Violent crime should be the number one priority facing the legislature this year, but you wouldn’t know it by walking the halls of Annapolis.
Today we are at day 45 — the halfway mark of the 90-day legislative session — but not one major crime bill has made it out of a committee and onto the Senate floor for a vote. Yet somehow, we’ve managed to prioritize banning the release of balloons. I acknowledge that every piece of legislation serves a purpose, but I also think it is time that we as legislators get our priorities straight for the good of the people.
A mere 30 miles north of our capital, “Rome is burning,” as President Emeritus Miller so eloquently stated last month, with a steady uptick in almost every violent crime category there is: homicides, shootings, rapes, car jackings, robberies and assault.
So far this year there have been over 40 murders in Baltimore, which puts 2020 on pace to exceed the 348 murders that occurred in 2019. Violence knows no bounds in our city, where its most vulnerable — children and the elderly — are frequently caught in crossfire, and hard-working people live in a harsh reality that has been compared to those of third-world countries. Visitors, new business opportunities and potential residents — key components to the success and vitality of any major city — are constantly deterred from coming to Baltimore because of violent crime.
This should not be the case for a city with so much to offer, like world-renowned medical, biotechnical and educational facilities, amazing cultural institutions, attractions, and sporting venues, and some of the best restaurants in the region. We can and must do more to put an end to this crisis.
You may be wondering why a Senator that represents Baltimore and Harford counties is so impassioned about fighting crime in Baltimore City. The truth is, every Marylander has a stake in making Baltimore a better, safer place to live, work and visit. Not only have taxpayers pumped over $6 billion of local aid into Baltimore in the past five years alone, those of us who don’t actually live there still feel the ill effects of its turmoil. The entire State of Maryland had a 7.1% increase in homicides in 2019 compared to the previous year, the most noticeable increase occurring in neighboring Baltimore County — which is part of my district.
Like so many of you, Baltimore is my hometown. I may be biased, but this City the heart of Maryland and arguably the most integral cog in our state’s economic machine. When Baltimore succeeds, so does Maryland.
Above all, the good, hardworking people of our City deserve better.
It is imperative that violent offenders be held accountable for the crimes they commit, and tougher penalties must be imposed when someone commits a crime with a firearm. Under current State law, theft of a handgun is only classified as a misdemeanor; I won’t rest until it’s a felony. I have also co-sponsored legislation that would significantly increase sentences for those who repeatedly carry illegal firearms — including convicted gang members who illegally possess guns — as well as tougher penalties for witness intimidation.
Furthermore, it’s time we hold the system more accountable. Passing the Judicial Transparency Act would require that sentencing records of judges in violent crime cases be made public. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “An informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will.”
We cannot afford to wait another year to act while crime and violence plague our streets and tear Baltimore apart. I urge the legislature to come together in the spirit of bi-partisanship and for the good of the people we were elected to serve to address this issue. There’s no limit to what we can accomplish together over the next 45 days.
Several bills that could help Baltimore start to rebound from this madness have been introduced, and I stand ready and eager to act. My hands are tied until the democratic chairs of the Senate committees where these bills continue to collect dust finally decide to send them to the floor for to be voted on.
Until there is action, I have one simple question for my fellow lawmakers who continue to ignore the crisis in Baltimore: Where is your sense of urgency as Rome continues to burn? Your silence is deafening.
J.B. Jennings is a Republican member of the Maryland State Senate representing District 7, and is the Senate Minority Leader.
