2010 General Assembly Candidate Survey

The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires states to create health care insurance exchanges, but allows them to opt out of providing abortion coverage through health plans on the exchange. The General Assembly should pass a law exercising this option, so state taxpayers and participants in the exchange will not be required to pay for abortions in their insurance plans.

The General Assembly should require abortion clinics to meet the same state health and safety regulations as ambulatory surgical facilities.

State law should not require individuals or institutions to provide services or comply with policies that contradict their moral principles, either as a condition of employment or as a condition of participation in a public program.

Given that life without the possibility of parole can be imposed as a punishment for first-degree murder in Maryland, members of the General Assembly should vote to repeal Maryland’s death penalty.

The General Assembly should devote funding only to adult and other forms of non-embryonic stem cell research, and discontinue funding stem cell research that uses cells obtained through the destruction of human embryos.

Maryland law prohibits physician-assisted suicide. The General Assembly should maintain this policy and oppose legislation that would directly or indirectly encourage patients to terminate their lives.

Maryland law says that “only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this State.” Members of the General Assembly should maintain the state’s current definition of marriage and oppose legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage.

The General Assembly should pass legislation to grant a state income tax credit for business donations to nonprofit organizations that provide need-based scholarships to nonpublic school students and teachers.

Maryland currently allocates $4.4 million to provide nonreligious textbooks and technology to students in nonpublic schools. The General Assembly should maintain, and if possible increase, funding for this program.

Education and awareness training for children, and the adults who care for them, is one of the most effective methods for the prevention of child abuse. The General Assembly should mandate such training in public and private institutions that primarily serve children.

Legislation has repeatedly been introduced in Maryland requiring state and local law enforcement officials to act as agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency by investigating, apprehending, and detaining persons in the country illegally. The General Assembly should oppose charging state and local police with that federal responsibility.

The state Department of Human Resources (DHR) has seen a decrease in its staff, even as its caseloads increase, resulting in delayed access to services for Maryland’s neediest residents. The General Assembly should maintain funding for front-line DHR staffing levels, and increase funding to restore eliminated positions, if necessary to guarantee that Marylanders in need are able to access basic services and receive benefits in a timely manner.

The General Assembly should approve legislation to prohibit landlords from discriminating against potential renters based on their lawful source of income, including federal housing vouchers. The measure would allow landlords to screen applicants based on rental history and other relevant factors.