Issues

The 2008 General Assembly will convene Jan. 9 in Annapolis and will adjourn April 7. MCEA's legislative team will be lobbying legislators and marshalling grassroots support to get our agenda passed. Below is an outlook on the upcoming 90-day session.

| Agenda | Issues | Calendar | Resources| General Assembly

MCEA's Legislative Agenda

• Enhance retirement benefits for state employees; add a DROP program and improve the Correctional Officers Retirement System (CORS)
• Protect the Retirees prescription drug plan
• Defeat any legislation that authorizes service fees for collective bargaining

Issues

Service Fees. MCEA will oppose any legislation that may be introduced this year to require state workers to pay mandatory bi-weekly service fees (or agency fees) to their collective bargaining agent. These payroll-deducted fees could amount to approximately 80 percent of the union's dues.

Health Benefits. Recommendations have been made to rein in the spiraling health care costs and retirees Rx benefits by eliminating retirees from the state plan and forcing them into the more-costly Medicare Part D program. MCEA will fight these attempts.

Important General Assembly Dates

• January 9 - General Assembly convenes
• January 16 - Final date to introduce budget
• January 22 - Bill guarantee date
• January 23 - Governor's State of the State Address
• February 1 - Senate bills introduced after this date referred to Senate Rules Committee
• February 8 - House bills introduced after this date referred to House Rules Committee
• March 31- Budget bill to be passed by both chambers
• April 7 - General Assembly adjourns

Other Important Dates

• February 5 - MCEA Meet and Greet, 6-9 p.m. Asbury U.M. Church, 87 West St. in Annapolis. Download a flyer.
• February 20 - MCEA vs. Maryland General Assembly Benefit Basketball Game, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., St. Mary's High School in Annapolis.
• tba - Statewide Advisory Council Meeting, LaFontaine Bleu, 7514 Ritchie Hwy., Glen Burnie, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

MCEA Legislative Team and Committee

Team: Marilyn Miller, President; Robert Stephens, Executive Director; Marilyn Miller, Legislative Committee Chair; Lobbyists David Broschert and Gerard Evans.

Resources

• Download a handy Listing of Legislators, with the Senators and Delegates by county and key committee assignments.
• For other legislative information, go to MCEA's legislative page at www.mcea.org/legislative/assembly.html or the General Assembly's Web site at http://mlis.state.md.us.

For more information, contact MCEA's Legislative Office at 410-269-6993 or 1-888-613-MCEA.