As a proud graduate of Prince George’s County Public Schools, I have diligently worked in the Maryland legislature to ensure that our schools have the resources they need to educate our children. I have fought for increased funding to preserve academic programs, such as the Hyattsville Middle School’s Creative and Performing Arts Program, the only one of its kind in the County, and for State funding for new school construction, including the renovation of historic Greenbelt Middle School. These funds will ensure that our facilities may continue to expand and improve to accommodate our County’s growth.

In the most recent meeting of the legislature, I introduced legislation to correct out-dated State education funding formulas that are currently underfunding our County’s schools. I also diligently worked to increase funding for Prince George’s County by $18 million in the State budget, money that will be used to prevent proposed cuts to the school system.

I am committed to making sure that our students in Prince George’s County receive the nationally superior public education for which Maryland is known. This means safe learning environments with qualified teachers and challenging academic curriculums. During my time as a legislator, I have worked to revitalize our neighborhoods in Prince George’s County by restricting the growth of the many unsightly liquor stores and strip clubs that litter our County and by promoting new, community enriching development.

During the 2010 session, I was able to pass legislation that reduces the number of liquor stores by allowing a community organization, church, or non-profit to purchase a liquor store license and have the license removed from circulation and permanently extinguished. This bill gives residents the power to fight the proliferation of liquor stores in our County and reverse the negative effects these establishments can have on our neighborhoods. In previous legislative sessions, I was also able to pass legislation that mandated an earlier closing time for County liquor stores, preventing many late night crimes from occurring, and that placed restrictions on strip clubs operating in our County.

As our County continues to grow, it is up to us to embrace this growth while maintaining the character and beauty of our many unique neighborhoods. It is for this reason that I support environmentally friendly retail and residential development that emphasize greener, more walkable communities that showcase the many historic and cultural enclaves of our County. In both my work outside the General Assembly and as a legislator, I was committed to the creation of the Hyattsville Arts District, which I see as a paradigm for smart growth in our County. We must utilize our location just outside the nation’s capital to make Prince George’s County a destination, bringing more revenue, jobs and investment to our County and providing a setting where our local businesses can flourish.

One of my most important objectives in Annapolis is to support local organizations that work to improve the quality of life in our communities. In past meetings of the legislature I have secured state funding for the Lanham Boys and Girls Club, the non-profit organization SEED Inc., which helps families with child care, job training, and financial training, an urban farming initiative in Edmonston, and our municipal police departments.

Recognizing that Prince George’s County continues to have the highest foreclosure rate in Maryland, I have done everything I can to help hardworking homeowners weather these difficult financial times. In 2009, I defeated legislation that would have reduced the Homestead Tax Credit, in addition to hosting a public seminar to educate homeowners about tax credits and home assessment appeal procedures. I continue to advocate for measures that would alleviate the tax burden our homeowners face and provide services to families to avoid foreclosure. As a member of the House Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, I have worked to understand the effects that addiction has on our communities and the most effective methods to treat substance abuse in Maryland. I am a strong advocate for increased State funding of substance abuse treatment and a reevaluation of how the State addresses addiction. In 2007, for example, I passed legislation that mandates that Maryland make a comprehensive assessment every three years of the financial and treatment needs of each jurisdiction in the State. I have also authorized legislation that allows 37,000 more Marylanders access to much needed drug treatment. As Maryland continues to work to reduce unnecessary spending and combat yearly budget deficits, it is important to find ways to generate revenue for the State so that it may continue to provide services to Marylanders without raising taxes for our hardworking families. One such measure that I have introduced in the legislature is “combined reporting”, a corporate income tax change that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for the State each year. This change would prevent large corporations operating in Maryland from transferring profits earned here to low or no tax states in order to dodge our corporate income tax. This practice not only hurts the State, but also small businesses who often pay more State taxes than their large, multi-state competitors.

In order to encourage green jobs and the growth of the alternative energy industry in Maryland, in 2008 I introduced a law that creates a tax credit for companies who conduct research and development of sustainable cellulosic biofuels in Maryland. In the upcoming sessions of the legislature, I intend to introduce new legislation to more aggressively promote the production of this exciting new fuel, and other green energy sources in Maryland.

Furthermore, to increase access to fresh foods in our communities, I introduced legislation that allows for the creation of a tax credit for grocery stores that open in low-income areas. The goal of this bill, soon to be signed into law, is to combat poor eating and unhealthy options in our communities by increasing the number of high-quality fresh food retailers, which are shown to anchor neighborhood revitalization projects and attract businesses to the area.

If you have any questions about any of the issues mentioned above, or would like to discuss a topic that is important to you that I did not include, please feel free to contact me.