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Day 38 – Working for Additional Funding

As the Chairman of the Southern Maryland Senate Delegation, Senator Bailey is happy to announce that Senate Bill 805 – Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland – Funding passed the Senate today.  This bill increases funding for the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.  Through their work bringing together Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s County, the Council serves as an important part of our region’s economic development.  This additional funding from each County will help them further this mission.

Today, Senator Bailey offered an amendment that would have helped our support our local farmers.  The Senate is considering a bill that would ban the use of the pesticide Chlorpyrifos.  The Senator recognizes that this chemical can be harmful and supports the efforts of the Hogan Administration to phase it out through regulations.  Senator Bailey’s amendment would have created a buy-back program for the pesticide after it is banned.  Too often, when the General Assembly looks to ban the use of products that Marylanders have already purchased, they neglect to consider those who have legally purchased the products that are being outlawed.  Further, as Senator Bailey mentioned on the floor, if this chemical is not bought back, it will sit in barns and still could be dangerous to those who come in contact with it in storage.  While Senator Bailey was able to bring together a bi-partisan group of Senators to support his plan, unfortunately, the amendment failed by a single vote.  Senator Bailey will continue to work to support Southern Maryland’s farmers in Annapolis while ensuring that harmful chemicals are safely disposed of.

Senator Bailey also continues to work to secure state resources for institutions in District 29.  He has been meeting with other legislators and representatives of the University of Maryland to ensure that funding is not cut for the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland. The Department of Legislative has recommended a reduction to USMSM’s Workforce Development Initiative funding; Senator Bailey is strongly opposed to reducing this funding and is working to retain this money in the budget.

As a member of the Senate’s Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee, Senator Bailey considers a number of bills on a wide variety of topics.  Today, Senator Bailey and his colleagues on the Committee heard dozens of bills relating to alcohol, which also falls under their purview.  The vast majority of these bills only apply to one county.  All alcohol laws in Maryland are passed by the General Assembly, though the legislature generally passes alcohol laws in for each county individually with the support of a majority of the Senators and Delegates from that county.