Delivering Results

Protecting Homeownership

Providing Critical Job Services

Creating 100,000 New Green Jobs

Increasing the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit

Designating Maryland BRAC Zones for Workforce Development

Investing in Maryland's Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses

Protecting Our Workers and Promoting Fair Wages

Stabilizing the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund

Home Energy Assistance

Expanding Unemployment Insurance to Part Time Workers

Ending Childhood Hunger in Maryland

Providing Rate Relief for Marylanders

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Putting Families First

Governor O’Malley understands that there is nothing more important in this world than a family’s home and that there’s nothing more essential for keeping that home than a job.  During these difficult times, Governor O’Malley has always put the needs of our families first, fighting to keep Marylanders in their homes and working to create and save jobs while ensuring that all of our workers are treated fairly.

Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, Maryland established what the Washington Post said were, “among the most sweeping (reforms) in the country.”  He led the nation by signing into law a Foreclosure Mediation bill so that the mortgage companies who put families into their homes have to pick up the phone before they can kick them out.

In order to help our families weather this tough economy, Governor O’Malley increased the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit by 25%, stabilized the unemployment insurance trust fund while expanding coverage to part time workers, provided rapid response job services to employees facing layoffs and enacted legislation to protect our workers—including the nation’s first living wage law. 

Recognizing that the future of our state is dependent on continued investments in our working families, Governor O’Malley has set a goal to create 100,000 new green-tech jobs by 2015, has led the way in designating BRAC zones for workforce development and continues to invest in women-and minority-owned businesses.

O'Malley-Brown: Delivering Results

Protecting Homeownership

• Governor O'Malley led the fight for our most vulnerable citizens who have been hit by this economic downturn by establishing what the Washington Post said were "among the most sweeping [reforms] in the country," to prevent foreclosure.
• Governor O'Malley took on the big banks to empower more Maryland families and provide homeowners with information and support they need to keep more families in their homes.
• Under the leadership of Governor O'Malley, Maryland has become a national model for combating home foreclosures by putting together a broad coalition of counselors, advocates, more than 900 pro bono lawyers, and spiritual leaders from across our State to keep families in their homes.
• Last session, Governor O'Malley signed mandatory foreclosure mediation legislation so that the mortgage companies that put families into their homes have to pick up the phone before they can kick them out.

Providing Critical Job Services

• Through the leadership of Governor O'Malley, nearly 450,000 Marylanders looking for work have been provided with critical career services and job resources over the past three years. With 34 One Stop Centers located in every region of our State, these facilities have provided job search tools and workshops on topics like resume writing and computer skills while helping Marylanders find new work.
• Governor O'Malley is helping Maryland families who have been hit hardest by this economic downturn by providing rapid response job services to companies with impending layoffs to help workers transition smoothly into new jobs and training opportunities.

Creating 100,000 New Green Jobs

• In an effort to create 100,000 new green jobs, Governor O'Malley launched the Maryland Clean Energy Center, which is tasked with Moving Maryland Forward via the development and deployment of clean energy technologies all across our State.

Increasing the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit

• Governor O'Malley and Lt. Governor Brown led the fight to increase the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit by 25% so more of our hard working families have the resources they need to weather this tough economy. For the 2008 tax year, 363,791 Maryland taxpayers received more than $190 million in Earned Income Tax Credits.

Designating Maryland BRAC Zones for Workforce Development

• Governor O'Malley's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Subcabinet, led by Lt. Governor Brown, recently designated five "BRAC Zones" throughout Maryland in 2008 to help direct and prepare for BRAC-related growth opportunities while enhancing the quality of life for all Maryland citizens. In 2009, two more BRAC zones for workforce development were designated: the City of Aberdeen and Howard County.

Investing in Maryland's Minority-and Women-Owned Businesses

• Under the leadership of Governor O’Malley, Maryland had the highest minority business participation rates in history.
• Maryland has the highest goal in the nation for 25% of all state contracting dollars to be awarded to minority-and-women-owned-businesses. And this year, for the first time under Governor O’Malley, we reached 25% participation across cabinet agencies, and 23% across all agencies.
• These contracts not only expand opportunity but they also create jobs. Last year, our MBE program helped to create or save 18,906 jobs in Maryland and stimulated $1.6 billion in economic activity.

Protecting Our Workers and Promoting Fair Wages

• Last year, Governor O'Malley successfully proposed legislation that cracks down on those who fraudulently misclassify their employees as independent contractors leaving workers unprotected from critical worker protection laws and giving employers an unfair competitive advantage over law-abiding businesses. This initiative will save Maryland taxpayers nearly $100 million each year in recovered income tax collections and unemployment insurance payments.
• Governor O'Malley signed into law Fair Share legislation that calls on everyone benefitting from a contract to also share in the cost of obtaining it, providing workers and unions with the resources they need to weather the economic downturn.
• Under the leadership of Governor O'Malley, Maryland has become the first state in the nation to pass a Living Wage law that requires employees working on state contracts to be paid a fair living wage to support their families.

Stabilizing the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund

• Working together with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the Labor community, Governor O'Malley signed legislation to stabilize the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and help relieve pressure on small businesses facing higher premiums due to a law signed by former Governor Ehrlich in 2005.
• Under Governor O'Malley's plan, the State qualified for an additional $127 million in federal assistance in a continued effort to provide small businesses the opportunity to thrive as well as improve the conditions under which they can create or save jobs.

Home Energy Assistance

• In order to help Maryland families during these difficult economic times, the O'Malley-Brown Administration invested $131 million in home energy assistance programs so that no family in Maryland is faced with the potentially life-threatening possibility of a service disconnection during a temporary period of financial hardship. This funding will help nearly 260,000 Maryland households in 2011.
• Governor O'Malley has set a goal to Reduce Per Capita Electricity Consumption in Maryland 15% by 2015.

• Governor O'Malley has a goal to Increase Maryland's Renewable Energy Portfolio by 20% by 2022

Expanding Unemployment Insurance to Part Time Workers

• Governor O'Malley successfully sponsored legislation to ensure that Maryland's 420,000 part time workers are able to receive unemployment benefits if they are experiencing temporary job loss. Previously, these workers and their employers were asked to pay into an unemployment insurance system that denied them benefits.

Ending Childhood Hunger in Maryland

• Under the leadership of Governor O'Malley, Maryland is on track to become the first state in the nation to end childhood hunger within its borders. In partnership with Share Our Strength, the coalition is providing every child in Maryland with the opportunity to reach their full potential at school and at home by providing school breakfast, lunch and year-round summer food services.
• Last summer, over 2.5 million meals were served to children in need throughout the state through the Summer Food Service Program. The After School Supper program, one of only 14 in the country, operates 43 sites across the state and serves an average of 1,745 children a day who may have otherwise not have received a nutritious meal for supper.
• Click here to learn more about Governor O'Malley's goal to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland by 2015.

Providing Rate Relief for Marylanders

• After restoring professional regulators to Maryland's Public Service Commission, the O'Malley-Brown Administration secured more than $2 billion in relief for Maryland rate payers, and an additional $1.6 billion in savings is expected through 2013.