2 Anne Arundel County sponsored bills stall as legislative session ends

Two Anne Arundel-sponsored bills - one prohibiting the intimidating display of nooses and swastikas and another targeting the political consulting work of a state's attorney's office employee - stalled just as the Maryland General Assembly ended its 2018 session.

Del. Herb McMillan's legislation - House Bill 1330 - would have made contractual and temporary state's attorney's employees public officials. Amendments to the bill pulled language barring them from doing political consulting work. McMillan wanted the language but felt satisfied the public official status would keep the employees in check. This puts them under the purview of the Maryland State Ethics Commission and bars them from being registered lobbyists.

McMillan's bill would have targeted former Anne Arundel County assistant state's attorney Lawrence Scott. Scott does political consulting work and is a registered lobbyist. His ability to lobby was explained because he was "contractual." But the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Office corrected that statement, saying he was a temporary employee. Scott "stepped away" from his position in March after reporting by The Capital.

The House of Delegates accepted the bill's conference committee's report shortly before session ended. Republican Senators notified Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, D-Prince George's County, that the conference committee report on McMillan's bill was in.

With about 10 minutes left in session, Miller said: "We will see if we can find it."

They didn't find it. Session ended before a final Senate vote.

"It's hard to pass an ethics bill in a place that's inherently unscrupulous and unethical, and it's tough to come this close and lose," McMillan said. "I'll probably never know what deals were cut to block this ethics bill in the Senate."

House Bill 1695 would have prohibited the hanging or display of nooses and swastikas without a property's owner's permission and as a tool of intimidation. Del. Mark Chang, D-Glen Burnie, sponsored the legislation after a noose was hung at Crofton Middle School in May. The amended bill didn't come up before the confetti rained down to end the session.

Here is a breakdown of bills sponsored and passed by Anne Arundel County lawmakers:

Sen. John Astle, D-Annapolis: The senator passed four bills in his final session. Senate Bill 150 allows Annapolis bookstores to request a Bookstore Beer and Wine License from the Annapolis Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The license allows bookstores to sell beer and wine during events.

Sen. Ed DeGrange, D-Millersville: The senator helped pass a bill that removes the sunset provision of local impact grants near the Laurel Race Course. Now those grants will be delivered in perpetuity. DeGrange sponsored Senate Bill 32, which fizzled late Monday. The House version of the bill - House Bill 130 - was passed by both chambers. It was sponsored by Del. Pam Beidle, D-Linthicum.

Sen. Ed Reilly, R-Crofton: The senator passed three bills. Senate Bill 33 mandates health insurance coverage for fertility awareness methods. The methods determine the fertile and infertile cycles, allowing families to control when they have children as an alternative form of birth control.

Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-College Park: The senator passed six bills. Senate Bill 1068 - the Financial Consumer Protection Act of 2018 - makes changes to protect consumer and regulate loan practices. It includes "abusive" as a form of "unfair and deceptive trade practices," it requires licensing student loan servicers, it creates a Student Loan Ombudsman and increases the civil penalties for consumer protection and other financing regulations.

Sen. Bryan Simonaire, R-Pasadena: The senator passed eight bills. One increases the minimum salary of Anne Arundel County Board of Elections' salary from $2,400 to $5,000 for the president and $2,400 to $4,500 for other members. The board members were already being paid that salary, so the bill makes their current salary the new minimum.

He also passed a bill that requires the state to publish an annual report on veteran and armed service member suicides.

Del. Ben Barnes, D-College Park: The delegate passed three bills. House Bill 1042 increased a police officer's maximum retirement allowance from 60 to 65 percent.

Del. Pam Beidle, D-Linthicum: The delegate, who is leaving the House to run for DeGrange's Senate seat, passed five bills. House Bill 807 increases the amount of money county and cities will receive from highway user funds. Anne Arundel County is poised to receive an additional $3.4 million while Annapolis will pull in $1.3 million. The bill doesn't increase taxes; it changes the formula on how the money is divided.

Speaker of the House, Michael Busch, D-Annapolis: The speaker passed three bills he sponsored. Busch achieved an income tax break of up to $7,500 for qualified expenses of a living organ donor. Busch received part of his sister's liver after he was diagnosed with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis . The credit is applicable dating to December 31, 2017.

Del. Ned Carey, D-Brooklyn Park: The delegate passed one bill. House Bill 710 prohibits consumer reporting agencies from charging someone a fee for placing, removing or temporary lifting of credit report freezes.

Del. Mark Chang, D-Glen Burnie: The delegate's hate crime bill came close but failed to pass.

Del. Barbara Frush, D-College Park: The delegate's bill to create an animal abuse registry similar to a sex abuse registry failed. Frush is retiring after this session.

Del. Seth Howard, R-West River: The delegate passed two bills. House Bill 1532 helps active farmers repay back their student debt. The farmer can receive money from the state as long as they are active for five or more years but fewer than 10. The student loan debt has to be linked to an agriculture degree.

Howard gave an impassioned speech against the state's ban on bump stocks, saying he owned one and didn't think it was fair the state would make wielders "criminals." Howard voted for the legislation after legislators added language that gave owners a grandfathered path to ownership. That language relied on the federal government's desire to regulate bump stocks.

Del. Nic Kipke, R-Pasadena: The delegate passed two bills. House Bill 922 required the state to find a place to collect anonymous tips against "pill mill" doctors. These tips are then forwarded to the appropriate medical boards.

The bill also establishes a wide-ranging overdose report that collects demographic information on people who overdose. This data includes what services the person received from the state. Kipke has said the report would help the state further refine its treatments.

Del. Michael Malone, R-Crofton: The delegate did not pass any bills. House Bill 1142 came closest with passage in the House and Senate. The bill would have allowed police body-cam footage in court cases despite the officer not alerting the person they were being recorded.

But the Senate amended the bill requiring the House of Delegates to vote on the bill again.

Del. Tony McConkey, R-Severna Park: The delegate passed one bill. House Bill 137 prohibits nonairport taxicab drivers from picking up passengers at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. Once the passenger is dropped off, the nonairport taxicab must leave and can only park in a specific public parking lot near the airport.

Del. Herb McMillan, R-Annapolis: The delegate, who is not running for another term, passed four bills. House Bill 714 extends a law allowing electric and hybrid vehicles to use high occupancy vehicle lanes despite how many passengers are in the car.

Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, D-College Park: The delegate passed nine bills. She was the driving force behind House Bill 1782, which stabilized Maryland's health insurance market. The bill levied a fee on assessments on health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations and Medicaid managed care organizations. That money was used to boost the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Fund to drive down costs for insurance purchasers.

Del. Sid Saab, R-Crownsville: The delegate passed one bill. House Bill 1483 protects family visitation rights for disabled individuals and giving families the ability to petition for visitation of incapacitated or protected persons. Saab also tried to pass the bill last year.

Del. Meagan Simonaire, R-Pasadena: The delegate passed one bill. House Bill 242 tweaked the state's Maryland Veterans Service Animal Program Fund by including a designee and requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to publish donors who have given authority to publish their names. The fund is used to pay for training service dogs linked to veterans.

Simonaire made headlines after she came out as bisexual on the house floor while supporting a bill banning conversion therapy on children. In her speech she alleged her family - including father Sen. Simonaire - sought out conversion therapy for her after she came out to them. Her father has disputed her version of the events, saying his daughter was an adult and that conversion therapy wasn't considered, just Christian Counselors. Sen. Simonaire tried to block the conversion therapy bill in the Senate. He said the bill is too broad.

She is not seeking another term.

Del. Ted Sophocleus, D-Linthicum: The delegate didn't pass any bills. Sophocleus headed up the Anne Arundel County Delegation, where he drove the delegation's focus and agenda. He sponsored House 1746, which limited the terms of Housing Commission of Anne Arundel County commissioners from five to four-year terms. The Senate version of the bill passed.

Credit: By Chase Cook - [email protected]

Caption: Pages drop confetti made of shredded bills and balloons from the balcony of the House chamber in Annapolis as the session ends.

Retiring Senator John Astle in his office in Annapolis.

Hannah Klarner/Capital News Service

Joshua McKerrow/Capital Gazette