General Assembly Voting Records 2007 - 2010

The Conference supported an amendment to Maryland’s operating budget that would eliminate state Medicaid funding of abortions for mothers who claim continuation of the pregnancy would negatively impact their mental health. Maryland is one of only four states that voluntarily pay for taxpayer-funded abortions for this reason. More than 99 percent of Medicaid-funded abortions in Maryland occur due to the “mental health” exception, yet data show abortion causes more adverse mental health effects than carrying a pregnancy to term. The amendment failed in the House, 45-87, and in the Senate, 19-28. Listed here are the House and Senate floor votes.

The Conference supported an amendment to Maryland’s operating budget that would steer state taxpayer dollars away from morally objectionable and medically ineffective embryonic stem cell research and toward successful adult stem cell research. The amendment specified that no more than 50 percent of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund could be spent on basic stem cell research, which meant at least 50 percent of the Fund would be spent on applied research. To date, essentially all applied stem cell research, including all successful patient treatments, have utilized adult stem cells. The amendment failed in the House, 38-93, and in the Senate, 20-26. Listed here are the House and Senate floor votes.

The Conference supported legislation that reduces the risk of executing an innocent person by tightening the evidence requirements necessary to prosecute death penalty cases. The original bill repealed capital punishment in our state, which the Conference also supported. It was ultimately amended to allow the death penalty to be pursued only in those cases where there is DNA evidence, a video of the crime in progress, or a voluntary, video-taped confession. The bill passed the House, 87-52, and the Senate, 34-13, was signed by the governor and is now law. Listed here are the House and Senate floor votes.

The Conference supported the BOAST tax credit, which would have offered businesses a state income tax credit in exchange for donations to scholarships for nonpublic school students or enrichment programs for public school students. Introduced every year for the past four years, BOAST passed the Senate successfully on two occasions, and in 2010 was endorsed by the governor and approved 30-17 by the Senate. The 2010 bill was defeated in the House Ways and Means Committee, 7-15. Listed here is the Senate floor vote and the House Ways and Means Committee vote. The full House did not have the opportunity to vote on the bill.

The Conference opposed legislation to grant marriage-equivalency status to unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples for the purpose of exemption from recordation and transfer taxes. The Conference opposed the bill, not because of the privilege it bestowed, but because the bill eroded the legal status of marriage by equating it with a loosely-defined “domestic partnership” in parts of state law. This bill passed the House, 86-47, and the Senate, 27-20, was signed by the governor and is now law. Listed here are the House and Senate floor votes.

The Conference supported legislation to allow working families to use paid leave to provide adequate care for a sick child, parent, or spouse. It exempts employers with less than 15 employees and does not compel businesses to grant paid leave if they do not already offer it. The bill passed the House 97-43, and the Senate, 29-18, was signed by the governor and is now law. Listed here are the House and Senate floor votes.

The Conference supported legislation to allow students, regardless of immigration status, who fulfill certain requirements to pay in-state tuition at Maryland’s public colleges and universities. The bill limited eligibility to students who have attended at least two years at and graduated from a Maryland high school, and whose family has paid Maryland income tax. The bill passed the House, 81-57, and that vote is listed here. The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate committee or full Senate.

The Conference supported legislation to enable workers seeking at least 20 hours per week of part-time employment to qualify for unemployment benefits, to which employers were already required to contribute on their behalf. The bill passed the House, 94-43, and the Senate, 38-9, was signed by the governor and is now law. Listed here are the House and Senate floor votes.

The Conference supported legislation requiring those under final protective orders to surrender any firearms in their possession and to not possess firearms for the duration of the protective order. The bill passed the House, 98-40, and the Senate, 32-15, was signed by the governor and is now law. Listed here are the House and Senate floor votes.