Representatives for Maryland’s 23rd Legislative District meet with residents

By Mike Rauck

Three lawmakers from Maryland’s 23rd legislative district met with residents Saturday at the Kenhill Center in Bowie for coffee, doughnuts, and a Q&A session.  Maryland Senator Douglas J.J. Peters, Delegate Marvin Holmes, and Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith hosted the event.  Delegate Ron Watson wasn’t able to attend due to recent surgery.

Prince George’s County Council Chair Todd Turner also joined the discussion.

The 2020 Maryland General Assembly session began last month and runs through early April.  Friday was the deadline for new bills to be submitted.

Funding for schools, funding for school construction projects, and the future of the former Bowie Race Course were subjects of interest to many of the residents in attendance.

Legislation to overhaul public education in Maryland was introduced this week.  The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, as it’s called, is based on recommendations that came out of a commission led by a former chancellor of the University of Maryland System, William Kirwan.

The biggest hurdle to implementing the Kirwan recommendations is funding.  The legislation includes a spending formula that would require Prince George’s County to increase spending on education by $360 million over 10 years.  Delegate Valentino-Smith told constituents that the funding formula will be heavily debated.

The Built to Learn Act is legislation currently being considered in Annapolis to increase state funding for school construction and other capital improvement projects by $2.2 billion over five years.  According to County Council Chair Todd Turner, state funding is critical to school construction projects.

The Maryland Senate and House of Delegates both introduced bills last week that include language related to the future of the former Bowie Race Course.  Maryland Senator Douglas J.J. Peters played an important part in drafting the Bowie Race Course text for the Senate version of the bill.

Peters told constituents on Saturday that the Senate version of the Racing and Community Development Act of 2020 will divide ownership of the property between the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission and the City of Bowie, with the understanding that Bowie State University will have use of the property for recreational activities.

None of the lawmakers present during Saturday’s meeting were aware of the details in the House version of the bill as it was introduced late last week.

The Senate and House versions of the bills are likely to change as they are debated in committee, and the two versions of the bills will have to be reconciled if they both pass.

Bowie Living will contrast the Senate and House versions of the bills in a future post.

Delegate Marvin Holmes asked those present to make sure that they participate in the upcoming Census.  Federal funding for the state and legislative districts will be affected by the results.  When listing topics he was concerned about, Holmes told residents it was the, “Census, Census, Census and the Census.”

With regard to county initiatives, Turner encouraged those present to participate in upcoming hearings for the Bowie and Vicinity Master Plan, and he let residents know that the Countywide Map Amendment initiative to adopt new zoning categories for the county is still ongoing.

Residents present on Saturday brought up concerns about the new traffic light planned for the intersection of Church Road and Fairview Vista Drive, the complexity of language in city code, and legislation currently being considered that would eliminate state income tax on the first $50,000 of income for retirees.