State of Maryland Archives: on Families & Children


Thomas Perez: Parents need support to help them juggle work and family

The growing costs of childcare is often a barrier for women entering the workforce. Many mothers are forced to make a choice between paying a significant amount of their income on childcare, finding a low-quality option for supervision of their children, or leaving the workforce altogether to become caregivers. Working parents need support to help them juggle work and family. Too often, quality child care is only accessible to the wealthiest and best connected.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com Jul 18, 2021

Ben Jealous: Require 5 days of paid sick leave; invest in employee health

Labor: Support bill requiring 5 days of paid sick leave from companies with 15 or more workers?

Hogan: No. Prefers incentives rather than requirements. Law passed over his veto.

Jealous: Yes. Our economy works best when we invest in our people. And that starts with investing in their health.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Maryland Governor race Nov 1, 2018

Ian Schlakman: Comfortable with same-sex marriage

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Comfortable with same-sex marriage"?

A: Strongly support

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Governor candidate Aug 21, 2018

Richard Madaleno: Stricter regulations on BPA, concussions, & child seats

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Governor candidate Jun 1, 2018

Larry Hogan: Require paid leave, but for large businesses only

Gov. Hogan today announced a compromise proposal to provide paid leave benefits. In Dec. 2016, Gov. Hogan became the first Republican governor in the nation to introduce a statewide measure to expand paid leave. The governor's proposal would have required larger businesses to provide paid leave, incentivized small businesses to offer this benefit by providing tax incentives to help offset the costs. The legislature instead passed the confusing, unwieldy, and unfair House Bill 1 (HB1); Governor Hogan vetoed the legislation in May.

Under the Paid Leave Compromise Act of 2018, businesses with 25 or more employees will be required to offer paid leave to their employees by the year 2020. In the spirit of true compromise and collaboration, the governor's Paid Leave Compromise Act of 2018 was developed using HB1 as a starting point, striking out burdensome red tape and intrusive provisions to create a streamlined, simpler proposal.

Source: Press release on Maryland voting record: HB1 veto Nov 28, 2017

Maya Cummings: Support family security in workplace

Improve supports for working families, such as retirement security, family care benefits, and paid sick leave, to reduce burdensome expenses, increase economic security, reinforce family values, and productivity.
Source: 2018 Maryland Gubernatorial website MayaForMaryland.com Oct 15, 2017

Arvin Vohra: Marriage isn't magic but skills can be learned

Not a single study says, marriage provides some magic, sacred, special, irreplaceable value. They just say that it provides supervision and money. Two parent families aren't magic. My advice: look at the details of successes. What we do in my business: we look at the outliers. Instead of studying parents who are kind of successful, we study parents who were shockingly, unbelievably successful. Talk, in detail, with successful parents, or talk to successful individuals about their own parents.
Source: Facebook posting on 2018 Maryland gubernatorial race Apr 4, 2017

Larry Hogan: Pass the Common Sense Paid Sick Leave Act

For the last few years, there has been a great deal of discussion and debate in these chambers around the issue of sick leave in Maryland. Employees without this benefit are sometimes faced with hard choices about their health and welfare, like whether to risk showing up to work sick or not receiving a paycheck. Let's strike a compromise, considering the needs of Maryland employees while not hurting our small business job creators.

Let's work together to pass the Common Sense Paid Sick Leave Act of 2017, which requires larger companies to provide paid sick leave and encourages small businesses to offer paid sick leave by giving them tax incentives to offset the costs of providing those additional benefits. In this way, we can provide even more employees the benefit without hurting the small business owners and without causing the loss of jobs.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature Feb 1, 2017

Kathy Szeliga: Encourage flexibility so employees can be good parents

Q: Should the federal government require paid sick time or family leave?

Szeliga: As a woman and a mom, I understand how it can be difficult to balance work and family responsibilities. I believe we should do more to encourage companies to provide women and men the flexibility they need to be good parents.

Source: Baltimore Sun Voter Guide on 2016 Maryland Senate race Sep 9, 2016

Sam Faddis: Disappearing middle class families struggle to survive

Faddis is worried about the middle class. "Remember when a family could live a comfortable life style with one parent working? Now both parents work and they are just barely hanging on by their fingernails."
Source: Communities Digital News on 2018 Maryland Senate race Nov 5, 2015

Kathy Szeliga: Voted against new birth certificates for sex changes

SB 743 Authorizes New Birth Certificates for Sex Changes
Bill Passed House (91-49); Rep. Kathy Szeliga voted Nay.
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2015-2016 Maryland voting records Apr 8, 2015

Jamie Raskin: Voted for new birth certificates for sex changes

SB 743 Authorizes New Birth Certificates for Sex Changes
Bill Passed House (91-49); passed Senate (31-16); Sen. Raskin voted YEA.
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2015-2016 Maryland legislative records Mar 21, 2015

Richard Madaleno: Voted for new birth certificates for sex changes

SB 743 Authorizes New Birth Certificates for Sex Changes
Bill Passed House (91-49); passed Senate (31-16); Sen. Madaleno voted YEA.
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2015-2016 Maryland legislative records Mar 21, 2015

Martin O`Malley: Cut infant mortality by 21%, after setting goal of 10%

Today in Maryland, you can go online right now, and see the 16 strategic goals we have set for our State's progress. On some of these, we've already exceeded our initial goals. On others, we're making progress. Progress requires accountability. But accountability means putting your commitment out there, for all of us to know and see, and hopefully to help drive.

One example: In 2007, one of the goals we publicly set was to drive down our infant mortality rate by 10%, by the end of 2012. A lot of people told us at the time not to make the commitment public. You see, the old way of thinking says elected officials should never set measurable goals with deadlines, because you'll be criticized if you fall short.

We chose a different path. We set real goals with specific, and more immediate, deadlines. By the way, at the end of 2012, together we had driven down Maryland's infant mortality rate--not by just 10%--but by 215. That means 164 lives saved just in 2012.

Source: 2014 State of the State Address to Maryland legislature Jan 23, 2014

Mary Landrieu: Supports adoption and foster care reform

Adoption and Foster Care Reform: There is nothing more important for a child than to be raised in a supporting and loving family. Unfortunately, whether it is due to war, famine, or abandonment here or overseas, too many children lack a family to call their own.
Source: 2008 Senate campaign website, www.marylandrieu.com, “Issues” Mar 2, 2008

Corrogan Vaughn: Priority on family and marriage values

Source: 2006 Senate campaign website, campaignsecrets.com/maryland Nov 6, 2006

  • The above quotations are from State of Maryland Politicians: Archives.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Families & Children:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021