MACo advocates in support of local public safety and corrections agencies. The following segments highlight MACo’s work in this area during the 2017 General Assembly.
Follow links for more coverage on Conduit Street and MACo’s Legislative Database.
Pretrial Issues
Pretrial reform is a major concern for Maryland’s counties. MACo supported a bill to establish a Pretrial Resource Center and a Pretrial Release Pilot Program and a bill to codify rule changes adopted by the Court of Appeals to address concerns that bail was being set in a manner that could be determined to violate due process rights and constitutional prohibitions against excessive bail. Unfortunately, neither of these bills advanced out of their committees. For more information, see:
- Senate Bill 879/House Bill 1157 (Pretrial Pilot) Bill Information | MACo Coverage
- Senate Bill 880/House Bill 1390 (Bail) Bill Information | MACo Coverage
Law Enforcement and Corrections
MACo successfully supported passage of a bill that requires charges against a correctional officer for offenses alleged to have been committed during the course of duty to first be reviewed and determined reasonable and appropriate by a state’s attorney before they can be filed against the officer. Senate Bill 207/House Bill 166 was passed by the General Assembly and awaits the Governor’s signature. Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo successfully stopped a bill that set explicit parameters limiting state and local agencies and officials from cooperating with federal immigration efforts. MACo was concerned the bill’s stringent limitations on local government autonomy could have had far-reaching and significant consequences. House Bill 1362, the “Trust Act,” passed the House but not the Senate. Bill Information | MACo Coverage
Local Laws
MACo successfully stopped legislation that would severely restrict a local government’s ability to regulate security system and monitoring companies. Senate Bill 952/House Bill 1271 did not move out of committee. Bill Information | MACo Coverage
MACo also successfully stopped legislation that would have prohibited counties from enacting or enforcing local padlock laws unless the local law provided them with a hearing before a circuit court judge without the owner of the premises being required to request one first. MACo found that this could limit local government’s ability to address public nuisances in a timely and efficient manner. Senate Bill 214 did not advance out of committee. Bill Information | MACo Coverage
