Maryland governor Larry Hogan recently delivered his fourth and final State of the State address on January 31st at the State house of Annapolis, highlighting some of Maryland’s accomplishments over the last few years and plans for the future as he makes a case for his second term. Hogan’s speech boasted of Maryland’s economic growth, extolling a long list of accomplishments including cutting taxes for veterans and police officers as well as embarking on ambitious and “high-priority” transportation projects. However, he does note that more policies could be implemented to further economic and educational equality, most of which need to be accomplished by Democrats and Republicans working together.
Hogan’s speech emphasized bipartisanship, saying that Marylanders are “heartened that the unifying promise of bipartisan change is being forged in reality.” He repeated multiple times that “we can– and we must– do more”, pushing for the enactment of the Maryland Jobs Initiative, an “innovative, bipartisan proposal,” that assists in creating jobs, especially in areas that need the most development.
Hogan also denounced “petty rhetoric”, instead opting to promote balance and fairness, which he believes is essential to the future of Maryland. He pulled out a picture of him with Chad Book, an army veteran who died from an opioid overdose, to emphasize the urgent need for policies combating the opioid epidemic, which he earlier deemed a “public health emergency. “We must commit to doing whatever it takes to address this crisis, and no state can do it alone,” Hogan concluded, acknowledging that many issues transcend party lines.
Since the 2016 presidential election, critics have often been quick to suggest that Hogan is too lenient towards Donald Trump’s policies. According to the Baltimore Sun, Democrat Jim Shea noted that “Time and again, Larry Hogan’s silence and inaction has enabled Donald Trump to push through damaging policies and systematically dismantle the institutions that our democracy is built on.” A common criticism has been that, by failing to attack the president directly, Hogan is not doing enough to differentiate Maryland’s policies from Washington’s.
On the other hand, others praise Hogan for the legislation he has enacted in his time as governor. Kyle Zhu, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School, said: “I think Governor Hogan has done a good job as governor in the last two years. The Student Debt Relief Act, which he is pushing for in particular, is especially relevant to the current climate, and will help reduce interest paid. These steps, while small, will go in a long way in creating real change.”
Hogan faced mix reception to his last address. Senate Majority Whip Stephen S. Hershey Jr. claimed, “It talked to both sides of the aisle on issues that were important to Marylanders.” Delegate Bill Frick of Montgomery County disagreed, however, saying in an interview with CBS Baltimore: “The State of the State was a lot of nice words, but really was more of a campaign speech where the governor was trying to characterize his first term in ways favorable to him.”
The governor, who seeks reelection in November, expressed hopes of working with Marylanders in the future, concluding his speech by looking towards the future: “Over the past two years, together, we have done many great things. And now, we have the incredible opportunity to accomplish even more. Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the great State of Maryland.”
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Michelle Li of Richard Montgomery High School