A look at bills headed to Hogan

Anne Arundel County state lawmakers passed over 160

This year’s General Assembly session, notable for COVID precautions that did away with lobbyist brunches and hallway gaggles has produced a number of potentially landscape shifting bills from the Anne Arundel County delegation.

The delegation overall introduced or co-sponsored more than 360 bills, of which 167 passed both chambers and are awaiting signature from Gov. Larry Hogan. Anne Arundel County delegates or senators were the primary sponsor on 101 bills primed to become law.

Perhaps the most substantive change, if Hogan approves it, will be a bill that allows counties to impose a progressive income tax structure, with a floor of 2.25% and a cap of 3.2% for high earners. Per the legislation, people classified in a lower bracket cannot be taxed at a higher rate than those in the bracket above.

Introduced by Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties, the bill is a longtime priority of County Executive Steuart Pittman, who will seek to change the income tax structure to tax wealthier residents at a higher rate. The legislation does not mandate a structure nor define how counties must create the brackets if they do adopt a progressive tax rate; rather it enables local governments to take up their own legislation.

Pittman has said he will pursue a progressive tax structure in the next budget cycle, but his budget is subject to approval by the County Council. Pittman adviser Chris Trumbauer said the county

executive wants to implement a progressive rate “the right way” and will take time to consult stakeholders over the next year.

The tax rates can be revenue neutral, shifting a higher percentage to wealthier residents and providing relief for lower-income people while not increasing the overall amount of taxes collected. Pittman has previously described a potential structure that would only increase the rate for individuals who earn over $500,000 or families who earn more than $600,000.

Under this scenario, these top earners would only pay 3.2% on anything over $500,000 for individuals and $600,000 for families. The initial $500,000 earnings would be taxed at 2.81% — the county’s current flat income tax rate.

Rosapepe, along with his colleague Sen. Pamela Beidle, D-Linthicum, also passed a bill that would mandate the state health and education departments to develop a plan to continue testing for, tracing and vaccinating against the coronavirus, especially in disadvantaged or hard-to-reach communities. The bill provides millions in grant funding for local governments, nursing homes and assisted living programs.

Sen. Sarah Elfreth, who filed the most bills by far among the delegation, introduced two bills on behalf of the county executive, one that would give the county and Annapolis governments greater oversight of the Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County tourism bureau and another that would authorize the County Council to raise the transfer tax on certain real estate to create an affordable housing fund.

The tourism bill passed, providing the county auditor with authority to audit the tourism bureau, which experienced some turmoil this year after its longtime executive director was fired amid an internal investigation. Another later review by an outside party found no financial issues.

The legislation will also provide a cut of hotel taxes to the Annapolis Art in Public Places Commission and the city’s housing trust to be used for housing assistance payments.

The transfer tax legislation allows the Anne Arundel County Council to raise the tax on property sales above $1 million, excluding properties housing low-and moderate-income families. House Delegation Chair Sandy Bartlett’s version passed through both chambers. Revenue from the higher taxes would go toward a housing trust to subsidize low- and moderate-income housing.

To help businesses weather the pandemic, Elfreth and Sen. Bryan Simonaire introduced a bill to allow cities and counties to authorize a property tax credit to businesses affected by state and local states of emergency during the coronavirus pandemic. The bill passed with unanimous support in both the House of Delegates and State Senate.

The delegation also passed a spate of bills to assist veterans, provide ease of access and accountability to the state’s unemployment system and regulate alcohol sales in the county.

The unemployment reform owes in large part to five bills from Del. Ned Carey, D-Brooklyn Park, and addresses issues in the unemployment system a large number of workers experienced for the first time after being laid off or furloughed during the pandemic. The bills expand the types of employees who qualify for certain unemployment benefits, increase the amount of money that can be disregarded in unemployment benefit calculations and improve oversight of the labor department’s management of the unemployment insurance system.

Some legislation tackles local issues, such as Beidle’s efforts to study complaints filed against dentists after a Severna Park doctor left patients with ill-fitting and unnecessary implants. Her legislation to implement speeding cameras along a dangerous stretch in Jessup also passed.

Elfreth’s bills to mandate menstrual products in schools and subsidize prenatal care passed, as did a slate of bills from Simonaire to support and honor veterans.