From WAMU
By Dominique Maria Bonessi
January 9, 2019
A red governor returns to a deep blue state this year as Maryland legislators start their 90-day session Wednesday. Republican Governor Larry Hogan will be sworn in for his second term next week — a feat not seen since 1954.
The contrast could spark contention on proposals for school funding, transportation infrastructure and the construction of a new stadium for the Washington Redskins.
Here is a short list of the issues facing lawmakers in the 2019 General Assembly session, which runs from Jan. 9-April 8.:
EXCERPT
Prescription Drug Prices
Montgomery County Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk will be proposing the Prescription Drug Affordability Board Act. This is Peña-Melnyk’s second attempt at the legislation, which will monitor and regulate the price of prescription drugs. The cost of prescription drugs in Maryland is expected to outpace the cost of total health spending between 2017 and 2022, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In the 2018 legislative session, the Maryland House of Delegates passed legislation that would have monitored and regulated prescription drug sales in the state, but the measure failed to pass in the Senate.
Last modified: January 9, 2019
