Hogan: Governor Hogan strongly supports the work of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education and has repeatedly expressed his disappointment that this group chose not to present their final recommendation prior to this most recent legislative session. Nevertheless, the governor believes that every child should have access to a world-class education regardless of the neighborhood they happen to grow up in. That is why he provided record funding for education in each of his four budgets. In total, the governor committed $25 billion for K-12 education over the past four years, more than any other governor in Maryland history. In 2007, the O’Malley administration promised voters that casinos revenues would be used to grow education funding. Governor Hogan has pledged to make sure the state keeps that promise through an education “lockbox” for casino revenue that will increase education funding by $4.4 billion over the next 10 years, including an additional $1 billion for school construction. He also called for $125 million from these casino revenues to be dedicated for immediate school safety improvements, plus $50 million per year for mental health counselors, school safety officers, and other school safety efforts. Governor Hogan is also committed to advocating for innovative solutions to improve education outcomes with initiatives such as P-TECH Schools. P-TECH schools are a nationally recognized approach that blends high school, college, and on-the-job work experience. Maryland now has five P-TECH schools, including two in Baltimore City.

Hogan: Governor Hogan is committed to a holistic approach to transportation, which prioritizes both transit and road improvements. That’s why Governor Hogan worked tirelessly from his first day in office to rebuild Maryland’s crumbling roads and to expand access to public transportation. Upon taking office, Governor Hogan was determined to reverse the neglect of the previous administration, and he announced a $2 billion investment to build and repair roads and bridges across Maryland. Governor Hogan continues to focus on delivering much-needed transportation improvements with over $8 billion dedicated towards fixing roads and bridges, and more than 8,000 lane-miles repaved. There are currently nearly 1,000 projects under construction across Maryland, totaling $9 billion. The Hogan administration has invested $7 billion in new transportation projects in the Baltimore region, including $1.4 billion to add two express lanes in each direction on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and $461 million to add 27 miles of new highway lanes on the Baltimore Beltway and 1-95 north of Baltimore. Maryland has the second-longest commuting times in the country. To address this, Governor Hogan has outlined an innovative Traffic Relief Plan that includes major widening and targeted technological improvements to the Capital Beltway, I-270, the Baltimore/Washington Parkway, the Baltimore Beltway, and I-95 north of Baltimore, greatly reducing traffic congestion on these vital roadways. Governor Hogan believes improving Maryland’s highways goes hand-in-hand with mass transit solutions. In 2017, the Governor joined the Maryland Transit Administration to launch BaltimoreLink, transforming and improving the transit system for the first time in decades.

Hogan: Governor Hogan supports the use of marijuana for medical purposes and understands that countless people have been and will continue to find relief from all forms of illness and pain through its responsible use. He has taken several proactive steps to improve the commission that governs this industry and supported increasing the level of diversity in the ownership of both growers and sellers. This is a new and developing industry in Maryland that has only recently started servicing clients and the governor is closely monitoring its progress and overall impact on our state. The governor believes that before any significant effort takes place to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, our state needs to better understand and study the effects of medical marijuana. Ultimately, a change of this magnitude and potential consequence would need to be decided by Maryland voters and only after a lengthy and very open and transparent public debate.

Hogan: Governor Hogan has made protecting the environment a cornerstone of his administration, especially Maryland’s greatest natural asset, the Chesapeake Bay. Under Governor Hogan’s leadership, the Chesapeake Bay is the healthiest it’s been in 25 years. As governor and Chair of the Chesapeake Executive Council, he has committed more than $4 billion to extensive Chesapeake Bay restoration projects. For his strong commitment to the Bay, Governor Hogan was named the “Champion of the Chesapeake.” While Governor Hogan has invested tremendous state funding to protect the Chesapeake, he has also fought any attempts by the federal government to shirk their own commitment to the Bay. When President Donald Trump’s budget called for cutting funding for Chesapeake Bay programs from $73 million to $7.3 million, Governor Hogan fought successfully to restore full funding.

Hogan: There are few things more important to Marylanders than the ability to care for their families and loved ones, and having access to affordable, high-quality health care is pivotal in those efforts. In response to these realities, the governor is a tireless advocate for Marylanders fighting against changes at the federal level that would harm citizens. He is working to ensure Maryland continues to lead the way on innovation in the health care sector on the state level. Throughout the debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act, Governor Hogan repeatedly voiced his opposition to any changes by Congress and the Trump administration that would jeopardize Marylanders’ access to quality health care. That’s why he is actively partnering with other state leaders across the country committed to making health care more affordable. Due to many years of political dysfunction and failure by national leaders in Washington, health insurance rates, especially in the individual market, skyrocketed over the last decade. In the coming year, rates were predicted to increase in Maryland by 50 percent or more, potentially causing a catastrophic breakdown of our state insurance market. Governor Hogan immediately established an executive negotiating team to work in a bipartisan fashion with the General Assembly to pass and enact legislation stabilizing our insurance market and keeping premiums down. Due to the governor’s leadership and willingness to partner with the General Assembly, landmark legislation was passed that protects Marylanders’ health care options and stabilizes insurance rates.

Hogan: Every Marylander deserves to feel safe in their homes and communities. They need to know that our criminal justice system is fair and equal in its application and enforcement of the law. And they need to know that once people enter the criminal justice system, they will come out newly prepared to live productive, law-abiding lives. These are guiding principles for Governor Hogan. When it comes to crime and justice, Governor Hogan seeks to distinguish between non-violent offenders who made mistakes and need a second chance versus repeat violent criminals who belong behind bars. In 2016, the Governor Hogan partnered with legislators from both parties to enact the innovative Justice Reinvestment Act. Designed to help end the mass incarceration of non-violent criminals, the JRA represented the most comprehensive criminal justice reform to become law in Maryland in a generation. But Governor Hogan also believes that criminals who threaten our families with violence deserve harsh penalties. That is why he introduced and passed a series of initiatives to combat criminal gangs and repeat violent offenders who participate in violent crime throughout the state - especially in Baltimore City. Governor Hogan also announced a joint law enforcement effort to establish a more visible presence in high crime areas of Baltimore City. This operation led to 500 arrests, including 259 of the city’s most violent criminals. The governor also announced Project C.O.R.E., a $100 million blight removal program in Baltimore City, to remove abandoned, dilapidated properties that had become breeding grounds for crime.

Hogan: In 2014, under Governor Hogan’s predecessor, CNBC ranked Maryland as having the 24th best economy in the country. Reflecting Governor Hogan’s pro-economic growth agenda, Maryland has jumped 17 spots and now has the 7th best economy in the nation. When Governor Hogan was inaugurated in 2015, he made it a point to say that Maryland was now “Open for Business.” In the four years that he has been governor, Maryland has seen a dramatic turnaround it its business climate, going from losing 100,000 jobs under his predecessor, to gaining nearly 100,000 jobs under Governor Hogan. In the eight years of Governor Hogan’s predecessor, Marylanders were hit with more than forty tax, toll, and fee hikes, including even a tax on the rain. That run of tax, toll and fee hikes has ended under Governor Hogan, with four balanced budgets passed without a tax increase. All told, Governor Hogan has cut over $1.2 billion in taxes, tolls, and fees, allowing Marylanders to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. In addition to unburdening taxpayers, Governor Hogan has pushed for the creation of good-paying jobs throughout Maryland. Governor Hogan’s More Jobs for Marylanders Act has incentivized manufacturers to relocate and expand throughout Maryland, including in the Baltimore region. Governor Hogan has also worked to attract business from outside the state to create jobs in Maryland. Amazon announced that they were opening a new 855,000 square-foot fulfillment center at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County, which will create 1,500 new jobs for the region.

Hogan: Governor Hogan is one of the nation’s leading supporters of non-partisan redistricting reform. He believes that voters should pick their legislators, not the other way around. To accomplish this, Governor Hogan has called for ending gerrymandering and the creation of an independent redistricting commission. In 2015, Governor Hogan created the Maryland Redistricting Reform Commission, whose purpose was to create a better and fairer system for drawing congressional and legislative maps. Governor Hogan has also introduced the Redistricting Reform Act, which would ensure free and fair elections in Maryland by creating a nonpartisan redistricting commission. Additionally, Governor Hogan joined an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, with a bipartisan group of former and current governors, in support of the plaintiffs in Benisek v. Lamone, a case examining whether voters in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District have had fundamental Constitutional rights violated through gerrymandering.

Hogan: Governor Hogan recognizes the important balance that exists between supporting our law enforcement officers and making sure that appropriate legal and civilian oversight exists. Throughout his term in office, the governor has sought to find that balance by both supporting our law enforcement officers, the vast majority of which are incredible public servants, and encouraging the aggressive prosecution of corrupt officers who are abusing the public trust and ultimately making our streets and communities less safe. In the wake of the Baltimore City riots and the death of Freddie Gray, the governor signed bills into law that increased civilian oversight and required reporting for the Baltimore City Police Department. The governor also increased, for the first time in decades, the limits for a civil claim against a local or state government. Additionally, Governor Hogan partnered with the General Assembly to enact the Justice Reinvestment Act. Designed to help end the mass incarceration of non-violent criminals, the JRA represented the most comprehensive criminal justice reform to become law in Maryland in a generation. This law is helping transform the state’s criminal justice system to better protect our communities by providing treatment to non-violent offenders struggling with addiction, and supervising low-level offenders in the community working to get back on the right path. Any changes to the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights needs to balance the common-sense concerns of communities across the state while also acknowledging the real dangers law enforcement officers face everyday while serving and protecting our communities.

Hogan: Under Governor Hogan’s leadership, Maryland was the first state in the nation to declare a state of emergency to fight the opioid crisis. Since then, Governor Hogan has brought significant resources to bear to tackle this problem. In four years as Governor, the state has committed over $500 million in prevention, enforcement, treatment, and education funding efforts to address the opioid crisis. Upon taking office, Governor Hogan created the Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force and appointed Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford to lead their work. The Task Force traveled across Maryland, soliciting input and advice from a wide-ranging group of stakeholders, and offered 33 recommendations for fighting the opioid crisis. Governor Hogan also created Opioid Operation Command Center, which has worked to raise public awareness of this terrible problem. The OOCC launched the “Before It’s Too Late” public awareness campaign, which educates families, educators, and healthcare professionals about the opioid crisis. In addition to Governor Hogan’s work on the state level, he has also sought to raise this issue on the federal level. In March, Governor Hogan testified before the U.S. Senate, and called on the federal government to do more in addressing the enforcement and funding challenges related to the opioid crisis in Maryland and across the country.

Hogan: Governor Hogan is committed to growing Maryland’s economy so that it works for everyone. He believes that the best way address income inequality is to grow the economy and create more good-paying jobs and ensure every Marylanders has the high quality education and training they need to take advantage of these opportunities. Maryland currently has the highest median household income in America and went from losing 100,000 jobs under his predecessor, to gaining nearly 100,000 jobs during his tenure. The unemployment rate has also dropped to 4.2% during Governor Hogan’s term. Since 2015, when Governor Hogan took office, average weekly earnings in Maryland have increased by 12.5%. And this year, Maryland’s average weekly wage became the highest its been in over a decade. Governor Hogan has also enacted policies that will create new economic development in Maryland. Last year, the Governor announced his ACCESS Initiative (Achieving Computer Science Collaborations for Employing Students Statewide) which seeks to increase the number young women and minorities exposed to computer science education as preparation for higher wage technology jobs where they are currently underrepresented. Governor Hogan created the EARN (Employment Advancement Right Now) Maryland program, a development grant program that seeks to ensure that businesses in Maryland have the employees needed to compete in today’s economy. The governor has also sought to build on the success of his More Jobs for Marylanders Act with More Jobs for Marylanders 2.0, which would expand the number of industries that could receive incentives from the program.

Hogan: For too long, political corruption has infected Annapolis and local governments around our state, contributing to public cynicism and eroding trust in our institutions. Governor Hogan was elected to clean up the mess in Annapolis, and over the past four years, that is exactly what he has done. The governor fundamentally believes that Maryland state government - and those who lead it - have a duty to be better than the failed Washington-style politicians. He will never stop fighting for common sense, bipartisan government reforms, transparency, and accountability. Marylanders deserve accountability and transparency from their elected officials. That is why Governor Hogan is fighting to require that General Assembly sessions be video livestreamed. Maryland is unfortunately one of only seven states to not allow citizens to view live video of legislative deliberations. Marylanders have a right to know what their elected officials are saying as they debate important issues. The governor’s Legislative Transparency Act would correct this flaw and allow Marylanders to watch their legislators in action. Last year, in the aftermath of a rash of state and federal criminal investigations targeting lawmakers in Annapolis - cases that resulted in multiple indictments and resignations from office - Governor Hogan led the successful fight for the Public Integrity Act of 2017. It was the most far-reaching and comprehensive ethics reform bill in our state in over a decade. The law expanded public disclosure requirements, tightened conflict of interest rules, and strengthened restrictions on using public office for personal gain.