Schools, Crime Are Top Issues For Maryland Governor

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ)-- There are just days left in the 2018 Maryland General Assembly session with still plenty of work to do.

Schools and crime are two top issues for Marylanders and Gov. Larry Hogan says the issues remain to be resolved in the final days of the session.

"It's unfortunate we're down to less than two weeks left in the session and outstanding that hasn't been resolved yet is school safety issues, which I think everybody in America is concerned about," Gov. Hogan said.

In less than a minute, a student at Great Mills shoots two classmates, one fatally and as police later reported, killed himself, making St. Mary's County's Great Mills High School another page in the ledger of gun violence that had students march for their lives.

"We had a very aggressive plan to put $200 million into school safety over the next couple of years including improvements to the schools but also paying for mental health counselors and school resource officers. So we're hopeful to get that done," Hogan added.

Tuesday, Gov. Hogan took a hydraulic pulverizer to knock down blighted buildings in a crime-ridden neighborhood, and he said the added advantage was to relieve some of the frustration of getting his crime bill through the General Assembly.

RELATED: Baltimore Demolishing Vacant Buildings In Effort To Fight Crime

"That legislation came out of the Senate and it was a real comprehensive look. We did some things on the long term crime end that could help generationally and some things to help immediately with violent crime. It's held up in the House and there's arguments back and forth so getting a crime bill done is going to be critically important as well," Hogan said.

House Chairman Joe Vallario is proposing to deal with different aspects of the crime problem in more than one bill, but Hogan said much has also been accomplished.

"Much better than most people expected. I would say it was our most aggressive legislative package and probably so far it has already been our most successful legislative session," Hogan added.

Arguments can be resolved and agreements can be reached anytime up until the clock strikes midnight sine die.

April 9 is the last day of the session.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook