April 2019 Newsletter
Dear Resident,
This year, I was excited and humbled to begin my 3rd term as your State Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly!
Unfortunately, the 2019 Legislative Session began amid the longest government shutdown in the history of our country. While the Federal Government chose to hurt working families, this year, I was proud to lead the fight in Maryland to create more opportunities for workers in our State and in our District by:
- Raising the minimum wage to $15/hr. for 573,000 Maryland workers;
- Establishing the Maryland Easy Enrollment Health Program to enroll 50,000 uninsured Marylanders into free or low-cost health coverage;
- Allocating over $40 million in new affordable housing investments;
- Expanding tax relief for our seniors;
- Providing 20,000 new solar energy jobs;
- Requiring the renovation and reconstruction of Greenbelt Road (MD 193).
Most importantly, as the only Delegate from Prince George’s County serving on the Kirwan Commission, I was able to ensure that Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) will receive $53 million in new funding next year. These new investments will support transformational changes to our public schools to close the student achievement gap and enable all students to have successful careers in the 21st century economy.
As you will read in my legislative update below, the General Assembly considered several important pieces of legislation this year. If you would like further information, I encourage you to email or call my office.
HISTORIC EDUCATION INVESTMENTS
Supporting the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future
As one of 25 education policy experts serving on the Kirwan Commission, I was proud to vote to support the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future – once-in-a-generation legislation that will transform our schools into a world-class education system. Based on the initial recommendations of the Kirwan Commission, the Blueprint will provide $255 million for the next school year. These new funds will immediately be used to implement free Pre-K for low-income families; raise teacher salaries and elevate the teaching profession; set a high college and career readiness standard; and provide additional support to high poverty schools, students with disabilities, and ELL students.
Of the $255 million, PGCPS will receive $53 million to fund the following:
- Full-day Pre-K for 4-year old’s: $14 million;
- Teacher salary increases: $13 million;
- Concentration of poverty grants: $11 million;
- Special education funding: $10 million;
- Transitional supplemental instruction funding: $4.8 million;
- Health & behavioral health funding: $83,333.
Establishing an Independent Education Inspector General
Last month, an independent audit revealed that PGCPS did not follow state law or its own policies in awarding over $80 million in contracts. This audit followed reports in January that over $800,000 in school funds had gone missing over the past three years. After four years of introducing legislation to provide more transparency & accountability in our schools, I am excited that the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future includes my bill to establish a statewide independent Inspector General to investigate and stop these instances of waste, fraud, and abuse. This new Inspector General will ensure that the new education funding resulting from the Kirwan Commission will be spent effectively and efficiently.
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!
The Maryland State Budget – Prioritizing Education Investments
Every year, my top priority is to fully fund Prince George’s County public schools. This year, I secured $1.2 billion in investments for our school system – the most of any county in the State.
I also fought for $31.3 million in new school construction funding for Prince George’s County and supported legislation that will allow PGCPS to use Public-Private Partnerships (P3) to acquire, construct, and maintain school facilities. This bill will ultimately provide $1.8 billion in capital investments to renovate or construct 18 schools over the next seven years.
My Commitment to Prince George’s County
In addition to these critical investments, our budget allocated funds to continue education, health, and economic development projects for Prince George’s County and District 22, including:
- $15 Million to fund free-tuition for community college statewide;
- $31 Million to fund Prince George’s Community College;
- $56 Million to fund the Prince George’s County Regional Medical Center;
- $4 Million to incentivize inside the Beltway economic development projects;
- $350,000 to renovate the Greenbelt Consumer Co-op;
- $200,000 to redevelop the University Park Town Hall; and
- $250,000 to construct the Lanham VFW Post 8950 Aquaculture Center.
RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
Supporting the Fight for $15
This year, I was excited to champion a $15 minimum wage for more than 573,000 workers in our State. Study after study has shown that higher wages inject money into our economy, reduce employee turnover, and improve the physical and mental health of workers. Most importantly, a $15 minimum wage, which will increase wages by $10,000, will lift hundreds of thousands of Marylanders out of poverty once fully enacted. As someone who grew up in poverty, I was also proud to override Gov. Hogan’s veto of this legislation and ensure that there is no delay in providing this economic opportunity for working families in our state.
DELEGATE WASHINGTON’S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Expanding Access to Affordable Housing
Creating a Workforce Development Housing Tax Credit
Maryland is currently the 5th most expensive state for housing in the country. Minimum wage workers have to work 115 hours a week to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. Our State needs another 130,644 affordable housing units to serve all of the extremely low-income families in the State. Therefore, I sponsored legislation to create a Workforce Development Housing Tax Credit. Funded at $ 4 million, this program would incentivize new statewide investments in affordable housing projects. As new development continues, affordable housing is one of the few tools we have to both preserve our communities and expand economic opportunities.
Investing in Communities Inside the Beltway
Neighborhoods inside the Capital Beltway are specifically struggling to provide adequate affordable housing opportunities. Right now, Prince George’s County only has 34.3 affordable rental housing units available for every 100 low-income renters. To prevent the gentrification of our communities by new development, I sponsored legislation to create the National Capital Strategic Economic Development Program. Over the next five years, this program will provide $35 million in funding to sustainable development projects. It will ensure that the National Capital Region is able to maintain its economic competitiveness, reduce its housing gap, and provide affordable, healthy housing opportunities to all residents.
Reforming School Discipline Practices
Tracking & Eliminating the School-to-Prison Pipeline
In the 2015-2016 school year, 2,761 students were arrested in Maryland public schools. 66% of these students were black, 63% were low-income, and 22% were special education students. These statistics prove that the school-to-prison pipeline is real in our State and that it disproportionately impacts students of color. To gain a greater understanding of the school-to-prison pipeline, I passed legislation to allow the Maryland Longitudinal Data System (MLDS) to track school discipline and juvenile justice data. By allowing the MLDS to monitor this data, we will get a better understanding of the effects school suspensions have on student achievement, dropout rates, graduation rates, and interactions with the criminal justice system.
Addressing District 22 Economic Development Projects
Redeveloping the Glenn Dale Hospital Site
This year, I worked closely with the Glenn Dale and Lincoln Vista communities on legislation to revitalize the Glenn Dale Hospital Site, which has been vacant since the 1980s. Our bill will provide for the adaptive reuse of the main Hospital Campus Buildings, which will ultimately allow much greater flexibility and potential in redeveloping the site. This effort, which the surrounding communities have been working towards for decades, will ensure that the historic and cultural integrity of the property is preserved as we work to achieve the adaptive reuse of the Hospital buildings.
Revitalizing Greenbelt Road (MD 193)
Over the last 15 years, progress to construct streetscape improvements on Greenbelt Road (MD 193) has completely stalled. As we prepare for the redevelopment of Beltway Plaza Mall, I am excited to report that I incorporated language into our FY2020 State Budget to require the completion of a comprehensive report on how to fund streetscape design improvements on this road by July 15th. These much needed and long overdue improvements will include the redevelopment of sidewalks, streetlights, medians, and traffic signals to allow pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists to all share and use MD 193.
SUPPORTING OUR SENIORS
Expanding Property Tax Credits for Seniors
I recognize that our senior citizens face unique challenges and too often feel we do not provide enough resources and services to support them. This year, I voted for legislation to expand the eligibility requirements for the Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit to ensure that more of our seniors can apply for it. Expanding this tax credit will help protect those who built our communities from choosing between paying their mortgage or paying for food, medication, or other unexpected costs.
INCREASING VOTER ACCESS
Implementing Election Day Registration
While other states continue to restrict voting access, I am fully committed to expanding voting rights in our state to make it easier for people to vote – not harder. As the Chair of the Election Law Subcommittee, I was proud to lead the effort to implement Election Day Registration (EDR), which will allow residents to register to vote at the polls on Election Day. In the November 2018 election, 70% of voters approved this initiative on their ballot. EDR builds on Early Voting Registration, creating a unified and simple way to ensure that every Marylander can have their voices heard in our elections.
PRESERVING MARYLAND’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Stabilizing Health Insurance Costs
As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to come under attack by the Federal Administration, I voted for legislation this year that protects Marylanders with pre-existing conditions in the event that the Supreme Court overturns protections provided in the ACA. I also supported legislation to establish Maryland’s Easy Enrollment Health Program – a simple, seamless system for enrolling uninsured Marylanders into free or low-cost health insurance coverage. This new system – the first in the country – will allow nearly 50,000 Marylanders who qualify to be enrolled automatically in Medicaid.
Ensuring Prescription Drug Affordability
This year, Maryland also took the lead on reining in the costs of prescription drugs as we became the first state in the country to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. Prescription drug prices are predicted to rise at 6.1% over the next 7 years. This Board will have the ability to monitor the market and set an upper price limit on drugs purchased by health plans that serve employees of state and county governments.
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Increasing Access to Clean Energy & Clean Energy Jobs
Climate change and dirty air are badly hurting communities in Maryland, particularly communities of color. This year, I sponsored legislation to take serious action on climate change by accelerating the state’s transition to renewable energy. The Clean Energy Jobs Act will require renewable energy sources to provide 50% of the State’s energy by 2030, with at least 14% coming from solar energy. Our renewed commitment to clean energy will ultimately result in 20,000 new solar jobs in Maryland.
Wrapping It Up
Thank you for reading my 2019 Legislative Update! To read more about my legislative accomplishments, other initiatives, and community events in District 22, as well as sign up for my newsletter, visit my website at www.AlonzoWashington.com You can also follow me on Twitter @DelegateATW and friend request me at facebook.com/DelegateWashington.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office directly with any questions or concerns you may have this year. Don’t forget that you are always invited to join me at my monthly “Table Talk Tour” events around District 22! Subscribe to my newsletter for the next event. I am excited to get back out into your neighborhood to hear from you about how we can improve our Municipalities, County and State.
I look forward to seeing you around the community, and I thank you for the opportunity to serve you!
Sincerely,
-Alonzo
Alonzo T. Washington
Maryland State Delegate