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By Beth Reilly*

Now that the Maryland State Assembly is over for this year, here’s a look at some of the legislation debated on Capitol Hill that is of interest to United Methodists.

MINIMUM WAGE Legislation:  SB 331 / HB 295

ISSUE: Maryland's current minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, or roughly $15,000 annually for a full-time worker. The proposed legislation would have increased Maryland's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour in three steps by 2016, and would have adjusted it annually to rise with the cost of living there after. The proposal would have also increased the minimum wage for tipped workers.   

ADVOCACY:  The Baltimore-Washington Conference submitted written testimony and faith advocates met with a key committee member the day of the committee vote.

OUTCOME:  “The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2018… This is the first time that a minimum wage bill has been passed by the Maryland General Assembly since 2006. The last time minimum wage workers received a pay raise was 2009.  This is a victory for working people across the state. As a result of this legislation, hundreds of thousands of minimum wage workers will receive a meaningful and significant pay raise over the next several years.”  (Raise Maryland Coalition) 

HOUSING Legislation:  Housing Discrimination – Source of Income (HOME Act):  HB 366

ISSUE:  This bill would eliminate discrimination based on one’s source of income when trying to find housing.

ADVOCACY:  Advocacy for this bill continued last year before this Session began as the Rev. Julie Wilson organized faith advocates from her district to meet with President Miller to ask for his support for the bill. After the meeting and follow-up communication, the HOME Act Coalition decided to introduce the bill in the House this year. The Chair of the committee said that a compromise bill would need to be worked out between advocates and landlords if the bill were to move forward this Session. 

OUTCOME:  Lengthy discussions were productive, but unfortunately, final compromise bill language could not be settled. Discussions between advocates and landlords will continue in the coming weeks and months.

EARNED SICK AND SAFE LEAVE Legislation:  SB 753 / HB 968
ISSUE: The legislation would require employers to allow workers to earn a certain number of annual paid sick and safe days. The “safe time” component of the legislation requires employers to allow survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault to use their accrued paid sick leave to care for their health after these incidents or to seek legal protections or new housing.

ADVOCACY:  Legislative Day participants met with key committee members during our annual advocacy event.  Advocacy continued with United Methodists encouraging letter-writing and petition-signing in key districts. The BWC also submitted written testimony to show support for the bill. Thanks to all the United Methodists who met with a legislator, wrote a letter, sent an e-mail or made a phone call to show Conference support for this legislation.  

OUTCOME:  Towards the end of the 2014 Session, Melissa Broome wrote the following:  “Despite huge progress and overwhelming support, neither the Senate Finance nor House Economic Matters Committee plan to vote on the Earned Sick and Safe Leave Act. Rest assured that our work has not been in vain. There is clear recognition throughout Annapolis that Maryland will pass a paid sick days standard – just not in 2014.  It is only because of the overwhelming strength and perseverance of this remarkable coalition that the Earned Sick and Safe Leave Act received so much attention this year.” Efforts will resume next Session. 

HEALTH CARE Legislation:  Tobacco Taxes HB 443 / SB 589

ISSUE:  The legislation would implement an increase in tobacco taxes and would designate funding for tobacco use prevention and cessation.

ADVOCACY:  The Conference submitted written testimony.   

OUTCOME:  The bill did not get a vote this year in committee. 

For United Methodist Women working on Domestic Violence Legislation:  The Maryland Network against Domestic Violence reported that “2014 was an extraordinarily successful year for domestic violence legislation.” Below is an update on some of the bills.

 

Peace Orders and Protective Orders – Burden of Proof 

This bill changes the burden of proof for those seeking final protective and peace orders. The current burden of proof requires the petitioner to prove by “clear and convincing evidence” that abuse, as defined in the protective and peace order statutes, has occurred.  This bill changes the burden of proof to a “preponderance of the evidence” in these two civil proceedings. 

SB 333 and HB 307 PASSED the House and Senate.                      

Family Law – Domestic Violence - Permanent Final Protective Orders SB 334/HB 309

The legislation will make it easier for domestic violence victims to obtain permanent protective orders. Currently, a petitioner is eligible for a permanent protective order if the respondent in a protective order proceeding has also been convicted of certain enumerated crimes related to the act of abuse that led to the issuance of a final protective order and has served a sentence for at least five years.  This legislation adds the crime of second degree assault to the list of enumerated crimes. This is a significant change because many domestic violence perpetrators are convicted of second degree assault. As amended, it also alters the language of the law so that the respondent must serve at least 12 months rather than five years.

SB 334 and HB 309 PASSED the House and Senate.          

Domestic Violence – Persons Eligible for Relief  SB 41/HB 775

This bill would have moved dating violence and sexual assault out of the peace order statute and into the protective order statute. Dating violence and sexual assault are volatile cases that need the special attention and more comprehensive relief found in the protective order statute. Over 41 other states currently include dating violence in their protective order statutes.

SB 41 PASSED Senate.  No action in House Judiciary Committee.

Peace Orders and Protective Orders – Extensions  SB 434/HB 647

The legislation clarifies that during the term of a peace or protective order, when the petitioner files for an extension, the peace or protective order will remain in effect until the court has held a hearing on the extension of the peace or protective order.

SB 434 and HB 647 PASSED House and Senate.   

Criminal Law – Crimes Committed in the Presence of a Minor – Penalties   SB 337/HB 306   

The proposed legislation would have enhanced the penalty for persons who commit a domestically related crime in the presence of a minor.

HB 306 and SB 337 PASSED the House and Senate.

*Beth Reilly is the Advocacy Consultant for the Baltimore-Washington Conference. She may be reached at or www.bwcumc.org/gbcs/advocacy.