While health care initiatives made up almost one-third of Gov. Martin O?Malley?s legislative package, lawmakers said making those goals a reality could take some time.
But they said his support for a bill to increase emissions standards on cars would give that proposal a significant boost.
Del. Peter Hammen, D-Baltimore City, who chairs the House Health and Government Operations committee, said the proposal to expand health care for children in families that earn up to 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines was “fiscally doable,” but said, “we need to do more to roll up our sleeves for adults.”
Sen. Thomas Middleton, D-Charles, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said some of the governor?s proposals to help small businesses provide benefits for their employees would likely be part of a larger proposal crafted by the legislature.
O?Malley?s proposal would create a program modeled after similar systems in other states, including Massachusetts, that would allow small-business owners to offer a cafeteria-style choice of health benefit plans on a pretax basis.
The governor?s first package of legislative priorities also included a plan to phase in payments to an optional education funding formula to increase aid to school systems where the cost of educating outpaces the state average, including Prince George?s, Montgomery, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard and Carroll counties and Baltimore City. The package also included a bill to freeze tuition at the University System of Maryland schools and Morgan State University, and a bill to create a sub-cabinet position to handle the impact of military base realignment.
O?Malley also asked for stricter car emissions standards similar to those used in California.
Del. Maggie McIntosh, D-Baltimore City, who chairs the House Environmental Matters Committee, called stricter emissions standards for cars inevitable.
“We know science is leading us to understand that climate change is an increasing threat. … We want to pass a bill to lock in a standard to send a clear message to Congress” that the federal government should enact a national standard.
Republican House Minority Leader Tony O?Donnell said the idea of tying emissions standards in Maryland to those set by a board in California worried him.
“As Republicans, we?re concerned about state sovereignty,” he said.
