Republican Gov. Larry Hogan emphasized bipartisanship in his third State of the State speech Wednesday, pressing the Democrat-controlled General Assembly to approve the most ambitious legislative agenda of his term.
He bypassed any mention of the political divisions roiling the country.
Instead, the popular moderate — who is frequently at odds with legislative leaders — focused on state policy. He characterized their work over the past two years as having "chosen action over apathy" and said he had delivered on the "unifying promise of bipartisan change."
Political maneuvering ahead of the 2018 election has threatened to overshadow debate in Annapolis this year, and Democrats had called on Hogan to use the annual address to speak out against the Trump administration.
Hogan, who hopes to become the first Republican governor in half a century to win re-election in Maryland, hewed closely to his state legislative agenda — which Democrats gave a lukewarm reception as he rolled it out last month.
Gov. Larry Hogan is speaking to both houses of the Maryland General Assembly today in the governor’s annual State of the State address. Below is Hogan’s speech, as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the General Assembly, distinguished guests, and my fellow Marylanders:
Gov. Larry Hogan is speaking to both houses of the Maryland General Assembly today in the governor’s annual State of the State address. Below is Hogan’s speech, as prepared for delivery:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the General Assembly, distinguished guests, and my fellow Marylanders:
Hogan pledged to eventually eliminate all taxes on retiree income, and asked lawmakers to take an up or down vote on his proposal to have an independent commission redraw congressional boundaries. He asked legislators to support his entire agenda.
"If you want to do that you’re going to have to work with the legislature," House Majority Leader Bill Frick said. "You can’t just offer Grandbetting your proposals and walk away. You’ve got to sit down get people around the table and work things out. That’s what leadership is. That’s how you get tough stuff done."
House Minority Leader Nic Kipke praised Hogan for laying out an ambitious plan that should win bipartisan support, such as programs to combat heroin use and to reform the state government’s procurement process. Those issues are "non-political, non-partisan," Kipke said.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan addressed both houses of the General Assembly.
"He’s doing everything possible to strike a bipartisan tone," said Kipke, an Anne Arundel County Republican. "While some of the legislature continues trying to drag politics surrounding Donald Trump into Maryland politics, our governor is focused on the work of the people here in our state."
In a recorded rebuttal to the speech that was taped last week, Frick called on Hogan to take a stand for federal workers, immigrants and others affected by Republican President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders.
"It’s time for Larry Hogan to stop campaigning and start governing," Frick said.
Hogan’s only mention of the federal government came as he urged multi-faceted response to the opioid epidemic.
"We have made strides, but this crisis continues to grow out of control all across our country," the governor said. "This rapidly evolving threat is going to take federal, state, and community partners working together to find real solutions and to help save lives."
Hogan also called for equitable access to education, and urged the Assembly’s support on tax breaks for student loan interest, more money for scholarships to private schools, and a broad expansion of the state’s charter school program.
Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. of Montgomery County, one of Hogan’s most persistent critics, said the governor failed to lay out a vision for the public schools of the future.
"All he offered is more money for a handful of private schools," Madaleno said.
Hogan asked lawmakers to endorse expanded tax credits for electric cars and charging stations, and pay for a complicated nutrient-trading program he described as a "market-based" solution to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
This year, Hogan embraced several policy ideas that have been championed by Democrats, particularly a paid sick leave mandate. Hogan’s proposal does not go as far as one that cleared the House of Delegates last year, but he asked lawmakers to support his plan that only applies to large companies. It also offers tax incentives for small employers to offer the benefit.
"Let’s strike a compromise," he said. "In this way, we can provide even more employees the benefit without hurting the small business owners and without causing the loss of jobs."
Republicans frequently stood and applauded Hogan during his remarks. Democrats politely clapped, though not when he told them Marylanders deserved a vote on his redistricting plan.
The governor closed his speech by mentioning his 2015 diagnosis with cancer, which has been in remission for more than a year.
"I’ve learned that our time on this Earth is much too short, so we had better make the most of it," he said.
Baltimore Sun reporters Michael Dresser, Pamela Wood and Ian Duncan contributed to this article.
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