More than 170 bills were signed into law in Annapolis on Tuesday. But while some lawmakers, lobbyists and citizens groups celebrated legislative victories, there was the sense that something else was brewing.
That something else is a possible floor fight in the Maryland House of Delegates.
On Wednesday, the General Assembly will reconvene as delegates choose a new speaker of the House 鈥� replacing the post that became vacant when Del. Michael Busch, the state鈥檚 longest-serving speaker, died on April 8.
On Monday, Delegate Dereck Davis, who could become the state鈥檚 first African American House Speaker, worked to win the support of members of the Legislative Black Caucus. Davis, from Prince George鈥檚 County, expressed confidence he鈥檚 got enough votes to beat Delegate Maggie McIntosh of Baltimore.
Tuesday afternoon in a telephone news conference call, McIntosh said of the speaker鈥檚 job, 鈥淚 feel it鈥檚 mine,鈥� signaling she had the votes she needs. She also warned of the damage a floor fight could do.
鈥淚 think it will be very damaging to the Democratic Party in the state.鈥� She said she hopes the issue can be settled in the Democratic caucus 鈥渁nd then we walk out together in unity.鈥�
Members of the House Republican Party have vowed to vote as a bloc, leveraging their 42 votes. House Minority leader Nicholaus Kipke said Tuesday that both McIntosh and Davis are qualified.
鈥淲e like both candidates, we think all of them would do a good job,鈥澛燢ipke said.
House Republicans plan to caucus before the noon General Assembly session.
The two candidates:聽Del. Dereck E. Davis (Prince George鈥檚) and Del. Maggie L. McIntosh (Baltimore). Both are Democrats.
At the morning鈥檚 bill signing, Gov. Larry Hogan spotlighted some of the legislation, including what he called a landmark bill to create more transparency around the University System of Maryland. The bills signed Tuesday included measures to expand the system’s Board of Regents. It adds four new members and requires open sessions of the board鈥檚 meetings to be livestreamed. It also allows for public comment at the meetings.
Another bill offers more protections to firefighters, expanding what鈥檚 covered under workers鈥� compensation. House Bill 595 recognizes that firefighters are at increased risks for some forms of cancer due to exposure on the job, so now bladder, kidney and renal cell cancers will be included as occupational diseases.
The Clean Cars Act of 2019 doubles the amount of money available to the electric vehicle tax credit program. The bill also adds fuel-cell electric vehicles to the types of vehicles eligible for the tax credits.
Another bill clarifies the law regarding conspiracy to commit murder. 鈥淪tacey鈥檚 Law,鈥� named for Stacey Lynn Seaton, who was killed in Bowie in 2005, states that a person who conspires to commit murder or hires someone to commit murder in the first degree could also be found guilty if a killing is carried out.
Other bills will:
- Boost breweries by lifting a sales limit from 3,000 barrels to 5,000 barrels.
- Ban placing pregnant inmates in solitary confinement.
- Update 9-1-1 service in the state to allow texting for help
- Establish a council on juvenile justice reform
- Expand the state鈥檚 Opportunity Zones program and makes additional tax credits available to businesses taking part in the existing program.
