Statement
Statement from Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on the 2024 Maryland General Assembly Session
For Immediate Release: Tuesday 9 April
At the end of the 2024 Maryland General Assembly session, I want to extend my gratitude to the Montgomery County House and Senate delegations for their dedication and support of the priorities of the Montgomery County government and the 1.1 million residents we serve. Throughout this session, the General Assembly navigated complex issues, debated important legislation, and worked collaboratively to find solutions that would benefit our communities.
The residents of Montgomery County are fortunate to have strong, influential and compassionate House of Delegates and Senate leaders and members representing our diverse communities, municipalities, and neighborhoods. I appreciate the work of our Senate Delegation Chair, Ben Kramer, and our House Delegation Chair, Julie Palakovich Carr, for their efforts to unite our delegation and secure more than $1.1 billion in direct aid from the State with an overwhelming portion of those funds going to Montgomery County Public Schools. I want to acknowledge the importance of our delegation members who serve in leadership that further assisted our County’s legislative efforts – Senate Majority Leader Nancy King, Senate Capital Budget Chair Craig Zucker, Senate Judicial Proceedings Chair Will Smith, and Senate Education, Energy and the Environment Chair Brian Feldman. I also congratulate House of Delegates Transportation and Environment Committee Chair Marc Korman and House of Delegates Majority Leader David Moon, who finished their first sessions in their new leadership positions.
Plenty of progress was made during this session. I am pleased that we continue to see State support for our Bus Rapid Transit network. The TRAIN Commission will be considering the creation of regional transportation authorities and local enabling legislation to expand financing options to help provide much-needed infrastructure funding. We are receiving $500,000 in state capital funds for our life sciences biohub– a critical component of our growing life sciences industry.
I especially appreciate the support of the State for $6 million in operating costs and $3 million for the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC), a game-changing project and partnership between the County and the University of Maryland at the North Bethesda Metro Station. The University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing is the future of healthcare research and innovation. We have received attention to this project from businesses and academic institutions around the globe. This project is a catalyst for growing our economy and creating jobs. The State’s commitment to this project will help the University of Maryland and Montgomery County continue developing private sector interest and investment in our Pike District.
I was honored to testify on behalf of the Transparency in Education Spending Act and am glad the General Assembly heard and addressed this critical issue. As a board member of the Maryland Association of Counties, I was proud to work with, and stand with, my fellow County Executives on this bipartisan issue that impacts every jurisdiction throughout the State.
I also was happy to see the State provide a way for all Marylanders, regardless of immigration status, to be able to buy health insurance on the State’s health exchange, as well as ensure that schools around the state have safeguards regarding protecting books from being banned without proper process and oversight. Additionally, I was very pleased that the Legislature passed several affordable housing bills and thoughtfully addressed rising concerns about juveniles committing violent crimes and dangerous and reckless driving.
Although there is still much work to be done, I am confident that with our leadership and representation in Annapolis, we will continue to build a brighter future for our Montgomery County residents and our fellow Marylanders across the State.
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Release ID: 24-005