Legislative Committee meets

Things are off and rolling in Annapolis for the 2020 Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session. In an effort to get the state federation on one accord, AFT-Maryland’s Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, Denise Riley, chaired the year’s first legislative committee meeting. Committee members in attendance came from the state federation’s two state employee locals MPEC and AFT Healthcare-Maryland.

Riley laid out the bills that will be on the state federation’s radar this session, including revenue expansion bills that will close tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires, as well as multinational corporations that make millions in Maryland but don’t pay taxes on that money. Additionally, the state federation, like most of the state, will be closely following Kirwan recommendations. These recommendations are the work of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education. This commission was headed by former University of Maryland Chancellor William “Brit” Kirwan.

Political observers believe the Kirwan recommendations will absorb much of the attention and resources of the General Assembly. Despite this, Riley believes the state federation can be successful getting bills important to state and municipal workers passed during the 2020 session.

2020-01-08