WASHINGTON — While the most recent government shutdown may have been short-lived, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says the inability of leaders in Washington to come up with long-term agreements is no way to run a government.
“It’s crazy that they can’t ever seem to get anything done in Washington,” Hogan told WTOP. Referring to the struggle to get a budget passed on Capitol Hill, Hogan said, “We’re constantly having these short-term measures, kicking the can down the road, arguing back and forth — both parties are guilty.”
Government and bipartisanship
Speaking from his office in the State House, Hogan said Congress could take a page from Maryland’s playbook.
“They need to take a look not only at what we do in Maryland but in a number of the states, where governors and legislatures of different parties do find a way to come together, reach compromises and get their job done.” (In Maryland, the governor submits a budget to the members of the General Assembly, and the state constitution requires that the budget be balanced.)
Hogan, a Republican in a state where Democrats control both chambers in the General Assembly, has been critical of Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, House Speaker Michael Busch and Attorney General Brian Frosh. But he said bipartisanship is alive and well in Annapolis.
He pointed to the passage of the bill that strips parental rights from rapists. Before the start of the legislative session, Hogan said he’d make passage of the bill a priority — so did Miller and Busch.
“We got it done,” the governor said. “It hasn’t arrived at my desk yet, but I believe we’ll get the bill Monday or Tuesday, and we’re going to sign it into law immediately.”
Paid sick bill
That said, there are still areas of sharp disagreement.
Hogan has been critical of the paid sick leave bill that will go into effect on Sunday, calling it “burdensome.” The bill, which requires employers to provide paid time off when employees are sick, was passed in April and vetoed by Hogan. The General Assembly overrode the veto.
After concerns that businesses would be unable to sort out how the bill should be implemented, Sen. Thomas “Mac” Middleton, a Charles County Democrat, sponsored a bill to delay the measure until July 1. That passed on Tuesday, but members in the House have made it clear it has little chance of passing. Del. Dereck Davis, chair of the House Economic Matters Committee, called it “dead on arrival.” The Prince George’s County Democrat said the bill was debated “ad nauseam” when it passed in April.
Supporters of paid sick leave say the confusion over how to implement the bill was sparked in part by the governor’s veto, which sparked the override vote that triggered the Feb. 11 date for it to take effect. Hogan disagrees.
“The original bill was terrible,” said Hogan, who has a competing bill that has yet to be heard in Annapolis. He’s proposed a companion bill that would grant tax incentives to employers.
Of the continuing debate, Hogan said, “It’s very confusing, and it’s not going to be sorted out for quite a while.”
Amazon and that ‘blank check’
When Maryland’s Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn recently said that Amazon would be given a “blank check” in order to get the business to locate its second headquarters in Montgomery County, he triggered concerns that the state was being too generous in trying to lure the company and its possible 50,000 jobs to the state.
Hogan’s office has since said Rahn “misspoke,” and the governor himself said there’s no denying Maryland is eager to land Amazon.
“Amazon is something we’re very, very interested in getting for the state of Maryland,” he said. “We’ve been very aggressive in going after it.”
But a $5 billion package — consisting of $3 billion in incentives and $2 billion in transportation infrastructure — is what’s on the table, Hogan said. It’s projected that Amazon would bring $38 million in revenue to the state each year.
Opioids and the attorney general
Hogan has criticized Frosh over the Democratic attorney general’s moves to sue the federal government or join existing suits targeting the Trump administration. But while the two have traded barbs, Hogan said, they are working for the same goals when it comes to the opioid crisis.
“This is one issue where we are working together” said Hogan, pointing out that Maryland was “the first state in the country to declare a real state of emergency” related to the opioid crisis.
And while the state has “had a little bit of success,” attacking the spread of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and carfentanil, has been especially challenging, the governor said.
“Frankly, we need help with the feds to keep the stuff from coming into the country,” Hogan said, “and we need more funding at the federal level to assist the states and the local governments.”
This week, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office asked a judge to order the maker of a fentanyl spray to turn over records connected to the business. Frosh’s office has also been involved in a 41-state investigation dating back to 2016.
“The attorney general and the governor share a common interest in the goal of eradicating opioid addiction and deaths,” said Raquel Coombs, a spokeswoman for the attorney general.
Gerrymandering
For the third year in a row, Hogan has submitted a bill aimed at redrawing political lines in what he says is the “most gerrymandered state in the country.”
Noting the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to let stand a ruling that orders neighboring Pennsylvania to redraw its congressional districts, Hogan said, “it’s a good thing for us.
“It doesn’t matter to me whether gerrymandering is done by Democrats or Republicans. It’s a bad thing. We need to have free and fair elections and take the politics out of this process.”
The governor’s health
This week, Hogan came back to work after surgery to treat non-life-threatening skin cancer. When he announced his diagnosis last week, he joked that his doctor warned there would be scarring.
“Luckily, scars are cool,” Hogan joked.
Back at work days after the surgery, he tweeted a selfie and declared he’d beaten cancer for a second time. The procedure lasted longer than expected.
“It was three-and-a-half hours of surgery, and I have 40 stitches in my head,” he said, adding, “I was just happy to get the message out there for people to do regular checks with their dermatologists and to use sunscreen, because I didn’t follow that advice.”
In his first year in office, the governor was treated for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. In both cases, Hogan was public with his diagnosis and treatment, and said he’s “doing fine” during his interview with WTOP.
Hogan, a Republican, is running for re-election. Seven Democratic challengers have declared they’ll run against him: Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker; Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz; state Sen. Richard Madaleno; former NAACP president Ben Jealous; former Obama administration official and entrepreneur Alec Ross; former aide to first lady Michelle Obama Krishanti Vignarajah; and Baltimore attorney Jim Shea.
