While you are busy sheltering in place, wondering when your children may go back to school, or if you or your spouse may lose their job the Maryland General Assembly has been busy writing legislation (House Bill 650 – State Government – Emergency Management – Governor Declarations) changing standing emergency powers to the Governor that would allow:

Permanent seizure of any and all personal property, including homes and possessions, without due process or notice, including firearms.

Executive authority to supersede local jurisdictions and require the cooperation of sheriffs, superintendents, etc. for any action deemed necessary.

Suspension of the effect of any statute, rule, or regulation of any agency of the state or of a jurisdiction that the Governor deems unnecessary or counter-productive.

Compulsory evacuation of all or part of the population from any emergency area, specifying the mode of transportation used to force-evacuate citizens (Current law allows for compelled evacuation but does not specify that the state may confiscate private vehicles).

Compulsory evacuation of citizens from their homes during quarantine into a state-designated quarantine area.

Indefinite incremental extensions of the order: termination of the order would require a joint resolution from the House and Senate.

The law is changing “protect the public health, welfare or safety” to “heightened risk of an emergency”.  The laws will change from the need of an “active” emergency to a “potential” emergency.  This language is too broad and ripe for abuse.

You can hear Frederick County Delegate Dan Cox (R) explain his serious concerns with the proposals here.

Call or email your state senator and committee members immediately.

Copy and paste these committee member email addresses and add to the CC section of the email:

jack.bailey@senate.state.md.us, marybeth.carozza@senate.state.md.us, rthur.ellis@senate.state.md.us, jason.gallion@senate.state.md.us, katiefry.hester@senate.state.md.us, cheryl.kagan@senate.state.md.us, clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us, obie.patterson@senate.state.md.us, paul.pinsky@senate.state.md.us, bryan.simonaire@senate.state.md.us, mary.washington@senate.state.md.us

Their phone numbers: