EHRLICH SELECTS CABINET MEMBERS
Governor-elect Robert Ehrlich has made several announcements regarding the creation of his new cabinet. Although the complete names of those cabinet members will not be finalized until later this week, following are some of the major appointments to date:
Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management - James "Chip" DiPaula, Jr. Having recently served as Ehrlich's campaign manager, DiPaula was previously chief executive officer of the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. In addition to managing the budget process, DiPaula will be responsible for a top-to-bottom review of government agencies to eliminate inefficiencies and duplications.
Secretary of State - R. Karl Aumann. Aumann is a lawyer who has worked as Ehrlich's chief administrator and director of his Baltimore area congressional district offices for 8 years.
Secretary of the Department of Transportation - Robert L. Flanagan. Flanagan, an attorney, is a Delegate from Howard County who served on the House Appropriations Committee. As head of Transportation, Delegate Flanagan would oversee the bulk of the State's transportation infrastructure including BWI airport. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. commented that Delegate Flanagan is the only Ehrlich appointment thus far that may have a problem being approved by the Senate.
Secretary of Appointments - Larry H. Hogan, Jr. Hogan is president of the Hogan Group, an Annapolis real estate company and is former director of the Suburban Maryland Building Industry Association.
Secretary of the Department of Human Resources - Senator Christopher J. McCabe. McCabe served a brief appointment in the Bush administration as director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Most recently he was advisor to the director of the National Institutes of Health. McCabe served 10 years in the General Assembly and was a former development officer at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Secretary of the Department of Planning - Audrey E. Scott. Scott served as a member of the Prince George's County Council from 1994-2002, the first Republican elected in 28 years. Earlier in her career, Scott was a member of the Bowie City Council and was later elected for three terms as the first woman Mayor of Bowie. She was later appointed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as Special Assistant in Community Planning and Development, eventually being promoted to General Deputy Assistant Secretary.
Secretary of the Department of General Services - Boyd K. Rutherford. President George W. Bush appointed Rutherford associate administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration's Office of Small Business Utilization in 2001. In 2002, he took on the additional responsibility as associate administrator for the Office of Performance Improvement. Rutherford has extensive legal and business experience including service in the fields of sales, practice of law and small and minority business development.
Secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation - James D. Fielder. Fielder previously worked in the State's Department of Business and Economic Development. Fielder is current president of on campus management for Capstone Properties, which manages apartments for college students.
Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs - Thomas E. Hutchins. Hutchins, a Delegate from Charles County since 1994, is a retired State police commander. He also spent 33 years in the National Guard.
Director of the Governor's Office of Minority Affairs - Sharon Pinder. Pinder has expertise in business development and strategic planning as the recent President of Early Morning Software Inc., a $5 million professional services firm in Baltimore.
Council and Criminal Justice Advisor - Jervis S. Finney. Finney is the senior counsel of the law firm Ober, Kaler, Grimes and Shriver in Baltimore.
Other major appointments will be made this week, and will be included in the next edition of the Legislative Hotline.
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
BILLS INTRODUCED
General Education
Health Care Practitioners
Pharmaceuticals
BILLS INTRODUCED
General Education
HB0011
Public Charter School Act of 2003
House Bill 11 allows County Boards of Education to create and become the chartering authorities
for public charter schools in the State. Various parties will be allowed to submit applications to
create public charter schools, including the staff of public schools, parents or guardians of
students who attend public schools, public institution of higher education, and combinations of the
above. An applicant is permitted to engage the services of a nonprofit corporation in the
establishment of a charter school. Under House Bill 11, the County Board shall establish the
policies guiding the goals, focus, rules, procedures and implementation of the charter school
including the rights and duties of the county boards as public chartering authorities.
Effective Date: July 1, 2003
For more information, please contact:
Bret Schreiber
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Health Care Practitioners
HB0001
Maryland Trauma System Funding Act
The bill establishes the Maryland Trauma System Fund, which will be supported by a $2 surcharge
on automobile insurance policies issued in the State. The fund, will be administered by the
Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) in conjunction with the Maryland Health Services
Cost Review Commission (HSCRC).
The purpose of the fund is to subsidize the documented costs of physician uncompensated care
provided to trauma patients, reported on the trauma registry, cared for in a designated trauma
center. The following trauma centers, as designated by the Maryland Institute for Emergency
Medical Services Systems, are eligible to participate:
- the Primary Adult Resource Center
- Level I
- Level II
- Level III
- Pediatric Trauma Center
Proceeds from the fund will be distributed based on a methodology established jointly by the
MHCC and the HSCRC to physicians who are required to apply to the fund on a form and
manner determined by the Commission. The allocation methodology is to take into account:
- amount of physician uncompensated care provided
- number of patients served
- number of Maryland residents served
- extent to which physician uncompensated care costs are otherwise subsidized by hospitals,
federal government, and other sources
MHCC and the HSCRC are required to report annually to the General Assembly on:
- the amount of money in the fund
- the amount of money applied for by eligible physicians
- the amount of money distributed in the form of physician reimbursements
- recommendations on altering the manner in which trauma physician uncompensated care costs
are reimbursed.
Effective Date: July 1, 2003
For more information, please contact:
Jim Kaufman
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Pharmaceuticals
HB0017
Maryland Pharmacy Assistance Program - Eligibility
This bill changes the requirements needed as DHMH maintains the Maryland Pharmacy
Assistance Program. The Program is designed for low income individuals whose assets are not
more than the level established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and gross
annual income does not exceed 116% of the Federal poverty guidelines for individuals, or 100%
of the poverty guidelines for families of two or more.
The Secretary of DHMH will provide information to individuals not eligible for the Pharmacy
Assistance Program regarding other programs that they may be eligible for including the Maryland
Medbank Program, and the Senior Prescription Drug Program.
Effective Date: July 1, 2003
For more information, please contact:
Nicole Xander
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STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
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Last updated 03jan15
