Legislation I introduced in the 2011 session of the General Assembly
 
Banning Arsenic from Poultry Feed
Maryland produces 1.2 billion pounds of poultry litter per year which contains 9 to 12 tons of toxic arsenic. Approximately 90% of that is applied to cropland as fertilizer. Farmers and citizens that inhale dust containing arsenic are at risk for serious health problems like cancer and heart disease. Also, poultry manure used as fertilizer creates the potential for arsenic runoff and leaching into state waters. Why should a known carcinogen be added to poultry feed if it's not essential? This bill would ban the use of arsenic from being added to poultry feed in Maryland. Currently, Perdue does not utilize the chemical in its chicken feed.
This bill failed to pass this year.
 
Net Metering -- Fair Compensation for Generating Solar Energy
 If you put solar panels on your home or business, your utility buys the electricity you produce by issuing a credit on your electric bill. If you generate more than you consume, you should be compensated for the 'extra' you send back on the electric grid. This legislation improves the way this credit is calculated and will clean-up last year's legislation.
This bill passed. 
 
Do Business in Maryland, Pay Corporate Income Taxes
A significant number of the largest corporations that do business in Maryland do not pay corporate income taxes. Using a series of loopholes, including setting up subsidiary companies in other states, these large companies have avoided paying -- or reduced their -- corporate income taxes by buying or renting products and services from their very own parent company. This legislation will provide for the use of "combined reporting" in calculating a company's taxes, treating all subsidiaries as one company.
For the last three years for which completed data is available, the state has lost $325 million as a result of not adopting combined reporting.
The bill failed this year.
 
Victim's Rights Insurance
Citizens who are victims of a violent crime in their home should not have to pay for the violence of others. Unfortunately, if a violent offender causes property damage to a victim, the Crime Injuries Compensation Board provides no more that $250 for clean up and property replacement. Clean up and property restoration can be expensive, and if a victim submits a claim to insurance, their property and casualty insurance rates can go up. Current law prohibits increasing insurance premiums for claims arising out of domestic violence. This bill would add the same prohibition for all victims of violent crime.
The bill passed.
 
Prince George's Bag Bill
Paper and plastic grocery bags create a lot of trash and harm the health of animals and plant life in our Bay and rivers. Washington D.C. passed a 5-cent fee on plastic bags last year which has been very successful. The city generated less revenue than it had projected, meaning that more people than expected decided to make the switch to reusable bags. In fact, the city estimates that the use of paper or plastic grocery bags decreased by 80 percent. It's time that we follow suit in order to lower pollution and reduce wasteful and unnecessary production of disposable bags. This bill enables the county to pass a similar proposal here.
The bill passed the Senate, but failed in a House committee.
 
Public Campaign Financing
This legislation would help reduce the influence that big money has on the electoral process. Last year's decision by the Supreme Court gives corporations the right to spend unlimited amounts on political ads. Candidates for the Maryland General Assembly frequently rely on funds donated from private individuals, sometimes big contributions from special corporate interests. This legislation will provide a fund, through the state of Maryland, in which properly qualified candidates will receive money from the state if they forego private contributions and agree to spending limits.
The bill failed.
 
Universal Health Care
Last year's federal health care law will go a long way towards improving our health care system, but serious flaws remain. While the new federal law increases health insurance coverage and prohibits denying coverage for a 'preexisting condition,' the United States still remains the only industrialized nation that does not have universal health care based on citizenship. This legislation creates the Maryland Health System, which will provide health care services to all residents of Maryland under a single payer system.
This bill failed.