2018 Maryland election results

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    Maryland Voter Guide 2018 House of Delegates District 33 Pam Luby

    Pam Luby

    Pam Luby
    • Democrat
    • Age: 57
    • Residence: Annapolis
    BIO
    Q&A
    COVERAGE
    BIO
    Q&A
    COVERAGE

    About Pam Luby

    Education

    University of Minnesota, BA in Art History University of Baltimore School of Law, JD

    Background

    I’m an attorney, businesswoman and twenty five year resident of Anne Arundel County. Having worked for large corporations, nonprofits, state government, and as a business owner, I understand the economic drivers and workplace realities that promote or impede financial growth, employment, and fair labor practices. Working for the Maryland Judiciary, I created the first adult guardianship oversight program to help protect vulnerable senior citizens and disabled adults. I also serve on the Anne Arundel County Adult Public Guardianship Review Board. I am committed to ensuring that our aging population has the services and resources to live healthy, independent lives as long as possible. Through my work with a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing substance misuse, I see firsthand the devastating consequences of the opioid epidemic. Increasing prevention programs and eliminating the barriers for widespread, affordable treatment are among my top priorities in addressing this crisis. Equal opportunities in the workplace and affordable childcare are critical to strengthening Maryland families. As past chair of the Anne Arundel County Commission for Women and current board member of the Maryland Legislative Agenda For Women, I know the work that needs to be done to overcome the challenges facing women of all ages. I live in the Broadneck Peninsula with my husband, a Navy veteran, and our son and daughter, both of whom attend public schools. I’ve taught at many of our schools as a substitute teacher. Our classrooms are overcrowded with underpaid and overworked teachers and our kids are paying the price. It’s time to make education a priority and reinvest in our youth. A graduate of Leadership Anne Arundel’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy and a graduate of Emerge Maryland, a program that trains women to run for office, I am well prepared for this campaign and serve the people of District 33.

    Questionnaire

    1
    Kirwan
    Do you support the findings of the Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education? Are you committed to funding associated reforms, and if so, how?
    Luby: Yes, the preliminary findings of the Commission are troubling. Academic achievement among Maryland students is declining in relation to the rest of the country and the world. On the positive side, the Commission stated that reversing this course is “an achievable goal provided Maryland makes a sustained, statewide commitment to systemic change.” I agree with the recommendations identified in the report and support increased funding to implement these recommendations. I am in support of the Fix the Fund Act, and hope that voters will decide casino money must go directly to schools, above and beyond funding through the state’s General Fund. This, along with Commission’s recommendations for a new funding formula will be a starting point for discussion about how to pay for these recommendations.
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    2
    Transportation
    Is Maryland’s transportation spending appropriately balanced between roads and transit? Does the state have the resources to meet its transportation needs? With the cancellation of the Red Line and the advent of BaltimoreLink, is the Baltimore region adequately served by transit?
    Luby: No. We have too many cars on the road and inadequate public transportation. Safe, efficient and effective transportation systems are essential for Maryland’s economic competitiveness. Maryland has the second longest commuting time in the country. As I live near the Bay Bridge, traffic congestion is an important issue for people in my district. Maryland needs more accessible and reliable transportation options for both our rural and urban communities. Our neighboring states are implementing transit programs that reduce congestion and improve economic development in their communities. I support transportation policies that focus on getting citizens greater access to rapid transit so less cars are on the road.
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    3
    Marijuana
    Do you support the legalization of recreational marijuana?
    Luby: Many people still believe that recreational marijuana is simply legalizing medical marijuana. Medical and recreational marijuana are completely different. Medical marijuana has high concentrations of CBD which has therapeutic properties with very low or no TCH which is the psychoactive ingredient that gets you high. In recreational marijuana, the CBD and THC concentration is reversed. Legalizing a drug with high concentrations of THC is what has people worried. Recent scientific data citing the detrimental long term effects of marijuana on the developing brain is alarming. A recent NPR article pointed out that marijuana arrest rate for white youths while it increased for arrest rates for Latino and black youths. Furthermore, legalization impacts all kinds of laws such as school safety policies, divorce and child custody, child abuse and neglect, child care regulation, advertising, substance abuse programs, employment law, gun laws, traffic offenses and more. Also what happens to the revenue? Would we lock box it for education, the environment or would it go into the general fund? Lots of things to be considered. This is a very complex issue and I want more data, more facts and more of a plan before I’m convinced that this is good for Maryland. For now I will work to advocate for laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against people who use medical marijuana, expand existing decriminalization laws by increasing the amount a person can possess without a presumption of “intent to distribute,” and systematic expungement of qualifying convictions.
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    4
    Chesapeake Bay
    At a time when the federal government’s commitment to Chesapeake Bay restoration is questionable, what new steps should Maryland take to protect this resource?
    Luby: Continue to push for bipartisan efforts to fund programs that protect the Bay at the local, state and federal level. Focus the message on economic growth and educate lawmakers and citizens how vital the Chesapeake by is to our economy to get buy-in. Continue working with our local and regional partners on the “pollution diet” and other initiatives. Controlling development and making poultry growers responsible for removing chicken litter are also important steps to a healthy bay.
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    5
    Health Care
    What steps should Maryland take to ensure the broadest possible access to affordable health care?
    Luby: Stabilizing Maryland’s Health Benefit Exchange Program to ensure its sustainability is vital to ensuring high quality, affordable healthcare. Recent legislation requiring the State to apply for an “innovation waiver” to pave the way for a reinsurance program to reduce expected premium hikes is a step towards stabilization. Patient-centered, consumer-driven programs can also play a large role in both reducing costs and improving healthcare outcomes. Costs for procedures, prescription drugs, diagnostic testing, and doctor visits can vary dramatically. Knowing whether or not a physician is getting a bonus for prescribing a certain drug would also be helpful. Requiring more transparency on these costs and offering alternatives to consumers can increase competition which drives costs down. Offering people incentives to participate more fully in managing their own healthcare, such as tracking changes in their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol can also help reduce costs and improve outcomes.
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    6
    Crime
    What role should the state play in helping Baltimore address violent crime?
    Luby: Investing in Baltimore’s public schools and creating job opportunities for the nearly 25% of the population who live in poverty is critical to reducing crime. As Baltimore author Kevin Shird wrote in a recent opinion for The Hill, “Violence is a symptom of poverty, not a cause” Additionally, the city needs more resources to crack down on the illegal drug trade which accounts for much of the violence. Passing sensible gun laws that protect our youth and families, and better treatment programs to handle the opioid crisis will also help reduce the violence.
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    7
    Business Climate
    How would you characterize Maryland’s business climate? What can the state do to foster the creation of more family-supporting jobs?
    Luby: Maryland needs to increase efforts to foster new industries that create good paying jobs. The clean energy industry, including everything from wind turbines and solar panels, to home energy storage and energy efficiency, is exploding around the country and growing faster than any other industry. Employment for solar installers and wind turbine technicians is expected to roughly double in the next decade. A government-led effort to accelerate the potential of renewables would create good jobs. It is also time for Maryland to invest in our infrastructure. Maryland was given a C- for infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers. A good infrastructure in the backbone of a healthy economy. It drives business by connecting workers to their jobs and creates opportunities for struggling communities. Putting people to work on our roads, railways, schools, parks, water and sewer mains and treatment plants, and buildings throughout Maryland is an investment that will boost our economy and repay us many times over in the years to come.
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    8
    Redistricting
    Do you support the creation of a non-partisan, independent body to draw legislative and congressional district maps after each census?
    Luby: Yes
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    9
    LEOBR
    Does the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights adequately balance protections for police and the public? Should it be changed, and if so, how?
    Luby: Police have rights just like everyone else. However, during an investigation, police officers should not get special treatment that they themselves do not offer to suspects they are questioning. The Bill of Rights should be written to not give unfair advantage to officers.
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    10
    Opioids
    What strategy would you adopt to address the opioid addiction and overdose crisis?
    Luby: Expanding prevention programs in K – 12 education by not only educating about the dangers of these drugs but also the misconceptions about addiction to reduce the stigma associated with this disease. Work with physicians to establish statewide guidelines for prescribing opioids. Roughly fifty percent of all heroin addicts started with an opioid prescription to manage pain for an injury. Limiting prescriptions, using alternative methods for managing pain while not limiting their ability to treat patients who truly need these high powered pain killers. Make long term treatment affordable and accessible with medically assisted treatment available to those who want it. Drugs like Suboxone, Vivitrol and Methadone have proved to be effective for many people therefore reducing the barriers make these drugs widely available is critical. Having to wait for treatment because a bed is not available is a huge problem. Maryland needs to think outside the box to find short term detox treatment facilities such as underutilized correctional facilities that can be converted to service this population. Give the Attorney General’s office more resources to fight this war by going after the pharmaceutical companies who mislead the public about the dangers of these drugs and go after the dealers who are putting these drugs on our streets. According to the Office of Attorney General a request for four additional positions, two in the Consumer Protection Division and two in the Criminal Division was denied by the Governor.
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    11
    Income inequality
    What if anything should the state do to address income inequality?
    Luby: Immediate steps that should be taken are increasing the minimum wage, strengthening collective bargaining, enacting and enforcing fair labor laws, such as reasonable overtime rules, better paid sick and family leave, right to request a predictable schedule, and expanding access to affordable childcare. In the long term we need to create new jobs by investing in Maryland’s infrastructure and our environment, and create a tax system that doesn’t so heavily favor corporations at the expense of working families
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    12
    Transparency
    Do the state’s Public Information Act and open meetings laws adequately ensure Marylanders’ ability to exercise oversight of the government?
    Luby: Government transparency depends on the State’s Public Information Act and open meetings act. According to the recent report of The Attorney General on the Implementation of the Public Information Act, 2017 shows a need for improvement. I support the recommendations made by the Attorney General.
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