. (Applause)

We can also hold the line against the rising cost of college tuition. Hardworking families in Maryland should be able to send their kids to schools in Maryland. Don't you think?
(Applause)

Joining us in the gallery is a young man, returning Marine, proud son of our State, and he's going to be able to attend the University of Maryland College Park and he's going to be using the Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq Scholarship Program that you created. He has returned home, completing his third tour of duty for us in Iraq and he's with us. I'd like you to acknowledge his presence here and the service of United States Marine Lance Corporal Will Amos. (Applause)

It's all about protecting the priorities of our people and we have now the ability to do that. And we also have the ability to make our Government work again. And to make our Government work on behalf of the best interest of the people of our State and that's what we're going to do.

The people of our State deserve a State Government that works as hard as they do.

Working For a Stronger Maryland

Last year we implemented performance measured management and accountability on a level never before attempted in any other State, with the creation of StateStat. Today, 13 different departments or agencies are now participating in performance measured Government in order to improve efficiency and service delivery for the people of our State.

One year ago I came before you and pledged to make our port, the Port of Baltimore, a leader in Homeland Security, rather than a subject of ridicule on security. We're not there yet, but one year later I can tell you that our port, the closest deep-water port to our nation's capital, is more secure, is better prepared and also better equipped to deal with threats than we were at this same time last year. And I ask for your continued support as we bring in the best minds from around the country to take us to that next level of preparedness.

Last year we announced the formation of the BRAC subcabinet, led by Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. And since that time, after countless meetings and collaborations with businesses and military leaders, with our Congressional delegations and leaders of our towns and our cities and our counties, Lt. Governor Brown has allowed us not only to come together to publish a BRAC Action Plan for harnessing the opportunity of the thousands of jobs that are going to be coming to Maryland in the years ahead, but because of your help in restoring fiscal responsibility, we're now going to be able to make substantial progress towards implementing that plan.

Last year this administration pledged to develop a State-wide vision for transportation and because of the tough choices that you made, we are actually going to be able to move forward with making that vision happen. Moving forward with action. Action like resurfacing portions of I-58 and I-81 in Western Maryland.

Forward with the next phase of widening U.S. 113 on the Eastern Shore and the planning study to improve traffic flow and safety near Ocean Pines. And in Southern Maryland we're moving forward with major improvements in the Waldorf area.

We will also move forward with a more balanced plan of action for the next generation of mass transit in Maryland.
(Applause)

Like expanded MARC service, dedicated funding for Metro and also the next steps in creating the purple line and the corridor city transit roads. (Applause)

And in Baltimore, Mayor Dixon will be moving forward with the red and green lines in Baltimore. (Applause)

Last year we also pledged to roll up our sleeves together to find ways to bring the rising costs of health care under control, while improving access for our people. And the Health Care Reform Act, which you passed two months ago, will ultimately allow us to cover more than 100,000 Marylanders who currently don't have insurance. (Applause)

And why is that important? Well, it's important on a whole number of levels. Certainly important for those 100,000 Marylanders and their families, but it's also important because it allows us to expand access to preventive care, which will, in turn, allow us to stabilize costs and provide incentives for many small family-owned businesses for the first time who want to join the ranks of the insured in our State. Thank you, Delegate Hammond and Senator Middleton for your hard work on that. (Applause)

Last year we also vowed to use open space dollars for the purchase of open space. But we started to do some other things as well. We start to apply performance measured management to the huge challenge of cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay with BayStat. Hundreds of years ago John Smith made the first map of the Chesapeake Bay, we're constructing the second one. And this one will be a map that's parcelized, it allows GPS and that sort of coordination to bring together all of the efforts of agriculture, DNR, Department of Environment, Planning, and County Governments in order to see what we are doing in this critical Bay watershed and how we can do a better job of restoring her health.

We have more cover crop enrollments than ever before, while continuing oyster restoration efforts to help the Bay and our watermen. And with your creation of the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund, we can do even more in the upcoming year.

Public Safety and Violent Crime

But as we look to the year ahead, I'd like to go back, too, and begin really again with the most fundamental priority and responsibility that any Government has to its people. And that is to safeguard the lives of our citizens, the safety of our citizens, our neighborhoods and our communities.

Public safety is the foundation of any civilized society and in Maryland we have the opportunity to make our State the safest State in the union, instead of allowing ourselves year after year to be ranked as one of the most violent States in the union.

For too long we've allowed ourselves to look at violent crime as a socioeconomic problem or some sort of thorny cultural problem or something that just defies solution because that's just the way it is.

And most sadly of all, that sort of defeatist, low expectation attitude is too often rooted in the opinions that we hold consciously and subconsciously of our fellow neighbors, because of differences of race or class or place.

But this problem of ours, this problem in Maryland, is not the concern of one race or one city or one county, it is everyone's problem. As Robert Kennedy told us 40 years ago, and I quote, "The victims of violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown, they are, most important of all, human beings, whom other human beings loved and needed.

Whenever any American life is take by another American unnecessarily, whether it is done in the name of the law or in defiance of the law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence, whenever we tear at the fabric of a life, which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded."

My fellow citizens, we've allowed our one Maryland to be degraded by violence for far too long. One of our highest priorities this year will be to fight back against violent crime -- whenever and wherever it occurs in the State of Maryland. (Applause)

One year ago I shared with you, you may recall, how deeply concerned I was about how troubled so many of our departments that are involved in public safety were. Well, over the course of this year we have begun to make progress, we really have.

Working hard every single day to turn the situation around, so that our State gets back into the business of supporting local police departments and communities everywhere in our State in the fight against violent crime.

Over the course of this last year we closed the House of Correction and we opened a safer and more modern facility. (Applause)

We also overhauled, at long last, Parole & Probation and the way that they had in the past of figuring out who should be at the highest level of supervision. We are now in a much better position and have already zeroed in on the most violent predators with far more intensive supervision.

We have better diagnostic tools also in place at Juvenile Services, so that we can prevent violence, heal families, and prevent the loss of young lives to homicide.

We have created a Violence Prevention Unit at Parole & Probation to partner with local police and prosecutors so that we can legally and quickly remove the most violent offenders from our streets before they can murder again. (Applause)

We have also created two Regional Gun Task Forces with local governments, including our neighbors in the District of Columbia, to take guns off our streets. Thank you, Mayor Fenty, for helping us do that. (Applause)

Led by General Maynard and also by Colonel Sheriden, we are systematizing the collection, the analysis and the relaying of gang intelligence to local police departments so they can act on it to save lives.

And finally, last year we were able to knock out what had become a really shameful backlog of 24,000 DNA fingerprints, if you will, that had been taken from those convicted of violent crimes, but had never been analyzed by our State crime lab. Can you imagine that?

Cases are now being solved, I’m glad to tell you. They’re being solved, violence prevented, as Maryland finally makes better use of DNA fingerprinting and its potential to solve and prevent violent crimes.

And in the year ahead I want to ask for your support for several important things on this front. Number one, to add 50 additional officers to more closely and intensely supervise those who are released back into our communities on parole and probation.

Number two, to embark on a long overdue rebuilding of the minimal number of modern, regional facilities for our long, long ignored Juvenile Services system. (Applause)

Number three, to expand the utilization of modern GPS tracking technology so that we can save the lives of our most at-risk young offenders in some of our most challenged and violence-plagued neighborhoods, to save their lives and rescue them from the clutches of the hitmen and drug dealers.

Number four, I need your help to increase the availability of drug treatment programs, as well as community based programs like Operation Safe Kids. (Applause)

So that we can do a much better job of partnering with our county health departments in order to save young lives.

But most importantly I urge your support for legislation that is supported by virtually every police chief in every town and county in our State. It is supported by virtually every prosecutor, every State’s Attorney in the State of Maryland. And that is an expansion of our State’s DNA fingerprinting efforts so that we can solve more violent crimes more quickly and put murderers and rapists behind bars before they murder or rape again. (Applause)

If you look at the evolution of this technology, it follows almost exactly the evolution that happened after the advent of fingerprinting. Eleven other States now, including Virginia, collect DNA prints from those that are charged with violent crimes. And given the level of violence that we have in our State, there really is no justifiable reason that Maryland should not be in the forefront of using this modern crime solving tool, rather than lagging behind.

Protecting the Priorities of our People

Yes, to come through these tough times as quickly as possible, we must protect the priorities of our families. And we have tremendous challenges ahead of us.

On health care we need, in the coming year, to advance health care IT and to extend dental care for children so that no child in any county ever dies because of an inability to get dental treatment for a tooth ache. (Applause)

There are also thousands of Marylanders returning from service in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The modern day Maryland 400, if you will. And they were there for us. They went there for us, and we need to be there for them. And that’s why I ask for your support and engagement on a series of bills, that the Lt. Governor has also been working on, to ensure that their health and well-being is protected when they come home to Maryland. We owe that to them. (Applause)

On improving Maryland’s Homeland Security and preparedness many efforts are underway to better integrate emergency preparedness, emergency information sharing, and finally, to bring into service for the first time a truly statewide – that’s a small S on statewide -- a truly statewide system of interoperable communications so that all of our first responders will be able to talk to each other in the event of a large emergency.

I ask for your support as we bring former FEMA Director James Lee Witt, who I understand is with us today, to Maryland to assess our level of preparedness and make recommendations for making Maryland safer and better prepared in the face of natural and manmade threats.

On the health of the Bay, we have to continue to search for ways to make farming more profitable, we have to move as quickly as we can to upgrade our water treatment facilities and treatment plants. We also have to move quickly to fulfill our obligations with the District of Columbia and our other neighbors in the Bay watershed, importantly on this score, Pennsylvania and Virginia, in order to preserve and ultimately expand forest cover.

Last year you passed the Stormwater Management Act and you also passed the Clean Cars Act. This year I will ask for your support and for your ideas as we search for ways to update our Critical Area Law, so that massive developments like the Four Seasons project on Kent Island, are prohibited at the first step in the process and not at the last step. Right, Governor Hughes? (Applause)

On education we must find better ways to recruit great principals to our most challenged schools, to improve outcomes in science, technology and engineering and math. Right, Chancellor Kerwin?

And we must do a better job of listening to our teachers in a regular systematic way, so that we are constantly improving the learning process and improving the working conditions in our classrooms that are so very essential to recruiting and retaining the highest quality teachers we possibly can for our kids.

And we also have to rededicate ourselves to reducing our drop-out rate with better career and technical programs available to high schools in every district where kids want them. (Applause)

On workforce creation I also ask for your support on proposals that will reduce the nursing shortage that exists throughout our State, and on our broader efforts to equip the 750,000 chronically under-educated adults in Maryland with the skills that they need to compete and to win and to care for their families in this new economy. We can and we must do better on this score. Workforce is critically important to Maryland’s economic future. We have to build a new system for educating our adults and harnessing the potential of our entire workforce. Every single person matters.

There are Marylanders with disabilities who are talented and hardworking and want to get into the workforce with just a little bit of help and training.

Also, there are new Americans who remind us every day, in the words of Maryland’s Harriet Tubman, that we were all once strangers in a strange land. And they have brought their talents here to build a better Maryland.

We must also better align the education needs of our adults with the workforce needs of our employers and I urge you to support our proposal to bring our adult education system into the 21st Century. (Applause)

In terms of our pursuit of a more sustainable future for the land, the air, the water that we share, I urge your support for new legislation to promote transit-oriented development. (Applause)

I also look forward to working with you in the development of science, technology and public education that it will take to combat climate change and improve energy conservation and energy efficiency and to make Maryland a leader in the development of renewable energy and green building techniques of all kinds.

Our country needs us and we’ve got to be there in the forefront. (Applause)

And of course, in order to protect Maryland’s future, we must address Maryland’s energy needs.

The task before us, as you so well know, is to develop a long-term plan for energy generation, distribution, and conservation. And it will not be easy. It will take a sustained commitment from our political leadership to turn that vision over time into reality. The days of cheap abundant energy are past, but that does not mean that our only options are crippling energy bills and rolling brown-outs.

In the coming weeks, in the coming months, and in the coming years, we are going to be undertaking a number of efforts -- legislative, regulatory -- and, if need be, legal -- to secure fair and reasonable energy rates while also ensuring an adequate supply for our future. Deregulation has failed us in Maryland and we cannot allow our future to be determined by that mistake. We have to move forward. (Applause)

Conclusion

In conclusion, my friends, the most important days in life are not always the easy days.

As we work our way through the important and difficult days ahead, let’s not forget the good that God has given us in our lives, of our families, of our friends, of our neighbors, and all of the people in this State, where our diversity is our strength, that we call home, our fellow Marylanders.

Let’s stay focused on the fact that people are counting on us to make these tough times more bearable. Let’s work together -- regardless of personality, regardless of party or place -- to face the challenges ahead.

We know that Maryland is a stronger State than most. We can get through these tough economic times more quickly than other parts of our country, but only if we continue to come together to protect the priorities that make us strong.

We come here to make a positive difference for our neighbors; that’s why we come here. That’s what Senator Britt did and that’s what Delegate Lawton did. And that’s what we are going to continue to do. We must take it from here, Bishop Muse, striving to do all that we can for the working people we have the privilege to serve and the one Maryland we carry in our hearts.

God bless you all and thank you. (Applause)

[ Read the press release - Listen to audio mp3 ]

Additional Speeches

20080123 Press Release: Governor O'Malley Delivers 2008 State of the State Address

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

20080123 Press Release: Governor O'Malley Delivers 2008 State of the State Address

Press Release - Office of the Governor January 23, 2008


Governor O'Malley Delivers 2008 State of the State Address

Focuses on Protecting Maryland’s Priorities – Public Safety, Public Education, and Opportunity

ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 23, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley today delivered his second annual State of the State Address to the Maryland General Assembly focusing on the need to protect Maryland’s critical priorities – to strengthen and protect our middle class, to protect our commitment to improve public safety and public education in every region of our State, and to protect opportunity for the hard-working families of our State.

“The most important days in life are not always the easy days,” said Governor O’Malley in his address. “Time and again we have overcome challenges because of our respect for the dignity of every individual; because of our commitment to the common good; and because we have had the courage to protect our priorities especially when faced with great adversity.”

“For these reasons, Maryland has been a strong state,” he added. “But the future of our State is very much determined by the strength and the security of the families of Maryland – the hard-working and loving families that we have the honor and responsibility to represent. And today, the vast majority of Maryland’s families, like families throughout our country, are finding it harder and harder just to pay their bills and maintain the quality of life that they have worked so hard to achieve.”

During his speech, Governor O’Malley focused on public safety outlining a new proposal to expand DNA fingerprinting for violent offenders and reform the Department of Juvenile Services. In his first year in office, Governor O’Malley closed Maryland’s most troubled and violent prison – the Maryland House of Correction. The Governor’s proposed budget for FY 2009 includes funding to increase community supervision and surveillance of high risk juvenile offenders through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and provides historic funding levels to begin the overhaul of detention and treatment facilities for the State’s juvenile services. Governor O’Malley is also introducing legislation to require the collection of a DNA fingerprinting from offenders charged with a crime of violence or burglary at the time of their arrest. This evolution in Maryland’s DNA law is necessary to significantly decrease violent crime in our neighborhoods.

“One of our highest priorities this year will be to fight back against violent crime – wherever it occurs in Maryland,” said Governor O’Malley. “One year ago, I shared with you how deeply troubled our State public safety departments were. Over the course of this year, we have begun to make progress in turning this situation around so that our State gets back into the business of supporting local police departments and communities in the fight against violent crime.”

Governor O’Malley talked about the need to keep college tuition affordable for Maryland’s families. The Governor has proposed a tuition freeze at Maryland’s public colleges for the third year in a row to keep college tuition affordable for Maryland families. As a result, people like United States Marine Lance Corporal Will Amos, who has just returned from three tours of duty in Iraq, and who was in attendance for today’s address, will attend the University of Maryland, College Park using the Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts Scholarship Program.

“We can once again hold the line against the rising cost of college tuition,” Governor O’Malley said. “Hard-working families in Maryland should be able to afford to send their children to Maryland colleges.”

Governor O’Malley also outlined his FY 2009 budget priorities and this year’s legislative agenda. Earlier this month, Governor O’Malley unveiled the FY 2009 budget, which grows less than the Spending Affordability Limit set by the General Assembly, while also saving $739 million in the Rainy Day Fund balance by the close of FY 2009. Governor O’Malley also cut spending by $550 million – on top of the $280 million in reductions achieved last July.

The Governor spoke about the need to protect homeownership in Maryland, including his comprehensive proposal to address the mortgage foreclosure crisis confronting families across Maryland. He discussed plans for a sustainable long-term environmental and energy policy for our State. In addition, Governor O’Malley is proposing measures to improve life-long learning opportunities for Maryland’s workforce, and provide local jurisdictions more flexibility to plan for economic development projects. Governor O’Malley is also sponsoring legislation to improve State services for our veterans who have courageously served our nation abroad.

Governor O’Malley used the address to discuss accomplishments during his first year in office to make government work again. In his first year in office, Governor O’Malley implemented StateStat, a performance measurement system that makes government more efficient and accountable. Today, 13 different departments participate in performance measured government to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Governor O’Malley stressed the importance of protecting Maryland’s most valued treasure – the Chesapeake Bay – and Maryland’s environment. In his first year in office, Governor O’Malley implemented several measures to improve the health of the Bay, and to protect the health of Maryland’s environment for Maryland’s children, including passing the Clean Cars Act, the Stormwater Management Act and creating the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund. In his address, Governor O’Malley asked for support in updating the Critical Areas Law, and support to do more for the health of the Bay with the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund.

“We need to update our Critical Areas Law so massive developments like the Four Seasons project on Kent Island should be prohibited at the first step in the process, not the last,” he said. “Last year, we vowed to use open space dollars for the purchase of open space. We started to apply performance measured management to the huge challenge of cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay with Baystat. We expanded cover crops to more acreage than ever before while continuing Oyster restoration efforts to help the Bay and watermen. With the creation of the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund we can do even more this year.”

He also asked for support of new legislation to promote Transit Oriented Development (TOD), a smart growth tool to revitalize communities and curb sprawl. The bill codifies TOD as a statewide transportation purpose and provides the legal framework and authority to advance TOD projects around the State. It will allow the Department of Transportation to designate TOD projects and use its property and resources to support mixed use and pedestrian friendly development around existing and future transit stations. In addition, Governor O’Malley vowed to take a number of efforts to secure fair and reasonable energy rates while also ensuring an adequate supply for our future.

Governor O’Malley vowed the importance of protecting Maryland’s priorities in order to protect Maryland’s future.

“I look forward to working with all of you, including members and leaders of the minority party in this chamber, and in local governments around our state, as we face the challenging times ahead,” he said.

“We know that Maryland is a stronger state than most. We can get through these tough economic times more quickly than other parts of our country; but only if we can continue to come together to protect the priorities that make us strong. We will take it from here, striving to do all that we can – especially in these difficult times – for the hardworking people we have the privilege to serve and the One Maryland we carry in our hearts.”

[ Read the speech - Listen to audio mp3 ]

Friday, January 28, 2005

20050127 Text of Maryland Gov. Ehrlich's State of the State Address – as prepared

Gov. Ehrlich's State of the State Address – as prepared

Thursday, January 27, 2005; 3:21 PM

President Miller; Speaker Busch; Lieutenant Governor Steele; members of the General Assembly; Chief Judge Bell; Attorney General Curran; Comptroller Schaefer; Treasurer Kopp; members of our Congressional Delegation; County Executives, Mayors, council members, and commissioners; cabinet members; special guests, friends, family, and fellow Marylanders.

Welcome back to Annapolis.

So, here we are, two years into a successful term, with major policy achievements already secured. Progress in public education, transportation, public safety, and the Chesapeake Bay have been especially noteworthy.

Your support, and that of your leadership, has been instrumental to each and every legislative success.

This record of success follows President Miller's promise of "at least three good years" made to me during our initial post-election conference. Well, it's year three, and the potential to add to this list of achievements is clear and unmistakable.

There is still time for additional progress -- even against a backdrop of divided government -- provided that we make an effort to better understand each other's passions, perspectives and priorities.

Let me share mine with you.

First: a common sense agenda built upon the five pillars of our administration: fiscal stability, education, health and environment, public safety and commerce.

Second: consistency. During 18 years of public service spanning two legislatures and the Governor's Office, my approach to public policy issues has never fundamentally changed.

Third: determination. I am determined to introduce fiscal responsibility into an inefficient and undisciplined budget process -- a process ill prepared to deal with such challenges as self-imposed unfunded mandates, a deep recession, and the resulting structural deficit. And I am determined to challenge the prevailing belief within this city that raising taxes is the solution to every single problem.

Fourth: self-assessment. My administration has demonstrated a unique willingness to measure our progress and report the results to the people of Maryland -- a goal often at odds with the desire to maintain popularity or simply win elections.

Finally: a plainspoken style when communicating my opinions and beliefs. This approach reflects my personality, values, and philosophy. It will not change. It cannot change. It is the only way I know.

Now that I have told you where I am coming from, let me tell you where I'd like to lead our State.

Budget and Education

When we took office in January 2003, our administration inherited a projected $2 billion budget deficit for the first 18 months of this term.

Today, I am pleased to tell you that much progress has been made.

Two years after taking office, we have resolved $4 billion in budgetary shortfalls. Our State's finances are balanced through June 2006. Our FY 2004 surplus was $309 million. Our FY 2005 budget projects a surplus of $680 million. Today Maryland remains one of only seven states with a Triple AAA bond rating.

Our FY 2006 budget builds on these successes. It is a product of the "Strategic Budgeting Exercise" I outlined for you in last year's speech.

Our unprecedented plan as developed by Secretary DiPaula required every cabinet-level agency to begin budgeting based on 88 percent of their current services baseline. The purpose: to measure the efficiencies of "what," "how," "when," and "why" our government provides good and services to the citizens it serves.

Outside consultants worked with our agencies on a pro bono basis. Results were neither predetermined nor preordained. This process is about accountability and opportunities for improvement. And, unlike past years when success was measured solely by funding increases, strategic budgeting measures success by outcomes that benefit our citizens.

Thank you, Secretary DiPaula, for all the hard work you have devoted to this project.

With respect to state employees, they make Maryland a better place to live. Many could earn far greater salaries in the private sector, but choose government service instead.

Their good work should be reflected in a 2 percent cost of living adjustment, the second such increase in as many years. Further, we propose increasing step increases for those traditionally underpaid compared to their counterparts in the private sector and other levels of government.

Speaking of good work and efficiencies, our university system has successfully met challenge. It has increased faculty workload and online capabilities, maintained a lean bureaucracy, increased efficiencies in the use of campus facilities, implemented bulk-purchasing initiatives, and expanded the teaching workweek.

Accordingly, we have increased state funding for higher education by $67 million, and increased need-based aid $27 million.

Thank you, Chancellor Brit Kirwin, for your fine work and leadership.

For the second year in a row, our budget contains the largest funding increase in Maryland's history. Additionally, our budget includes $155 million, a 55 percent increase, for public school construction.

But in order to sustain the mandated increases in educational spending pursuant to the Thornton formula, and fund new school construction so desperately needed in every subdivision, we need a new, dedicated source of revenue.

You all know where I am going with this.

A new Pennsylvania law will soon bring 20,000 slot machines to our northern border.

In Maryland, a fully phased in slots program in Maryland would mean more than $800 million in annual new revenue to our State.

These dollars would help pay for mandated increases in educational spending pursuant to the Thornton formula, and new school construction so desperately needed in every subdivision.

It would also give an industry with 20,000 jobs, $5.2 billion in assets, and nearly 700,000 acres of land a better chance to survive in an increasingly competitive environment.

It's time to fulfill the mandate of 2002 and allow slots in Maryland.

Still, dollars are only part of the debate. We need to give equal attention to how well our educational system is preparing our students for the challenges of the 21st century workplace.

Accordingly, Lieutenant Governor Steele has convened a distinguished group of Marylanders to examine and report on how our historic investments in public education are paying off for parents, students, and teachers.

The panel will address issues related to: Teacher retention; School construction; Public-private partnerships; Early childhood education; Social promotion; and Public charter schools, among others.

Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Steele, for your terrific leadership of this important commission.

Health and Environment

Last month, I convened a special session of the legislature in order to address the State's medical malpractice insurance crisis.

Regrettably, the session failed to pass comprehensive legal reforms required solving our malpractice crisis over the long-term. Instead, it imposed a $423 million tax on nearly one million working Marylanders.

On a positive note, it included productive discussions with members of both parties who wish to pass an effective reform measure this year.

Accordingly, in order to ensure the continued availability and affordability of malpractice insurance in the long term, we will introduce a package of reforms intended to keep our talented medical professionals on the job -- to the benefit of all Marylanders.

Many years ago, Maryland brought property owners and advocates together in an unprecedented effort to solve another problem affecting the health of Maryland's citizens: lead paint poisoning.

This partnership dramatically increased the pool of rental property owners in compliance with the law, thereby reducing the number of children with elevated blood levels by 90 percent.

Maryland's innovative partnership is now a national model.

Ruth Ann Norton has led this successful effort in Baltimore City for many years, and we welcome and honor her today.

Still, our goal should be the elimination of childhood lead poisoning.

Our administration's bill proposes to do just that by adding exterior structures to the lead law; lowering the blood lead level that triggers the requirement for property owners to perform lead hazard reduction treatments; and providing a transition period for purchasers of non-compliant properties to obtain risk reduction certificates.

It's 2005. We've known about this problem for decades. We know how to prevent it. There is no reason for a single child in Maryland to suffer from lead poisoning.

Let's finish the job … now!

I see other opportunities to improve our ability to protect Maryland's children by encouraging a "child first" culture throughout State government.

Our Children's Wraparound Initiative will achieve this goal by bringing better and more efficient service delivery for "at-risk" children and their families.

Two "wraparound" demonstration projects -- one in Baltimore City, the other in Montgomery County -- will link children and families with intensive needs to community-based teams providing flexible treatment and services. The initiative will emphasize meeting the needs of troubled children at home and in local communities, rather than over-reliance on expensive, out-of-home residential care programs that treat the symptoms but rarely the problem.

Under the leadership of Special Secretary Terri Garland, a "children's cabinet" will develop an inter-agency plan and fund. Further, a streamlined review process will ensure that children requiring out-of-home placements are quickly placed in an appropriate setting.

Six different state councils will be consolidated into a single council that will advise the children's cabinet in both developing the state plan and awarding grants from the interagency fund.

Public Safety

In the 21st century, the phrase "public safety" has come to mean two different things. Maryland continues to be a leader in both.

Homeland security is the modern side of public safety in a post-9/11 world. Maryland is fortunate to have a group of experienced professionals working to make our State more secure. Our leadership team includes: Dennis Schrader (Homeland Security); John Droneburg (MEMA); Major General Bruce Tuxill (Maryland Military Department); Colonel Tim Hutchins (Maryland State Police); Gary McLhinney, (Maryland Transportation Authority Police); Doug Deleaver (Maryland Transit Administration); and Colonel Steve Chaney (Department of Natural Resources Police).

Thanks to all of you for making Maryland safer.

One example of Maryland's leadership in the homeland security arena is the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC). The Center encourages information sharing and intelligence analysis among the law enforcement, the National Guard, emergency management, public health, and first responder communities. MCAC is the first joint federal, state and local data collection and analysis center in the country.

Criminal justice is the traditional side of public safety. There are successes to report here as well.

Project CSAFE, our local law enforcement partnership, is established in 51 locations spanning 23 jurisdictions across the State.

Project RESTART, a 2004 initiative to stop the warehousing and recycling of adult offenders, especially drug offenders, has begun level one implementation: training, education, and treatment behind bars. This is an important, long-overdue mission.

Project Diversion, another 2004 initiative, focuses on alternatives to incarceration for addicted, non-violent offenders.

Our reconstituted and expanded State Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council provides an important link between state prevention, intervention, and treatment activities and those of local drug and alcohol councils.

Building on these successes, my public safety priorities for this legislative session include the following.

First, I want to prevent drug and alcohol-related accidents by encouraging young drivers to exercise better judgment and greater responsibility behind the wheel.

Of the 651 people killed on Maryland highways in 2003, 106 were 21 years old or younger. Most accidents involving young drivers are attributable to three factors: inexperience, inattention, and impairment.

My friend Debi Hardy is with us today. She has educated young people about the dangers of drunk driving ever since her daughter, 13-year-old Janet Marie, was killed in October 2003. I commend her courage, commitment, and leadership.

Accordingly, I have introduce a three point legislative package that will lengthen the period for learner's permits from four to six months, mandate a 90-day suspensions for violations of provisional license restrictions, and revoke the license of drunk and drugged drivers under the age of 21.

The worse kind of tragedy is that which can be easily avoided. We want young people to exercise good judgment, while reminding them that bad judgment brings consequences.

Second, I want to protect witnesses and victims of crime from reprisals.

Criminals in our State's largest city are employing a new tactic to scare witnesses and victims of crime: "Intimidation by Infomercial."

This now infamous "Stop Snitching" DVD is a wake-up call for all of us.

Accordingly, we will reintroduce legislation that will make witness intimidation a felony punishable by a prison term of up to 20 years, and allow the statements of a witness to be entered into evidence without the individual having to testify in person.

Our prosecutors need this important tool now. Let's give it to them.

Thank you, Pat Jessamy, for the leadership and attention you have brought to this issue.

Third, I want to position our State at the forefront of the DNA revolution that is transforming our nation's criminal justice system.

Thanks to the advent of DNA testing as a forensic tool, violent criminals are being identified and apprehended, cases cold for years are being solved, and the innocent are being exonerated.

We propose expanding the DNA collections process by allowing samples to be obtained from qualifying offenders at the courthouse immediately after sentencing, guaranteeing quicker entry into the DNA database.

Maryland should lead as the DNA revolution transforms our nation's criminal justice system.

Commerce

Not long after I took office, I declared that Maryland is once again open for business. Since then, our efforts to grow Maryland's economy have yielded striking successes.

A strong economic recovery added nearly 50,000 jobs to employer payrolls during 2004.

We are competing with other states for new jobs -- and winning. Recent successes include: American Woodmark: 300 jobs created in Allegany County. Dreyer's Ice Cream: 300 jobs created, 200 jobs retained in Howard County. Jos. A. Bank: 100 jobs created, 345 jobs retained in Carroll County. Internosis: 170 jobs relocated to Prince George's County from Virginia. Emergent Biologics: 300 jobs created in Frederick County.

Last July, Maryland led the nation in job growth.

The number of Marylanders receiving welfare benefits is at its lowest point since December 1963.

Maryland's unemployment rate -- 4 percent in December -- is 1.4 percent below the national rate.

Thanks to the Lieutenant Governor's leadership, and your support, we reformed Maryland's MBE program so that it better meets its stated mission: making minority entrepreneurs full partners in Maryland's growing prosperity.

Tourism increased 33 percent during the first half of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003, generating an estimated $788 million in state and local taxes.

The ICC is ahead of schedule, and, thanks to the bipartisan transportation law enacted last year, dozens of long-delayed roads and transit projects are off the drawing board and under construction. Further, our FY 2006 budget proposes a $50 million repayment to the Transportation Trust Fund.

This year, we have an opportunity to keep this momentum going by enacting targeted incentives that will stimulate three growth sectors of Maryland's economy.

The first is Maryland's film industry.

Over the past decade, filmmaking in Maryland has had a total economic impact of more than $750 million.

In FY 2004, Maryland hosted 307 days of filming for 2 feature films, 5 independent films, 5 "short" films and 8 television productions. An additional 87 productions were completed on commercial, industrial, music video, documentary and "other" projects.

The film industry provides 1,650 full-time equivalent jobs in our State.

Our bill encourages future Maryland-based filmmaking by offering film companies a rebate on the first $25,000 of wages paid to production employees on locations across the State.

The second is Maryland's high tech/bioscience sector. Two important tax credits will keep Maryland at the forefront of the new economy by stimulating creation of -- and investment in -- early stage bioscience and advanced technology businesses.

First, we should extend our research and development tax credit to 2011, increase the limit of each to $6 million, and add to our new arsenal an "Entrepreneurial Investment Technology Tax Credit" which investors in biotechnology or venture capital firms may apply towards their state income or insurance premium tax bill.

The third is Maryland's population of retired military personnel.

These former soldiers are valuable citizens who contribute to the intellectual, economic, and patriotic foundation of communities.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey have enacted their own exemptions, boosting their economies by attracting many talented military retirees to their states.

The Free State should demonstrate its thanks by phasing in an exemption from state income tax for military retirement income earned by those with two decades of service. Not only is it the patriotic thing to do … it is the smart thing. This is an idea whose time has come!

Conclusion

Last year, I concluded my remarks by reaffirming the philosophy that guides my style of governance and my service to the citizens of Maryland: "I assure you that I will always advocate for my positions in a straightforward manner, negotiate in good faith, maintain flexibility, and seek common ground. However, I will not hesitate to hold firm on the promises I made to the citizens of Maryland when they elected me governor."

You responded by passing an historic series of policy initiatives. Indeed, here are some examples of things that can happen when good policy takes preference over politics: the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund; nutrient management reforms; public charter schools; new roads and transit projects; mental health assessments for juvenile offenders; Project RESTART; the Maryland Department of Disabilities; MBE Reform; ethics reform; the Heritage Tax Credit; and a revitalized brownfields law.

These ideas do not carry a Republican or Democratic label.

Indeed, when I think about our accomplishments during the past two years -- even against a backdrop of divided government -- I am reminded of a sign which sat on President Ronald Reagan's desk which read: "There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit."

These successes illustrate what is possible when we put the people's business above partisan gamesmanship. Such is our job -- indeed, our obligation, to our citizens.

This year, we can do better. We can set the bar higher.

So, let's get back to work.

And, as we begin ask God to bless our State, our country, our troops, our law enforcement professionals and first responders, and everyone who defends our hard-won freedoms.

Thank you and Godspeed.

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20050127 Text of Maryland Gov. Ehrlich's State of the State Address – as prepared