Maryland Democrats
by Catherine Reyes
Maryland Democrats
by Catherine Reyes
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History and Economy
Chartered in 1632 by George Calvert, Maryland was a safe haven for persecuted Catholic settlers in the New World. As the southern border of the Mason-Dixon Line, Maryland was one of the thirteen original colonies to sign the Declaration of Independence. After the Civil War, industry in the state exploded and became the driving force in the state. In 1952, Maryland opened up the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which made way for development in the Eastern Shore. Although service industries are the largest state employers, industry is the principal source of income, with processed foods, electronic equipment, chemicals and primary metals the leading manufactures. Baltimore is also one of the country’s leading ports. Almost 50% of the population lives in the greater Baltimore area, which forms a continuous urbanized zone with nearby Washington D.C.; over 80% of the population lives in urban areas. Other important cities are Frederick and Salisbury. In 1990 the state’s population was 71% white and 25% African American. The capitol is Annapolis and as of July 1998 the population count is 5,134,808. Government Much like our federal system, Maryland’s state government is broken up into three branches- Legislative, Executive and Judicial. The legislative branch consists of the General Assembly, which itself is broken up into two houses to form a bicameral legislature. The lower house is the House of Delegates and the upper house is the Senate. Both houses are elected to four-year terms during each gubernatorial election year. The House of Delegates consists of 141 members while the Senate consists of 47 members. Both houses convene on the second Wednesday in January for a ninety-day session. During this time all laws, amendments to the state constitution, and allocation bills are introduced to both houses and passed, with the signature of the governor. The Executive Branch consists of the Governor, who is elected by the voters to a four-year term. There is also the Lieutenant Governor who is elected along with the governor on the same ticket; the Comptroller of the Treasury, the State Treasurer, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and many departments and agencies created to serve the varying needs of the state. The Judicial Branch consists of a four-tiered court system designed to alleviate the burden of having large numbers of cases presented in Maryland courts each year. The courts are the District Court of Maryland, the Circuit Court, the Court of Special Appeals, and the Court of Appeals. Today, Maryland Democrats hold most of the highest positions in their state government. Current Democratic leaders are: Governor Parris Glendening, Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Speaker Casper Taylor, and Senate President Mike Miller. Maryland Democratic Party Agenda The Maryland Democratic Party, but especially the Glendening Administration, is intent on advancing the ideals and overall agenda of the larger National Democratic Party. The Maryland Democratic Party lists the goals of the National Democratic Party as the pattern of objectives in which to follow with special emphasis on four major points of the platform; the economy, public safety, education, and public health and environment. ECONOMY Maryland Democrats claim that their state is experiencing their strongest economy in a decade. Democrats cite the Regional Economic Studies Institute in reporting that Maryland’s economy is the 5th most prosperous in the nation. Maryland Democrats credit themselves for the first personal income tax cut in thirty years. They also cite new businesses created are up 24.3% from May 1997 to May 1998. Maryland currently ranks 5th in the nation in business starts or new business formation. Currently, Maryland is experiencing the highest job growth in a decade. There have been 103,000 new jobs since 1995. Maryland is also experiencing the lowest unemployment in nine years. Maryland has moved from 49th in job creation to 23rd over the last three years. The Glendening 1999 legislative agenda is: Streamlining Business Development Funds – Based on the recommendations of Maryland’s Economic Development Commission, they will restructure old, outdated funds and create a new Revolving Loan Fund of up to $50 million as a self-sustaining fund. This will target specific growth industries as well as selected regions of the State, providing businesses with access to low cost capital. Maryland Competitive Advantage Loan Program- Targeted loans for small, minority and disadvantaged businesses. It will provide direct loans from $10,000 and $100,000 to companies with sales of less than $1 million. Preventing Hostile Takeovers Workforce Training- Increase funding for workforce training programs, specifically the Partnership for Workforce Quality and the Maryland Industrial Training Program. Enhancing the Marketing Budget PUBLIC SAFETY The Glendening Administration implemented the 1998 Maryland Gun Enforcement Initiative, which tracks firearms used in crimes as a way of halting illegal firearms trafficking. Glendening’s Executive Order on July 8,1998, established the new Office of Crime Gun Enforcement. Between 1995 and 1997 violent crime dropped 13%. As policy, Democrats look to increase gun control. The Glendening 1999 legislative agenda is: HotSpot Communities Initiative DNA Fingerprinting- expansion of DNA testing to all violent and sexual offenders. Break the Cycle- the legislature has included $1.9 million to target drug addicted offenders on probation and parole in 8 additional jurisdictions with a combination of frequent drug testing, escalating penalties for each failed test, and treatment. An additional $1.5 million will extend the initiative to juvenile offenders. Circuit Court funding Increased State Police Pensions Increased Penalties for stalking police officers EDUCATION Maryland Democrats report $500 million in new money for teachers, textbooks and classroom supplies. With the goal of reducing class overcrowding 6,000 classrooms have either been built, repaired, or renovated. Scholarships and financial aid for post-secondary education have increased by 15% over four years. Democrats promised increased state support for community colleges by $80 million in the next four years. Democrats also promise a school construction and renovation increase of $500 million dollars for the four year term of Governor Glendening. The Glendening 1999 legislative agenda is: School Construction - $250 million Investing in current and future teachers- providing funds to local school systems to add new reading and math teachers, support current funds to retain current qualified teachers. Increasing the number of certified teachers Provide an additional $3 million dollars towards the University System of Maryland. Provide $8 million towards historically black institutions. HOPE Scholarship for Future Teachers- $6 million
PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
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