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Despite facing a $2-billion state budget shortfall, local legislators said they hope to tackle such issues this year as cracking down on drunken drivers and helping small businesses get loans.
About 40 people attended a Feb. 1 breakfast organized by the Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce and intended for representatives of the 23rd district to highlight legislative issues they are working on in 2010.
Sen. Douglas Peters (D-Dist. 23), Del. Marvin Holmes (D-Dist. 23B) and Del. Gerron S. Levi (D-Dist. 23A) were the featured speakers at the event, which took place at the Bowie Comfort Inn.
All three referenced the difficult economic climate as a factor in this year's legislative work.
"We are in a major crisis, because our spending has outstripped our revenues," Peters said.
The Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute, a non-partisan research group, estimates that Maryland is facing a $2 billion shortfall in the approximately $15 billion 2011 general fund.
Peters said that one key to improving the economy will be helping small businesses. He criticized big banks for their unwillingness to lend money and sought feedback on a bill he is writing that would give tax credits to individuals willing to invest in small companies. He said similar bills had successfully created or retained jobs in other states.
Holmes said he was working on reducing the amount of cuts that are coming to Prince George's County. He said he also wants to ease the permit process that allows more lenient guidelines for developers under the Stormwater Management Act of 2007, which regulates water runoff.
Lastly, he mentioned a bill that if passed would require individuals convicted three times of driving while under the influence to have yellow license plates that include the letters "DUI." He emphasized that the plates would be paid for by the drivers, not taxpayers.
Levi, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said she wanted to strengthen the state's criminal gang statute to make it easier to prosecute gang members. In addition to this, she will be reviewing legislation on such topics as sexual predators, same-sex marriage and blow-and-go ignition locks for people convicted of driving under the influence.
Levi said she also hopes to modify how the state calculates counties' wealth so that Prince George's County can receive more state funding.
All three representatives fielded several questions after they had outlined their legislative projects for 2010. Art Widmann, a financial planner for Widmann Financial Services in Bowie, asked each politician to name one thing they would cut to reduce the $2-billion budget gap.
Levi said she was studying several possibilities, while Peters explained that federal money could be sought to make up for proposed cutbacks in healthcare. When the microphone came to Holmes, he was blunt.
"Open Space and transportation," Holmes said.
Program Open Space is a state-run program in which land is acquired to protect it from further development. Holmes added that any new transportation program should be put on hold, unless it is funded with federal money.
E-mail Sarah Richards at srichards@gazette.net.