Larry Hogan in 2017 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Crime: Justice for Victims Initiative: protect vulnerable citizens

Last year, we worked across the aisle to enact the Justice Reinvestment Act, which is the most important criminal justice reform in a generation. We worked to pass Noah's Law, named after Montgomery County police office--and a true Maryland hero-- Noah Leotta. We have already accomplished a great deal. But together, we can--and we must--do more.

This year, we plan to enact our Justice for Victims Initiative to improve services for the victims of crimes and to reduce the number of future victims of crime. We need to enact the Repeat Sexual Predator Prevention Act of 2017, the Protecting Victims of Sex Trafficking Act, and the Repeat Drunk Driving Offenders Act. All of this legislation will help make Maryland safer and will protect the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Drugs: Created the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force

Three years ago, when not many people were paying any attention, we began to shine a spotlight on the rapidly growing heroin and opioid crisis. Just under the surface of every community across our state and across the nation, heroin and opioid abuse has been taking lives and tearing apart families and communities.

One of my first acts as governor was to create the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force. We have gone after it from every angle including education, treatment, interdiction, and law enforcement. We have made strides, but this crisis continues to grow out of control all across our country.

We can--and we must--do more to save the lives of Marylanders. We need your help to enact the multi-pronged Heroin Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement Initiative and to pass the Prescriber Limits Act of 2017 and the Distribution of Opioids Resulting in Death Act.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Education: $7M for student scholarships to attend a private school

We can--and we must--do more. Beginning with our unwavering commitment to education: This is our third budget in a row with record funding for education. We invested another $6.4 billion to fully fund the legislative formulas. Every single penny that every single jurisdiction anticipated from the state for education is fully funded at 100%.

We have already accomplished a great deal. But together, we can--and we must--do more. Every single child in Maryland deserves access to a great education, regardless of what neighborhood they happen to grow up in. Sadly, we still have students who are trapped in persistently failing schools. Last year, Democratic leaders in this assembly proposed legislation that provided $5 million, giving a limited number of deserving kids the chance to earn a scholarship to attend a private school. Our budget adds $2 million more to this initiative.

so that we can give even more children that opportunity.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Education: Tuition relief for state colleges: 2% growth cap

We're investing record amounts for higher education with a budget that includes $1.35 billion for the university system; more than $256 million for Maryland's community colleges; and to continue our commitment to make college more affordable, we are providing an additional $17.5 million specifically for tuition relief, so that 14 Maryland universities and colleges can now cap tuition growth at 2%, rather than the 5% they were proposing. And we are asking for your help to tackle the growing problem of college debt by passing the Student Debt Relief Act, which will allow Marylanders to deduct one hundred percent of the interest paid on their student loans from their state income tax return. Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Education: More charter school choice; more P-TECH schools

Let's expand choices for Maryland families by passing the Public Charter School Act of 2017. Last year, we brought the P-TECH schools initiative to Maryland, which is giving children a choice, along with real hope and real opportunities. So this year, we plan to double the number of P-TECH schools in Maryland. Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Energy & Oil: Clean Cars Act: invest in electric cars & charging stations

We cemented our state's position as a national leader in combating greenhouse gas emissions. We enacted legislation expanding the Climate Change Commission.

This year, let's make targeted, common sense investments to support our green jobs initiatives and to attract private investment for clean energy projects in our state.

We need your help to pass our Clean Cars Act of 2017, which will increase our investment in both electric vehicles and in the charging station tax credit programs.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Environment: Reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment in Chesapeake Bay

We have been leading with bold initiatives to safeguard our environment:

We successfully negotiated a compromise phosphorus management solution, which was a huge step toward protecting the Chesapeake Bay.
We invested the most ever in the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and again this year, we are fully funding bay restoration efforts.
We restored $60 million previously drained from Program Open Space.
And, after years of the problem being ignored, we are finally seeking innovative and cost-effective solutions to reduce the sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus pollution which flows down the Susquehanna River over the Conowingo Dam and which is a serious threat to the Chesapeake Bay.

Just a few months ago on its latest annual report card, the Chesapeake Bay received its highest score for water quality in nearly a quarter century. The amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment in the bay has dropped dramatically compared to recent years. Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Families & Children: Pass the Common Sense Paid Sick Leave Act

For the last few years, there has been a great deal of discussion and debate in these chambers around the issue of sick leave in Maryland. Employees without this benefit are sometimes faced with hard choices about their health and welfare, like whether to risk showing up to work sick or not receiving a paycheck. Let's strike a compromise, considering the needs of Maryland employees while not hurting our small business job creators.

Let's work together to pass the Common Sense Paid Sick Leave Act of 2017, which requires larger companies to provide paid sick leave and encourages small businesses to offer paid sick leave by giving them tax incentives to offset the costs of providing those additional benefits. In this way, we can provide even more employees the benefit without hurting the small business owners and without causing the loss of jobs.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Government Reform: Disallow legislators from drawing their own district lines

We cannot allow the unethical behavior of the few to tarnish the good will of the many. Help us finally bring the transparency that Marylanders want and deserve by passing the Legislative Transparency Act, which provides for all sessions of the General Assembly to be livestreamed to the public.

And isn't it time that we finally pass the Redistricting Reform Act so we can remove the politics and the politicians from drawing their own district lines? Free and fair elections are perhaps the most basic promise that those in power must provide to citizens.

The people of Maryland desperately want--and certainly deserve--balance, fairness, and bipartisanship in our state. An overwhelming majority of all Marylanders all parties and from all walks of life strongly support this legislation. But last year, this critically important reform legislation was hidden in a drawer. This year, the people deserve to have it come to the floor of both the House and the Senate for an up or down vote.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Jobs: New jobs in manufacturing led to low unemployment

I'm proud to report to you that Maryland has now moved into the top ten states in the nation for overall economic performance. We have added 73,000 new jobs, and our unemployment rate has dropped to 4.2%. We created more new manufacturing jobs than all the other states in the mid-Atlantic region added together! We now rank number eight in the nation in the rate of manufacturing growth.

The reality is, not all Marylanders and not every jurisdiction in our state are seeing the same level of economic success. We still have Marylanders who are struggling in parts of our state like Baltimore City, Western Maryland, and the Lower Eastern Shore, where, unfortunately, unemployment is still higher than it is in the rest of the state. Which is why we must come together to enact the Maryland Jobs Initiative, an innovative, bipartisan proposal, which will provide incentives for the creation of thousands of jobs in the places that need them the most.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Local Issues: Repeal the misguided Road Kill Bill

We risk eliminating much progress--and 66 of the 73 highest priority transportation projects in nearly every jurisdiction. So, I ask again today, on behalf of the people of Maryland: please do not stand in the way of these critical transportation projects. Let's repeal this misguided, poorly drafted, and fatally flawed Road Kill Bill. Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Social Security: Eliminate all taxes on retirement income

Let's work together to provide relief for Maryland's retirees. We are losing many of our best and brightest citizens to other states simply because they can't afford to stay in Maryland. Once our national economy is fully recovered and we dig out of the state's debt situation, I want to reach the point where we are able to eliminate all taxes on retirement income, just as other states have done.

But, let's get started moving toward that goal right now by passing the Hometown Heroes Act to eliminate income taxes on the pensions of those who have put their lives on the line for us: our retired military, police, fire, and first responders.

And let's work together to protect the integrity of our state pension system, which has an estimated $20 billion unfunded liability by passing the State Retirement Choice Act for the 21st Century Workforce, which contains common sense reforms to pay down our unfunded pension liability and to create a sustainable retirement system for the future.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

On Technology: Fix all 69 structurally deficient bridges that we inherited

Two years ago, Maryland had crumbling roads and bridges and some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation. Now, thanks to our unprecedented investments, we are finally moving forward on the top priority transportation projects in every single jurisdiction all across the state. We are fixing all 69 structurally deficient bridges that we inherited.

We currently have 1,073 transportation projects under construction all across the state. It is historic and unprecedented.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

The above quotations are from 2017 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts from 2017 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts by Larry Hogan. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: Dec 10, 2018