Local News
April 25, 2008
Dan Morhaim’s General Assembly Scorecard
Dr. Dan Morhaim
Special to the Jewish Times
Each legislative session gets extensive media coverage. High-profile issues and human-interest items receive the most attention, so you’ve probably read about utility rates, foreclosures, tech tax repeal, and the Smith Island Cake. But there are bills that the media overlooks, and these bills often have significant impact on state policy and average citizens.
The following are 2008 Legislative Unsung Heroes. All these bills passed, details at http://mlis.state.md.us . I was involved with many of these as lead-sponsor, co-sponsor, sub-committee chair, and/or House floor manager.
Money: In the tension between raising revenues and cutting programs, there exists a third path: making government operate more efficiently. The following bills reduce waste, encourage competition, and trim bureaucracies. This gets into complicated areas where the wheels of government grind slowly. Boring? Yes. Important? Absolutely! With State purchases at about $10 billion of the State’s $30 billion budget, small percentage savings translate to big bucks.
HB 484 encourages unsolicited bids for state business. Why wait for government to act? If the private sector has a better idea, HB 484 lets that idea come forward.
HB 865 requires all state and county contracts be advertised on EMaryland Marketplace, opening the bid process.
See also HB 142, 312, 358, 362, 484, 527, 561, 805, 881, 865, 1277, 1431.
Health: HB 120, 257, 343, 419, 580 are bills that affect every Marylander who takes prescription drugs. The costs involve hundreds of millions of dollars because pharmaceuticals are a rapidly rising health care expense.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager companies (PBM’s) have sprouted into existence over the past 15 years. Giant but obscure, they manage the flow of money that pays for medicines. A number of them developed “creative” ways to divert more money into their pockets, which they call “rebates” but others call “kickbacks.” This has led to class action laws settled with millions in fines. Bills to regulate PBM’s have failed in years past. But this session, under the guidance of the Health and Government Operations Committee, with the Attorney General’s Office, Maryland Insurance Administration, pharmacists, and eventually the PBM’s themselves, consensus bills were hammered out. With bi-partisan sponsorship these five bills set up a framework that protects consumers, supports health care providers, controls costs, and maintains smooth – but open – business operations.
See HB 372 (veterans health), 906 (organ donation registry), 1391 (children’s health insurance), 1452 (simplifies health care program registration), 1492 (CareFirst funds senior drug costs), 1587 (increases federal health grants $40 million).
Environment: This was a good session for the environment. But overlooked was SB 208 that requires new State construction, major renovations, and new school construction meet high-performance “green” building standards. Buildings use 71 percent of energy, 50 percent of electricity, and 50 percent of water. Green design reduces that dramatically. Green buildings reduce absenteeism and increase productivity for workers, and green schools improve student test scores. This is sound economic and environmental policy, and architects, contractors, teachers, and environmental groups supported SB 208.
Children: Problems with group homes and the juvenile justice system continue. SB 742, 782, and 783 require group homes to meet quality standards while protecting neighborhoods from excessive concentration of these facilities. HB 1158 helps reduce bullying and abuse in schools. It’s important to get kids on the right path, before they become adult criminals.
Biotechnology: The future of Maryland lies in biotech. We’ve done well, with great academic institutions, federal facilities, and a thriving private sector. But competition is fierce, and it comes from North Carolina to Dubai. This year marked the formation of the Maryland General Assembly’s Biotechnology Caucus, which I chair. The Caucus is working to build our biotech infrastructure, leading to economic growth and technologies that help health care and the environment. The Caucus supported HB 723 (biotech investment incentive) and HB 1409 (promotes nanobiotechnology).
Sometimes the most important gets the least notice, but it’s vital nonetheless.
Dr. Dan Morhaim (D-11th) primarily represents the Pikesville/Owings Mills area in the Maryland State House.