Issue Position: Social Justice

Issue Position

Expanding Paid Sick Leave
According to recent studies, there are approximately 767,200 workers in Maryland that do not currently earn paid sick leave. Paid sick leave is usable by employees with little or no advance notice, to recuperate from illness, seek medical care, or care for family members. I understand that Maryland's workers deserve time to recuperate from an illness without the risk of losing a portion of their income or even their job and that's why I support making paid sick leave mandatory for Maryland employers.
Raising the minimum wage
Raising the minimum wage is a critical component to growing our economy and protecting working families. Maryland's current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which, if working a full 40 hour work week, amounts to only $15,080 a year. As of 2013, the District of Columbia and 19 states have higher minimum wages, while Maryland has one of the highest costs of living in the U.S. I strongly support, at the very least, tying Maryland's minimum wage to inflation, which will give working families a fighting chance at living near their workplaces. Ten other states have already tied their minimum wage to inflation with tremendous results. Tying the minimum wage to inflation (also called "indexing") also provides critical protection from rising costs for low wage earners. When low wage workers are not protected from inflation their purchasing power decreases, thereby diminishing their ability to purchase essential goods and services they might otherwise be in the market for. I am a strong proponent of increasing the minimum wage and will make it a top priority my first term in office.

Supporting Responsible Decriminalization of Marijuana
Why we need reform:

Under the current law, a person in possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana could potentially face up to 90 days in jail and or a fine of up to $500. A conviction for possession of over 10 grams can result in up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
According recent studies, including one by the Maryland ACLU, despite nearly equal usage rates among people of all races and ethnicities, people of color, and specifically African Americans, were found to be three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than others.
According to the report, Maryland currently has the fourth highest arrest rate for marijuana possession in the country. In Maryland, police arrest one out of every 250 people for marijuana
HB 1101 creates a hospital-based medical marijuana program and allows marijuana to be provided through teaching hospitals for extremely limited purposes
The two other bills signed into law, HB 180 and SB 580, provide medical marijuana caregivers with an affirmative defense when a caregiver is charged with simple possession of marijuana. A caregiver only qualifies, however, if the patient previously designated the caregiver in writing, and the designation is in his or her medical record
While I applaud these reasonable steps forward, I know more needs to be done. That's why I fully supported HB 1453 and SB 297. HB 1453 which would have removed all criminal penalties for the use and possession up to an ounce of marijuana by adults 21 and over and would impose regulations similar to the regulation of alcohol. Alternatively, SB 297 would have removed criminal penalties and made possession of up to an ounce of marijuana a civil penalty.
Our next steps in dealing with the decriminalization of marijuana must also be focused on its regulation and taxation. Under certain circumstances, the legalization of marijuana through well regulated markets and distribution points can create jobs, boost our local economy and save critical law enforcement resources.

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