Listen Live
WOLB Featured Video
CLOSE
Maryland Gov. Hogan Provides Covid-19 Updates

Source: Drew Angerer / Getty

Gov. Larry Hogan spoke on his legislative priorities and called for bipartisanship during his final State of the State address Wednesday night.

He wants the General Assembly to act on his proposals to tackle violent crime, lower taxes and refund the police.

The Violent Firearms Offender Act would focus on violent repeat offenders who use guns and any potential shortcomings in the judicial process. He spoke about Baltimore City and the recent deaths of restaurant manager Chesley Patterson and DoorDash driver Cheryl McCormack when mentioning that proposal.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR APP AND TAKE US WITH YOU ANYWHERE!

“The reality is, no matter how much money we invest or what state actions we take, Baltimore City will not ever get control of the violence if they can’t arrest more, prosecute more, and sentence more of the most violent criminals to get them off the streets,” Hogan said.

Hogan called on the state to eliminate state income tax for retirees and make the earned income tax credit from the 2021 RELIEF Act permanent. This comes as Maryland considers its $4.6 billion budget surplus.

Hogan also wants to raise police salaries, help agencies with recruitment, pay for body cameras and de-escalation training, and other programs with a $500 million investment over three years in his Refund the Police proposal.

The governor finished his speech by calling for bipartisanship in the state.

“To those who say that America is too divided, that our political system is too broken and can’t be fixed, I would argue that we have already shown a better path forward,” Hogan said. “And if we can accomplish that here in Maryland, then there is no place in America where these very same principles cannot succeed.”

Source: CBS Baltimore