Red Maryland Pre-Session Survey: Chris West
What is your top legislative priority for the 2018 General Assembly Session?
Reduce Maryland’s corporate tax rate from 8 1/4% to 6% so that Maryland’s rate is the same as Virginia’s rate, and Maryland no longer loses all of the beauty contests for relocating companies to Virginia.
What are some of your other legislative priorities for the 2018 General Assembly Session?
Support the Governor’s veto of the Paid Sick Leave Bill; defeat any renewed attempts to pass the Home Act and the Sanctuary State bill; enact a reformed redistricting (gerrymandering) bill; oppose any attempt to legalize marijuana.
What concerns you the most about the 2018 General Assembly Session?
There will be attempts to embarrass Governor Hogan, so bills will pass for purely political reasons.
What are your budget priorities for the 2018 General Assembly Session?
Reduce Maryland’s corporate tax rate, hold the line on personal tax rates and try to carve out some exceptions for veterans, officers of the law and emergency responders who put their lives in jeopardy to protect us.
Trending: Thank You
What are your local projects or bills of local interest will you be introducing or supporting during the 2018 General Assembly Session?
I will be introducing one or more local bond bills and will support an independent audit of certain questionable spending decisions by the Board of Education of Baltimore County
What are your thoughts on Governor Hogan’s paid sick leave proposal?
I think the Governor is trying hard to forge a bipartisan compromise on this very controversial issue, but it appears that the Democratic majority is determined to enact a bad bill that will reinforce Maryland’s reputation as a terrible place to open a business.
What did you do on behalf of or in support of of Republican candidates or the Republican Party in 2017?
I am committing substantial personal resources to my campaign in order to assist in electing a team of great Republican candidates in central Baltimore County.
What has been your biggest accomplishment as a legislator in the first three years of this term?
I have passed 15 bills into law in the last two years and have become an effective legislator who doesn’t compromise on principle but works productively in a bipartisan way to kill bad bills (ie, the bill two years ago to remove and destroy the statue of Roger Brooke Taney on the Statehouse grounds), to improve bills that are destined to pass (ie, last year’s bill to restrain drug price gouging) and to improve Maryland’s system of health care.
If you are running for re-election or for another office, why should your constituents continue to support you?
I am one of five Republicans trying to win a State Senate seat currently occupied by a Democrat. I have literally been working to support the Maryland Republican Party for 50 years, my initial work having occurred on weekday afternoons when I was a high school senior in 1968. Although I am a freshman Delegate, in the past two years, I have managed to enact more bills into law than any other Republican in the House of Delegates. I have a 93% rating from MBRG (the pro-business organization). I successfully resolved the Timonium Racetrack off-track betting issue to everyone’s satisfaction, successfully prevented Baltimore County Government from turning the County’s Agricultural Center into a regional heavy vehicle maintenance facility, and meet regularly with neighborhood associations, community associations, chambers of commerce and other organizations in my legislative district to listen to their concerns and to solve their problems with the State. I am friendly, hard-working and will meet with anyone who needs my help.
