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Legislative ScorecardThe annual Maryland Legislative Scorecard has been one of the many citizenship tools used by Maryland PIRG to protect the interests of the public and revitalize participation in our democratic process. Download a PDF of the Legislative Scorecard 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 Below are the descriptions of the most important public interest votes taken between Jan. 10, 2007 and April 9, 2007 in the House and the Senate . HOUSEAPPROPRIATIONSHB 766This bill would have expanded whistleblower protections to employees who disclose misuse of public resources and protected them from being threatened for off-the-clock political activities. Lead Sponsor was Del. Shank. SB 108 This bill prohibits the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland and the Board of Regents of Morgan State University from increasing tuition for resident undergraduate students at the institutions in the years 2006 and 2007. Lead sponsor was Sen. Pres. Miller. ECONOMIC MATTERSHB 359This bill requires all indoor public places including restaurants and bars to be smoke-free starting Feb. 1, 2008. Lead sponsors were Sen. Garagiola and Del. Frush. HB 631 This bill would have required utilities to spend the equivalent of one percent of their revenue on energy efficiency programs. This level of funding was regularly achieved before utility deregulation, but since 1999 we have spent very little on programs to reduce energy use in Maryland. The bill passed the House but was voted down in the Senate Finance Committee. Lead sponsors were Sen. Frosh and Del. Feldman HB 123 This bill would have required businesses to notify a consumer if that consumer’s sensitive personal financial information was lost or compromised. Lead sponsor was Del. Lee. ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERSHB 488This bill adds television manufacturers to the list of electronics companies that must pay fees to fund programs to collect used electronics. Lead sponsor was Del. Morhaim. HEALTH AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONSHB 928This bill would have required the state of Maryland to buy environmentally friendly products if they meet or exceed standards. The legislation would also have required the state to use life-cycle cost, rather than up-front cost, in their purchasing methodology to encourage investment in efficient products. Lead sponsor was Del. Morhaim. JUDICIARYWAYS AND MEANSHB 18This bill ensures that by the 2010 election, Maryland’s voting system will generate a voter-verified paper record to use in case of a recount. The bill is contingent upon funding by FY09. Lead sponsor was Del. Hixson. HB 595 This bill would have provided a tax credit for the purchase of heating and air conditioning units that are highly energy efficient. It failed in the House Ways and Means Committee. Lead sponsor was Del. Cardin. SENATEBUDGET AND TAXATIONSB 167This bill would have increased funding for mass transit projects in Maryland. The bill was defeated in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. Lead Sponsor was Sen. Kramer. EDUCATION, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRSHB 488This bill adds television manufacturers to the list of electronics companies that must pay fees to fund programs to collect used electronics. Lead sponsor was Del. Morhaim. sb366 This bill would have established a recycling program for car switches containing toxic mercury. It was never voted on by the House Environmental Matters Committee. Lead sponsors were Sen. Dyson and Del. Hucker. SB546 This bill would have allowed candidates for statewide office to opt for public financing to fund their campaigns. The bill passed out of the House of Delegates, but was defeated by a marigin of one vote on the Senate floor. Lead sponsors are Sen. Pinsky and Del. Cardin. FINANCESB 91This bill requires all indoor public places including restaurants and bars to be smoke-free starting Feb. 1, 2008. Lead sponsors were Sen. Garagiola and Del. Frush. SB 562 This bill would have required utilities to spend the equivalent of one percent of their revenue on energy efficiency programs. This level of funding was regularly achieved before utility deregulation, but since 1999 we have spent very little on programs to reduce energy use in Maryland. The bill passed the House but was voted down in the Senate Finance Committee. Lead sponsors were Sen. Frosh and Del. Feldman. SB 670 This bill would have established rules by which Maryland residents could receive lower-priced prescription drugs imported from Canada. The bill was rejected by the Senate Finance Committee. Sponsors were Sen. Pinsky and Sen. Britt. |
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