To the Editor:
Amid a busy campaign season leading up to the Democratic Primary Election on June 24, it is easy to get caught up in the horse race aspect of politics and forget about the real challenges affecting Marylanders every day.
Yesterday marked the conclusion of the 2014 Legislative Session. This year, the Maryland General Assembly considered a number of important pieces of legislation. As I look towards the 2015 Legislative Session, there are particular pieces of legislation that I would like to highlight as achievements; others remain heavy but necessary lifts for a newly constituted legislative body to tackle one year from now.
The Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Act of 2014 established a dedicated funding source to enable additional children from low-income households to attend Pre-Kindergarten programs. This policy addresses the growing achievement gap in education by enabling all Maryland students to receive the early childhood education they deserve.
The Maryland Minimum Wage Act of 2014 raises the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour by 2017. While some counties in Maryland, including Montgomery and Prince Georges, have proactively raised their minimum wage, it is unacceptable that Marylanders who work full-time continue to fall below the federal poverty line.
The Health Services Cost Review Commission Powers and Duties, Regulation of Facilities, and Maryland All-Payer Model Contract was passed this Session to enable Maryland’s unique hospital reimbursement rate-setting regulatory body to adjust payments to hospitals. That change is set to improve patient safety, quality of care, and the efficiency of healthcare delivery systems. This crucial legislation will enable Maryland to slowly begin the necessary transition away from a Fee For Service based reimbursement system to a Global Payment reimbursement system, ushering in the transition from volume to value.
The Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2014 would have prohibited discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. This bill failed to pass this year. I will fight with the next class of legislators to secure freedom from discrimination for Marylanders who merely seek to be themselves.
While for many of us these policies may seem like common sense, there is, has been, and will continue to be significant opposition to them in Annapolis. I applaud the progress that our legislators have made this session. If elected, I will work tirelessly to ensure that these advances are not quickly eroded, and that we continue to be ahead of the curve as a state dedicated to progress for all of our citizens.
Jordan P. Cooper
Democratic Candidate for Delegate
Maryland District 16