By Jordyn Jones
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Gov. Larry Hogan Wednesday night promised vaccines to “every single Marylander who wants one” and more than $1 billion in relief to struggling families, small businesses and those who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his State of the State address, Hogan also called for reopening schools, saying it was “critical that we give our students the chance to get safely back into the classrooms.”
Hogan tried to solidify his stance on the efficacy of vaccines by beginning his speech with a review of the mounting challenges the state has faced in nearly a year. He said Maryland has now conducted 7.1 million COVID-19 tests and administered more than 570,000 vaccines. More than 350,000 residents have been infected with more than 32,000 hospitalized, he said.
While Hogan criticized the federal government for providing “just a tiny fraction of what we need,” he promised to work hard to get more vaccines and supplies. He said he urged the Biden administration to take every possible step to increase the pace of vaccine production and distribution.
“I want to assure you that we will not rest until vaccines are available to every single Marylander who wants one,” said Hogan who delivered his speech by video because of precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“These vaccines are safe and effective,” he added, “and they are the result of groundbreaking cooperation between America’s leading medical experts and pharmaceutical companies and a transparent and rigorous review process led by the FDA. Getting vaccinated will help keep you, your family, and your community healthy and safe.”
Del. Eric Luedtke, the House majority leader, gave the Democrats’ response to the speech. He said the vaccine rollout was “bungled” and that “the communication about it has been absolutely abysmal.”
Luedtke of Montgomery County said on Maryland Public Television that “Marylanders need a clear message about who’s eligible, when they’re eligible and how to get a vaccine, and they haven’t gotten that to date.”
Hogan said that the top legislative priority is the RELIEF Act of 2021, which proposes to pour more than $1 billion in immediate tax relief and economic stimulus into the pockets of Marylanders struggling during the pandemic. He said families would receive up to $750 with $450 going to individuals. The state already has provided more than $700 million in emergency state economic assistance to struggling families and small businesses who needed it the most. Legislative action is what is needed now, he said.
“Tonight, I am once again calling on the legislature to pass this bill and get it to my desk as soon as possible, so that I can sign it into law, so that it can take effect immediately,” he said. “There is absolutely nothing more important for the legislature to do, and Marylanders simply cannot afford to wait.”
Hogan also touched on his goals for the school system. He urged officials to open schools as soon as possible to in-person learning. Stressing the importance of following science, he pointed to the advice given by Drs. Anthony Fauci and Scott Gottlieb, as well as the experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that schools should be reopened.
“Every single child in Maryland deserves a world-class education,” he said. “That is why we are proposing that every school system receives more funding, regardless of declining enrollment figures. And we are expanding investment for full-day pre-K targeted tutoring, scholarships for deserving students to attend on-public schools, and we’re proposing the largest investment in school construction in state history to bring every single one of the state’s schools into the 21st century.”
Luedtke said the General Assembly will look to help teachers and keep them safe by making sure they have personal protective equipment and that schools are safe enough for students to return.
Hogan pointed to the state’s FY 2022 budget as a bright spot in spite of the national economic distress. He said the budget is 100% structurally balanced with absolutely no tax increases, with no layoffs or furloughs of our hardworking state employees and without cutting any essential services for Maryland citizens. He stressed that Maryland has not had a single tax increase since he was elected governor.
This year the State of the State address was historic in many ways. The most noticeable difference was its location. The address is usually given to Maryland’s General Assembly in the State House in Annapolis. This year, he gave the speech to a sparse crowd in the reception room of the State House. The time also was moved from midday to 7 p.m. to encourage more Marylanders to watch.
The COVID-19 pandemic claimed a lot of attention in the 20-minute speech compared to last year’s speech, which focused on rampant crime in Baltimore City. Hogan described himself as a “straight shooter.”
“We all desperately want to return to our normal lives,” he said. “But no matter how difficult it is to hear, you deserve the truth. The truth doesn’t know party affiliation. It doesn’t care what any of us think or what we want. So many of the problems we face today as a nation are because politicians refuse to tell the hard truths when it doesn’t fit their agenda.”
He stressed, “This crisis will not end overnight, but together we will bring it to an end. We will get our kids back to school, get people back to work, and get life back to normal once again.”