Jobs and the Economy

"Maryland ranks in the bottom half of states for economic competitiveness despite our high-quality workforce and access to capital. We must attract new entrepreneurs to Maryland and invest in existing local businesses to unlock the full potential of our economy."

One of Maryland's top challenges as a state is attracting and growing businesses. I know our state has all of the necessary components to support an entrepreneurial, diverse, and resilient economy. As Chair of the bipartisan Small Business Jobs Caucus, I have worked to lower taxes, increase funding for workforce development programs, and empower our innovative private sector.

In 2021, I sponsored the COVID-19 Small Business Relief Act of 2021, which was subsequently incorporated in the $1.5B RELIEF Act, to provide critical aid to Maryland restaurants, hotels, and other industries that were hit hard by the pandemic. In 2022, I established two grant programs to keep childcare centers open, as well as to support expanding centers. I also established Maryland’s first Private Letter Ruling program, which will allow small businesses to seek guidance in complex tax situations directly from the Comptroller’s office. I have voted for more than $2B of tax cuts for Maryland businesses and working families.

In general, I support policies to:

Support apprenticeships and other innovative approaches to reduce workforce shortages
Reduce government red tape, such as duplicative reporting on state and local regulations
Lower state business filing fees and other barriers to entrepreneurship
Invest in state IT systems that provide faster, high-quality public services that enable business to flourish
Ensuring that the Unemployment Trust Fund is carefully refilled using state and federal funds
Conduct a comprehensive review of our state tax system done through an independent commission

Strong communities sustain strong businesses. I support community development projects and changing the tax code to encourage growth in small and medium-sized businesses already in Maryland. Maryland also needs to keep attracting businesses from elsewhere. This requires a balanced, thoughtful, evidence-based approach to tax policy and public investment for a better future. We can create win-win solutions by compromising and taking a long-term perspective. We need legislators who move beyond partisanship, are independent minded, and have experience in building partnerships and finding common ground. I will continue to be a strong, independent champion in Annapolis for Maryland businesses and communities.