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Md. lawmakers approve natural gas surcharge bill
ANNAPOLIS (AP) — Natural gas companies would be able to seek a surcharge of up to $2 on monthly gas bills to help recover costs for replacing aging infrastructure, in a measure approved by state lawmakers Thursday.
The Senate voted 35-12 after spirited debate. The House of Delegates’ vote was 120-17. The measures are similar and any differences will need to be worked out for the legislation to go to Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Lawmakers who supported the bill said companies need the cash to help replace aging pipes and address safety concerns. Supporters also say the surcharge would have to be approved by the Public Service Commission, and the money wouldn’t be charged until work was done to improve infrastructure.
“It’s not a pre-payment plan,” said Sen. Thomas Middleton, D-Charles.
But opponents argued gas companies shouldn’t be asking for extra money at all to do a job they should have been doing all along.
Sen. E.J. Pipkin, R-Cecil, described it as “corporate welfare” for gas companies that have a monopoly and have not invested enough in infrastructure.
“Their business model underinvested,” Pipkin said. “Now they want the citizens of Maryland to bail them out.”
Sen. Richard Madaleno, D-Montgomery, also opposed the bill, saying the measure undermined long-standing regulatory rules.
“This is not about safety,” Madaleno said. “This is about ending the structure of regulation that we have had for a century in the state of Maryland about regulating gas companies. If we allow this to move forward, the companies will be able to come in and ask for a surcharge without having to go through a rate-setting case.”
Sen. George Edwards, R-Garrett, said he wasn’t pleased with the idea, but that ratepayers will end up paying one way or another. He also cited safety and environmental concerns.
“I’m not thrilled with $2, but I can tell you a lot of these pipes need repair,” Edwards said.
Lawmakers also are weighing a proposal by O’Malley to help develop offshore wind that would add about $1.50 each month to residential rates.
Maryland analysts estimated the surcharge on gas bills could raise $36 million a year, if the maximum charge is assessed on all existing gas customers, with about $24.6 million of that coming from residential customers. About $11.4 million would come from non-residential customers.
O’Malley outlines measures to stimulate job growth
ANNAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Martin O’Malley on Thursday highlighted some initiatives he hopes will stimulate job growth by increasing training for positions in the highest demand and clearing some hurdles to employment for military families.
The Democrat has put $2.5 million in his budget proposal to create a competitive grant process to help get people the skills for jobs that are in high demand. The initiative, called the Employment Advancement Now Initiative, would encourage regional training collaborations among businesses, nonprofits, colleges and local governments. It would focus on industries such as traditional and advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and health care.
“This is really an effort that is driven by employers who say they have jobs that are open, they need more employees with the skills to fill them and so this EARN bill will help more moms and dads get the skills they need to enter those better jobs,” O’Malley said at a Senate hearing.
The governor also is backing a measure to speed up the professional licensing process for military families who move to Maryland from other states. O’Malley said more than 20 states already expedite the licensing process for veterans to move. The unemployment rate is 8.8 percent for veterans, and for post-9/11 veterans it is 9.7 percent, O’Malley said.
ANNAPOLIS (AP) — Natural gas companies would be able to seek a surcharge of up to $2 on monthly gas bills to help recover costs for replacing aging infrastructure, in a measure approved by state lawmakers Thursday.
The Senate voted 35-12 after spirited debate. The House of Delegates’ vote was 120-17. The measures are similar and any differences will need to be worked out for the legislation to go to Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Lawmakers who supported the bill said companies need the cash to help replace aging pipes and address safety concerns. Supporters also say the surcharge would have to be approved by the Public Service Commission, and the money wouldn’t be charged until work was done to improve infrastructure.
“It’s not a pre-payment plan,” said Sen. Thomas Middleton, D-Charles.
But opponents argued gas companies shouldn’t be asking for extra money at all to do a job they should have been doing all along.
Sen. E.J. Pipkin, R-Cecil, described it as “corporate welfare” for gas companies that have a monopoly and have not invested enough in infrastructure.
“Their business model underinvested,” Pipkin said. “Now they want the citizens of Maryland to bail them out.”
Sen. Richard Madaleno, D-Montgomery, also opposed the bill, saying the measure undermined long-standing regulatory rules.
“This is not about safety,” Madaleno said. “This is about ending the structure of regulation that we have had for a century in the state of Maryland about regulating gas companies. If we allow this to move forward, the companies will be able to come in and ask for a surcharge without having to go through a rate-setting case.”
Sen. George Edwards, R-Garrett, said he wasn’t pleased with the idea, but that ratepayers will end up paying one way or another. He also cited safety and environmental concerns.
“I’m not thrilled with $2, but I can tell you a lot of these pipes need repair,” Edwards said.
Lawmakers also are weighing a proposal by O’Malley to help develop offshore wind that would add about $1.50 each month to residential rates.
Maryland analysts estimated the surcharge on gas bills could raise $36 million a year, if the maximum charge is assessed on all existing gas customers, with about $24.6 million of that coming from residential customers. About $11.4 million would come from non-residential customers.
O’Malley outlines measures to stimulate job growth
ANNAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Martin O’Malley on Thursday highlighted some initiatives he hopes will stimulate job growth by increasing training for positions in the highest demand and clearing some hurdles to employment for military families.
The Democrat has put $2.5 million in his budget proposal to create a competitive grant process to help get people the skills for jobs that are in high demand. The initiative, called the Employment Advancement Now Initiative, would encourage regional training collaborations among businesses, nonprofits, colleges and local governments. It would focus on industries such as traditional and advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and health care.
“This is really an effort that is driven by employers who say they have jobs that are open, they need more employees with the skills to fill them and so this EARN bill will help more moms and dads get the skills they need to enter those better jobs,” O’Malley said at a Senate hearing.
The governor also is backing a measure to speed up the professional licensing process for military families who move to Maryland from other states. O’Malley said more than 20 states already expedite the licensing process for veterans to move. The unemployment rate is 8.8 percent for veterans, and for post-9/11 veterans it is 9.7 percent, O’Malley said.
