Powerful Interests Block Reform on Public Health, Utility Rates, Democracy & Credit Cards
Annapolis – The Maryland General Assembly wrapped up its legislative session at midnight last night having passed several bills that benefit the public interest, but leaving many proposals that would have empowered consumers, strengthened democracy, and improved the quality of life in Maryland on the table.
“Powerful interests continue to wield tremendous power in Annapolis,” said Neumann. “Although lawmakers made some progress this year, many common-sense reforms that protect everyday Marylanders were blocked by industries acting in their own self-interest,” said Maryland PIRG state director, Johanna Neumann.
Public interest victories include:
• Capturing toxic mercury from cars and trucks by establishing a mandatory mercury recycling program.
• Strengthening building codes to lower utility bills and reduce energy usage in new homes.
• Continuing the commitment to transition to a voting system that ensures a voter-verified paper record in 2010.
Set-backs to the public interest include:
• Failing to phase out the use of the toxic chemicals deca-BDE and bisphenol-A in consumer products in Maryland,
• Cutting $70 million from energy efficiency and clean energy programs,
• Failing to close corporate tax loopholes through “combined reporting”,
• Failing to advance public financing of elections,
• Failing to restrict predatory credit card practices like “universal default” and “blacklisting”.
One victory for public health was Del. Hucker’s bill to require auto manufacturers to set up a recycling program in Maryland for car switches that contain mercury (HB1263). Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can cause serious developmental problems for infants and children in the womb and car switches were the largest manufacturing source of mercury releases into the environment. Unfortunately, two bills sponsored by Del. Hubbard to phase out the use of the toxic chemicals deca-BDE and bisphenol-A from household products sailed through the House of Delegates but failed to reach the Senate floor.
“The chemical industry pulled out all the stops to prevent bills that would protect the health of children and firefighters from moving forward” said Neumann.
On energy issues, a bill sponsored by Sen. Brian Frosh will help lower energy costs in new homes in Maryland by bringing Maryland’s building codes in line with the International Energy Conservation Code. Although this bill represents real progress, the General Assembly also stripped $70 million from energy efficiency and clean energy programs, which will set back Maryland’s clean energy industry and hamper the abilities of Marylanders to lower their energy bills.
On democracy issues, after research revealed that no voting system on the market met the stringent requirements of legislation passed in 2007, lawmakers upheld their commitment to election integrity by passing HB 893, sponsored by Del. Sheila Hixson. This bill allows the limited use of electronic touch-screen voting machines accessible to all voters, while still implementing a voting system that produces a voter-verified paper record in time for the 2010 election.
Unfortunately other proposals to make our elections more accessible were left undone. Lawmakers failed to advance a proposal to limit the influence of wealthy campaign contributions through publicly financed elections and did put a question on the ballot to ask voters to decide whether people who register on election day should be able to vote in that election.
Two consumer protection bills, one that would have prohibited credit card companies from raising interest rates or limiting credit lines for activity on unrelated lines of credit and another that prevents a credit card company from changing the terms of a contract based on where a consumer shops, failed to get a vote in the Senate Finance Committee.
“Consumers saw some setbacks and some advances this session,” said Neumann. “Moving forward the key thing is that the public continue to urge their representatives to do what’s best for them rather than doing the bidding of the chemical industry, energy firms or credit card company lobbyists that trawl the halls of Annapolis,” said Neumann.
2009-Legislative-RoundupMDP.pdf