Jenny Kraska, executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC), responded to the following questions as she reflected on the just-ended 444th legislative session of the General Assembly of Maryland.
The Maryland Catholic Conference is the public policy arm of the two Catholic archdioceses and one diocese in the state – the Archdiocese of Baltimore; the Archdiocese of Washington, which includes five Maryland counties surrounding the nation’s capital; and the Diocese of Wilmington, which includes counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Q: What are the highlights (wins) for the MCC’s priorities this session – either bills that were passed that the conference supported or bills that were defeated, vetoed or never got to a vote that the conference opposed?
Kraska: Most importantly, through strong advocacy, and the voices of all those who utilized our Catholic Advocacy Network, the effort to enshrine abortion in the Maryland constitution failed to get out of the legislature, as did another bill, the “Pregnant Persons Freedom Act,” which would have allowed abortion for all nine months, even for a healthy unborn child.
Another big win this year was youth justice reform. We have worked hard for many years to put in basic provisions that recognize children as young as 11 or 12 are not adults and need to be treated according to age. This includes ensuring parents rights to know when their child has been charged with a crime.
We were pleased to see a number of bills pass that help lower-income Marylanders including dental care, which is so critical, funding for legal counsel in the event of an eviction notice, and grants to non-profit food banks and programs. In addition, untraceable firearms (ghost guns) were banned this year and significant strides were made to help protect our environment.
Finally, the popular BOOST scholarships have been funded at $10 million again this year. We are very grateful to the Governor and General Assembly for supporting this important program.
Q: What are the biggest disappointments this session?
Kraska: The biggest disappointment this year was the passage of HB 937, which allows non-physicians to perform abortions, provides state funds to train non-physicians, and requires expanded insurance coverage of abortion, with some exceptions, such as religious objections.
We also had hoped to see additional bills to help mothers and their children. These include one that would help incarcerated mothers be able to care for and bond with their infants, and a bill to support pregnant and parenting college students to be able to continue their education.
Q: The conference and our bishops have made the point that the state should put more funds into supporting mothers who want to carry children to term – prenatal and post-natal, instead of putting money into training non-physicians to perform abortions. Are there any places in the budget where such care will be made available?
Kraska: Maryland has a way to go on supporting women in crisis. One bill we advocated for that did not pass would have helped pregnant and parenting college students, for example. However, there were some very positive bills. These include the Healthy Babies Equity Act, which provides medical care and health services to low-income women who are not citizens, and their babies. In addition, baby products and diapers will now be exempt from sales tax. That may seem like a small thing, but it’s not when you are trying to survive on a limited income.
Q: How did this session go in terms of interaction with legislators, given the hybrid approach of some in person and some virtual?
Kraska: Being able to meet face- to-face and to have a conversation is invaluable when we are working with lawmakers. We still faced some restrictions on building and room access, but this year was a big step forward from 2021.
Q: How many bills did the conference weigh in on (out of how many bills that were proposed)?
Kraska: We reviewed all 3,314 pieces of legislation introduced in the Senate (1331 pieces of legislation) and House of Delegates (1,783 pieces of legislation) to understand if and how each might impact us as a Church, our schools, parishes, and ministries, as well as the elderly, persons with disabilities, immigrants, and those who are low-income. We ended up offering testimony on 206 pieces of legislation as well as working hard behind the scenes with legislators, advocates, and parishioners.
Q: What is the MCC's reaction to the failure of the constitutional amendment proposal to move forward, and what would have been the impact had it measure passed?
Kraska: We are very pleased that the bill to seek a constitutional amendment on abortion did not move forward. Maryland sadly already has some of the broadest abortion laws in the nation and this bill would have completely abandoned women and their unborn children. As I said in my testimony, “We must do better as a society to walk with mothers in need and help break down economic, social, racial, employment and emotional barriers that lead mothers into thinking abortion is the only option.”
Here is a list of some of the bills from the legislative session on which the MCC offered testimony:
These bills were wins for the Maryland Catholic Conference, with the outcome matching the MCC position:
HB 1171 – Abortion constitutional amendment bill intended to enshrine abortion in the Maryland Constitution. The MCC opposed the legislation, and the bill failed.
HB 0626 – This bill would have allowed late-term abortion for any reason (even beyond health or fetal abnormality) and with no responsibility. The MCC opposed the legislation, and the bill failed.
HB 83/SB 29 – This legislation increases the minimum legal age to marry. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
HB 50 – This bill would have required Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. The MCC opposed the legislation, and the bill failed.
HB 1080/SB 778 – Medical care and other health services will be provided to low-income non-citizen pregnant women to help them have healthy babies. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
HB 282 & HB 288 – These bills exempt baby products and diapers from state sales and use taxes. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed and was signed into law by Gov. Larry Hogan.
SB 290 – $10 million funding for BOOST scholarships that may be used at Catholic and non-public schools. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
SB 53/HB 269 – Requires law enforcement to make an effort for parental notice and access to legal counsel when a child is charged with a crime. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed. It was vetoed by Gov. Hogan, but lawmakers overrode the veto.
HB 459/SB 691 – Sets a minimum age for youth to be charged with nonviolent crimes and puts in place other common-sense youth justice reforms. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
SB 662/HB 724 – Directs abandoned property funds in FY 2024 to the “Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund,” which helps ensure access to legal counsel for low-income residents facing eviction proceedings. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
SB 369 – Establishes a program to assist low-income residents to obtain an earned income tax credit benefit if eligible. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed and was signed into law by Gov. Hogan.
SB 121/HB 147 – Provides grants to food banks and non-profit emergency food providers to alleviate food insecurity, and establishes a farm-to-school grant pilot program to encourage use of local food. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
HB 06/SB 150 – Provides dental coverage for low-income Marylanders. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
HB 492/SB 571 – Exempts oral hygiene products from state sales and use taxes. The MCC supported the legislation, and the bill passed.
This bill was opposed by the Maryland Catholic Conference, but was passed by the General Assembly:
HB 937 – This new law allows non-physicians to perform abortions and expands insurance coverage of abortion for some employers. The MCC opposed the legislation, but the bill passed. It was vetoed by Gov. Hogan, but lawmakers overrode the veto.
Bills that were passed out of the General Assembly and have not yet gone to the governor must do so within 20 days of the end of session. Gov. Hogan then has 30 days to sign, to allow the bill to become law without signing, or to veto the bill.
The legislature can override a veto, with a three-fifths vote of elected members in the House and in the Senate at the next regular or special session. However, this is an election year and the legislature may not override a veto during the first year of a new term so no overrides will occur when they meet next January.
