Latest news with #ProtectOurFederalWorkersAct
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland launches emergency loan program for federal workers impacted by mass layoffs
Maryland launched an emergency loan program Thursday for federal workers who were impacted by mass layoffs. The program, which was created under the state's new Protect Our Federal Workers Act, allows impacted federal employees to qualify for a no-interest loan. Resources for former federal workers in Maryland Maryland's Protect Our Federal Workers Act was signed into law in April. The law allocates funding to support workers who have been impacted by the Trump administration's cuts. The administration's workforce cuts aim to reduce federal spending and make the government run more efficiently, but the move has caused concerns across the country. In Maryland, the drastic number of layoffs prompted leaders to take action. Since layoffs picked up in February, Gov. Wes Moore has launched several resources for impacted federal workers, including partnerships to bolster hiring at state agencies. Maryland had about 269,000 residents who were employed by the federal government in 2023, according to the Department of Labor. Qualifying for Maryland's federal worker loan The $700 Federal Emergency loan has to be repaid within 180 days, though there is an option for a 90-day extension. Former federal employees can qualify for the loan if they meet the following criteria: A Maryland resident Terminated from a federal job due to mass layoffs, relocation or closure Termination occurred within six months before a loan application is completed or after January 1, 2025 Experiencing financial hardship impacting the ability to pay rent, mortgage, utilities, healthcare, childcare costs or other expenses "Let's be clear—these federal workers didn't lose their jobs because they failed us," said House Majority Whip Jazz M. Lewis. "They lost them because of reckless decisions in Washington that turned public servants into political targets. These are our neighbors, our veterans, our civil servants—people who dedicated their lives to this country." Find more information about Maryland's Federal Emergency Loan HERE.
CBS News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Maryland Gov. Moore to sign several new bills into law following end of 2025 legislative session
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will sign several bills into law Tuesday, including the Expungement Reform Act , which will expand the types of convictions that can be removed from a person's criminal record. This legislation would allow certain convictions to be expunged once a person has completed their sentence, including probation. If the expungement request is accepted, the conviction would then be removed from any public police or court records. The governor will hold a bill signing ceremony Tuesday at noon. The bill expands the types of crimes that can be expunged from a person's record. Under the bill, minor traffic crimes, some misdemeanors like alcohol or cannabis offenses, and some domestic-related offenses can be expunged from a person's record. Some felonies, like the distribution of cannabis, could also be expunged under certain circumstances. In most instances, a person will be able to request that a conviction be expunged five years after they complete their sentence or pay restitution. However, for domestic-related crimes, a person would have to wait 15 years to file an expungement request. For felonies, a person would need to wait seven years after they complete their sentence. The state's attorney or a victim can object to the expungement, in which case a court would have to hold a hearing before accepting or rejecting the request. A conviction would not be eligible for expungement if the person is awaiting a trial or conviction for another crime. During the ceremony on Tuesday, Gov. Moore will also sign the Protect Our Federal Workers Act, which will allocate funding to assist federal workers impacted by mass layoffs. The bill will rename the Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund to the Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund. Under the bill, funds in the state's Catastrophic Event Account can be used to support out-of-work federal employees. The Trump administration's federal workforce cuts have prompted several Maryland and local leaders to take action. Gov. Moore has announced several resources for workers , including partnerships that aim to increase job opportunities. According to the governor's office, Maryland has about 160,000 federal civilian employees who represent about 6% of jobs in the state. In early April, Gov. Moore signed more than 90 bills into law , including a package of legislation that addresses rising energy prices. Another bill, the Maryland Second Chance Act, allows people convicted of a crime between 18 and 25 to request a reduced sentence after serving at least 20 years in prison. The governor also signed a bill that created a commission to study potential reparations for slavery and racial discrimination.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal worker protection bill passes House, but not without a scrap
House Minority Whip Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George's), left, talks March 11 about emergency legislation he voted on in support of recently laid off federal workers in Maryland. He's a sponsor of the legislation. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) About the only thing lawmakers agreed on Tuesday was a bipartisan chorus of boos, after one House member resorted to calling Elon Musk a neo-Nazi during an increasingly contentious 30-minute debate over a bill to protect federal workers. The Protect Our Federal Workers Act ended up passing the House, but not before the debate strayed to support for farmers, the state's reliance on the federal government, President Donald Trump – and Musk. 'Right now, Republicans have empowered an unelected neo-Nazi with no security clearance or Senate confirmation to essentially determine what cuts should be made and who should be fired,' Del. Gabriel Acevero (D-Montgomery) said of Musk. 'That's the reality of it.' It was not long after that that the House suspended debate to move to a vote. House Bill 1424 would reallocate state funds to assist federal workers affected by Trump-directed layoffs and expand the authority of Attorney General Anthony Brown to pursue related litigation. It was portrayed as necessary by Democrats and an overstep by Republicans, led by Majority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany) and Minority Whip Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick). They expressed concern that Democrats were focusing too much on laid-off federal workers, and not enough on other workers in the state. 'If Maryland is a company town, the federal government ain't the company,' said Pippy, noting that agriculture is the top industry in the state. He said each legislative session is a '90-day assault on our agricultural community and its workers.' Pippy also accused Democrats of mounting the effort to direct funding to federal workers as a reaction to Trump's election. He called it 'frustrating' to regularly hear about the plight of private-sector workers and then be faced with a bill that tacks on 'millions of dollars all of a sudden, because Trump got elected.' 'By the way,' Pippy added, 'the guy got elected because of a lot of these policies. So, don't forget that.' Del. Jazz Lewis (D-Prince George's), the bill's sponsor, who identified himself as a card-carrying member of the United Steelworkers, rejected the idea that the bill is directly comparable to other instances of private-sector layoffs in Maryland. 'What normally happens is, if you're going to shut down a plant or something like that, you're supposed to give the state 60 days' notice of all these people who're going to be laid off so we can try to find other jobs for them,' Lewis said after the floor session. 'You know what that's not happening for? The federal government right now.' Lewis said his bill, and other actions like it, are necessary in light of actions like the Department of Education's Tuesday announcement that it would lay off nearly half of its workforce in the next 10 days. 'We are not trying to replace or respond to everything the federal government does,' Lewis said. 'But we live in a world where we have to.' Majority Leader David Moon (D-Montgomery) said the tense nature of the debate can be attributed to the uncharted nature of the Trump administration's actions. 'I think it's hard not to get emotional about it,' Moon said following the debate. 'What we're seeing is a very radical departure from any governing norm that you've seen from any of the two parties, really, in the modern political era. 'So you have to go look at global examples of, honestly, fascism on the rise to get this sort of thing,' Moon said. While the debate drifted from Maryland-specific conversation to a referendum on the Trump administration, Democrats ultimately said that the bill, and a positive vote, would serve as a message to Marylanders. 'This bill is not just protecting Marylanders,' Acevero said, 'this is about showing Marylanders that we care.' The bill passed 103-36. Three Republicans – Reps. Stuart Michael Schmidt Jr. of Anne Arundel, Kevin Hornberger of Cecil and Jim Hinebaugh Jr. of Garrett and Allegany counties – voted yes on the bill.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland State GOP House members call Democrats ‘reactionary' in response to DOGE cuts. Dems ask why they're not standing up for federal workers.
BALTIMORE — Against the backdrop of a raging national fight as President Donald Trump overhauls the U.S. government, tensions bubbled up at the Maryland State House Wednesday over fired federal workers. House Republicans accused Democrats of trying to battle the federal government while debating a bill that would provide the attorney general an additional $1.5 million to sue Trump's administration on behalf of the fired federal workers. 'We cannot overcome the federal government,' said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, an Allegany County Republican. 'You are not going to stop the federal government through the operations of a state of six million people.' House Majority Whip Jazz Lewis, a Prince George's County Democrat, said the legislation is not about dictating or responding to what happens in Washington, D.C. Its ultimate purpose, he said, is to stand up to protect federal workers. Lewis criticized Republicans in the chamber for not publicly doing the same. 'I have not heard you all stand up once to talk about how you are going to stand up for the workers in your districts — particularly the federal ones,' he said. Because of its proximity to Washington, Maryland is uniquely impacted by mass layoffs at federal agencies being implemented by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. In 2023, nearly 160,000 state residents worked for the federal government. Buckel said that if lawmakers want to engage in 'lengthy, partisan' debates about national politics, then 'we'll be here every day.' 'Pack a lunch, pack a dinner, pack a midnight snack,' he said. 'I appreciate my friend, but when he says, 'We're here, we're going to protect our people,' why are our people only federal government workers?' The Protect Our Federal Workers Act, sponsored by Lewis, would create the Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund to provide money to Maryland residents who worked for the federal government but were terminated by the Trump administration during the ongoing waves of mass firings. The legislation would allow money in Maryland's Catastrophic Event Account and Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund to provide six months of no-interest loans to federal employees who live in Maryland and aren't being paid due to a full or partial government shutdown. It would also help those who left their jobs because of the voluntary incentive payment program or were let go due to closures, relocations or mass layoffs at federal government agencies. The bill was amended in the House Appropriations Committee to allow Attorney General Anthony Brown, a Democrat, to sue the Trump administration on behalf of terminated federal employees. An additional $1.5 million would also be allocated in the state budget to the attorney general's office to carry out lawsuits against the federal government. Buckel unsuccessfully attempted to strip the $1.5 million from the bill and remove the attorney general's ability to sue the Trump administration on behalf of employees, whom he called 'private individuals who lost their job because of a policy decision or a budgetary decision.' The attorney general litigates cases on behalf of the state of Maryland. 'The state doesn't have the right to enforce the employment and labor laws of the federal government on behalf of private individuals,' Buckel said. 'I'm going to bet you money … that if we do this and the attorney general brings suit, some court somewhere will say, 'Nope, you can't do that.'' Lewis said that the intent of the amended bill is to fight to protect all constituents, regardless of whether they work in the private or public sector. He said that the amendment would 'neuter' the bill, which empowers the attorney general to take on these cases because a significant portion of Maryland's economy is wrapped up in the federal workforce. 'We are fighting on our front foot,' he said. 'What this amendment does is it says Maryland is going to fight with our arms behind our back.' Del. Chris Adams, a Republican representing the Lower Eastern Shore, disagreed with Lewis and called the bill 'reactionary.' Maryland's current budget deficit is $3 billion, which Lewis said could be exacerbated by the layoffs. Buckel said the state has become 'a ward of the federal government.' 'We are their orphan child,' he said. 'Our budgets are completely reliant — or largely reliant — upon their largesse.' Roughly one-third of Maryland's budget is federal funding, and a significant portion of that goes to Medicaid. Buckel also said that the federal government is a big economic driver for jurisdictions across the state because it is a 'major employer' in areas where the private sector is 'hollow.' 'Without those federal jobs, Maryland doesn't look so good,' Buckel said. 'We all want Maryland to be the best. If we had the same level of federal jobs that someone has in, say, Ohio or Oklahoma or Oregon, we would not look very good under almost any set of metrics.' In defense of the legislation, House Appropriations Committee Chair Ben Barnes, a Democrat representing Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties, said Democrats believe Trump is taking illegal action that directly impacts Marylanders through these mass firings. 'When the federal government takes adverse actions that is illegal, that adversely affects Marylanders, you're damn right we're going to fight,' Barnes said. 'We might not beat the federal government, but we're going to fight them. And our constituents who are hurting, who are losing their jobs — not just the federal workers, but the workers who are going to have the ancillary effects of that as it flows through the budget — should know today the Maryland legislature is going to stand here and fight for you.' ------------
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maryland State GOP House members call Democrats ‘reactionary' in response to DOGE cuts. Dems ask why they're not standing up for federal workers.
BALTIMORE — Against the backdrop of a raging national fight as President Donald Trump overhauls the U.S. government, tensions bubbled up at the Maryland State House Wednesday over fired federal workers. House Republicans accused Democrats of trying to battle the federal government while debating a bill that would provide the attorney general an additional $1.5 million to sue Trump's administration on behalf of the fired federal workers. 'We cannot overcome the federal government,' said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, an Allegany County Republican. 'You are not going to stop the federal government through the operations of a state of six million people.' House Majority Whip Jazz Lewis, a Prince George's County Democrat, said the legislation is not about dictating or responding to what happens in Washington, D.C. Its ultimate purpose, he said, is to stand up to protect federal workers. Lewis criticized Republicans in the chamber for not publicly doing the same. 'I have not heard you all stand up once to talk about how you are going to stand up for the workers in your districts — particularly the federal ones,' he said. Because of its proximity to Washington, Maryland is uniquely impacted by mass layoffs at federal agencies being implemented by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. In 2023, nearly 160,000 state residents worked for the federal government. Buckel said that if lawmakers want to engage in 'lengthy, partisan' debates about national politics, then 'we'll be here every day.' 'Pack a lunch, pack a dinner, pack a midnight snack,' he said. 'I appreciate my friend, but when he says, 'We're here, we're going to protect our people,' why are our people only federal government workers?' The Protect Our Federal Workers Act, sponsored by Lewis, would create the Federal Government Employee Assistance Loan Fund to provide money to Maryland residents who worked for the federal government but were terminated by the Trump administration during the ongoing waves of mass firings. The legislation would allow money in Maryland's Catastrophic Event Account and Federal Government Shutdown Employee Assistance Loan Fund to provide six months of no-interest loans to federal employees who live in Maryland and aren't being paid due to a full or partial government shutdown. It would also help those who left their jobs because of the voluntary incentive payment program or were let go due to closures, relocations or mass layoffs at federal government agencies. The bill was amended in the House Appropriations Committee to allow Attorney General Anthony Brown, a Democrat, to sue the Trump administration on behalf of terminated federal employees. An additional $1.5 million would also be allocated in the state budget to the attorney general's office to carry out lawsuits against the federal government. Buckel unsuccessfully attempted to strip the $1.5 million from the bill and remove the attorney general's ability to sue the Trump administration on behalf of employees, whom he called 'private individuals who lost their job because of a policy decision or a budgetary decision.' The attorney general litigates cases on behalf of the state of Maryland. 'The state doesn't have the right to enforce the employment and labor laws of the federal government on behalf of private individuals,' Buckel said. 'I'm going to bet you money … that if we do this and the attorney general brings suit, some court somewhere will say, 'Nope, you can't do that.'' Lewis said that the intent of the amended bill is to fight to protect all constituents, regardless of whether they work in the private or public sector. He said that the amendment would 'neuter' the bill, which empowers the attorney general to take on these cases because a significant portion of Maryland's economy is wrapped up in the federal workforce. 'We are fighting on our front foot,' he said. 'What this amendment does is it says Maryland is going to fight with our arms behind our back.' Del. Chris Adams, a Republican representing the Lower Eastern Shore, disagreed with Lewis and called the bill 'reactionary.' Maryland's current budget deficit is $3 billion, which Lewis said could be exacerbated by the layoffs. Buckel said the state has become 'a ward of the federal government.' 'We are their orphan child,' he said. 'Our budgets are completely reliant — or largely reliant — upon their largesse.' Roughly one-third of Maryland's budget is federal funding, and a significant portion of that goes to Medicaid. Buckel also said that the federal government is a big economic driver for jurisdictions across the state because it is a 'major employer' in areas where the private sector is 'hollow.' 'Without those federal jobs, Maryland doesn't look so good,' Buckel said. 'We all want Maryland to be the best. If we had the same level of federal jobs that someone has in, say, Ohio or Oklahoma or Oregon, we would not look very good under almost any set of metrics.' In defense of the legislation, House Appropriations Committee Chair Ben Barnes, a Democrat representing Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties, said Democrats believe Trump is taking illegal action that directly impacts Marylanders through these mass firings. 'When the federal government takes adverse actions that is illegal, that adversely affects Marylanders, you're damn right we're going to fight,' Barnes said. 'We might not beat the federal government, but we're going to fight them. And our constituents who are hurting, who are losing their jobs — not just the federal workers, but the workers who are going to have the ancillary effects of that as it flows through the budget — should know today the Maryland legislature is going to stand here and fight for you.' ------------
