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Gov. Hogan Delivers 3rd State Of The State Address

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan delivered his third state of the state address before a joint session of the House and Senate. He outlined his plans for governing this year.

His office hasn't released much in advance in the speech but where we're short on facts we're long on ideas based on actions he's taken this year.

House and Senate Democrats have made it clear what they want to hear in this state of the state.

The governor says his focus is Maryland and on the steps of the state house last month proposed a number of state ethics reforms that include a ban on lawmakers sponsoring legislation that directly affects their businesses or employers.

"We've been working on these things for two years," said Hogan.

Another working progress is the budget.

The Hogan plan is to rein in spending and debt at the same time and to provide increases in education with no cuts to services and no tax increases.

Last week he announced a 2017 heroin initiative, signing an executive order to establish an opioid command center to collaborate all agencies and services related to addiction and crime control.

An additional $4 million is scheduled to be budgeted to help those struggling with addiction. Treatment services are expanding and tougher penalties are proposed for drug trafficking.

And the governor wants to expand the newly enacted Noah's law, named for the Montgomery County officer killed by a drug driver to make third time offenses a felony with hail time.

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