ROCKVILLE, MD (January 3, 2019) — Maryland’s top policymakers, economists, and political analysts are confirmed to speak at the Maryland Public Policy Institute’s 2019 Policy Orientation Forum Friday, January 11, 2019 in Annapolis. Speakers at the half-day summit will include Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, Commerce Secretary-designate Kelly Schulz, redistricting commission co-chair Walter Olson, and Anirban Basu, chair of the Maryland Economic Development Commission. Full list of speakers and registration details can be found below.

9:00 – 9:45 am - Redistricting in Maryland: 2019 and Beyond

Maryland’s decennial redistricting process is looming, as is a new order from federal judges for Maryland to redraw its 6th congressional district map by March 2019. How can Maryland improve its redistricting process? Our panel will explore the rapidly-evolving dynamics of redrawing 188 state legislative seats and eight congressional seats.

Panel:

Walter Olson, Co-Chair, Governor’s Commission on Redistricting Reform & Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

Lu Pierson, Past-President, League of Woman Voters Maryland  

Todd Eberly, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Len Lazarick, Editor and Publisher, MarylandReporter.com (moderator)

10:00 – 11:00 am - Reforming Maryland’s Business Taxes

Maryland ranks 45th out of 50 states for the cost of doing business, according to CNBC. Despite Maryland’s world-class workforce, Amazon recently declined to locate its new headquarters in the state in favor of neighboring Virginia. How can Maryland improve its tax and regulatory climate for job creators? Our panelists will identify obstacles to business growth in Maryland and provide a blueprint for tax and regulatory reform.

Panel:

Kelly Schulz, Maryland Commerce Secretary-designate (currently Maryland Labor, Licensing, & Regulation Secretary)

Anirban Basu, Chair, Maryland Economic Development Commission and Chairman & CEO, Sage Policy Group

Richard Clinch, Ph.D., Executive Director, University of Baltimore's Jacob France Institute

Mike O’Halloran, Maryland Director, National Federation of Independent Business

Joanna Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief, Baltimore Business Journal (moderator)

11:00 – 11:50 am - Choosing the Right Path for Public Education

The Maryland General Assembly’s Kirwan Commission has recommended that Maryland spend billions of additional dollars on the public education system, even as public surveys show Marylanders are hesitant to pay for new funding through higher taxes. Our top panelists will discuss the state of public education in Maryland, whether new funding is necessary, and the state of the school spending debate in the 2019 legislative session.

Panel:

Jeanne Allen, Founder & CEO, The Center for Education Reform

John R. Woolums, Esq., Director of Governmen

tal Relations, Maryland Association of Boards of Education

Andy Smarick, Former President, Maryland State Board of Education; Director, Civil Society, Education and Work, R Street

Andrew A. Green, Opinion Editor, The Baltimore Sun (moderator)
 

12:00 – 1:15 pm – Lunch and Keynote from Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford

About the Maryland Public Policy Institute: Founded in 2001, the Maryland Public Policy Institute is a nonpartisan public policy research and education organization that focuses on state policy issues. The Institute’s mission is to formulate and promote public policies at all levels of government based on principles of free enterprise, limited government, and civil society.  Learn more at mdpolicy.org.