ROCKVILLE, MD (September 16, 2014) – With less than two months until Marylanders vote on Election Day, the Maryland Public Policy Institute today released a comprehensive report card on the Maryland General Assembly’s most recent legislative session, which concluded in April.  The report is the only one of its kind to grade the entire Maryland General Assembly on their policy decisions during the session.

“Maryland lawmakers fared poorly this year in promoting free markets, fiscal responsibility, and civil society,” said Christopher B. Summers, president of the Institute.   “The disastrous implementation of the Affordable Care Act, increased spending, and new burdens on small businesses outweighed the positive steps lawmakers took on criminal justice and transportation.  We hope Marylanders find this report useful as they consider how to vote on Election Day, November 4^th.”

Key grades include:

Crime: 

Grade:  “A” - By strengthening the standards for police searches, legislators reduced the size and scope of state government. They also loosened access to medical marijuana for sick Marylanders and passed legislation that makes it easier to report overdoses without facing legal consequences. These bills, while not perfect, are positive steps towards limiting government involvement in Marylanders’ personal lives.

Transportation:

Grade:  “A” - The General Assembly enacted no major transportation legislation, a notable improvement over 2013 when they enacted record tax increases to pay for dubious transit projects. This year, legislation allowing local governments to impose new transportation fees did not pass. Legislators also improved the state’s speed camera law, ending the payment of contractors on a per-ticket basis and enacting laws to fine contractors if speed cameras issue a high rate of erroneous tickets.

Health Care: 

Grade:  “C” – The roll-out of the State’s health care exchange under Lt. Governor Anthony Brown was the most brazen display of government incompetence in modern Maryland history, costing taxpayers nearly $100 million.  This irresponsible legislation is tempered by progress on the state’s Certificate of Need law, which prohibits hospitals from modernizing without approval from state bureaucrats.  Legislators slightly loosened state control over certain health care facilities and rejected attempts to expand this onerous law to hospice care.

Economy:

Grade: “F” - The bills legislators passed to “help” the state economy were generally corporate welfare programs or tax credits for politically connected industries. Not only do these programs show no track record of success in boosting economic growth, they also cost state taxpayers millions of dollars a year. In addition, legislators passed a minimum wage hike that will hurt small businesses and cost taxpayers at the state and local level, since government employers will be forced to raise wages for their lower-paid employees.

Budget:

Grade:  “F”- Spending increased by $1.6 billion, or 4.3 percent. By contrast, Maryland’s economy showed no growth in 2013.  This stagnant economic growth is troubling for future budgets, as the state projects that deficits will increase substantially in coming years despite dozens of new taxes and fees under the O’Malley-Brown Administration.