Md. Republicans revive bills to fight violent crime

ANNAPOLIS — House and Senate Republicans hope to resurrect a package of bills designed to reduce violent crime similar to legislation killed in the House of Delegates one year ago.

With half of the 90-day session over, Republicans say now is the time to focus on issues related to violent crime and getting tough with repeat violent offenders, particularly in Baltimore. The push comes as the Senate wrapped up work on a nine-bill package aimed at reforming law enforcement oversight across the state — a top priority for House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson.

“We have gone this far without addressing what should be a top issue: the violent crime crisis in our state,” said Del. Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore and Harford counties and the minority whip.

“One of government’s primary and essential roles is to keep people safe, keep children safe, to create communities where parents are not afraid to let their kids play outside,” she said. “We are failing in our responsibilities.”

Sen. Cory McCray, D-Baltimore and chairman of the city delegation, said efforts by the General Assembly and city leaders in the last year are having an effect, pointing to the fact that violent crime numbers including murders – which were still in excess of 300 — carjackings and shootings all fell in 2020 compared to 2019.

“The violent offenders are in the jails at this moment,” said McCray. “We are locking up violent offenders. The numbers say that.”

Included in the Republican package is Senate Bill 852, which would toughen penalties for the use of a handgun in the commission of a crime by a repeat violent offender, doubling the maximum sentence to 10 years. The bill was part of a compromise crime package crafted by the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee last year.

“We know what the problem is,” said Sen. Mike Hough, R-Frederick and sponsor of the bill. “Illegal guns are the problem. Not taking violent offenders off the streets is the problem.”

Gov. Larry Hogan supported the bill last year as part of an effort to crack down on violent offenders. The House of Delegates later stripped the bill out of Senate package. Hogan cited that action in vetoing other crime bills last year that were supported by Democrats.

Democrats overrode those vetoes, returning funding to crime diversion and other programs.

“We know those programs work,” said McCray.

The bill has the support of the governor again this year as well as the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association.

“This is about getting violent criminals off the street,” said Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

Also included in the package is legislation that would make gun theft a felony and a proposal that would require a person convicted of a violent crime to serve at least 90% of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

“Quite honestly we are spending an inordinate amount of time this session dealing with issues that do not deal with the root problem in places like Baltimore, which is out-of-control crime and a criminal element that is terrorizing citizens of that city and of the surrounding area,” said Sen. Justin Ready, R-Carroll and sponsor of the Senate version of legislation that would make gun theft a felony.

Another bill would create a violent crime prosecution unit within the Office of the Attorney General specifically to focus on crimes in Baltimore.

“A lot has been said about the violent crime problem in our state and especially in Baltimore city, which is a treasure for all of Maryland, not just for the folks that live there,” said Del. Nic Kipke, R-Anne Arundel and the Republican leader in the House.

McCray noted that the money for the unit in the attorney general’s office was included in Hogan’s current budget but cut by the governor and the Board of Public Works over the summer. The line item does not appear in the fiscal 2022 budget proposal.

Republicans who were more openly critical of Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby last year took a different approach this year. While repeatedly noting incidents of violent crime in the city in the last week and the six consecutive years of 300 or more homicides, Republicans specifically sidestepped criticizing Mosby.

In fact, Kipke and other Republicans avoided using Mosby’s name at times referring to her only as the city prosecutor.

“The bills we have discussed here today are ideas, not criticisms,” said Kipke. “Some in the media, some out there want us to, you know, pick fights with the prosecutor in Baltimore City, make it a political issue. You didn’t hear any of that today.”