THE BOTTOM LINE: I objected to HB 587 because District 45 needs results, not more red tape. While they call n it "oversight", this bill risks delaying critical transportation projects in our community by forcing every $500,000 contract through an extra layer of Annapolis bureauracy. Also it makes no sense to spend any more money on oversight for transportation projects when the buses aren't even running on time, so whats the point?
HB 587 – UNFAVORABLE
Topic: Procurement – Board of Public Works Contract Authority
The McDonald Mandate: People Before Pavement
To the House Government, Labor, and Elections Committee:
My name is Ms. McDonald. I am a candidate for Delegate in District 45. I am here to testify as
UNFAVORABLE on HB 587. This bill is a perfect example of the bureaucratic "Jive" I am
running to stop in Baltimore City.
1. Stop Creating New Layers for Old Problems
HB 587 asks for more staff and more money just to "oversee" transportation contracts. We don't
need a new bill to tell the highest-ranking officials in the state to do the job they were elected to
do. We already have the Board of Public Works—the Governor, the Comptroller, and the
Treasurer. They sit in a room every two weeks to approve spending. Why are we spending more
taxpayer money to give them "new" authority they should already be using? Stop the rubber-
stamping and start the real oversight with the people we already have in those seats.
2. Pavement Over People: Where is the Respect?
The fiscal note for HB 587 says the state needs $270,000 for new staff and oversight just to look
at "roads and bridges." My question to this committee is simple: Why don't the less fortunate
and the disabled get that same level of respect? You are willing to find the money and the
"oversight" for a street project, but as we see in SB 742 (The Protecting People with
Disabilities Act), you are allowing the most vulnerable Marylanders to be procedurally
disenrolled and stripped of their lifelines. You are stripping services from children and seniors
while you find $270,000 to watch a paving contract. It is a disgrace to prioritize asphalt over
human lives. If you have the money to watch the "pavement," you have the money to protect the
"people."
3. Stop the Fire Sale: Keep State Assets in the State
This bill focuses on buying and building, but it ignores the fact that the state is currently
liquidating our future. In District 45, properties like 2100 Guilford Avenue are being offered for
"redevelopment" and sold to private interests. My mandate is: Stop selling and start serving.
Instead of oversight for new road contracts, the Board of Public Works should be mandated to
STOP the sale of state assets and convert them into permanent State Resources—grocery hubs
and vocational training centers managed by the state, not sold for a one-time profit while the
community faces an imminent threat of homelessness.
4. No More "Administrative Nonsense" (HB 607 & SB 886)
We see leadership at the Department of General Services (DGS) coming directly from the very
agencies where services are being stripped. Yet, HB 607 proposes hiking the salaries of these
same state officials to $185,000. This is the nonsense that District 45 is tired of. We don't need to
spend more money on "new oversight layers" or higher salaries while our community is
struggling. Implement the laws we already have. Those in charge need to answer for why they
let services get stripped while they ask for a raise.
Conclusion
I urge an UNFAVORABLE report on HB 587. We should not be "refining" the rules for road
contractors while our neighbors are losing their care, their dignity, and their land. Stop the jive
and start driving for the people of District 45.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ms. McDonald
Candidate for Delegate, District 45
By Authority of: Nichole McDonald for District 45, Lonetta Mason, Treasurer
THE BOTTOM LINE: I support HB 289 because accountability starts at home. If you have enough money to play in a casino, you have enough money to pay your child support. This bill ensures that gambling winnings go to children and families first, not the jackpot winners who owe their kids. In District 45, our children are the priority.
HB 289 – FAVORABLE
Topic: Video Lottery Facility Payouts – Intercepts for Restitution, Child Support, and State Debt
The McDonald Mandate: Prioritizing Families and Victims
To the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee:
My name is Ms. McDonald. I am a candidate for Delegate in District 45. I am here to testify as
FAVORABLE on HB 289. This bill is about simple accountability: putting children and victims
at the front of the line.
1. Families Come First
HB 289 establishes a clear priority for intercepting casino winnings, and I support that Child
Support is the number one priority. In District 45, we have too many households struggling
because they aren't receiving the support they are owed. If an individual has the disposable
income to gamble at a video lottery facility, they have the income to meet their obligations to
their children. This bill ensures that "windfall" money goes where it is needed most—to the
families.
2. Restitution is a Debt of Justice
By including Restitution as the second priority, this bill honors the victims of crimes. Justice
isn't just about a court date; it’s about making the victim whole. If someone wins a jackpot while
they still owe restitution for the harm they caused, that money belongs to the victim, not the
winner.
3. Efficient Accountability
The State is often "slick" at collecting taxes, but we need that same efficiency when it comes to
Child Support and Restitution. I support the Child Support Administration and the Central
Collection Unit having the tools to certify these debts and intercept these payouts immediately.
We need a system where responsibility is not optional.
THE CONTRAST: WHAT THE CITIZENS GET VS. WHAT THE STATE
MUST DO
WHAT THE CITIZENS GET (The Benefits of HB 289):
Direct Payments: Arrears for Child Support paid directly to the custodial parent.
Victim Restitution: Criminal restitution paid to victims from gambling windfalls.
Debt Resolution: A clear path to settle state debts through non-essential
income.
WHAT THE STATE MUST STILL DO (The McDonald Mandate):
Hold Vendors Accountable: Use this same "intercept" energy to stop payouts
to failing state vendors who are stripping services from the disabled (SB 742).
Protect the Assets: Stop the "Fire Sale" of properties like 2100 Guilford
Avenue. If we are holding citizens accountable for their debts, we must hold the
State accountable for its stewardship of our land.
Rainy Day Transparency: Use the $2.2 Billion Rainy Day Fund to restore the
services that were cut, while we use bills like HB 289 to ensure personal
responsibility.
Conclusion
I urge a FAVORABLE report. Let’s make sure that before a single dollar of a jackpot is spent,
the children and the victims are paid first. Let’s bring real accountability to Maryland.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ms. McDonald
Candidate for Delegate, District 45
By Authority of: Nichole McDonald for District 45, Lonetta Mason, Treasurer
THE BOTTOM LINE: I object to HB 139 because our veterans deserve real solutions, not a "slap in the face" one-day tax break. A single sales tax-free day does nothing for a veteran who is struggling with housing, mental health care, or empty pockets. We need to stop giving false "tokens" of appreciation and start providing the long-term healthcare and housing stability our heroes actually need.
HB 139 – UNFAVORABLE
Topic: Sales and Use Tax – Tax-Free Day – Veterans' Day
The McDonald Mandate: Respect is More Than a One-Day Sale
To the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee:
My name is Ms. McDonald. I am a candidate for Delegate in District 45. I am here to testify as
UNFAVORABLE on HB 139. While this bill wears the mask of "honoring veterans," it is
actually another example of the State offering a crumb while they take away the whole loaf.
1. A One-Day Gimmick vs. Year-Round Neglect
HB 139 proposes a tax-free day on Veterans' Day. We do not need a one-day shopping discount;
we need year-round accountability. Many of our veterans are the very people facing an
imminent threat of homelessness in District 45. They are the ones being hit by the "stripping of
services" from the DDA and the Department of Health. To offer a tax break on a toaster or a TV
while these men and women are losing their disability care and housing stability is the definition
of "Jive."
2. The "Rainy Day" Hypocrisy
The State claims it can afford the "fiscal impact" of a tax-free day, yet it sits on a $2.2 Billion
Rainy Day Fund while our veterans are drowning in the streets. You found the money for a
retail gimmick, but you can't find the money to keep community hubs like 2100 Guilford
Avenue open? My mandate is: Stop the Fire Sale. If you want to honor veterans, keep the
State’s assets and turn them into veteran-led vocational centers and grocery hubs—don't just give
them a discount at the mall.
3. Stop the Selective Respect
We see the same pattern in HB 607, where officials are getting $185,000 raises. You are taking
care of the "top brass" and the "retailers," but you are ignoring the citizens at the bottom. I
cannot support a "Tax-Free Day" while the State is still failing to provide the basic resources it
owes to the people of Baltimore.
THE CONTRAST: WHAT THE STATE CUTS VS. WHAT THE OFFICIALS
GET
WHAT THE STATE CUT (Services taken from Veterans & Citizens):
$300 Million: Total cuts to the Developmental Disabilities (DDA) budget.
$150 Million: Direct general fund cuts to disability services.
Medical Eligibility: Procedural "stripping" of health services (SB 742).
Housing Stability: Lack of funding for permanent community-led housing.
WHAT THE OFFICIALS GET (What they kept for themselves):
Tax-Free Gimmicks: The cost of lost revenue from HB 139.
$2.2 Billion: Sitting in the Rainy Day Fund while vets are on the street.
$185,000 Salaries: Massive pay hikes for state officials (HB 607).
Asset Sales: Selling off 2100 Guilford to private developers.
Conclusion
I urge an UNFAVORABLE report. Respect is not a one-day sale; it is a lifetime commitment.
Stop the jive and start driving real resources back into our neighborhoods.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ms. McDonald
Candidate for Delegate, District 45
By Authority of: Nichole McDonald for District 45, Lonetta Mason, Treasurer
THE BOTTOM LINE: I gave HB 1369 an unfavorable report because we shouldn't be spending over $1 million in taxpayer money to create a "compliance unit" just to make state agencies do their jobs. In District 45, we need that money for housing and neighborhood resources, not for more high-paid bureaucrats in Annapolis to watch other bureaucrats. Accountability shouldn't cost us a million dollars—it should be the standard.
HB 1369 – UNFAVORABLE
Topic: Department of Budget and Management – Audit and Finance Compliance Unit
The McDonald Mandate: Fix the System, Don't Add More Chairs
To the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee:
My name is Ms. McDonald. I am a candidate for Delegate in District 45. I am here to testify as
UNFAVORABLE on HB 1369. This bill is yet another attempt to solve a lack of leadership with
more bureaucracy.
1. Stop Paying for a "Watchman for the Watchman"
HB 1369 creates a new "Compliance Unit" to monitor whether state agencies are fixing their
audit findings. We already have the Office of Legislative Audits (OLA). We already have
Cabinet Secretaries who are paid six-figure salaries to manage these agencies. Why are we
spending more taxpayer money to create a new unit just to remind the people in charge to do
their jobs? If an agency fails an audit, the solution isn't a new "dashboard"—it's new leadership.
2. Where is the Respect for the Citizens?
The State is willing to fund a new "Compliance Unit" and keep $2.2 Billion in a Rainy Day
Fund, yet it is "stripping services" from the disabled as seen in SB 742. You found the money for
this new office, but you claim you don't have the money to keep community hubs like 2100
Guilford Avenue open for the people of District 45. It is a slap in the face to the less fortunate to
prioritize a new bureaucratic unit over the survival of our neighbors.
3. The Track Record of "Musical Chairs"
We keep seeing the same people move from one agency to another while the audits keep failing.
Giving the Department of Budget and Management more "oversight" money when they
haven't held the current agencies accountable is just more of the same "Jive." We don't need more
"guidance and coordination"—we need consequences for the officials who let these services rot.
THE CONTRAST: WHAT THE STATE CUTS VS. WHAT THE OFFICIALS
GET
WHAT THE STATE CUT (Taken from Citizens):
$300 Million: Total cuts to the Developmental Disabilities (DDA) budget.
$150 Million: Direct general fund cuts to disability services.
Waiver Services: Reductions in support hours for the disabled.
LISS Program: Elimination of support services for families.
WHAT THE OFFICIALS GET (What they kept for themselves):
New Audit Unit: A brand new office created by HB 1369.
$2.2 Billion: Sitting in the Rainy Day Fund while our community drowns.
$185,000 Salaries: Massive pay hikes for state officials (HB 607).
2100 Guilford: A state asset being prepped for sale instead of service.
Conclusion
I urge an UNFAVORABLE report. Do not spend one more cent on "compliance monitoring"
until the state complies with its promise to protect its citizens. Stop the jive and start driving for
District 45.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ms. McDonald
Candidate for Delegate, District 45
By Authority of: Nichole McDonald for District 45, Lonetta Mason, Treasurer
THE BOTTOM LINE: I object to HB 734 because we need to stop giving "forever" tax breaks to big energy projects while our neighbors are struggling to pay their own property taxes. Pushing this deadline out to 2030 is just another way for the state to protect corporate interests under the guise of being "green," while the people of District 45 get no relief on their utility bills or their tax assessments.
HB 734 – UNFAVORABLE
Topic: Property Tax – Agricultural Use Assessment – Community Solar
The McDonald Mandate: People Before Solar Panels
To the House Ways and Means Committee:
My name is Ms. McDonald. I am a candidate for Delegate in District 45. I am here to testify as
UNFAVORABLE on HB 734 because the State’s priorities are backwards.
1. Tax Breaks for Utilities, But None for Neighbors
HB 734 extends property tax favors for solar developers until 2030. Why is the State so eager to
protect the profit margins of energy companies for the next four years, while families in District
45 are facing an imminent threat of homelessness today?
2. Stop the Fire Sale: Keep State Assets in the State
We are debating tax breaks for solar panels while the State is trying to sell off our community
assets like 2100 Guilford Avenue. My mandate is: Stop the Fire Sale. If the State has time to
"refine" tax breaks for solar projects, it has the time to protect the buildings that belong to our
community. We need those buildings for grocery hubs and vocational training, not as tax shelters
for developers.
THE CONTRAST: WHAT THE STATE CUTS VS. WHAT THE OFFICIALS
GET
WHAT THE STATE CUT (Services taken from Citizens):
$300 Million: Total cuts to the Developmental Disabilities (DDA) budget.
$150 Million: Direct general fund cuts to disability services.
Waiver Services: Reductions in "meaningful day" and residential support hours.
One-on-One Support: New limits on dedicated 1-on-1 hours for high-needs
individuals.
LISS Program: Elimination of Low Intensity Support Services for families.
Eligibility Stripping: Procedural disenrollment of families from Medicaid/DDA.
WHAT THE OFFICIALS GET (What they kept for themselves):
$2.2 Billion: Sitting in the Rainy Day Fund (Revenue Stabilization Account)
while our neighborhoods are flooding.
$185,000 Salaries: Massive pay hikes for the Comptroller, Treasurer, and
Attorney General (HB 607).
$128,000 Salary: Pay hike for the Secretary of State (HB 607).
$449 Million: New appropriations tucked into the Rainy Day Fund this year
instead of being spent on the people.
Solar Tax Breaks: Property tax favors for utilities extended to 2030 (HB 734).
Vendor Cash: Millions in "equitable adjustments" for road contractors (HB 193).
Conclusion
Stop getting rid of our resources while asking for more money to manage the decline. Stop
prioritizing solar panels and "Rainy Day" savings over the people who are drowning right now.
Use that $2.2 Billion to fund a Community Repair Fund, or stop giving tax breaks to big
business until District 45 is made whole.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ms. McDonald
Candidate for Delegate, District 45
By Authority of: Nichole McDonald for District 45, Lonetta Mason, Treasurer
THE BOTTOM LINE: I object to HB 1149 because I am against "settlements" for failing vendors who didn't deliver for District 45. We need a "Community Reinvestment Rule"—if a company fails our neighborhood, the state shouldn't be making backroom deals to let them off the hook for less money. We need to stop the waste, use the resources we already have, and ensure that every dollar recovered from failing vendors goes directly back into repairing our community, not into an Annapolis settlement fund.
Testimony for HB 1149 (UNFAVORABLE)
The McDonald Mandate: Accountability, Not Just Settlements
To Chair Guy Guzzone and the Members of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee:
My name is Nicole McDonald. I am a candidate for Delegate in District 45, and I am here to
offer a reality check on HB 1149. While the Comptroller seeks efficiency in settling state claims,
I am here to ensure that "efficiency" doesn't become a "get out of jail free card" for those who are
currently harming our community.
1. No Settlements for Failing Vendors (The Accountability Provision)
HB 1149 repeals the two-year waiting period for debt settlements. I support moving faster, but
only if we move fairly. We cannot allow this bill to benefit private vendors who have a track
record of stripping services from our system. As we see in SB 742 (The Protecting People with
Disabilities Act), our families are being procedurally disenrolled and losing lifelines. No debt
should be settled or reduced for any vendor that has been penalized for service failures or is
currently under investigation for stripping services from Maryland families.
2. The Community Reinvestment Rule (The Winston Amendment)
When the state recovers money or settles a claim, that money often disappears into the General
Fund while the harm to the neighborhood remains. I propose a Community Reinvestment
Amendment: A mandated percentage of funds recovered from settlements with health and
human service vendors must be directed into a Community Repair Fund. These funds should
be used to restore the very resources—like vocational training and food access—lost when these
vendors failed.
3. Stop the Waste: Use the Tools We Have
We don't need to spend more money on new administrative layers or higher salaries for officials
(HB 607). We have the Central Collection Unit (CCU) and the Comptroller’s Office. My
mandate is simple: Implement the laws we already have. Those in charge must answer for why
they let services get stripped while they ask for more budget to manage the decline. As Governor
Moore says, "Accountability is not a suggestion—it is a requirement." We need to see that
accountability applied to the leaders who let these debts pile up in the first place.
Conclusion
Do not just "clear the books" for the state; clear a path for the recovery of our communities. Let's
make sure that justice is meted out equally—where a vendor doesn't get a "slick" settlement
while a disabled child in District 45 loses their care.
Respectfully Submitted,
By Authority of: Nichole McDonald for District 45 Lonetta Mason, Treasurer
THE BOTTOM LINE: I object to HB 193 because I am against "settlements" for failing vendors who didn't deliver for District 45. We need a "Community Reinvestment Rule"—if a company fails our neighborhood, the state shouldn't be making backroom deals to let them off the hook for less money. We need to stop the waste, use the resources we already have, and ensure that every dollar recovered from failing vendors goes directly back into repairing our community, not into an Annapolis settlement fund.
Testimony for HB 193 (UNFAVORABLE)
The McDonald Mandate: Stopping the Privatization of Accountability
To the House Government, Labor, and Elections Committee:
My name is Ms. McDonald, and I am a candidate for Delegate in District 45.
I am writing to express my strong UNFAVORABLE stance on HB 193. While
this bill is presented as a way to "refine procedures" and provide "equitable
adjustments" for contractors, it is actually a gateway to further stripping
services from our public system.
1. The Human Cost of Procurement "Refinements" (SB 742 Connection)
We cannot talk about procurement procedures without talking about the
results of those procedures. In District 45, we are witnessing the fallout of a
vendor-first model. As highlighted in SB 742 (The Protecting People with
Disabilities Act), we have a system where vulnerable Marylanders are
being procedurally disenrolled and stripped of their lifelines. When we
make it easier for state units to adjust contracts and protect vendor
interests—as HB 193 seeks to do—we are prioritizing the profit of private
contractors over the eligibility and care of people with developmental
disabilities.
2. The Pay Gap: Vendors vs. Public Servants (HB 607 & SB 886
Connection)
It is a slap in the face to my constituents to see HB 607 proposing salary
increases for Constitutional Officers (up to $185,000) and SB 886 pushing
for constitutional wage mandates for vendors, while the actual services in
our community are being "stripped from the system." HB 193 seeks to
provide "equitable adjustments" to compensate contractors for increased
costs. Where is the "equitable adjustment" for the families in District 45
facing an imminent threat of homelessness? We are subsidizing the
overhead of private vendors while our public staff and community
resources are left to rot.
3. Accountability, Not Adjustments
HB 193 provides more protections for unsuccessful offerors to get
debriefings and more time for contractors to file claims against the state.
We do not need more protections for contractors; we need more
protections for the people they are supposed to serve. My mandate for
District 45 is to stop the "Jive not drive" mentality of the state—moving
money around in backroom procurement deals while the community loses
its grocery stores, its vocational training, and its dignity.
Conclusion
I urge this committee to issue an UNFAVORABLE report on HB 193. We
should not be "refining" a procurement system that is already being used to
strip resources from the heart of Baltimore City. Until we can guarantee that
not one more person is disenrolled due to administrative error or vendor
greed, we must stop giving the system more ways to prioritize contractors
over citizens.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ms. McDonald
By Authority of: Nichole McDonald for District 45 Lonetta Mason, Treasurer
THE BOTTOM LINE: I gave HB 1369 an Unfavorable report because we need results, not more million-dollar departments. Spending over $1 million on a "compliance unit" just to make state agencies do the jobs they are already being paid for is a waste of our resources. That money belongs in District 45 for community-led projects, not in Annapolis to pay for more high-priced bureaucrats to watch other bureaucrats.
TESTIMONY: THE KICKBACK CHALLENGE
(AGAINST HB 1369)
By: Ms. McDonald (Candidate for Delegate, District 45)
The Wealthy State Paradox
I want to know why you all feel we should be listening to a single word you say. You sit here
and tell me the state is broke;—yet we are one of the top wealthiest states in this entire country.
While you were gutting the DDA and DHS in 2024, 2025, and now 2026, every single person on
this committee has taken a pay raise. You’ve pocketed thousands in extra salary while my son’s
life was, and is currently, being targeted.
The Lie
You didn't have a budget shortfall when it came time to stop your own raises, did you? But you
had plenty of room to steal from the disabled and the vulnerable. That is asinine. That is a
kickback paid for with our suffering. All 22 of you allowed your salaries to climb in a straight
line while you voted to strip my son of his medically mandated 2:1 care and his assistive
technology. You are acting as a Syndicate, coordinating to protect your own pockets while you
send the citizens of Baltimore to an early grave.
The Attorney’s Betrayal (Delegate Stephanie Smith)
Delegate Smith, you are an attorney. You represent my neighbors. You know that stripping these
services without a hearing is a Civil Rights violation. Yet, you took your raise and you cast your
Yea vote for the pillage. Are you an attorney for the people, or are you an attorney for the
syndicate? Because right now, you look like a co-conspirator who is profiting from our pain.
The Final Word: Federal RICO
This repeated insanity isn't just a mistake—it is a choice. And that choice is looking like a
Massive, Statewide Federal RICO Class Action Lawsuit coming straight for this committee.
No more shields. No more State Immunity. If you won't hold yourselves accountable in this
room, we will hold you accountable in a courtroom. It is despicable to reward yourselves while
you destroy the vulnerable.
Govern yourselves accordingly. Vote No on HB 1369. No moore jive in District 45.