A sign at the entrance to the House of Delegates chamber. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.
During the 2021 General Assembly session, lawmakers will be constrained by budgetary shortfalls, unaddressed legislation from last session, and tremendous needs for constituents. This means that the 2021 legislative session should have a focus on raising tax revenues from those who have profited immensely during the pandemic, allocating spending to improve our economy and protect Maryland’s citizens, and taking maximum precautions to fight the pandemic.
Here are five bills I would introduce as a delegate in the 2021 legislative session to achieve these goals:
1. Workers’ Bill of Rights: The Service Employees International Union and other unions are pushing forward a legislative package to guarantee essential workers enhanced pay, safe working conditions, free testing, sick and bereavement leave, and the right to refuse to work in dangerous conditions.
This will be positive legislation to protect the workers who have kept our state afloat while risking their lives — many without a choice. Big businesses that have made upwards of $30 billion during a pandemic that has decimated the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Verizon, and Safeway, should be increasing their employees’ salaries to $25 an hour and implementing additional sick leave and retroactive hazard pay, starting from the implementation of Maryland’s State of Emergency.
