TABLE OF CONTENTS. Letter from the Chairman ACU & ACUF Board Members Selecting the Votes Winners & Losers...

Transcription

1 2017 RATINGS of MARYLAND #ACURatings Conservative.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chairman... 2 ACU & ACUF Board Members... 3 Selecting the Winners & Losers... 4 MD Senate Statistics... 5 MD Senate Vote Descriptions... 6 MD Senate Scores... 9 MD House Statistics MD House Vote Descriptions MD House Scores... 15

2 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear Fellow Conservative, The American Conservative Union Foundation is proud to present our ratings of the 2017 meeting of the Maryland General Assembly. Like our Congressional Ratings, which date back 46 years, these ratings are meant to reflect how elected officials view the role of government in an individual s life. We begin with our philosophy (conservatism is the political philosophy that sovereignty resides in the person) and then apply our understanding of government (its essential role is to defend life, liberty and property). Because our ratings are designed to educate the public about how consistently their elected officials adhere to conservatism, we carefully examine the entire docket of legislation introduced in each state every year. We select the most meaningful bills and publish the results after the dust has settled. The ACU Foundation is the only organization to score over 8,000 elected officials each year, including lawmakers from all 50 states and Congress. The 2016 election dramatically impacted the political landscape of not only Washington but state legislative chambers all across the country. Republicans now have control of both legislative chambers in 32 states, more than double the number they controlled in With these victories comes an ability to implement policies that restore individual liberty and return us to a limited form of government run by and for We the People. It is our hope that these ratings will serve as a guide showing who can be relied on to fight for conservative principles and restore the role of government to what our nation s founding fathers envisioned. Sincerely, Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union 2

3 ACU BOARD MEMBERS Matt Schlapp Chairman Charlie Gerow First Vice Chairman Bob Beauprez Treasuer Amy Frederick Secretary Ed Yevoli At-Large ACUF BOARD MEMBERS Jackie Arends Larry Beasley Kimberly Bellissimo Steve Biegun Morton C. Blackwell John Bolton Jose Cardenas Ron Christie Muriel Coleman Becky Norton Dunlop John Eddy Luis Fortuno Alan M. Gottlieb Van D. Hipp, Jr. Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser Michael R. Long Ed McFadden Carolyn D. Meadows Priscilla O'Shaughnessy Ron Robinson Mike Rose Ned Ryun Peter Samuelson Sabrina Schaeffer Terry Schilling Matt Smith Thomas Winter SELECTING THE VOTES ACU researched and selected a range of bills before the Maryland General Assembly that determine a member s adherence to conservative principles. We selected bills that focus on Ronald Reagan s philosophy of the three-legged stool : 1) fiscal and economic: taxes, budgets, regulation, spending, healthcare, and property; 2) social and cultural: 2nd amendment, religion, life, welfare, and education; and 3) government integrity: voting, individual liberty, privacy, and transparency. This wide range of issues are designed to give citizens an accurate assessment that conveys which of Maryland s elected leaders best defend the principles of a free society: Life, Liberty and Property. Matt Schlapp Chairman Millie Hallow Vice Chairman Van D. Hipp, Jr. Treasurer Kimberly Bellissimo Secretary Jose Cardenas Jonathan Garthwaite Charlie Gerow Colin Hanna Niger Innes Adam Laxalt Willes K. Lee Mary Matalin Carolyn D. Meadows Randy Neugebauer Thomas Winter 201 N. Union Street, Suite 370 Alexandria, VA (202)

4 2017 WINNERS & LOSERS AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE EXCELLENCE <= 10 COALITION OF THE RADICAL LEFT SENATE HOUSE SENATE SENATE HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE n/a n/a Astle, J. Middleton, T. Ali, B. Hayes, A. Morales, M. Benson, J. Miller, T. Anderson, C. Haynes, K. Morhaim, D. Conway, J. Muse, C. Angel, A. Healey, A. Mosby, N. Currie, U. Nathan-Pulliam, S. Atterbeary, V. Hettleman, S. Patterson, E. Feldman, B. Oaks, N. Barkley, C. Hill, T. Peña-Melnyk, J. Ferguson, B. Peters, D. Barnes, B. Hixson, S. Pendergrass, S. Guzzone, G. Pinsky, P. Barnes, D. Holmes, M. Platt, A AWARD FOR CONSERVATIVE ACHIEVEMENT Kagan, C. Kasemeyer, E. King, N. Ramirez, V. Robinson, B. Rosapepe, J. Barron, E. Barve, K. Branch, T. Howard, C. Jackson, M. Jalisi, J. Proctor, S. Queen, P. Reznik, K. SENATE n/a HOUSE ARENTZ, S. FISHER, M. GHRIST, J. GRAMMER, R. IMPALLARIA, R. HOUSE MILLER, W. MORGAN, M. PARROTT, N. REY, D. WIVELL, W. Lee, S. Madaleno, R. Manno, R. McFadden, N. Smith, W. Young, R. Zirkin, B. Zucker, C. Brooks, B. Busch, M. Carr, A. Clippinger, L. Conaway, F. Cullison, B. Davis, D. Jameson, S. Jones, A. Kaiser, A. Kelly, A. Knotts, T. Korman, M. Kramer, B. Robinson, S. Rosenberg, S. Sample-Hughes, S. Sanchez, C. Stein, D. Sydnor, C. Tarlau, J. Dumais, K. Krimm, C. Turner, F. Ebersole, E. Lafferty, S. Valderrama, K. Fennell, D. Lam, C. Valentino-Smith, G. Fraser-Hidalgo, D. Lewis, J. Vallario, J. Frick, C. Lewis, R. Waldstreicher, J. Frush, B. Lierman, B. Walker, J. Gaines, T. Luedtke, E. Washington, A. Gibson, A. McCray, C. Washington, M. Gilchrist, J. McIntosh, M. Wilkins, J. Glenn, C. Miller, A. Young, K. Gutiérrez, A. Moon, D. Young, P. 4

5 MARYLAND SENATE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 25 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 64 MARYLAND SENATE CONSERVATIVE RATINGS DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 8 RED = REPUBLICANS BLUE = DEMOCRATS LOWEST REPUBLICAN REILLY, E. 50 # OF STATE SENATORS HIGHEST DEMOCRAT ACU PERCENTAGE DEGRANGE, J. 28 5

6 MARYLAND SENATE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. SB 96 Insurance Mandate. This bill requires health insurance plans to include coverage for the fertility awareness-based method and prohibits a co-pay or deductible amount for this coverage. ACU opposes these mandates that interfere with the free market and drive up the cost of health care for everyone and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 1, 2017 by a vote of SB 291 Collective Bargaining Expansion. This bill requires the Maryland Association of Counties to recognize a union that will exclusively represent the employees of the Maryland Environmental Service, an independent state agency that serves both government and private sector clients. ACU opposes this mandate which will ultimately drive up the cost of services to small businesses and taxpayers and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 3, 2017 by a vote of SB 423 Ballot Integrity. This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow same-day voter registration. ACU opposes the weakening of voter registration requirements which make it easier to commit fraud by making it impossible to verify information before ballots are cast and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 10, 2017 by a vote of SB 853 Drug Testing for Welfare Benefits. This bill eliminates drug testing requirements for those people who have a felony drug conviction and are applying for welfare benefits. ACU supports reasonable requirements for welfare benefits and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 19, 2017 by a vote of SB 760 School Employee Dismissal and Suspension. This bill makes it more difficult to dismiss or suspend a teacher, principal or supervisor by allowing a decision to be made by an arbitrator rather than the local board of education. ACU supports strengthening the right of local schools to hire and fire employees and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 20, 2017 by a vote of HB 271 Public Transit Funding. This bill eliminates the requirement that the Maryland Transit Administration recover at least 35 of its total operating costs from fares and other operating revenues in the Baltimore region. ACU opposes this fiscally irresponsible proposal that will drive up taxpayer costs by encouraging economically unfeasible projects and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 23, 2017 by a vote of SB 1198 Mandatory Spending. This bill requires the governor to include $10 million per year in mandatory spending for the Prince George s County Regional Medical Center through 2028 in addition to the $17 million per year already guaranteed. ACU opposes this fiscally irresponsible earmark that could lead to increased taxes to pay for the mandatory spending in future years and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 23, 2017 by a vote of HB 1325 Hydraulic Fracking Ban. This bill makes permanent a temporary moratorium on drilling for oil and natural gas through hydraulic fracturing. ACU Foundation s Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on this issue, which effectively robs property owners of their mineral rights. ACU supports efforts to increase our domestic supply of oil and natural gas to keep energy prices affordable and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 23, 2017 by a vote of SB 1081 Taxpayer Funded Abortion. This bill provides $2.7 million in funding to Planned Parenthood in Maryland should the federal government cut off family planning funds to organizations that perform abortions. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the practice and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 25, 2017 by a vote of HB 514 Energy Mandate. This bill extends through 2024 the EmPOWER program that requires electric companies to submit plans to the Public Service Commission for rebates and discounts for energy efficient equipment approved by the government. The costs are then passed on to ratepayers. ACU opposes these government programs that require some customers to pay for subsidies to other customers and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 25, 2017 by a vote of HB 1270 Line of Credit Price Controls. This bill establishes a maximum annual rate of interest (including fees) of 33 for unsecured open lines of credit. ACU opposes price controls that will have the effect of eliminating credit for those who cannot obtain credit through banks and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 27, 2017 by a vote of

7 12. HB 1 Employer Mandate. This bill prevents employers and employees from negotiating their own benefits by mandating businesses with 15 or more employees include 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours of work. In addition, the bill requires smaller businesses to include a like amount of unpaid sick leave. Sick leave is a fluid term under the bill and can be taken for any number of reasons. ACU opposes these mandates that drive up the cost of business and reduces employment opportunities and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 28, 2017 by a vote of but it was vetoed by the governor. 13. SB 706 Property Rights. This bill expedites the process for evicting a tenant who has breached a lease with dangerous behavior by reducing the notice of eviction from 14 to 7 days and the deadline for appeal from 10 to 4 days. The ACU Foundation s Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on issues such as this relating to the protection of personal property. ACU supports strengthening the right to protect property from dangerous behavior and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 31, 2017 by a vote of HB 159 Firearms on College Campuses. This bill eliminates a policy that allows each university to set its own rules on the possession and carrying of firearms and creates a blanket prohibition for the entire state. ACU supports the founder s belief in the Second Amendment and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on March 31, 2017 by a vote of HB 978 Rejecting School Choice. This bill changes the formula for evaluating schools making it less likely that a school will be categorized as failing, and prohibits the State Board of Education from helping students in failing schools through the use of private schools, charter schools or any for-profit entity. Educational attainment is an important cultural value that yields substantial economic return for families and for states, which is illustrated by the ACU Foundation s Family Prosperity Index. ACU supports strengthening school accountability and school choice and opposed this bill. The Senate overrode the governor s veto of the bill on March 31, 2017 by a vote of HB 425 Local Control of Education. This bill prohibits schools from expelling students below the third grade unless they are carrying a firearm, and also prevents the suspension of a student for more than five days unless the school determines there is a threat of serious harm to another student. ACU supports strengthening local control over school discipline and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 631 Generic Drugs Price Controls. This bill creates a new government position to monitor generic drug prices. A formula is created to establish a maximum price. If the maximum price is exceeded, the state Attorney General is notified and is to investigate whether price gouging has occurred and, if so, take action against the company. ACU opposes price controls, which creates scarcity and suppresses innovation and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 584 Right to Try. This bill outlines the circumstances under which patients with a terminal illness can use a drug that has not yet completed the Food and Drug Administration s approval process. The bill allows the manufacturer to make the decision as to whether or not to provide the drug and insurance companies are not required to cover its cost, among other provisions. ACU believes it is absurd for government to deny someone access to a potentially life-saving drug when they are terminally ill and supported this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 1498 Donor Disclosure. This bill requires advocacy organizations to disclose their donors if they expend $10,000 or more on a communication that mentions the name of a candidate in any context. The bill exempts unions from these requirements. ACU opposes disclosure laws which are designed to chill political speech and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 898 Campaign Finance Restriction. This bill redefines a prohibited coordinated expenditure between a candidate s campaign and an independent expenditure campaign to mean any communication that uses material similar to a campaign committee s material going back 18 months. ACU opposes this attempt to stifle political speech in the name of campaign finance reform and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 1626 Voter Registration Requirements. This bill repeals the requirement that a person applying to change an address for voter registration provide proof of residency. ACU supports reasonable requirements for voter registration to help prevent vote fraud and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 381 Train Crew Mandate. This bill requires a 2 person crew for a freight train that shares the same rail corridor with passenger trains and commuter trains. ACU opposes these mandates that drive up the cost of business and create different rules for trains operating across state lines and opposed this bill. The Senate defeated a motion to postpone consideration of the bill on April 2, 2017 by a vote of (A yes vote supported the ACU position) but the Senate has yet to vote on final passage. 7

8 23. HB 1469 Excluding Income for Welfare Recipients. This bill disregards a certain amount of child support benefits when calculating a family s welfare benefits. Currently, a portion of the funds are withheld to reimburse federal and state governments for the cost of welfare benefits. ACU opposes the practice of excluding sources of income when determining eligibility for welfare benefits and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 2, 2017 by a vote of HB 406 Electric Vehicle Subsidies. This bill extends the electric vehicle subsidy program through The total number of credits are increased from $1.8 million to $3 million and funding for vehicle recharging equipment is doubled to $1.2 million per year. ACU supports all forms of energy, opposes supporting one form of energy over another and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 2, 2017 by a vote of HB 1345 Sustainable Development. This bill creates a new bureaucracy within the Department of Housing and Community Development to administer grants to areas designated by the government as sustainable communities with 85 of the funds allocated to Montgomery and Prince George s Counties. ACU opposes these programs that use vague definitions for qualifications, redistribute taxpayer money from one part of the state to another, are duplicative of other programs, such as Community Development Block Grants, are open to political favoritism and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 2, 2017 by a vote of HB 319 Preferential Contract Awards. This bill extends the minority bid preference program for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission contracts through The program gives bid preferences of 5 to minority owned businesses and requires a target of 40 of the contracts be given to Montgomery and Prince George s Counties. ACU opposes quota programs that have been subject to fraud in the past or preferences to two counties over the rest of the state and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 3, 2017 by a vote of HB 523 Government Control of E-Cigarettes. This bill sets up a new regulatory and licensing regime to control the sale of e-cigarettes. Under the bill, retailers will have to pay new fees and will be prohibited from selling e-cigarettes online, despite the fact certain manufactures are able to sell online. ACU opposes these burdensome, anti-competitive regulations that drive up costs for small businesses and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 3, 2017 by a vote of SB 758 Renewable Energy Subsidies. This bill creates the nation s first income tax credit for the construction of an energy storage system in an attempt to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize renewable energy. The bill makes residential systems eligible for up to $5,000 in tax credits and commercial systems $75,000. ACU supports all forms of energy, believes government should not favor one form of energy over another, and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 3, 2017 by a vote of HB 1120 Auto Dealer Franchise Agreements. This bill makes it more difficult for a vehicle manufacturer to terminate a franchise agreement and mandates how a dealer s performance must be calculated. ACU opposes government interference in the right of manufacturers and dealers to decide their contracts and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 3, 2017 by a vote of SB 317 Manufacturing Subsidies. This bill creates a long list of preferential tax treatment programs. Numerous provisions provide multiple tax credits and incentives for select manufacturing businesses that are approved by the government and located in certain counties. The bill also mandates the governor to include $1 million in the budget for scholarships for those who enroll in job preparation programs approved by the government. ACU opposes these programs that are similar to other incentive programs such as enterprise zones that have failed to create jobs and put those businesses not favored by government at a competitive disadvantage and opposed this bill. The Senate passed the bill on April 4, 2017 by a vote of

9 MARYLAND SENATE SCORES MARYLAND SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 96 SB 291 SB 423 SB 853 SB 760 HB 271 SB 1198 HB 1325 SB 1081 HB 514 HB 1270 HB 1 SB 706 HB 159 HB 978 HB 425 Astle, J. D BATES, G. R Benson, J. D X Brochin, J. D CASSILLY, R. R Conway, J. D E Currie, U. D X DeGrange, J. D E ECKARDT, A. R EDWARDS, G. R Feldman, B. D Ferguson, B. D Guzzone, G. D HERSHEY, S. R HOUGH, M. R JENNINGS, J. R E Kagan, C. D Kasemeyer, E. D Kelley, D. D X King, N. D Klausmeier, K. D X Lee, S. D Madaleno, R. D Manno, R. D X Mathias, J. D McFadden, N. D Middleton, T. D Miller, T. D HB 631 HB 584 HB 1498 HB 898 HB 1626 HB 381 HB 1469 HB 406 HB 1345 HB 319 HB 523 SB 758 HB 1120 SB 317 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 9

10 MARYLAND SENATE VOTE DETAIL Party District SB 96 SB 291 SB 423 SB 853 SB 760 HB 271 SB 1198 HB 1325 SB 1081 HB 514 HB 1270 HB 1 SB 706 HB 159 HB 978 HB 425 Muse, C. D E E X Nathan-Pulliam, S. D NORMAN, W. R E E X + + E Oaks, N. D E E E E E E - E Peters, D. D Pinsky, P. D Ramirez, V. D READY, J. R REILLY, E. R Robinson, B. D X X Rosapepe, J. D 21 X SALLING, J. R 6 - E X SERAFINI, A. R SIMONAIRE, B. R Smith, W. D WAUGH, S. R Young, R. D Zirkin, B. D Zucker, C. D HB 631 HB 584 HB 1498 HB 898 HB 1626 HB 381 HB 1469 HB 406 HB 1345 HB 319 HB 523 SB 758 HB 1120 SB 317 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 10

11 MARYLAND HOUSE STATISTICS OVERALL AVERAGE 28 REPUBLICAN AVERAGE 73 MARYLAND HOUSE CONSERVATIVE RATINGS DEMOCRAT AVERAGE 4 RED = REPUBLICANS BLUE = DEMOCRATS LOWEST REPUBLICAN MIELE, C. 53 # OF STATE REPS HIGHEST DEMOCRAT CAREY, N ACU PERCENTAGE

12 MARYLAND HOUSE VOTE DESCRIPTIONS 1. HB 159 Firearms on College Campuses. This bill eliminates a policy that allows each university to set its own rules on the possession and carrying of firearms and creates a blanket prohibition for the entire state. ACU supports the founder s belief in the Second Amendment and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on February 10, 2017 by a vote of HB 41 New Government Registration Requirements. This bill sets up a new bureaucracy to administer an annual state registration requirement for homeowner associations and various housing corporations, such as co-ops. ACU opposes this unnecessary expansion of the state bureaucracy and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on February 23, 2017 by a vote of HB 506 Right of Contract. This bill makes null and void any contract with a noncompete clause for employees who make less than $15 per hour or $31,200 per year. ACU supports the right of individuals to decide what should be in a contract they sign and opposes this government interference and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on February 24, 2017 by a vote of HB 1325 Hydraulic Fracking Ban. This bill makes permanent a temporary moratorium on drilling for oil and natural gas through hydraulic fracturing. ACU Foundation s Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on this issue, which effectively robs property owners of their mineral rights. ACU supports efforts to increase our domestic supply of oil and natural gas to keep energy prices affordable and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 10, 2017 by a vote of HB 398 Employer Mandate. This bill prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from requesting a job applicant s past salary history or screening them based on their previous salaries. ACU considers it absurd to prohibit considering someone s salary history as part an applicant s employment history and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 12, 2017 by a vote of HB 271 Public Transit Funding. This bill eliminates the requirement that the Maryland Transit Administration recover at least 35 of its total operating costs from fares and other operating revenues in the Baltimore region. ACU opposes this fiscally irresponsible proposal that will drive up taxpayer costs by encouraging economically unfeasible projects and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 12, 2017 by a vote of HB 150 Taxpayer Funded Abortion. The budget bill included a section that allows general fund appropriations to be used for an abortion if a physician or surgeon believes that continuation of the pregnancy would have a serious effect on the woman s mental health. The Reilly amendment eliminated this language. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the practice and supported this amendment. The House defeated the amendment on March 12, 2017 by a vote of HB 381 Train Crew Mandate. This bill requires a 2 person crew for a freight train that shares the same rail corridor with passenger trains and commuter trains. ACU opposes these mandates that drive up the cost of business and create different rules for trains operating across state lines and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 13, 2017 by a vote of HB 1270 Line of Credit Price Controls. This bill establishes a maximum annual rate of interest (including fees) of 33 for unsecured open lines of credit. ACU opposes price controls that will have the effect of eliminating credit for those who cannot obtain credit through banks and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 13, 2017 by a vote of HB 319 Preferential Contract Awards. This bill extends the minority bid preference program for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission contracts through The program gives bid preferences of 5 to minority owned businesses and requires a target of 40 of the contracts be given to Montgomery and Prince George s Counties. ACU opposes quota programs that have been subject to fraud in the past or preferences to two counties over the rest of the state and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 14, 2017 by a vote of HB 1345 Sustainable Development. This bill creates a new bureaucracy within the Department of Housing and Community Development to administer grants to areas designated by the government as sustainable communities with 85 of the funds allocated to Montgomery and Prince George s Counties. ACU opposes these programs that use vague definitions for qualifications, redistribute taxpayer money from one part of the state to another, are duplicative of other programs, such as Community Development Block Grants, are open to political favoritism and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 15, 2017 by a vote of HB 1626 Voter Registration Requirements. This bill repeals the requirement that a person applying to change an address for voter registration provide proof of residency. ACU supports reasonable requirements for voter registration to help prevent vote fraud and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 15, 2017 by a vote of

13 13. HB 1469 Excluding Income for Welfare Recipients. This bill disregards a certain amount of child support benefits when calculating a family s welfare benefits. Currently, a portion of the funds are withheld to reimburse federal and state governments for the cost of welfare benefits. ACU opposes the practice of excluding sources of income when determining eligibility for welfare benefits and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 15, 2017 by a vote of HB 1143 Employer Mandate. This bill requires an employer to put numerous pieces of information on a pay stub and prepare a notice to employees within one week of hiring that includes an explanation of how an employees pay is calculated, among other provisions. ACU opposes these government mandates that increases the cost of business and are particularly burdensome to small businesses and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 15, 2017 by a vote of HB 898 Campaign Finance Restriction. This bill redefines a prohibited coordinated expenditure between a candidate s campaign and an independent expenditure campaign to mean any communication that uses material similar to a campaign committee s material going back 18 months. ACU opposes this attempt to stifle political speech in the name of campaign finance reform and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 16, 2017 by a vote of HB 172 Landlord Mandate. This bill forces landlords to accept tenants who use government subsidies, such as the Section 8 voucher program or face criminal penalties. Discrimination based on source of income will be put in the same category as discrimination by race, sex and marital status. ACU Foundation s Center for Criminal Justice Reform engages heavily on issues such as this relating to overcriminalization. ACU opposes this interference in the free market and violation of property rights and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 17, 2017 by a vote of HB 1120 Auto Dealer Franchise Agreements. This bill makes it more difficult for a vehicle manufacturer to terminate a franchise agreement and mandates how a dealer s performance must be calculated. ACU opposes government interference in the right of manufacturers and dealers to decide their contracts and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 17, 2017 by a vote of HB 1362 Immigration Law Enforcement. This bill makes Maryland a sanctuary state by prohibiting state law enforcement personnel from inquiring about a person s immigration status. The bill also directs law enforcement to ignore federal immigration authority requests unless there is a court order forcing them to comply, and gives state government officials immunity from criminal or civil liability for refusing to provide immigration status information to the federal government. ACU supports the enforcement of federal immigration laws and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 17, 2017 by a vote of HB 1487 Eviction Law. This bill creates numerous obstacles for landlords to repossess their property for failure of a tenant to pay rent. The bill allows cases to be dismissed if the property owner does not have special documentation for properties older than 1978, extends the court deadline for hearing cases from 5 days to two weeks, and requires a case to be postponed if a sheriff fails to deliver a summons to a tenant four days before a court date, among other provisions. ACU Foundation s Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on issues such as these that weaken property rights. ACU supports strengthening property rights and the right of landlords to collect rent that is owed and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 17, 2017 by a vote of HB 762 Promoting Government Programs. This bill establishes a pilot program in the Department of Human Resources for Baltimore City and Somerset County that funds a public relations campaign to encourage individuals to apply for government benefit programs, specifically the federal and state earned income tax credit. An overreliance on welfare diminishes recipients employment prospects, keeping families out of the workforce and unable to prosper, as illustrated by the ACU Foundation s Family Prosperity Index. ACU does not believe the government should spend taxpayer money promoting government benefit programs, in this case a program rife with fraud, and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 17, 2017 by a vote of SB 291 Collective Bargaining Expansion. This bill requires the Maryland Association of Counties to recognize a union that will exclusively represent the employees of the Maryland Environmental Service, an independent state agency that serves both government and private sector clients. ACU opposes this mandate which will ultimately drive up the cost of services to small businesses and taxpayers and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 24, 2017 by a vote of SB 1198 Mandatory Spending. This bill requires the governor to include $10 million per year in mandatory spending for the Prince George s County Regional Medical Center through 2028 in addition to the $17 million per year already guaranteed. ACU opposes this fiscally irresponsible earmark that could lead to increased taxes to pay for the mandatory spending in future years and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 25, 2017 by a vote of HB 1 Employer Mandate. This bill prevents employers and employees from negotiating their own benefits by mandating businesses with 15 or more employees include 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours of work. In addition, the bill requires smaller businesses to include a like amount of unpaid sick leave. Sick leave is a fluid term under the bill and can be taken for any number of reasons. ACU opposes these mandates that drive up the cost of business and reduces employment opportunities and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 29, 2017 by a vote of but it was vetoed by the governor. 13

14 24. HB 514 Energy Mandate. This bill extends through 2024 the EmPOWER program that requires electric companies to submit plans to the Public Service Commission for rebates and discounts for energy efficient equipment approved by the government. The costs are then passed on to ratepayers. ACU opposes these government programs that require some customers to pay for subsidies to other customers and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 29, 2017 by a vote of HB 978 Rejecting School Choice. This bill changes the formula for evaluating schools making it less likely that a school will be categorized as failing, and prohibits the State Board of Education from helping students in failing schools through the use of private schools, charter schools or any for-profit entity. Educational attainment is an important cultural value that yields substantial economic return for families and for states, which is illustrated by the ACU Foundation s Family Prosperity Index. ACU supports strengthening school accountability and school choice and opposed this bill. The House overrode the governor s veto of the bill on March 30, 2017 by a vote of SB 423 Ballot Integrity. This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow sameday voter registration. ACU opposes the weakening of voter registration requirements which make it easier to commit fraud by making it impossible to verify information before ballots are cast and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 31, 2017 by a vote of SB 853 Drug Testing for Welfare Benefits. This bill eliminates drug testing requirements for those people who have a felony drug conviction and are applying for welfare benefits. ACU supports reasonable requirements for welfare benefits and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on March 31, 2017 by a vote of HB 425 Local Control of Education. This bill prohibits schools from expelling students below the third grade unless they are carrying a firearm, and also prevents the suspension of a student for more than five days unless the school determines there is a threat of serious harm to another student. ACU supports strengthening local control over school discipline and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 1498 Donor Disclosure. This bill requires advocacy organizations to disclose their donors if they expend $10,000 or more on a communication that mentions the name of a candidate in any context. The bill exempts unions from these requirements. ACU opposes disclosure laws which are designed to chill political speech and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of SB 1081 Taxpayer Funded Abortion. This bill provides $2.7 million in funding to Planned Parenthood in Maryland should the federal government cut off family planning funds to organizations that perform abortions. ACU believes abortion is a human tragedy, supports restrictions on the practice and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 1, 2017 by a vote of HB 584 Right to Try. This bill outlines the circumstances under which patients with a terminal illness can use a drug that has not yet completed the Food and Drug Administration s approval process. The bill allows the manufacturer to make the decision as to whether or not to provide the drug and insurance companies are not required to cover its cost, among other provisions. ACU believes it is absurd for government to deny someone access to a potentially life-saving drug when they are terminally ill and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on April 2, 2017 by a vote of HB 631 Generic Drugs Price Controls. This bill creates a new government position to monitor generic drug prices. A formula is created to establish a maximum price. If the maximum price is exceeded, the state Attorney General is notified and is to investigate whether price gouging has occurred and, if so, take action against the company. ACU opposes price controls, which creates scarcity and suppresses innovation and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 2, 2017 by a vote of SB 758 Renewable Energy Subsidies. This bill creates the nation s first income tax credit for the construction of an energy storage system in an attempt to use taxpayer dollars to subsidize renewable energy. The bill makes residential systems eligible for up to $5,000 in tax credits and commercial systems $75,000. ACU supports all forms of energy, believes government should not favor one form of energy over another, and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 3, 2017 by a vote of HB 406 Electric Vehicle Subsidies. This bill extends the electric vehicle subsidy program through The total number of credits are increased from $1.8 million to $3 million and funding for vehicle recharging equipment is doubled to $1.2 million per year. ACU supports all forms of energy, opposes supporting one form of energy over another and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 4, 2017 by a vote of SB 317 Manufacturing Subsidies. This bill creates a long list of preferential tax treatment programs. Numerous provisions provide multiple tax credits and incentives for select manufacturing businesses that are approved by the government and located in certain counties. The bill also mandates the governor to include $1 million in the budget for scholarships for those who enroll in job preparation programs approved by the government. ACU opposes these programs that are similar to other incentive programs such as enterprise zones that have failed to create jobs and put those businesses not favored by government at a competitive disadvantage and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 5, 2017 by a vote of HB 523 Government Control of E-Cigarettes. This bill sets up a new regulatory and licensing regime to control the sale of e-cigarettes. Under the bill, retailers will have to pay new fees and will be prohibited from selling e-cigarettes online, despite the fact certain manufactures are able to sell online. ACU opposes these burdensome, anticompetitive regulations that drive up costs for small businesses and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on April 5, 2017 by a vote of

15 MARYLAND HOUSE SCORES MARYLAND HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 159 HB 41 HB 506 HB 1325 HB 398 HB 271 HB 150 HB 381 HB 1270 HB 319 HB 1345 HB 1626 HB 1469 HB 1143 HB 898 HB 172 HB 1120 HB 1362 HB 1487 ADAMS, C. R 37B E AFZALI, K. R Ali, B. D 41 - E X n/a 3 Anderson, C. D ANDERTON, C. R 38B X X Angel, A. D 25 E - E X X - X X ARENTZ, S. R E Atterbeary, V. D AUMANN, S. R 42B Barkley, C. D Barnes, B. D X Barnes, D. D Barron, E. D X - - E Barve, K. D Beidle, P. D BEITZEL, W. R 1A Branch, T. D X X Bromwell, E. D Brooks, B. D E E X BUCKEL, J. R 1B X X Busch, M. D 30A E - E Carey, N. D 31A CAROZZA, M. R 38C Carr, A. D E CASSILLY, A. R 35B Chang, M. D CILIBERTI, B. R E CLARK, J. R 29C E E X n/a 73 Clippinger, L. D HB 762 SB 291 SB 1198 HB 1 HB 514 HB 978 SB 423 SB 853 HB 425 HB 1498 SB 1081 HB 584 HB 631 SB 758 HB 406 SB 317 HB 523 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 15

16 MARYLAND HOUSE VOTE DETAIL Party District HB 159 HB 41 HB 506 HB 1325 HB 398 HB 271 HB 150 HB 381 HB 1270 HB 319 HB 1345 HB 1626 HB 1469 HB 1143 HB 898 HB 172 HB 1120 HB 1362 HB 1487 CLUSTER, J. R Conaway, F. D X Cullison, B. D X Davis, D. D Dumais, K. D X Ebersole, E. D X Fennell, D. D 47A FISHER, M. R 27C E E E E FLANAGAN, R. R 9B X FOLDEN, W. R 3B E E Fraser-Hidalgo, D. D Frick, C. D Frush, B. D Gaines, T. D E GHRIST, J. R Gibson, A. D 41 X X X n/a 3 Gilchrist, J. D GLASS, G. R 34A E X Glenn, C. D X GRAMMER, R. R Gutiérrez, A. D E + - X Hayes, A. D X Haynes, K. D 44A Healey, A. D X Hettleman, S. D X Hill, T. D Hixson, S. D E Holmes, M. D 23B X HORNBERGER, K. R 35A Howard, C. D E HOWARD, S. R 30B X HB 762 SB 291 SB 1198 HB 1 HB 514 HB 978 SB 423 SB 853 HB 425 HB 1498 SB 1081 HB 584 HB 631 SB 758 HB 406 SB 317 HB 523 ACU Cast LIFETIME AVG + Member voted with ACU s position - Member voted against ACU s position X Member was absent for vote E Member was excused for vote Legislator did not vote on enough of the selected bills and as a result the 2017 percentage was not rated. 2/3rds of the selected bills must be voted on to receive a score. 16