2019 Maryland Legislative Session Policy Orientation
The Westin Annapolis
100 Westgate Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401
Join top elected officials, business executives, and engaged citizens for a high impact discussion on the most pressing issues heading into the 2019 legislative session. Just two months after an historic election in Maryland, the summit will feature top government decision-makers and business influencers who are driving critical decisions on redistricting, public education spending, and business tax reform. The summit is sponsored by the Maryland Public Policy Institute - a leading nonpartisan public policy research and education organization in Maryland.
| 8:00-8:30 am | Registration |
| 8:50-9:00 am | Welcome: Christopher Summers, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Maryland Public Policy Institute |
| 9:00–9:45 am | Redistricting in Maryland Panel: 2019 and Beyond |
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Maryland’s decennial redistricting process is looming, as is a new order from federal judges for Maryland to redraw its 6th congressional district map by March 2019. How can Maryland improve its redistricting process, one that former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens called, “outrageously unconstitutional?" Our panel will explore the rapidly-evolving dynamics of redrawing 188 state legislative seats and eight congressional seats, and discuss how Maryland can navigate redistricting to ensure equal representation for all citizens. Panel: Walter Olson, Co-Chair, Governor’s Commission on Redistricting Reform & Senior Fellow, Cato Institute Lu Pierson, Past-President, League of Woman Voters Maryland Todd Eberly, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, St. Mary’s College of Maryland Len Lazarick, Editor and Publisher, MarylandReporter.com (moderator) |
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| 9:45–10:00 am | Break |
| 10:00–11:00 am | Reforming Maryland's Business Taxes |
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Maryland ranks 45th out of 50 states for the cost of doing business, according to CNBC. Despite Maryland’s world-class workforce, Amazon recently declined to locate its new headquarters in the state in favor of neighboring Virginia. How can Maryland improve its tax and regulatory climate for job creators? Our panelists will identify obstacles to business growth in Maryland and provide a blueprint for tax and regulatory reform. Panel: Kelly Schulz, Maryland Commerce Secretary-designate (currently Maryland Labor, Licensing, & Regulation Secretary) Anirban Basu, Chair, Maryland Economic Development Commission and Chairman & CEO, Sage Policy Group Richard Clinch, PhD, Executive Director, University of Baltimore's Jacob France Institute Mike O’Halloran, Maryland Director, National Federation of Independent Business Joanna Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief, Baltimore Business Journal (moderator) |
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| 11:00–11:10 am | Break |
| 11:10–11:50 am | Choosing the Right Path for Public Education |
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The Maryland General Assembly’s Kirwan Commission has recommended that Maryland spend billions of additional dollars on the public education system, even as public surveys show Marylanders are hesitant to pay for new funding through higher taxes. Our top panelists will discuss the state of public education in Maryland, whether new funding is necessary, and the state of the school spending debate in the 2019 legislative session. Panel: Jeanne Allen, Founder & CEO, The Center for Education Reform John R. Woolums, Esq., Director of Governmental Relations, Maryland Association of Boards of Education Andy Smarick, Former President, Maryland State Board of Education; Director, Civil Society, Education and Work, R Street Andrew A. Green, Opinion Editor, The Baltimore Sun (moderator) |
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| 12:00-1:15 pm | Lunch and Keynote - Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford |