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The Maryland
League of Conservation Voters is pleased to
present the “Hot List” – a detailed list of the
environmental community’s highest priority legislation for this week.
This week we have so many bills, we had to split the content into two emails,
one for the House of Delegates, and one for the State Senate. Please
forward to your friends or ask them to sign up by emailing us at
info@…. For a printable version, please visit https://www.mdlcv.org//issueslegislation/weeklyhotlists.
We hope you find this communication helpful and instructive as we tackle
important environmental bills this session.
Hot List – Senate
Important Bills
to Watch
 SB 278:
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act of 2009
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs- FAVORABLE WITH
AMENDMENTS, LAID OVER ON THE FLOOR
Click here to send an email to
your legislators now on this issue!
POSITION: SUPPORt
This act will create a cap reducing global warming
pollutants in the state by at least 25% below 2006 levels by the year
2020. This will allow Maryland
to be a leader in the nation for reducing global warming pollutants and be an
example to other states.
Sponsor: Governor
O’Malley and Senator Pinsky
Smart and Fair Growth Legislation
POSITION: SUPPORt
Click here to send an email to
your legislators now on this issue!
Education, Health and
Environmental Affairs- SB 878 HEARING
ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25th
The environmental community
generally supports the “Smart, Green, and Growing” package of
legislation the governor introduced that will fix the adverse Court of
Appeals decision on the Terrapin Run development, encourage more
Transit-Oriented Development, and enhance our visions for smart growth.
In addition, the environmental community supports Senator Harrington and
Frosh’s forward-looking bill that enhances the governor’s bill by
creating numeric performance standards to guide county plans.
Sponsor: “Smart,
Green, and Growing”- SB 273, 274, 276, 280 –
Governor
Sponsor: Numeric
Performance Standards SB 878– Senator
Harrington
SB 824:
Community Environmental Protection Act of 2009
MARYLAND lcv
pRIORITY
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs- HEARING ON
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18th
There are currently 44 states in the United States that
allow organizations to have standing in the state courts to fight against
violations of our environmental laws. We urge Maryland to follow the current national
trend and expand a citizen’s right to a day in court.
Sponsor: Senator Frosh
SB 165: The
Budget
POSITION: SUPPORt
Click here to send an email to
your legislators now on this issue!
Budget and Taxation Committee- ONGOING
HEARINGS
The environmental community asks
that Program Open Space, the Strategic Energy Investment Fund, and the
Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund do not get cut, and maintain funding for the
Maryland Departments of the Environmental and Natural Resources
SB 753:
De-funding the Intercounty
Connector
POSITION: SUPPORt
The
InterCounty Connector is a costly and
environmentally damaging project that
is draining state
resources. Defunding this project will conserve funds to go toward
better usage in public transportation sector or much needed help during this
economic crisis.
Sponsor: Senator Pipkin
Committee Action
SJ 8: Federal
Mandates Regarding Environmentally Damaging Corn Ethanol
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING THURSDAY, MARCH 5th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This resolution calls on the
federal government to reduce the amount of corn used to meet alternative fuel
requirements.
SB 184:
Brominated Flame Retardants – Decabrominated Diphenyl Ether
–(“DECA”) Prohibition
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd
POSITION: SUPPORt
Prohibiting, by January 1, 2010, a new product or a
flame-retardant part of a new product that contains decabrominated diphenyl
ether.
SB 220: Ethanol
Derived From Corn
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs AND Budget and
Taxation Committee – HEARING THURSDAY, MARCH 5th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill prohibits the use of
state funds for ethanol products derived from corn.
SB 258: Ethanol
Derived From Corn
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs AND Budget and
Taxation Committee – HEARING THURSDAY, MARCH 5th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill prohibits the use of state funds for ethanol
products derived from corn.
SB 352: Public Utility Tree Management Act of 2009
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs Committee – HEARING
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill requires
utilities to create a tree management plan to replace trees cut down while
installing power lines.
SB 408: Water
Pollution Control- Incentives and Penalties
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs Committee – HEARING
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill requires the Department of the
Environment to create incentives for improved performance of sewer systems
and wastewater treatment plants.
SB 428: Vehicles, Bicycles- Rules of the Road
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs Committee – ALREADY
HEARD
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill requires a
three foot passing distance between motor vehicles and bicycles.
SB 465:
Floating Vessel Platforms
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs Committee – HEARING
TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd
POSITION: oppose
This bill allows the
construction of floating vessel platforms without a permit.
SB 530: Task
Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING TUESDAY, MARCH 10th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill, also known as the
bottle bill, creates a task force to study the feasibility of establishing
deposits for recyclable containers.
SB 539: Driver
Relief Act of 2009
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill authorizes the
Departments of the Environment and Transportation to develop policies to
reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 35% below 2005 levels by 2036.
SB 553:Chesapeake Bay Phosphorus Restoration Act of 2009
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs Committee – HEARING
TUESDAY, MARCH 10th
POSITION: SUPPORt
Requiring labeling of fertilizer and prohibiting a person
from using, selling, manufacturing, or distributing for use or sale in the
State a specialty fertilizer containing phosphorous on or after April 1,
2010.
SB 554: Chesapeake Bay Nitrogen Restoration Act of 2009
Education,
Health and Environmental Affairs Committee – HEARING
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill requires new on site septic systems to use
nutrient removal technology and requiring MDE to assist with the costs.
SB 555: Biomass
and Biofuels- In-State Production Incentives
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill encourages the production of cellulosic biofuels
by allowing producers to sell the generated energy back to the grid.
SB 581: Roadside Trees
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill allows counties and
municipalities to adopt their own plans to plant roadside trees.
SB 623:
Nutrient Management Plans- Confidentiality
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING TUESDAY, MARCH 10th
POSITION: Oppose
This bill requires the Department
of Agriculture to return or destroy nutrient management plans after three
years.
SB 625: Maryland Building Performance Standards
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill strengthens the current
building codes for energy efficiency.
SB 672:
Stormwater Management Surcharge
Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
– HEARING TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill requires local governments to assess their own
surcharge on impervious surfaces to pay for stormwater management practices.
SB 856: Green Jobs Workforce Training
Finance
Committee – HEARING TUESDAY, MARCH 10th
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill instructs the Maryland Energy Administration, in
consultation with the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board and the
Department of Business and Economic Development to develop a program to
provide the skills and opportunities to work in the emerging clean energy
industry.
Up & Coming
Bills
SB 917:
Fertilizers and Pesticides Release Reporting
POSITION: SUPPORt
This bill requires any business or large entity to report
the use of fertilizer and pesticides. The MDA must keep this data and work
with the MDE to distribute the information.
For more than 30 years,
the Maryland
League of Conservation Voters has been the independent political voice for
the environment in our state. Maryland LCV is
dedicated to making environmental protection and restoration a top priority
for Maryland’s
elected officials, appointed leaders, candidates and voters. The
Maryland League of Conservation Voters advocates for sound conservation policies,
works to get
pro-environment candidates elected, and holds elected officials
accountable for their votes and actions.
Click here to join or donate to
the Maryland League of Conservation Voters.
https://www.mdlcv.org//files/microsoft_word_-_mdlcv_hot_list_-_senate_-_2-24-09.pdf
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Ok, we know that I feel the three foot passing law is a terrible, silly, unenforcable law, but this blows my mind..
"Authorizing a person to construct, install, operate, or maintain a floating vessel platform without having to obtain a license from the Board of Public Works or a permit from the Department of the Environment under specified circumstances."
Could they be anymore vague with the description? Is this what our lawmakers do all day? Sit around and think of more and more regulations to impose on an unaware constituency?, do you look for things to fine us everyday people for?, there are so many friggin’ laws on the books, and It seems that there is no way to even find specifics on them, so we don’t even know when we are breaking the law. Until one day you get a $1000 fine for making repairs to your house without a permit(happened to me.) Maybe the lawmakers will be satified when they have regulated every facet of our lives, when you have to stand in line and pay a fee in order to drink a glass of milk.
Have these lawmakers ever had to stand in line at the permit office? Have they ever had to deal with the layers and layers of beaurocracy that they create? I gaurantee the answer is no.
Authorizing a person to construct, install, operate, or maintain a floating vessel platform without having to obtain a license from the Board of Public Works or a permit from the Department of the Environment under specified circumstances.
So I have another comment/question. Are lawmakers trying to make illegal the construction of "floating vessels" like those used for Baltimores annual Kinetic Sculpture race?
Dang you made me look that junk up. 😉 It’s like a floating pier used to store a boat out of the water. I guess there is a problem with keeping a boat in the water in the wetlands but not a pier or visa versa, go figure.
I’m now in my second week of pouring over all these titles to report what’s new and possibly relevant to cyclists, and there is some real crazy stuff in there. Here’s one, a bill entitled: "Andrew’s Law" is that descriptive or what?