Legislative Update

Updated 7/20/09

The County Council meets tonight to hold its July Legislative Public Hearing beginning at 7:30 pm on all legislation introduced on July 6th as well as any amendments that result from the Work Sessions on CB29 or any new information that has come up on the bill.

You may sign-up to testify at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/CC_GiveTestimonySignup2.asp.

You may view the ever-changing drafted amendments to CB29 at: http://www.co.ho.md.us/CountyCouncil/CC_CB29-2009_Draft_Amendments.htm.

The agenda for July has several bills of interest or concern to the business community: CB36 and CB39 have to do with requiring pre-submission community meetings (CB36 was introduced by Greg Fox and co-sponsored by Courtney Watson; CB39 was introduced by the Chair at the request of the Administration and co-sponsored by Terrasa and Watson), CR65 is a Resolution that would approve the fee system of the Howard County Soil Conservation District. We have been tracking these bills and working in cooperation with our strategic partners in making sure the business community is involved in the process.

Updated 7/7/09

The County Council met on July 6 to vote on its June legislation and introduce its July agenda. The list of legislation can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/CC_HomePage.htm. Most all of what was on the June agenda passed, with the exception of CB29-2009 (ZRA 102) which was tabled to allow for additional public input and further consideration at another Council Work Session, scheduled for July 13th (see details below).

Council Agenda for July

7/13—The County Council will meet on July 13th for its monthly meting at 4:30 pm. Immediately following that, about 5:30 pm, they will go into a Work Session on CB29-2009 to consider any amendments to that bill.

7/20—On July 20th, the Council will hold its July Legislative Public Hearing beginning at 7:30 pm on all legislation introduced on July 6th as well as any amendments that result from the Work Session on CB29 or any new information that has come up on the bill. You may sign-up to testify at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/CC_GiveTestimonySignup2.asp.

7/27—The Council holds its July legislative Work Session at 4:30 pm on July 27th.

7/28—Legislative Amendment Prefile deadline is at 2:00 pm on July 28th.

7/30—On July 30th, the Council will hold a continuation of its Public Hearing on CR64-2009, give a legislative wrap-up and vote on July legislation. They will also hold an official vote to go into recess for the month of August. This session will begin at 4:00 pm.

All sessions listed will be held at the Board of Education building on Route 108 in the Board Room.

Updated 6/18/09

Earlier this week, the County Council held a hearing on it June legislation. The agenda included CB 29-2009 (or ZRA-102) which amends the zoning regulations to allow Village Center businesses/property owners to directly petition for zoning changes. Testimony was heard on this topic for about an hour on Monday, June 15th and over 4 hours on the evening of Tuesday, June 16th. Greg Lowe, Co-Chair of the Chamber’s legislative division testified in support of this legislation as an important piece of the Village Center revitalization process. Among the many individuals also testifying in support were Duane Carey of Impact Marketing, Dana Snyder of The Meting Pot and Jody Lenes on behalf of the Chamber’s Young Professionals Network. The Chamber was pleased to have so many of its members in the audience demonstrating our united front.

The Council will hold a work session on June legislation, including CB 29-2009 on Monday, June 22nd at 4:30 at the BOE Board Room.

The Chamber’s position on this bill is that in a growing economy it is critical to maintain a positive, competitive and pro-business environment that encourages businesses to choose to operate in certain places and expand their investment and employment base as they grow. We believe that revitalization of the Village Centers is a critical component of the economic development of our area and that CB 29 is a step in addressing a process difficulty that exists.

This week, the Chamber also re-submitted its position on local transportation issues as outlined in our Issues for Legislation Action 2009 to County Executive Ulman. Typically, each June, the County Executive sends his list of priorities to the Governor for funding consideration. Our transportation position is on page 28 of the White Paper.

The Legislative Division is also working on issues surrounding the Soil Conservation District as well as draft legislation that would require a pre-submission community meeting for developers under certain conditions.

As always, questions should be directed to Heidi Gaasch at legislative@howardchamber.com.

Updated 5/29/09

The County Council has released its legislative agenda for June. It can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_CouncilAgenda.htm. This agenda includes CB29-2009 (or ZRA-102) which would amend the zoning regulations to allow Village Center business to directly petition for zoning changes. A link to the Planning Board’s recommendation on this ZRA is included in the 5/4/09 update below.

Also, on this month’s agenda is the (annual) Housing Allocation Chart resolution (CR 53) and a resolution (CR 52) approving a revised Route 1 Manual to incorporate changes made in recent Zoning Regulation Amendments. These pieces of legislation might be of interest to some of our members. There are also several budget items for final consideration as well as 3 of the Petri-Ross/Savage Station TIF legislations.

We have learned that Council members Greg Fox and Jen Terrasa are looking into legislation that would require a pre-submission community meeting for developers under certain conditions. We have had a few preliminary discussions with some of the parties involved and our Legislative Committee will be following this issue closely. This is likely to be on our agenda for both our June and July meetings.

Updated 5/26/09

County

ZRA 102, related to Village Center redevelopment, will be introduced on June 1st as Council Bill 29-2009, and is available for review at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_Pending.htm.

The public hearing for June legislation, including CB 29-2009, will take place on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 7:30pm in the Board of Education hearing room at 10910 Rt. 108 in Ellicott City, MD. There may be additional public hearings if necessary.

Updated 5/4/09

County

The Planning Board has released its recommendation on ZRA 102, Village Center Redevelopment. It is available at: http://www.co.ho.md.us/CountyCouncil/CC_ZoningRegulationAmendments.htm.

State
Delegate Guy Guzzone and Senator James Robey have been re-elected to serve as Chairs to the Howard County Delegation for the 2009 - 2010 session of the General Assembly.

On April 28th, the Chamber’s Legislative Committee hosted the Howard County Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly and Jeff Salkin from Maryland Public Television’s program State Circe for a breakfast briefing. All 11 members of the Howard County Delegation were invited to participate. With Salkin serving as the conversation moderator, Senators Edward Kasemeyer and Allan Kittleman as well as Delegates Gail Bates, Jimmy Malone, and Warren Miller addressed those issues that mattered most to them and to local businesses during this past 90-day legislative session.

Cautioning us that many of this year’s “bad” bills (such as the gift card bill, the shift break bill and energy re-regulation) are likely to return next year, the delegation members were optimistic about a number of initiatives that did pass, including the no texting while driving bill. They all emphasized the positive relationships that they each have with the Chamber, its members, and staff. We will continue to build on this momentum.

Thank you to those members that took the time to attend the event and to the members of the Howard County Delegation as well as Councilman Greg Fox who made it a priority to be there for us.

Updated 4/13/09

The House Economic Matters Committee voted late yesterday, Saturday, April 11, 2009, to kill the proposal to re-regulate energy supply markets in the state. By a count of 21-2, the panel voted to reject the bill, and to take it up for study over the summer.

O’Malley’s plan, as passed by the Senate, would have given the state new controls over the power supply market, placing power plants proposed after July under state regulatory control and largely eliminating customer choice for all but the largest customers. It also would have ended the Chamber energy cooperatives that we have been promoting the last weeks as a service options. Now that the House Committee killed its version of the bill, the issue is dead this Session.

Del. Dereck Davis, the Prince George’s County Democrat who heads the Economic Matters Committee, said he hopes additional study will help lawmakers make a better decision if the issue of re-regulation comes back up next year. He argued that some of the short-term concerns that residents have about their power costs might be resolved by another bill that the House passed this week, HB 1002, which seeks to help ratepayers who fall behind on their bills, and would ease income restrictions for customers to be allowed to enter into repayment plans with their utility companies. It is now before the Senate, which would have to pass it by the end of the day Monday, when the legislature adjourns for the year.

Updated 4/2/09

General Assembly

Energy Re-Regulation. Last night, the Senate approved the energy re-regulation legislation to which the Chamber has been vocally opposed. The measure was approved on a 27-19 vote. Click here to read an article from the Examiner.com on this issue, which includes a quote from Allan Kittleman and acknowledges that Representatives from large commercial businesses have been adamantly against the bill, saying it would lead to energy cost overruns for large businesses. The House version is still in the Economic Matters Committee where the Chamber hopes it might die. The Committee Chair is on record having said they need more time than what is left in the session to take up such significant legislation. The Chamber maintains its strong opposition to this legislation.

Health Insurance Reform. Both houses of the General Assembly have unanimously passed legislation to introduce market-based reforms into the Small Group Health Insurance Plan (SB 637/HB 674). The slight differences in the two versions of these bills still need to be worked out. The Chamber supports these bills and believes this legislation will encourage more young and healthy groups to enter the Small Group Plan and help to stabilize the rates for participating businesses.

Shift Break Bill. The House Economic Matters Committee voted yesterday to defeat the Shift Break legislation which would have imposed a one-size-fits all shift break mandate on employers with more than 50 employees. The bill, HB 16, was defeated by a vote of 12-11-1 (13 votes are needed to get out of committee). Howard County Delegate Warren Miller sits on this Committee and voted Ney, which is consistent with our position. Please take the time to thank him for his position on this issue.

Environmental Standing. For an update on the environmental standing legislation and the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2009, click here to read from the Maryland Chamber’s blog.

The Workplace Fraud Act of 2009. Earlier this week, the House passed the Workplace Fraud Act of 2009 (HB 819/SB 909), the Employee Misclassification Bill. This is another issue we have tracking. The Maryland Chamber’s blog includes an update on this issue as well: click here.

Updated 3/24/09

General Assembly

Energy Re-Regulation. Earlier this week, the Chamber issued an Advocacy Alert on several bills in Annapolis relating to energy re-regulation—SB 795/HB 1312, and SB 844/HB 1530. These bills would end consumer choice for purchasers of electricity including commercial and industrial buyers. One result would be the end of customer choice and an end to the many chamber-based electricity purchasing cooperatives like the one the Howard County Chamber of Commerce is currently initiating. Click here to read the Alert and to take action.

Health Care. Two key Committees are considering legislation that would create a universal health care system in Maryland, funded primarily by an annual $2.5 billion employer payroll tax (SB 813/HB 951). The issue of health care benefits is a major concern to the Chamber community, but this legislation (the Health Care Affordability Act of 2009) is not the answer. Because a significant number of our members are small businesses, the Chamber urges small group health insurance reform. There are bills in Annapolis that address this—SB 637 and HB 674. These bills focus the help where it is most needed – revitalizing the small group health plan to make it more affordable for small employers. A Chamber Advocacy Alert on this topic is forthcoming.

Election Law/Petition Signatures for Referendum. Those of you following the issues surround the county petition to take CB-58 to referendum know that this issue has made its way to Annapolis. The discussion centers on the recent decision by the county election board to invalidate many of the signatures that were collected in hopes of putting the Turf Valley matter on referendum. Senator Kasemeyer has introduced a late-file bill (SB 1067) which has been referred to the Senate Education Health and Environmental Affairs Committee. This bill would repeal provisions requiring an individual to sign the individual's name on a petition in a specified manner and be applied retroactively (so that the above mentioned petition would then be valid).

Standing. Chairman Maggie McIntosh has introduced an entirely new standing bill (SB 1065/ HB 1569). There is no longer any broad citizen suit opportunity. The revised bill is no longer threatening to the permit process and it does not expand scope of judicial review. This bill would eliminate contested cases for the impacted permits, and allow permit decisions to be determined much more rapidly than the current process. This product is a compromise bill between the business and environmental communities. Many business and trade organizations have tempered their opposition, with the MD Chamber supporting as long as it is not amended further.

County

ZRA 113. Last week, the Planning Board continued public input on ZRA 113 and questioned the agency heads who had contributed to the technical staff report. The Board successfully completed the rest of the public testimony and the agency reports, but did not complete their work on ZRA 102, which was also on the agenda that evening. Therefore, they have decided to keep the record open on ZRA 113 until Thursday, April 2nd. This will give anyone with additional thoughts and suggestions the opportunity to get them on the record (planningboard@howardcountymd.gov).

As always, please direct any questions to Heidi Gaasch at legislative@howardchamber.com.

Updated 3/18/09

Environmental Standing. We have been following highlights the Community Environmental Protection Act of 2009, SB 824 /HB 1053, which would give any organization legal standing to challenge environmental permitting and enforcement issues, as long as one member of the organization is aggrieved. The Maryland Chamber and its many strong partners have been working with the bill sponsor, Maggie McIntosh, on educating her on the bill’s likely impact. Chairman McIntosh is expected to release a proposed settlement worked out with a small group from the local government and business communities and the environmental community. There is the possibility that this compromise will be reflected in an entirely new bill, which could have a hearing next week. We have heard that the sponsor of the Senate companion bill might consolidate the hearing on his existing bill with a new bill. We will have more information next week.

Updated 3/17/09

General Assembly
Standing. This week, the Senate Education, Health & Environment Affairs Committee will be considering the Community Environmental Protection Act of 2009, SB 824, which would give any organization legal standing to challenge environmental permitting and enforcement issues, as long as one member of the organization is aggrieved. The hearing is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Wednesday, March 18th. No members of the Howard County delegation are on this Committee.

Health Care. This week are also the hearings on SB 813 and HB 951, the Health Care Affordability Act(s) of 2009 (Health Care for All proposal). SB 813 will be heard Wednesday, the 18th at 1:00 in the Senate Finance Committee. HB 951 will be heard Thursday the 19th at 1:00 in the House Health and Government Operations Committee. Senator Kittleman sits on Senate Finance and Delegate Shane Pendergrass is on the House Government Operations Committee.

The bill would impose a $2.5 billion annual payroll assessment on the FICA wage base of all employers in Maryland starting July 1, 2009. This assessment would pay 85% of the program’s costs for expanding health care programs. While the bill promises savings in health insurance costs, they are likely to never materialize. However, the payroll assessment is guaranteed. The business community is concerned that this $2.5 billion payroll assessment will drive many companies out of business or out of the state. The Chamber opposes these bills.

County
County Council. The County Council held its March hearing last night, March 16th. Of particular interest to the business community were CB-10 (affecting B-1 and B-2 zoned businesses in the Rural West) and CB-11 (amending the Zoning Regulations definition of Age-restricted Adult Housing). CB-10 was withdrawn by the petitioner. Sang Oh testified on behalf of CB-11 while numerous citizens testified with residential concerns over the bill.

ZRA 113. The Planning Board continues its consideration of ZRA 113 on Thursday, March 19th at 7:00 pm in a public work session. It will be held in Ellicott 2 Room of the County Offices, 8930 Stanford Boulevard.

Updated 3/13/09

General Assembly
The Legislative Committee is tracking what is going on in Annapolis and continues to work its way though many pieces of legislation that would affect the general business climate in Howard County and Maryland.

Highlights of our efforts include: Working with the Maryland Chamber to oppose the Community Environmental Protection Act of 2009, SB 824 /HB 1053, which would give any organization legal standing to challenge environmental permitting and enforcement issues, as long as one member of the organization is aggrieved. The Maryland Chamber and its many strong partners have been leading the charge and working with the bill sponsor, Maggie McIntosh, on educating her on the bill’s likely impact. The House held its hearing on 3/11 and the Senate is expected to consider it on 3/18. Our position statement in opposition is coming soon.

HB16 and are referred to as the shift breaks bill. The House bill is gaining momentum with key lawmakers and is expected to win approval of the House Economic Matters Committee soon. This legislation requires employers of 50 or more employees to provide a half-hour nonworking shift break after six consecutive hours of work, or a fifteen minute nonworking shift break where an employee works between four and six consecutive hours. The Chamber views this bill as an unwarranted and unnecessary legislative intrusion into the employer-employee relationship and an administrative burden for this part of the private sector.

We opposed these bills in an official position statement and joined the Maryland Chamber on a letter to members of the General Assembly expressing the business community’s concern about the legislation.

We have also been working on the Energy re-regulation bills (SB795/SB844). These bills would end the customer choice of Chamber-based Energy Co-ops, similar to the one that our Chamber is currently working to initiate. Many experts in the energy field do not believe that re-regulation is the answer to citizen’s concerns over energy prices. Furthermore, it has been said that the State of Maryland simply cannot afford these bills.

The Chamber put its concern over the number of anti-business legislation to the members of our Delegation to Annapolis in a letter this week. Click here to read the letter which names the following bills:

SB 472 (Income Tax – Deduction of Officers’ and Directors’ Compensation)
SB 820 (Employee Opportunity to Purchase Act)
HB 170/SB 157 (Campaign Finance – Affiliated Business Entities)
SB 824/HB 1053 (Community Environmental Protection Act of 2009)
SB 603/HB 1244 (Corporate Income Tax – Rate Reduction and Reform)
SB 727 (Recordation and Transfer Tax – Controlling Interest Transfers)
SB 912/HB 1070 (Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors)

County Council
The County Council will hold its public hearing on Monday, March 16th at 7:30 pm at the Board Of Education building on Route 108. The Chamber is actively involved in conversations concerning CB-10 (affecting B-1 and B-2 zoned businesses in the Rural West) and CB-11 (amending the Zoning Regulations definition of Age-restricted Adult Housing). We oppose CB-10 on grounds of predictability.

ZRA 113
The Planning Board heard another evening full of testimonies on the General Plan Amendment and ZRA 113 on Thursday, March 5, 2009. The local business community has consistently done a good job showing support for efforts to revitalize downtown Columbia. March 19th is the next Planning Board session and it is hoped this will be the last evening of ZRA 113 consideration.

Federal Government
The misnamed Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 (EFCA) was introduced yesterday in the U.S. Congress. This legislation would effectively eliminate the use of secret ballots in union organizing efforts and replace it with a “card check system.” It would also impose contract terms on private, unionized employers through compulsory, binding arbitration if the employer and a newly certified union are unable to reach a first contract within a specified amount of time. We encourage you to use this link provided by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce for more information on this legislation. Follow their links to contact your Senators and Representative in opposition to this legislation.

Jeff Salkin from State Circle to moderate April 28 Event
The Chamber’s Legislative Committee is pleased to announce that Jeff Salkin from MPTV’s State Circle will moderate our 2009 Legislative Session Wrap-Up. The Chamber needs a sponsor for this event. Please contact Joanne Birdsong if you are interested. It will be on the morning of April 28, at the Columbia Sheraton.

Updated 2/20/09

General Assembly

The House and Senate have introduced legislation which would give any organization legal standing to challenge environmental permitting and enforcement issues, as long as one member of the organization is aggrieved. These bills, SB 824/HB 1053, will be heard by the respective Environmental committees on 3/18 at 1:00 pm. We'll have more on this next week.

The Gift Card bill (HB 126 - Commercial Law - Gift Certificates - Balances - Presumption of Abandonment) that both the Legislative Committee and Board discussed last week was voted down by the Economic Matters Committee late last week by a "large" margin. The Chamber’s position was that this bill was bad for the state of business in Maryland and we were pleased the Committee agreed.

Some of the other bills we are tracking are:

HB 27 and SB 753 would prohibit the State Department of Transportation and the MD Transportation Authority from financing the Intercounty Connector (ICC). We oppose this legislation and urge an unfavorable report from the appropriate committees. The Chamber position will be posted on the Government Affairs section of the Chamber’s website under Bill/Issues Positions.

HB16 and SB 660 would require an employer to provide a nonworking shift break of at least 30 minutes to each employee who works more than 5 consecutive hours or provide a nonworking shift break of at least 15 minutes to each employee who works up to 6 consecutive hours. The Chamber views this bill as an unwarranted and unnecessary legislative intrusion into the employer-employee relationship and an administrative burden for this part of the private sector. We opposed these bills and urge unfavorable reports from the respective committees. House committee action is scheduled for 3/3 at 1:00 pm; the Senate hearing is scheduled for 3/5 at 1:00 pm. The Chamber position will be posted on the Government Affairs section of the Chamber’s website under Bill/Issues Positions.

County Council
This week, the County Council held its public hearing on February legislation. Greg Lowe, Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee testified in support of Council Bill 8-2009, Economic Impact Phasing legislation. He testified that CB-8 would allow a project to slow down, protect the landowner’s investment, and help citizens avoid the nuisance of half finished, incomplete projects in neighborhoods around the county. He pointed out that efforts that keep the residential market going in these turbulent economic times will benefit all Howard County citizens.

ZRA 113
The Planning Board will continue to hear testimony on the General Plan Amendment and ZRA 113 on Thursday, March 5, 2009 beginning at 7:00 pm in the Tyson 2 Room of the County’s temporary office space on Stanford Boulevard. Those wishing to sign up to testify may do so, on-site, beginning at 5:00 pm that evening. The local business community has done a great job showing support for efforts to revitalize downtown Columbia. While successfully accomplishing this revitalization goal is important, the Chamber believes it is vital to move forward without needless delays. We have been encouraging a timely implementation of regulatory and legislative action so that we can begin to see the potential our Town Center has to offer.

Committee Announcement
The Legislative Committee is pleased to announce that it will host our Howard County Delegation at an End of the Session Wrap-Up Briefing on the morning of Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at the Columbia Sheraton. Please mark your calendars.

Updated 1/30/09

General Assembly

Last week, the Maryland Chamber held its Business Day in Annapolis. Senator Mike Miller, President of the Maryland Senate, Delegate Michael Busch, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, and Senator Kittleman and Delegate O’Donnell, Senate and House Minority Leaders were the keynote speakers. All four of them spoke about the challenges the business community should expect this Session, including transportation and budget issues. Each one of them also brought up the topic of legal standing. The Chamber will continue its advocacy work on this issue on behalf the business community.

The Howard County Delegation will hold a public hearing for input on statewide issues being considered by the legislature during the current legislative session on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Education building on Route 108. See related article for details.

County
On Monday, February 2, 2009 at 7:30 p.m., the County Council will hold its monthly Legislative Session to vote on pending legislation and to introduce its legislation for the month of February. The list can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_Pending.htm.

Council members Courtney Watson and Greg Fox have filed for introduction, Council Bill 8-2009, Economic Impact Phasing legislation. According to Ms. Watson, this bill helps provide flexibility for landowners in the current economic climate who are in the middle of developing residential projects, while also protecting citizens from the negative consequences of half finished developments in their neighborhoods. The legislative committee will be looking at this legislation, so we welcome your comments. A public hearing on this bill will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Education Board Room.

Greg Lowe, Co-Chair of the Chamber’s Legislative Committee was the first person to testify at the Planning Board’s first public session on ZRA 113 last week. He spoke in support of the concept of a true urban center in downtown Columbia and the necessity, regardless of who the landowner is, of having a Downtown master plan. The Planning Board will meet on Thursday, February, 5, 2009 at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia, to continue taking public comments on ZRA 113. Please mark your calendar and join us in support of this important County revitalization project. You can sign up to testify at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/DPZ/DPZ_TestifySignUp.asp

Public Hearing on Statewide Issues
The Howard County Delegation of the Maryland General Assembly will hold a public hearing for input on statewide issues being considered by the legislature during the current legislative session. On Wednesday, February 4, 2009 – 7:30 p.m. at the Board of Education, Board Rooms A & B, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043.

The 2009 legislative session began on January 14, 2009 and will conclude on April 13. 2009. Among the issues likely to receive significant focus during this session are the State’s budget outlook and options to address the projected shortfall; State aid to local governments; the death penalty; the availability and affordability of health insurance; energy and climate change policy; transportation improvements; Chesapeake Bay restoration; election administration, including the acquisition of a new paper-based voting system and the implementation of early voting; along with other matters.

In addition to statewide issues, the following Howard County local bill request will be heard: Ho. Co. 12-09 Howard County Ethics Law – Application for Zoning Regulation Amendment, for the purpose of making an application for a zoning regulation amendment subject to certain Howard County ethics law provisions; and Ho. Co. 13-09 Howard County Grading, Sediment Control and Ponds – Delegation of Approval Authority, for the purpose of authorizing the County Executive to delegate approval authority of a grading and sediment control plan to an agency of the county that has its own sediment control review provision that are at least as stringent as certain current State standards and that issues sediment control permits.

The full text of the proposed bills is available on the Howard County website, www.howardcountymd.gov. Click on the yellow “State Delegation” logo on the right side of the homepage. For further information, contact Joan Oliver at the Howard County House Delegation Office at 410-841-3360.

Sign up sheets will be available outside of the Board Rooms at 7:00pm, the evening of the hearing. Oral testimony will be limited to three minutes. Written testimony should be limited to one page, include the name and address of the testifier and contact information. The Delegation requests 15 copies of any written testimony to be distributed the night of the hearing. Written testimony may also be e-mailed in advance to hoc1@mlis.state.md.us, for distribution to delegation members

Updated 1/8/09

County Council
The County Council met on January 5th to vote on December legislation and introduce legislation for the upcoming month, which can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_CouncilAgenda.htm. At this Session, CB62-2008, amending the Ho Co Code to exempt certain residential developments containing MIHU from the allocations portion of the APFO, was tabled.

ZRA 113
The Planning Board will hold its public hearing on ZRA 113 (GGP’s Downtown General Plan Amendment) on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at The Florence Bain Senior Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, MD 21044. We encourage Chamber members who are also County citizens to testify as a citizen. Comments or testimony may be mailed or e-mailed to (planningboard@howardcountymd.gov) up to the day prior to the scheduled public meeting.

Referendum Issue
On December 19th, the Chamber released an Advocacy Alert urging members to carefully consider all available facts prior to signing any petition to take a piece of County legislation to referendum. The message of the Alert was to ask for help in getting the word out so others are aware of the effect this effort has on the business climate in Howard County.

The Chamber’s position is one of concern about reports of a number of land use issue going to a referendum vote in the future. This first effort is focused on CB-58, a bill that was unanimously approved by the County Council on November 3, 2008, and was designed to increase the square footage for a neighborhood grocery store planned in the Turf Valley area.

The Chamber is concerned that efforts such as this one can delay projects that appropriately (and in this case unanimously) go through the planning and zoning and County Council process. Such postponement can irrevocably harm projects and sends a negative message to those seeking to do business here in our community.

General Assembly
Maryland’s General Assembly goes into Session on Wednesday, January 14th. There was one late filed 2009 local bill that was added to the list, Ho. Co. 12-09 making an application for a ZRA subject to certain ethics law provisions (ie: disclosure of financial contributions). Ho. Co. 09-09, the roadside advertising or solicitation of money prohibition bill is being re-worked. The complete list of local bills can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/DOA/DOA_PIO_hcdelegation.htm.

The Howard County Delegation will hold a hearing on the evening of February 4th for all statewide issues. More information will follow.

Legislative Committee Announcements
Important Cancellation Note: The Committee lunch with the Howard County Delegation at Harry Browne’s on January 22nd has been cancelled. We encourage our members to attend the Maryland Chamber’s breakfast reception and legislative briefing in Annapolis that morning instead (see separate blurb). We will re-schedule the lunch for a date in February, more information will follow soon.

Updated 12/19/08

ZRA 113

The Planning Board will hold its public hearing on ZRA 113 (GGP’s Downtown General Plan Amendment) on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at The Florence Bain Senior Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, MD 21044. ; The Chamber’s downtown subcommittee is working on a position statement. Chamber members who are also County citizens are welcome to testify as a County citizen. Comments or testimony may be mailed or e-mailed to (planningboard@howardcountymd.gov) up to the day prior to the scheduled public meeting.

Stay tuned to Chamber e-mails for more information. General Growth will give their presentation and answer Planning Board questions at a Planning Board public meeting on Jan. 8th, at 7:00 pm, same location.

County Budget Process

The County Budget process has started. This week, County Executive Ken Ulman held a citizens’ Budget Hearing for the FY2010 budget cycle. This hearing was an opportunity to speak to the County Executive and his administration about the fiscal year 2010 budget before a proposed budget is complete and presented to the County Council in the spring

How Your Taxes Are Spent

Presentation For your information….this Power Point presentation by Ray Wacks (Budget Director for Howard County and recently appointed by Governor O'Malley to Chair the Maryland Business Tax Reform Commission) to the Maryland Economic Development Association's Maryland Business Tax Seminar shows what money the State receives and where it goes: Click here to download

Updated 12/5/08

The County Council met on December 1st to vote on November legislation and introduce legislation for the upcoming month, which can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_CouncilAgenda.htm.

At this Session, the Council held it annual election of officers and Mary Kay Sigaty was elected to serve as the Council’s Chairperson and Jen Terrasa as Vice Chair. Calvin Ball was elected to serve as the Chair of the Zoning Board and Courtney Watson as Vice Chair. Greg Fox was elected to serve as Chair of the Board of License Commissioners and Jen Terrasa as Vice Chair.

The Planning Board will consider ZRA 113 on December 11, 2008 at the Bain Center at 7:30 pm. This will be in the form of a staff presentation and Planning Board discussion.

The Chamber’s Legislative Committee is following closely the efforts of some citizens who wish to put a number of land use issue to a referendum vote. Patuxent Publishing reported on this issue in its local papers this week. That article can be found at: http://www.explorehoward.com/news/13615/store-opponents-want-referendum/.

Updated 11/25/08

Legislative Breakfast
The Chamber was pleased with turn-out for the Legislative Committee’s annual Legislative Breakfast on November 20th. Copies of Issues for Legislative Action 2009 can be downloaded from the Government Affairs page on Chamber’s web site or a hard copy may be requested by sending Heidi an e-mail to: legislative@howardchamber.com.

The Chamber Action Network
Parts of the Breakfast’s program were taped by the Maryland Chamber for use in its State advocacy efforts and ask part of their Chamber Action Network (CAN). Comments by Delegate Bates and Senator Robey on: 1) health care affordability and the prospect of universal health care funded by a 2% payroll tax and 2) Maryland’s fiscal situation can be seen and heard at: http://www.youtube.com/chamberactionnetwork. In addition, several Chamber members were asked what the most important issue facing their business was. Responses to this question from Del Karfonta, Rick Silber, Julia Mattis, Jeremiah O’Donovan, Thomas Cornellier, and Mary Ann Scully can be found at this site as well.

For more information about CAN, goto: http://www.mdchamber.org/legislative/chamberactionnetwork.asp.

County Council
The County Council will meet on December 1, 2008 to approve legislative from November and introduce legislation for December. That list can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_CouncilAgenda.htm.

The Council announced last Friday, the appointment of Stephen LeGendre as Administrator to the Council Council, succeeding Dr. Shelia Tolliver.

Columbia’s Downtown/ZRA 113
The Planning Board will consider ZRA 113 on December 11, 2008 at the Bain Center at 7:30. This will be in the form of a staff presentation and Planning Board discussion. There will not be an opportunity for public input at this time. A group that the Chamber has been active with, The Downtown Forum, will be holding an open session with Marsha McLaughlin, Director of Planning on Zoning, on Monday, December 1, 2008 at 7:00pm in the CA Board Room. Ms. McLaughlin will present a review of ZRA 113, along with its addendum to the General Plan and Technical Staff Report. The purpose for the briefing is to help citizens from all perspectives with an enhanced, technical understanding of GGP’s proposal and DPZ’s Staff Report. For more information on this, you can contact Roy Appletree at Appletree@psualum.com or 410-312-9044.

General Assembly
The General Assembly has their Delegation Hearing tonight, November 25, 2008 at 7:30 at the Board of Education Hearing room on Route 108. The list of local bills can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/DOA/DOA_PIO_hcdelegation.htm.

Committee Business
The Legislative Committee will meet as usual, on December 9th, the second Tuesday in December, at 7:30 am at the Chamber.

Updated 10/31/08

County
The Howard County Council will meet on November 3rd to release its list of legislation to be considered in November. The list does not contain anything the Chamber views as significant to the general business climate in Howard County. It can be reviewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/CountyCouncil/Legislative_CouncilAgenda.htm.

The Planning Board is meeting October 30th and November 13th. The October meeting will consider the Amendments ZRA 105 (pertaining to the Daisy Road Car lot) and ZRA 102 (pertaining to the Wild Lake Business Trust). The agenda for that session can be viewed at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/dpz/dpzdocs/PBAgenda103008.pdff.

State
On the State side of things, the General Assembly will hold a Public Hearing on Statewide Issues on Tuesday, November 25th at 7:30pm with a Spillover Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, December 9th at 7:30pm if needed. These hearings will in the Board Room of the Howard County Department of Education, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042.

Committee Business
Invitation postcards to the Legislative Breakfast have gone out and registration is available on our web site. Go to: www.howardchamber.com and in the “Chamber Events” box, scroll down to November 20th Legislative White Paper breakfast. Committee members should register early to guarantee space.

Updated 10/30/088

The Chamber believes that it is critical that Question 2 (slots) on the November ballot passes, and we need your help to do it. For Maryland for Our Future is organizing a strong volunteer movement and they need help outside a polling place in our community on Election Day -- waving posters, handing out literature and putting up signs -- encouraging your neighbors to vote for Question 2. This is a critical time for Maryland, and your help can make a difference.

Go to: http://www.formaryland.org/volunteer

Updated 10/16/08

November Ballot Issues
In addition to voting for candidates this November, there will also be two referendum questions on the Maryland State Ballot. In an effort to educate voters on these two topics, the Chamber partnered with the League of Women Voters and the Association of Community Services to present a one-hour televised program.

This program will be broadcast locally according to the following schedule::

The two topics addressed are: a Constitutional Amendment on Early Voting; Polling Places; Absentee Ballots and a Constitutional Amendment Authorizing Video Lottery Terminals (Slot Machines) to Fund Education. Please take the time to learn about these important issues that you will be voting on in November.

Legislative Committee
The Legislative Committee has been working on our annual "White Paper" that will sets forth the positions of the Chamber on issues that are expected to be critical in the next 12 months to the local business community. It will be released to the public at the Legislative Breakfast on November 20th at Turf Valley. All of our local public officials have been invited to participate. Registration will be available soon.

The Committee is also busy digesting GGP’s submission to the County. The Chamber has a hard copy of the documents which you may peruse at the Chamber.

In an effort to support the Chamber’s long standing position on slots, the Committee has yard signs and bumper stickers available. These items encourage a yes vote on Question 2 on the ballot and are available to Chamber members. Stop by and pick one up; we need to get the word-out in Howard County.

As always, any government affairs question can be directed to Heidi Gaasch at legislative@howardchamber.com.