Archive by Author

Protecting the Right to Vote

by on September 9, 2013 in Resolutions

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, yet this fundamental right is not explicitly protected in the U.S. Constitution. While Governor O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly have taken important steps to expand voting opportunities, several other states and the Supreme Court have made devastating decisions to move in the opposite direction. That is why I am introducing a resolution that will affirm the Council’s commitment to expanding participation in elections and protecting voting rights for all of our residents. I am pleased that all 8 of my colleagues have signed on to this resolution as co-sponsors.

votingrightsGroupFormalonSteps 9-23-13

At the county level, we have limited authority in making election law. While Montgomery County funds the local Board of Elections, election rules are ultimately determined at the state level. However, county government can be a catalyst for offering innovative proposals our state and federal officials can adopt. As chair of the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee, which has oversight over the Board of Elections budget, I believe it is essential that Montgomery County have a strong voice in discussions about increasing voting rights and reforming our elections.

This resolution calls on Congress to restore Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was declared unconstitutional earlier this year by the Supreme Court. With states like North Carolina and Texas rolling back voting rights and instituting draconian photo ID laws, the need for robust federal enforcement of election law is needed more than ever.

The resolution also calls on Congress to give residents of Washington, DC full representation and voting rights in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. The lack of voting rights for residents living in our nation’s capital is a disgrace. The United States is the only democracy in the world where residents of its capital are not represented in their national legislature. Beyond this issue of basic fairness, DC’s lack of representation also hurts surrounding jurisdictions, like Montgomery County. Without a voting member of the House and two Senators, the DC area has less of a voice on key regional issues, like transportation, than we deserve.

vote

At the local level, the resolution urges the Montgomery County Board of Elections to select new early voting sites that are “easily accessible by public transportation.” Montgomery County will have several new early voting sites in 2014 and we need to make sure that all eligible voters, regardless of income or access to a vehicle, have an opportunity to cast a ballot.

Finally,  this resolution creates a task force that will review and offer recommendations to improve our election

processes in Montgomery County. I hope this citizen-centric approach will provide us with creative ideas to increase
You can read the resolution in its entirety here. Learn more about FairVote’s Promote Our Vote project here and DC Voting Rights here.civic education and participation in our democratic process.

A Big Announcement on the Purple Line

by on August 6, 2013 in Uncategorized

I appreciated Governor O’Malley inviting me to speak on behalf of the Council yesterday at an event announcing almost an $1 billion in new state transportation funding for Montgomery County, including $400 million for the Purple Line, along with new funding for the Brookeville Bypass (a high priority in my district), for the Corridor Cities Transitway (a planned transit line along the I-270 corridor), and several other important projects.

The Governor and Lt. Governor Brown also announced that they will seek to find a private partner to help finance and build the Purple Line. This will be the first time the State has used a Public Private Partnership (P3), an innovative funding mechanism, to finance a transit project of this scale.

I was also joined at the announcement by County Executive Leggett, Prince George’s County Executive Baker, many of my Council colleagues, members of our state delegation, a number of municipal leaders. I was happy to see many pro-Purple Line activists in the audience, some of whom have been working for years, even decades, to get us to this point.

IMG_2438 IMG_2447 IMG_2434 IMG_2432

My testimony on the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act

by on March 15, 2013 in Uncategorized

The Ways and Means Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates is holding a hearing today on HB 1515, the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013. This critical bill would increase funding for transportation projects across the state. Here is the testimony I will be submitting to the Committee:

The Montgomery County Council unanimously supports HB 1515: Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013.

On behalf of the Council, I want to commend Governor O’Malley, Speaker Busch, and Senate President Miller for putting forward a solution that will address Maryland’s transportation needs. This legislation recognizes that we will rise or fall together – as One Maryland. This statewide solution will raise revenue to fund projects from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore. Having resources available to build our transit infrastructure and maintain our roads and bridges will help our private sector grow and economy thrive.

Maryland’s economic future rests on our ability to fund our state’s transportation priorities. The Council is supportive of indexing the gasoline tax and phasing in the state sales tax on the wholesale price of gasoline. The funding mechanisms offered by this legislation will keep our gas prices competitive with surrounding jurisdictions. The Council also supports the “lockbox” provision in the bill to ensure that revenues generated remain dedicated for transportation purposes. As with any revenue increase, we hope the General Assembly will explore ways of minimizing the impact on lower income families.

Montgomery County continues to have serious concerns about shifting responsibility for funding transportation to local jurisdictions. We are glad to see no local funding element is included in this legislation and look forward to reviewing the recommendations of the working group that will study funding mechanisms for local transportation systems.

My colleagues on the Council and I continue to remain optimistic that the General Assembly will take decisive action this year to address our state’s growing transportation needs. Both Montgomery County and Maryland’s economic success depends on moving our transit projects and transportation infrastructure forward.

A stroll through Brookeville in 1812

by on March 12, 2013 in Uncategorized

I am very excited about a project that the Sandy Spring Museum is seeking to undertake in Brookville. “A Stroll through Brookeville in 1812” would be a weekend long event featuring a tour of historic homes in Brookeville where costumed interpreters would teach visitors about the history of the homes, the occupants, the architecture, and the history of the town of Brookeville. There would also demonstrations of period crafts like weaving, spinning, and blacksmithing.

Brookeville, of course, has a rich history having been “U.S. Capital for a Day” during the War of 1812. The town, and many of its residents, have gone to great lengths to preserve many of its historic resources, and in addition to helping to document and preserve a piece of Montgomery County’s history, this program could bring visitors from all over the country, people who might also visit our stores, restaurants, and hotels.

I recently wrote a letter to the Maryland Heritage Area Authority supporting the Sandy Spring Museum’s application for a grant for this project, and I am optimistic that it will succeed.

Celebrating African American History Month

by on February 26, 2013 in Uncategorized

As February is African American History Month, I was happy to see NPR do a story this morning on “Kinship Communities” in Montgomery County. Reporter Rebecca Sheir explained that:

It’s African American History Month, and across Montgomery County, Md., there are about 40 communities that played a very particular role in the region’s African American history. They were all settled by freed slaves in the 19th century, and include places like Lyttonsville, Lincoln Park, Sugarland, Jerusalem, Tobytown, Stewartown, Ken-Gar, Sandy Spring, and Scotland. They’re often referred to as “kinship communities.”

Last year, I spearheaded an effort with Montgomery College, the Ross Boddy Community Center, and Comcast to produce a documentary about Sandy Spring called Sandy Spring: Unity in the Time of Segregation. Khalfani Hatcher, a Montgomery College student, narrated the film and Montgomery College’s Dan Rankin produced and directed it. Terri Hogan of the Gazette told the story of how the documentary came about.

You can watch the full documentary online:

If you are interested in learning more about Kinship Communities and the rich history of Montgomery County, I encourage you to visit the Sandy Spring Museum, a wonderful cultural resource.

My Testimony on SB830 – Transportation Funding Bill

by on February 20, 2013 in Uncategorized

I am testifying today at 2PM before the Maryland State Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on SB 830, which is also known as the Transportation Financing Act. The bill would increase funding for transportation projects in the state. Without new revenue, many crucial transit and road projects here in Montgomery County are in serious jeopardy.

Here is the complete text of my testimony:

Good afternoon Chairman Kasemeyer and Members of the Budget and Taxation Committee:

My name is Nancy Navarro and I am the President of the Montgomery County Council. I am pleased to testify today in favor of increased funding for transportation.

I want to begin by commending Senate President Miller and the co-sponsors of SB 830 for putting forward a proposal that starts this urgent conversation about addressing Maryland’s transportation needs. While my colleagues on the Council and I may not support every detail in these bills, we view it as a positive step toward our shared goal of addressing our growing transit needs and maintaining our existing transportation infrastructure. 

The Council is firm in its belief that transportation funding is a statewide obligation that requires a statewide solution. That is why we favor the proposal to establish a sales and use tax on gasoline, although the 3 percent in SB 830 will not be sufficient to raise the revenue necessary to meet all of our needs. We would support a fully phased in 6 percent sales tax on gasoline or a 1-cent increase on the state sales tax, which would both raise a more substantial level of revenue.

Montgomery County continues to have serious concerns about shifting responsibility for funding transportation to local jurisdictions. Asking Montgomery County or Baltimore City taxpayers to disproportionately shoulder the cost for projects that will ultimately benefit the entire state’s economy is not a sustainable approach for funding transportation. We do not believe it is appropriate at this time to create Transit Benefit Districts with taxing authority or providing local governments with the ability to levy a gas tax. Any discussion of local transportation revenues is premature until all statewide options are fully considered.

My colleagues on the Council and I continue to remain optimistic that the General Assembly will take decisive action this year to address our state’s growing transportation needs. Both Montgomery County and Maryland’s economic success depends on moving our transit projects and transportation infrastructure forward.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

Welcome to the County Council

by on October 24, 2012 in Nancy in the News

The Displaced Worker Protection Act

by on September 18, 2012 in Uncategorized

Today, the Council passed the Displaced Worker Protection Act, a bill to help the most vulnerable members of our workforce. I was proud to co-sponsor and vote for this legislation because it provides a modest level of stability for those who need it most, without imposing too heavy a burden on their employers. I want to thank Councilmember Valerie Ervin for her leadership on this issue.

The bill provides that low-wage building service workers — the employees that clean our bathrooms, shovel our sidewalks, and keep our offices secure — cannot be fired without cause for 90 days when a building changes contractors. These are people who go to work every day; many work more than one job just to make ends meet. Low wages and limited benefits mean that these employees don’t have savings to draw on in an emergency, and sudden termination can leave them and their families without any way to support themselves.

President Obama issued an Executive Order applying this protection to employees of federal contractors less than two weeks after he took office in 2009. Similar legislation has already been successful in:

  • Washington DC
  • Los Angeles
  • New York City
  • San Francisco
  • Providence

In each case, the evidence shows that these provisions help low wage employees without stunting local economies or pushing businesses into other jurisdictions.

I understand and respect those who believe this measure is too intrusive or that it might damage our economy. I’ve received a lot of correspondence about this bill — both for and against. I’m grateful for the input of both sides.

But I have also received correspondence on this bill that relied on incendiary language and vague accusations to demonize low wage workers in our community, rather than constructive arguments. For example, one email I received urged me to vote “Hell No” on this bill because, it claimed, most low wage workers are “illegal aliens.” The emailed continued:

Workers are sometimes fired within hours after a new contractor comes in, creating instability and hardship for their children and families. I have no problem with this.

Clearly, this is the sentiment of one individual, and most of this bill’s opponents oppose it for entirely legitimate reasons. And I have seen day after day serving on this Council that every one of my fellow Councilmembers are here with the best intentions to fight against “creating instability and hardship for … children and families.” But this kind of rhetoric pops up every time we consider greater protections for those who are the most vulnerable in our society, and I believe it is important to highlight and refute it.

When I ran for this office, I promised to stand up for all of my constituents — rich and poor; black, white and brown; gay and straight; east-county, mid-county, and up-county. I believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, the government should play a role to make sure you have the opportunity to make a better life for yourself and your family. All too often, people look at service employees as disposable — that we can replace one worker with another and no one would notice. But I notice. The people protected by this bill are mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, people who work the graveyard shift cleaning toilets, then take 3 buses to a second job so they can put food on the table and send their kids to college. And I am proud that, with the passage of this bill, when service workers are summarily terminated without some modicum of notice or cause, Montgomery County’s government will notice too.