More News

Maryland business executives have been busy this legislative session trying to keep key programs from being cut in the budget crunch, and working to defeat bills such as one that would have mandated a one-size-fits-all approach to employees' shift breaks.

The Senate approved its version of the $13.8 billion operating budget this week. Senators voted to retain the full $6 million of funding for the biotechnology investment tax credit program, an essential issue that biotech executives have supported. The House version slashes $2 million from the program. A conference committee will work out the differences.

The Department of Business and Economic Development's budget also faces cuts to work force training, tourism and other areas.

The session ends April 13, but the legislature is required to pass a budget by Monday. That deadline can be moved back if a budget is not approved.

More budget cuts would have had to be made if federal stimulus funding was not involved, said Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. The second year of stimulus funding will be an important element in balancing the state budget next year, he said.

Officials at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and of the Restaurant Association of Maryland were pleased over the House Economic Matters Committee's defeat this week of a bill that would have required employers to provide breaks of at least 30 minutes to employees who work more than five consecutive hours. That bill would have created more administrative burdens and exposed Maryland's businesses unnecessarily to civil action on issues that could be resolved through internal processes, officials said.

Another bill the chamber opposes that officials said would have exposed hospitals and physicians to more litigation narrowly failed in a Senate vote last week. The bill would authorize a person to file a lawsuit on behalf of the state for an alleged false claim and receive up to 30 percent of the proceeds. The state should directly prosecute people who defraud the system, but this "bounty hunter" proposal would lead to unnecessary litigation, officials said.

Proponents were working to reverse the vote of one senator, so the bill was not yet dead, said Ronald Wineholt, vice president of government affairs for the Maryland chamber.

Other bills the chamber opposes that remained in committee as of Thursday were universal health care legislation with mandatory employer assessments, and a "combined reporting" tax bill. "Several other tax bills remain in committee, but I don't want to declare victory yet," Wineholt said.

An electricity reregulation bill has been opposed not just by chambers and utilities but also by retailers such as Best Buy, PetSmart and 7-Eleven. The Senate approved the legislation, while the House had yet to act on it as of Thursday.

Among the bills that business groups support that have a good chance of passing is one requiring the Maryland Technology Development Corp. to organize public-private partnerships to boost research in nanobiotechnology in the state. The measure passed the House, and the Senate was considering it.

Another bill supported by chambers of commerce that has a decent chance to pass would reform the state Small Group Health Insurance Plan. The House and Senate have approved versions of bills, and they are reviewing each other's legislation.

Reforms to the small-group plan would include allowing carriers more flexibility in designing plans and widening the rating requirements to attract more participants.