Annapolis, MD (May 22, 2008) - Comptroller Peter Franchot issued the following statement regarding the signing of House Bills 1391 and 358:

"I want to applaud the General Assembly for passing and commend the Governor for signing two bills that send a clear message that Maryland believes in doing everything we can to ensure our children have access to high quality health care and that we are committed to being an open and transparent government.

Expanding the health care options and opportunities for all Marylanders should be a top priority for us all. There is no question that we, as a state, need to move aggressively to ensure that every child in Maryland has access to quality and affordable health care. I commend Delegate Mizuer and the co-sponsors of this bill for this important effort on behalf of the children of our state. While we can be proud that Maryland is ranked as one of the wealthiest states in the nation, we should be ashamed that tens of thousands of our youth have no health care coverage. We will not move forward as a state, socially or economically, if this is allowed to continue. This new law is a major step forward and just as we've done with Howard County's program, I look forward to working with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to implement this law.

Throughout my political career, I have always believed in open debate and with a firm resolve that the more people know about their government and the issues, the better. House Bill 358, the Maryland Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, is a good first step as we move to make the Maryland government as transparent as possible. We are all public officials serving the people of Maryland, and even when it might not be politically popular, the truth and the facts must always be available and accessible for all Marylanders."

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Contact: Joe Shapiro: 410-260-7305, office; 443-871-2244, cell