Heather Mizeur 2013 Progressive Neighbors Candidate Survey

7/27/2019 Heather Mizeur 2013 Progressive Neighbors Candidate Survey

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2. Maryland is one of the wealthiest states in the US. Unfortunately, some of our states wealthiestresidents and most successful corporations avoid paying their fair share of taxes. Assessingluxury taxes and requiring that businesses file combined tax reports would generate revenuesand help small and local businesses compete.Would you support combined reporting and luxury taxes? Please explain briefly.

I strongly support closing the combined reporting tax loophole and restoring themillionaires tax, and have been a supporter and lead co-sponsor of both efforts. It isshameful that Maryland allows some of our largest corporate titans like Verizon, Pepco, andComcast to not pay a penny in corporate tax. Thousands of small businesses based here inMaryland operating with far tighter margins and without the resources to seek tax avoidancemust pay this tax every year. I introduced the Main Street Employer Tax Rebate Act in 2013to close the combined reporting loophole and use the revenue for targeted tax breaks forour local businesses. This approach levels the playing field and puts money back in thehands of small businesses, which are our proven job creators. This will be one of my toppriorities as Governor.

3. The juvenile justice scandal in Baltimore raises immediate concerns, and Marylands prisonpopulation has nearly tripled to over 22,000 since 1980. People of color are disproportionatelyarrested, convicted, and incarcerated. This is a civil rights issue.Would you advocate for legislation and policies establishing creative approaches to crime andrehabilitation--alternatives to incarceration? Please explain briefly.

Yes, I will advocate strongly for criminal justice reform and plan to make it a central piece ofmy campaign policy platform.

To take on the issue, I want to us tackle generational problems affecting our strugglingcommunities, like improving every school; ending racial bias within the criminal justicesystem; reforming drug laws that incarcerate non-violent offenders; offering better access tore-entry and workforce programs; expanding more afterschool opportunities; endingrestrictions on voting for ex-offenders; and improving access to jobs and housing.

4. In 2013, the General Assembly passed a law providing for same day voter registration, but onlyduring the early voting period. The State Administrator of the Board of Elections objected toproviding same day registration on Election Day itself, when the vast majority of votes are cast,claiming that it was not feasible. Do you support expanding same day voter registration toElection Day, and if so, what steps would you take to see it become law?

Protecting the right to vote is one of the most sacred duties we have, and I take the act ofvoting very seriously. On my 18 th birthday, I requested an excused absence from school so I

could register to vote. As a legislator, I was a strong advocate for adoption of early voting,expanding our early voting sites, and same-day registration during early voting, and believewe should act immediately to expand same-day registration to Election Day. As Governor, Iwill use the power of the office to win its passage, regardless of the support or opposition ofthe State Administrator of the Board of Elections.

5. Do you support enacting state campaign finance reforms and laws that curtail corporateinfluence on elections, and laws that enable voluntary public financing of campaigns for stateoffice in a manner that would allow candidates to receive funding after demonstrating


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significant community support?

Money plays far too great a role in state and federal politics. I am a strong supporter ofcampaign finance reforms that curtail the level of spending on our elections. I haveconsistently supported state bills seeking to turn back the impact of the Citizens Uniteddecision here in Maryland. I have also been a strong supporter and co-sponsor of legislationseeking to establish public campaign financing in Maryland.

Human Rights6. The transgender community has been fighting to be included in statewide civil rights

protections since 2007. While there are ordinances in Montgomery, Howard and Baltimorecounties, as well as Baltimore city, there is no statewide law (as there is in 17 states, DC andPuerto Rico) to go along with the sexual orientation antidiscrimination law passed here in 2001.Do you support a comprehensive gender identity law for Maryland, including publicaccommodations protections, and will you actively lobby the legislative leadership to make ithappen?

I strongly support a comprehensive gender identity law for Maryland that includes publicaccommodations, and have long been a co-sponsor of this legislation. I will commit thesame level of passionate, committed advocacy for passing the gender identity bill that I didduring our fight to pass marriage equality, and will make it a legislative priority for myadministration.

7. After the passage of federal legislation (ACA aka Obamacare), it falls to the Maryland Stategovernment to establish exchanges to provide healthcare to people in our state; therefore thenext governors actions will be critical on this issue.Do you agree that healthcare is a human right? How would you lead efforts to improvehealthcare in Maryland? Would you support legislation and policies to begin a transition to a

state-financed public health system? Please explain briefly.

Access to quality, affordable health care is a right, not a privilege. Im determined to chart apath forward that best meets the needs of all Marylanders in both the short-term and long-term as we continue to expand affordable health care. There is no silver bullet to solve thecrisis of underserved communities, but if we collaborate and ensure this remains a priority,we can successfully ensure affordable and comprehensive care for all Maryland families.

I will bring nearly two decades of health policy experience to the governors office. Duringmy seven years in the legislature, I advanced a number of bills to expand health care accessto a range of vulnerable communities. These efforts include allowing young adults to remainon family health plans to age 25; covering uninsured children and former foster youth;

expanding access to family planning; and improving coverage for amputees.

My experience and record will inform how Maryland proceeds in the coming years on healthcare. I will push Maryland to use every lever available through the ACA and elsewhere toexpand coverage, lower costs, and improve access. That includes expanding coverageoptions for low-income women and children to draw down more federal resources;expanding provider flexibility and support to improve access to services; reforming long-term care; and exploring universal coverage options similar to Vermonts approach.


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8. In 2013, a bill to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana passed the State

Senate with 30 votes. The chair of the House Judiciary Committee did not allow the bill to bevoted on either in committee or on the floor of the House of Delegates. If this bill is put forwardwhile you are governor, will you support it and if so, what specific actions will you take toensure the bills passage in the General Assembly?

Yes, I strongly support efforts to de-criminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.How we achieve success on this issue is closely tied to why I am running for Governor: weneed to change the conversation about what is best for our communities and our future, andre-focus on bringing people together to achieve consensus-driven results. Lawmakers onboth sides of the aisle support reducing or eliminating penalties for marijuana possession. Ifwe commit to utilizing this consensus-driven approach, we will build stronger coalitions tosecure passage. De-criminalization will reduce prison costs, reduce violent crime, and helpend the cradle-to-prison pipeline affecting many urban communities.

9. Marylands minimum wage, currently tied to the federal minimum wage, is $7.25/hour.Economic analysts across the political spectrum agree that it is extremely difficult for a family

to survive in Maryland on this level of income. In 2013, a bill to raise the minimum wage to$10/hour failed to pass a House committee vote. Do you support an increase in the minimumwage, and, if so, what is the hourly wage that you would recommend that the General Assemblyadopt?

Families cannot live on the current minimum wage. A worker can spend 40 hours a week at$7.25 per hour and still live below the federal poverty line. We need to change thisconversation from that of minimum wages to one of living wages. I was a co-sponsor of theminimum wage bill in the 2013 session and strongly support meaningful increases. Theminimum wage needs to be as high as $15 to fully support a working family in this state,and I will support and actively fight to increase it to levels no lower than $10 per hour.

10.A bill requiring employers to provide at least seven days of sick leave per year received anunfavorable report in the House Economic Matters Committee in 2013. Do you support this bill,and what if any improvements to the bill would you recommend as governor?Federal law currently requires that employees be given as much as 13 weeks of unpaid leave incase of illness or other conditions of the employee or a close family member. Federal law,however, only applies to employers with more than 50 employees. Very few Marylandbusinesses meet this requirement, such that the vast majority of Maryland workers get no familyleave protection at all. In 2013, a bill to provide six weeks of unpaid family leave to employeesof Maryland businesses with at least 15 employees did not pass. Do you support this legislation,and if so, what would you do as governor to see it become law?

Paid sick leave is smart public policy and to truly claim ourselves a progressive state,Maryland must pass legislation requiring that our workers are granted this dignity. It isshameful that 800,000 Marylanders are forced to choose between their health and theireconomic livelihood, and it does not make sense for our economy.

In 2009, I was the lead sponsor of paid sick days legislation (HB1296), known as the HealthyFamilies Healthy Workplaces Act. In 2013, as a lead co-sponsor of the paid sick dayslegislation with Delegate Olszewski, and I authored the following Gazette opinion editorial:


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http://www.gazette.net/article/20130301/OPINION/130309838/1014/heather-r-mizeur-paid-sick-days-give-economy-shot-in-arm&template=gazette

To ensure a minimum wage increase and paid sick days law become a reality, we need agoverning approach that stops settling for policies that pit workers against business.Increasing the minimum wage and providing paid sick leave are not incompatible with athriving small business economy. We do not have to help business at the expense of

workers, or vice versa.

The Environment and T ransportation

11.There is a nationwide boom in hydraulic fracking in America today, giving us a greater degreeof energy independence than weve seen in years. However, there are serious environmentalconsequences to such drilling, and there has been a moratorium on fracking in Maryland to givethe government time to study the current state of the art.

What are your thoughts about fracking in Maryland, in anticipation of the government study?Do you believe we should prioritize fracking or spend our resources in developing green energysources? How serious must the environmental degradation be for you to ban fracking? Are youconcerned about the future of western Marylands tourist and farming industries if fracking ispermitted?

For more than three years, I have been the states leading voice raising concerns about thethreats of unregulated shale gas fracking. Maryland should not drill for natural gas until andunless it can be proven through scientific evidence that it can be done safely and withoutnegative impacts to our environment, public health, economy, and local communities.

My work to create a Marcellus Shale study and establish a moratorium on drilling until

completion of the study has been driven by my belief that there is far too much at stake forMaryland to rush headlong into drilling without first fully assessing the possibleconsequences. Second chances are expensive, and whether it is flammable tap water,seismic activity, or harm to livestock, we have seen in neighboring states what happenswhen they rushed to drill first and ask questions later.

As Governor, I would introduce a strict moratorium bill similar to the legislation I introducedin 2013 with the support of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Sierra Club,western Maryland advocates, and a range of other organizations. As part of this work, wewould assess whether the results of the studies conducted by the current Marcellus ShaleSafe Drilling Commission are thorough, complete, and had sufficient resources tocomprehensively assess the risks of fracking in Maryland. If the Commissions work isdeemed incomplete by my administration, I will increase funding and further extend thestudies to get us the answers we need.

Unless it is proven that there will not be any harm to the environment, public health, or localcommunities, I will not allow any fracking in Maryland.

12.A recent editorial in The New York Times related to their mayoral campaign which focused onpublic transportation, said, Few things more directly affect the quality of a day, the stabilityand prosperity of a life, than the ability to get to work. And few are more vital to the larger


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the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, will you support and advocate for:a. The elimination of cosmetic use of pesticides on state public land, schools, highways, parksand other government facilities?b. Encourage Maryland county and municipal governments to follow the example of TakomaPark and ban its use?c. Begin a public education campaign to discourage the routine cosmetic use of pesticides

around homes and gardens.

Yes, I will support and advocate for A, B, and C. In May 2013, I signed a petition andauthored a letter in support of the Safe Grow Zone Initiative (the Takoma Park pesticideprohibition).

15.Montgomery County enacted legislation in 2011 that placed a five-cent charge on each paper orplastic carryout bag provided by retail establishments to customers at the point of sale, pickupor delivery. Retailers retain 1 cent of each five-cent for the bags they sell. The revenues fromthis charge are deposited into the Countys Water Quality Protection Charge fund. Thiseffectively shifts the burden of litter clean up costs from taxpayers to consumers, who have a

choice to avoid the 5-cent charge by bringing reusable bags.Do you favor extending the Montgomery County bag tax statewide?An industry consortium led by Owens-Illinois (glass) and Alcoa (aluminum) and major stateenvironmental organizations e.g. the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Maryland League ofConservation Voters, strongly favors a Maryland bottle bill, legislation which generallyrequires a 5 cent deposit on sealed metal, glass or plastic containers. Enactment of thislegislation would reduce litter, create recycling jobs and supplement ongoing recyclingprograms.Do you favor enactment of a 5 cent per container bottle bill in Maryland?

Yes, I strongly support a statewide five-cent bag fee and a five-cent bottle deposit law. A

five-cent fee on plastic bags has been immensely successful at reducing bag use inMontgomery County and the District of Columbia these bags pollute waterways, harmwildlife, and clog landfills. Bottled water consumption requires 32 to 54 million barrels ofcrude oil each year, and only 6.5 percent of all plastic ends up being recycled.

Education and the Economy16.To address crushing higher education costs for students, the Oregon legislature recently

unanimously enacted Pay it Forward, Pay it Back higher education funding legislation. TheOregon legislation directs the states education commission to develop a plan for considerationby the legislature in 2015 under which students would pay nothing for tuition while attending

college, paying instead 3% of their income each year for the next two decades or so to cover thecosts of future students. Education loans from big banks would no longer be necessary.Do you favor similar legislation in Maryland? If not, what other approaches to reducing highereducation costs for Maryland students do you favor?Despite an award-winning public education system, Maryland faces an achievement gap. Whatapproaches would you support to address the achievement gap and maintain educationexcellence in Maryland? Please explain briefly.

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I strongly support exploring whether Maryland can adopt a program similar to Oregon's "Payit Forward" model. A college degree is critical to our economic future. The unemploymentrate for those with a degree is 3.8 percent, while it is 7.6 percent for high school graduates.The average salary for those with a degree is far higher than those without one, and the gapis widening.

Despite recent efforts, the cost of attending college continues to rise. With total student loan

debt above $1.2 trillion, and the average debt of graduates in Maryland going up each year,it is clear our current approach is not working. The "Pay it Forward" model is a potentiallydynamic solution that would erase the financial barrier to attending school and offer a fairrepayment system that aligns with a graduate's income. Because future funding for highereducation would be directly tied to the employability of college graduates, administratorswould have to place greater focus on providing students with the practical skills needed toget a job out of college.

But there are some unanswered questions. How would we pay the enormous initial costs ofallowing students to attend for free without graduates to pay back into the system? How willwe enforce these contracts and pay the likely sizable legal fees? While we study differenttransition and enforcement models, we also need to focus on increasing the proportion of

need-based aid to merit-based aid. As a possible alternative to Pay it Forward, we shouldalso examine a state low-interest loan system where students borrowing to attend schoolcan obtain more reasonable interest rates. Whether through these approaches or othermodels, I am committed to finding more innovative ways to make a college educationaffordable for every student. Settling for any less would greatly harm our state's upwardeconomic mobility.

Achievement GapI am proud of Marylands first in the nation public education ranking. That was earnedthrough hard work from our educators and a renewed commitment to public education byour state government. However, that ranking does not apply to every child in everyclassroom in every community. Large achievement gaps exist among varying racial andsocioeconomic backgrounds and bridging this gap will be among my first priorities asgovernor. I will tackle this problem from multiple angles: through a significant investment inearly childhood education and after-school programs; a large-scale, innovative approach torebuilding crumbling classrooms and school facilities; and ensuring that educators teachingin our toughest schools have the tools they need to succeed.

17.Inspired by the Bank of North Dakota, legislators in several states, including Maryland, haveproposed the creation of a state bank. In North Dakota, the nine-decade old bank serves as adepository for all state tax collection and fees, and deposits are reinvested in North Dakota inthe form of loans, thereby enhancing the availability of credit in the state. Do you supportsetting up and funding a commission to study the feasibility of establishing a state bank in

Maryland?

Yes, I support a commission studying the feasibility of a state bank.

18.The State of Connecticut recently enacted policies aimed at diversifying or converting defense-related industries to other nonmilitary products, emphasizing environmentally sustainable andcivilian product manufacturing. Would you advocate for similar legislation and policies?Please explain briefly.


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employees; educators; and correctional officers, and I will keep standing with all our unionbrothers and sisters.

Housing20.Nearly one third of Maryland residents live in rental housing, and the number of Marylandrenters increases every year. Yet since 2000, the median rent for Maryland residents has

increased approximately two-thirds, pricing many families out of their homes. In 2013, a billwas introduced in the House of Delegates to stabilize rent increases at 5% per year and requirelandlords to provide a just cause for refusing to renew a lease. Do you support this bill? Whatother actions would you take to promote affordable housing and expand renters' rights?

We need far greater commitment and attention paid to affordable housing and protectingrenters. Yes, I strongly support rent stabilization and adoption of a statewide just causeeviction law. I supported renter protections as a Takoma Park City Councilmember and wasthe lead sponsor of local Just Cause eviction legislation for Montgomery County. I remaincommitted to advocating for passage of this legislation at both the County and state level.

We will not make significant progress on affordable housing until political leaders at thehighest level choose to make it a priority. My vision for Maryland includes significantcommunity revitalization efforts, such as making new schools the anchors of ourcommunities, fighting for a living wage for every worker and family, and creating affirmativeopportunities for every Marylander. Access to affordable and fair housing will be acornerstone of all these efforts.

Heather Mizeur 2013 Progressive Neighbors Candidate Survey

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