House Bill #80: The No Nooses Act

I would like to tell you about an important legislative initiative that I believe is crucial to preventing racial intolerance and intimidation in Maryland.

Over the past few months there have been numerous media accounts of people using nooses as a symbol of hate. Most well-known amongst these was the case in Jenna, Louisiana where such a noose sparked school-yard fighting. There have been noose-sightings much closer to home as well. Last September, a noose was found hanging on a tree at the University of Maryland in College Park. This noose was just outside the Nyumburu Cultural Center, home to the Black Faculty and Staff Association. This incident sparked widespread outrage amongst the student body and faculty. You can read the Washington Post article describing this very unfortunate incident by clicking here.

It is becoming clear to me that the noose is fast-becoming the preferred symbol of intimidation by those who express racial intolerance today. Nooses seem to have replaced other equally odious icons such as burning crosses. Burning a cross is already illegal in Maryland. However, hanging a noose isn’t illegal. I believe it is time for Maryland’s law to catch-up.

For this reason I have teamed up with Delegate Herman Taylor to introduce House Bill #80: The No Nooses Act in the Maryland General Assembly which commenced on January 9th. This bill will make it a hate-crime for anyone to place a noose on any real-property based on the ethnic animosity. Such a hate-crime would be a misdemeanor if committed by itself (up to 3 years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine) or a felony if committed with another serious crime (up to 20 years imprisonment and a $20,000 fine).

A similar law was recently passed in New York. In the coming weeks, I will work hard to ensure that this much-needed, common-sense legislation is passed into law in Maryland.

You can read the actual text of the bill by clicking here.

- Saqib

[UPDATE 3/22/2008]: I was successful in getting this issue passed through the House of Delegates. To see an article about this issue, click here.

Saqib Ali's Annapolis Report 2/26/2008

Dear Friends,

Maryland's annual 90-day legislative session in Annapolis has reached its midway point. I have been working very hard on numerous initiatives. I believe the remaining 45 days will be decisive in making progress for our state on numerous fronts.

At the bottom of this email I have included an extensive list of legislation I am working on this session. Please browse through it and feel free to read the actual text of the bills by clicking on the bill number. Keep in mind that bills are simply proposed laws. Just because a bill is proposed doesn't mean that it will become law. In fact only about one third of all proposals become law.

As the second half of the 2008 session begins, I will have many challenging decisions to make as Delegate. To help me make wise decisions, I need to hear from you, my constituents, neighbors and friends. Please contact me about your stance on issues & legislation of concern to you, so that I can be the best representative possible.

It is a great honor to represent the people of District 39. Over the coming weeks, I will keep you up-to-date on my efforts here in Annapolis. Please read my blog which can be found at my website: www.SaqibAli.org. I'll try to update it as often as possible.

Sincerely,
- Saqib

(301) 685-3407
www.SaqibAli.org

Bill Number	Support Level	Description
HB 10	Lead Sponsor	The Unattended Child Protection Act: Creating Maryland's first ever child neglect statute, covering crimes against children which do not rise to the level of child abuse. Read more here.
HB 80	Lead Sponsor	The No Nooses Act: Prohibiting the placement of a noose on someone's property for the purpose of racial intimidation. Read more here.
HB 110	Lead Sponsor	The Wireless Telephone Billing Change Notification Act: Forcing cell phone companies to send a written receipt to customers within 10 days after any change in monthly billing fee. Read more here.
HB 111	Lead Sponsor	The Malfunctioning Traffic Light Act: Requiring drivers to treat a broken or malfunctioning traffic light as a four-way stop sign. Read more here.
HB 129	Lead Sponsor	The Plastic Card Security Act: Forcing retailers to expunge data collected on credit-card swipe machines within 48 hours of the sales transaction.
HB 284	Lead Sponsor	The Consumer Loyalty Card Privacy Act: Preventing supermarkets from selling customers' detailed purchasing history (as recorded by supermarket "Club Cards" or "Bonus Cards") to marketers. Read more here.
HB 328	Lead Sponsor	Preventing the use of the Program Open Space environmental fund to replace natural grass fields with Astroturf.
HB 347	Lead Sponsor	The Special Legislative Session Campaign Finance Reform Act: Prohibiting state-level elected officials from accepting campaign contributions during Special Sessions of the legislature. Read more here.
HB 513	Lead Sponsor	Allocating $150,000 in matching funds to buy advanced medical equipment for the MCC Medical Clinic in Silver Spring.
HB 614	Lead Sponsor	Expanding the 6% sales tax to "medically unnecessary" cosmetic procedures hopefully to offset the repeal of the 2007 Computer Services Tax.
HB 829	Lead Sponsor	Preventing drivers from getting double-ticketed in a very short time by speed-cameras.
HB 1119	Lead Sponsor	Creating new safety standards for vehicles using a trailer-hitch to pull another vehicle or a trailer.
HB 1401	Lead Sponsor	The Radio Frequency Identification Chip Insertion Prevention Act: Preventing employers from implanting radio frequency identification (RFID) chips into employees' bodies. Read more here.
HB 1410	Lead Sponsor	The Truth in Advertising Real-Estate Taxes Act: Requiring realtors to disclose the actual amount a buyer will pay in property taxes after purchasing a home. Read more here.
HB 1414	Lead Sponsor	Patient Referrals for Radiation Therapy Services: Expanding access to cancer radiation therapy by allowing a larger set of medical facilities to administer the treatment. Read more here.
HB 1462	Lead Sponsor	Preventing credit card companies from changing loan terms without having the borrowers signed consent.
HB 75	Co-Sponsor	Requiring that the public school system be notified when a nonpublic-school student is arrested.
HB 76	Co-Sponsor	Increasing the severity of punishment to providing a minor with alcohol from a fine to a misdemeanor crime (jail time).
HB 138	Co-Sponsor	Requiring the disclosure of large contributions to campaigns for state-wide ballot initiatives.
HB 139	Co-Sponsor	Requiring principals to report multiply suspended students to the county school superintendant for a remedial action plan.
HB 161	Co-Sponsor	Suspending minors' drivers licenses if convicted of graffiti.
HB 196	Co-Sponsor	Repealing the computer services tax which passed during the 2007 special legislative session as part of a larger compromise.
HB 247	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a fund in each county for a residential drug abuse treatment program.
HB 283	Co-Sponsor	Allowing the prosecution of drug traffickers for having drug-money up to $10,000.
HB 302	Co-Sponsor	Allocating $1,000,000 in matching funds for the Montgomery General Hospital Emergency Room.
HB 326	Co-Sponsor	Repealing the computer services tax which passed during the 2007 special legislative session as part of a larger compromise.
HB 332	Co-Sponsor	Allocating $1,000,000 in matching funds for an Up-county senior citizens center in Gaithersburg.
HB 334	Co-Sponsor	Allocating $1,000,000 in matching funds for the Bioscience Education Center in Germantown.
HB 336	Co-Sponsor	Allocating $250,000 in matching funds for the Plum Gar Neighborhood Recreation Center in Germantown.
HB 346	Co-Sponsor	Requiring that court orders circumscribing parental rights of a member of the US military deployed overseas apply only temporarily until that deployment is complete.
HB 357	Co-Sponsor	Prohibiting newspaper delivery to homes that have requested stoppage.
HB 358	Co-Sponsor	Creating a searchable website showing all state expenditures over $25,000.
HB 368	Co-Sponsor	Creating the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program to encourage the development of renewable energy sources.
HB 370	Co-Sponsor	Allowing for the collection of DNA from people who have been arrested for violent crime, burglary or auto-theft.
HB 372	Co-Sponsor	Providing mental health services for Maryland veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
HB 373	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a state goal of increasing development near transit centers (bus stations, train stations, etc).
HB 374	Co-Sponsor	Establishing the state goal of reducing per capita electricity by 15% by 2015.
HB 375	Co-Sponsor	Increasing the percentages of electricity that has to be produced by renewable energy sources over the next few years.
HB 376	Co-Sponsor	Mandating that newly constructed state government buildings meet federal standards for being highly energy efficient.
HB 377	Co-Sponsor	Increasing the tax-credit for homes powered by solar or geo-thermal energy.
HB 378	Co-Sponsor	Increasing the penalties for abuse or neglect of animals and aggravated cruelty to animals.
HB 419	Co-Sponsor	Creating a registry for pharmacy benefit managers.
HB 420	Co-Sponsor	Allocating $300,000 in matching funds for historic preservation and rehabilitation of Button Farm.
HB 447	Co-Sponsor	Banning phosphorous from fertilizers intended for personal usage.
HB 500	Co-Sponsor	Denying paternity, visitation and custody rights to rapists for offspring produced by that crime.
HB 506	Co-Sponsor	Reviewing weather Towson State University is unnecessarily duplicating academic programs at Morgan State University.
HB 509	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a task-force to study recyclable beverage bottle/can deposit programs.
HB 512	Co-Sponsor	Establishing the Maryland Affordable Housing Investment Fund and its corresponding Board.
HB 528	Co-Sponsor	Including the homeless as a protected class in Maryland's hate-crime statute.
HB 555	Co-Sponsor	Forcing trailer-park owners pay relocation expenses of their residents when the trailer-park closes.
HB 585	Co-Sponsor	Creating a workgroup to establish a safe patient-lifting policy for nursing homes.
HB 598	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a commission on minority business enterprise.
HB 603	Co-Sponsor	Allowing college students to claim health insurance as an "educational cost" for the purposes of financial aid application.
HB 609	Co-Sponsor	Prohibiting the sale of cigars in packages of less than 5 (except in a cigar shop).
HB 610	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a task-force to study the preservation of heritage languages.
HB 613	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a fund to pay for higher education through excess remainder funds on gift cards.
HB 617	Co-Sponsor	Altering the definition of cigarettes to include cigars for taxation purposes.
HB 618	Co-Sponsor	Mandating that apartment buildings make reasonable religious accommodations for residents.
HB 619	Co-Sponsor	Preventing sex-offenders from having their imprisonment duration reduced due to good behavior.
HB 620	Co-Sponsor	Preventing witness intimidators from having their imprisonment duration reduced due to good behavior.
HB 625	Co-Sponsor	Making the use of state parks free of charge by eliminating the annual fee paid by the Park Reserve Fund to the counties.
HB 654	Co-Sponsor	Mandating that employees be given at least 15-minute breaks every six hours of work.
HB 660	Co-Sponsor	Allocating $250,000 in matching funds for capital improvements for the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes.
HB 711	Co-Sponsor	Preventing school bus drivers from using cell phones.
HB 712	Co-Sponsor	Reducing 25% of green-house gas emissions by 2020 and 90% by 2050.
HB 719	Co-Sponsor	Making it a felony to knowingly watch a dog-fight.
HB 724	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a 12-member joint Senate/House committee on information technology and Biotechnology.
HB 729	Co-Sponsor	Requiring the DNA collection from people arrested for kidnapping and sexual offenses.
HB 730	Co-Sponsor	Allowing the legal practice of Ayurvedic & Homeopathic medicine.
HB 777	Co-Sponsor	Giving gas-station owners right-of-first-refusal when big oil companies sell the business to regional gasoline wholesalers or "jobbers".
HB 785	Co-Sponsor	Converting the troubled Rosewood Center to a state a recreational facility if/when it is closed.
HB 790	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a program to provide medical services specifically to children who have been abused.
HB 795	Co-Sponsor	Allowing State Athletic Commission to issue licenses for mixed martial arts competitions.
HB 834	Co-Sponsor	Mandating that the labels of all fur clothing identify the country of origin and the animal used.
HB 835	Co-Sponsor	Mandating that mercury switches be removed from older automobiles to the Chesapeake Bay from contamination.
HB 857	Co-Sponsor	Giving municipalities the right to annex lots that straddle their municipal borders.
HB 904	Co-Sponsor	Raising the alcoholic beverage tax rate.
HB 905	Co-Sponsor	Requiring private universities to issue annual reports regarding their cultural diversity programs.
HB 971	Co-Sponsor	Creating a publicly financed state legislative election campaign program.
HB 984	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a mental health pilot program for Maryland veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars at Montgomery County General Hospital.
HB 987	Co-Sponsor	Forcing internet broadband providers report to the Public Service Commission maps of where service has and hasn't been deployed.
HB 1067	Co-Sponsor	Forcing universities professors and book stores reduce the cost text-books required for courses by and prevent unneccessary "bundling".
HB 1079	Co-Sponsor	Ensuring that foods sold as "Halal" aren't fraudulently labeled.
HB 1105	Co-Sponsor	Requiring a law enforcement officer to take specified actions if an arrest is made.
HB 1106	Co-Sponsor	Allowing the issuance of protective orders in response to a police arrest even if the court is closed (on the weekends).
HB 1108	Co-Sponsor	Forcing retailers to expunge data collected on credit-card swipe machines within 48 hours of the sales transaction.
HB 1118	Co-Sponsor	Allocating $1,000,000 in matching funds for Mansfield Kaseman Health Center (Community Ministries of Rockville).
HB 1125	Co-Sponsor	Establishing the Maryland Universal Health Care Plan.
HB 1137	Co-Sponsor	Prohibiting the production or sale of "foie gras" (duck liver induced with disease by force-feeding).
HB 1157	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a $2,000 fine for behavior designated as "road-rage".
HB 1160	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a task-force on quiet vehicles and pedestrian safety for the benefit of blind pedestrians.
HB 1176	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a task-force on childhood obesity.
HB 1195	Co-Sponsor	Requiring off-road vehicles to be titled by the MVA.
HB 1206	Co-Sponsor	Prohibiting the bundling of state procurement to limit participation from certain bidders.
HB 1235	Co-Sponsor	Exempting specified employers from the requirement to pay a specified wage for overtime.
HB 1236	Co-Sponsor	Allowing all graduates of Maryland public schools to be eligible for in-state tuition.
HB 1253	Co-Sponsor	Forcing home improvement contractor to comply with environmental rules to protect the Chesapeake Bay.
HB 1260	Co-Sponsor	Allowing wine to be directly shipped to Maryland to a consumers.
HB 1261	Co-Sponsor	Preventing housing discrimination based on the source of one's income.
HB 1277	Co-Sponsor	Increasing the use of minority-owned brokerage and investment services for state funds.
HB 1287	Co-Sponsor	Establishing the Parren J. Mitchell Public Service Summer Internship Scholarship Program at Morgan State University.
HB 1301	Co-Sponsor	Establishing the Jane E. Lawton Conservation Loan Program to promote and invest in energy efficiency and other forms of conservation.
HB 1310	Co-Sponsor	Raising the alcohol tax to fund addiction treatment and prevention.
HB 1312	Co-Sponsor	Raising the age from 5 to 7 for children required to use a booster seat in automobiles.
HB 1323	Co-Sponsor	Reducing the amount awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board if the victim was involved or complicit in their own injuries.
HB 1328	Co-Sponsor	Abolishing the death penalty.
HB 1378	Co-Sponsor	Prohibiting convicted felons from possessing ammunition.
HB 1409	Co-Sponsor	Establishing a grant program for nano-biotechnology research projects.
HB 1420	Co-Sponsor	Prohibiting the placement of a lien on a condominium while a dispute over the lien amount is pending.
HB 1447	Co-Sponsor	Creating the a state board to license and oversee tax-preparers.

House Bill 1401: Radio Frequency Identification Chip Insertion Prevention Act

Did you know that certain companies actually implant computer chips under the skin of their employees? It sounds like the creepy plot of a science-fiction movie, but its true.

I have seen reports that some companies are embedding tiny computer chips known as RFIDs under the skin of their employees wrists so that they can control access to sensitive rooms. Instead of waving their badges in front of a reader, these employees, just wave their wrists. Its like the ultimate SpeedPass technology! You can read Time Magazine articles about this subject by clicking here and here.

But it is a very very bad idea for numerous reasons. Firstly, there are very serious questions about the safety of having a radio-wave emitting device inside your body. There are some unconfirmed reports that they might cause cancer. More importantly though, there are a whole host of privacy and civil-liberty issues that this activity raises. Will the employer track employees movement throughout the day? Who will that tracking information be shared with? Is there a chance the employer will track their employees outside the workplace without their consent? What happens when the employee leaves the company? The privacy implications of such a system are profound and frankly dangerous. It reminds me of George Orwell's 1984.

For this reason, I have introduced House Bill 1401: The Radio Frequency Identification Chip Insertion Prevention Act. This bill would prevent employers from inserting any RFID chip into the body of any employee. Doctors who need to implant it into patients for medical purposes can still do that. And people can continue to implant them into their pets. But employers can't implant them into their employees. Period.

You can read the actual text of the bill by clicking here.

- Saqib

House Bill 1410: Truth in Advertising Real-Estate Taxes

In Maryland we have something called the "Homestead Property Tax Credit". This tax credit ensures that the annual increase in your home property sales taxes is capped at a certain amount - regardless of how high your home's value rises. In Montgomery County it is 10%.

The effect of this tax credit is that even though your home's value may have increased dramatically, your property taxes climb much slower. When the house is sold, the new buyer doesn't get the benefit of this tax reduction. He or she will pay the full tax rate. So often buyers will end up paying significantly higher taxes than the sellers were paying.

Many people don't understand or realize this "tax-gap" exists. Sellers often advertise the taxes they pay on the real-estate fliers leaving the buyer with "sticker-shock" after they move in and get their first tax bill.

Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews identified this problem and passed a local ordinance to fix it in 2007. I'm seeking to take Councilman Andrews idea and expand it state-wide.

For this reason, I have introduced House Bill 1410: The Truth in Advertising Real-Estate Taxes Act. This bill ensures that home sellers (and their agents) will properly list on any advertisement the property tax that the new buyer would pay.

You can read Councilman Andrews' excellent letter to the editor in the Washington Post about this issue by clicking here.

You can read the actual text of the bill by clicking here.

- Saqib

House Bill 1414: Patient Referrals for Radiation Therapy Services

Interesting Fact: If you are a cancer patient in Maryland, when you go to visit your private-practice Oncologist, he can administer chemotherapy to you.... but by law he or she cannot administer radiation therapy. It is strange but true.

A "self-referral" is defined as a doctor referring patients to him or herself (or to an associate from whom a financial benefit is received) for services not directly part of their own practice. Current law ban doctors from "self-referrals" for certain services because of the possibility of conflict-of-interest and over-prescription fraud. These services include MRI, CT-Scans and Radiation Therapy.

MRI and CT-Scan though are fundamentally different in one important way than Radiation Therapy. They are diagnostic tools whereas Radiation Therapy is a treatment. Radiation Therapy is a only given to patients who are known to have cancer and it has very significant side effects. MRI and CT-Scans can be given to literally anyone for almost any ailment. So the risk of over-prescription and fraud with Radiation Therapy is far less than with MRI and CT-Scan.

For this reason I have sponsored a bill House Bill 1414: "Patient Referrals for Radiation Therapy Services" that would allow Medical Oncologists to team up with Radiation Oncologists within the same office. This bill will increase the availability and accessibility of Radiation Therapy for Maryland's Cancer patients.

You can read the actual text of the bill by clicking here.

- Saqib

- Saqib

House Bill 110: Wireless Telephone Service Billing Change Notification Act

Do you own a cell phone? Most adults I know do. Cell phones seem to have become a necessity of modern-day American life. My daily activities would be significantly different if I didn't have my cell phone with me. Not only do I use it to communicate with my family and friends, but I use it to take photos, set alarms, record to-do lists, send text messages, browse the internet, tell time, etc.

As ubiquitous as cell phones have become, it seems that nearly everyone I know has some nightmare story of being overcharged by their cell phone providers. Very often the cause of the overcharge is a misunderstanding or miscommunication between the customer and the wireless provider. Often notification of increased charges are buried deep within huge monthly billing statements that are extremely dense and don't lend themselves to easy analysis. The problem is that often such charges go unnoticed for months before any corrective action is taken leading to many wasted dollars.

Here is a simple example of what I'm talking about: My own monthly cell phone bill is usually between $120 and $140 per month depending on how much I use it. My cell-phone company offers a service called "picture-mail" which allows me to email photos taken on my cell phone to any email address. The cost for this great service is $5 per month. The Picture-mail service can be activated by calling the phone company and requesting it... or it can be activated simply by accessing a menu on my phone and pressing some buttons.

I have a lovely 21-month old daughter. She is a doll. She also loves to play with Daddy's cell phone and press buttons. She (or even I!) might mistakenly order the Picture-mail service. The extra $5 monthly charge on my bill would very likely go unnoticed by me for a very long time... Even if I didn't mean to order it.

There are numerous other examples (which don't involve a baby pressing phone buttons) where I have seen changes in monthly billing rates go unnoticed for a long time. Some of them have been caused be errors by cell phone company staff. So I have introduced House Bill 110: The Wireless Telephone Billing Change Notification Act.

This bill mandates that that "a wireless telephone service provider shall send written notice to a residential customer within 10 days of any change in the rates, terms or conditions of the customer's wireless telephone service." The legislation also stipulates that such a notice must be sent by US Mail "separately from a bill or other correspondence".

This legislation would ensure that if your monthly cell phone bill changes (increase or decrease) for any reason, you will be notified and there won't be any surprises.

You can read the actual text of the legislation by clicking here.

- Saqib

House Bill 347: Special Session Campaign Finance Reform Act