Exemption from State Taxes. Veterans. State of Maryland Bill 312, House Bill 362 Feb 21, 2018

Fellow Veteran, 

Would you like to have 100% of your uniformed service retirement income exempt from Maryland state income tax? If you answered YES, we need your help!

Please attend the legislative hearings for Maryland Senate Bill 312 and House Bill 362 in Annapolis next week, on Wednesday, February 21^st, beginning at 1:00 PM. The legislation, submitted by Governor Hogan, exempts $15,000 in 2018, 75% in 2019, and 100% in 2020.

We need for you to either testify or to help us make a show of force in the hearing room.� I am coordinating with Secretary of Veterans Affairs George Owings. �Our panel(s) and crowd will travel from one hearing room to the other with him.� It worked well last year to tell a coordinated story, so please let me know the gist of your testimony; it will enable me to create the most effective panel(s) possible.

We will have a conference call on Monday, February 19^th, at 7:00 PM to provide details about what to expect on Wednesday. The detail information will also be sent by email to those who have asked for it. Please send me an email prior to 5:30 PM on Monday, February 19^th, to receive the conference call dial-in information.

OTHER THINGS TO DO:

1. Forward this message to every retiree (and every soon to be retiree) you know who is a Maryland resident.

2. Forward this message to the president of any veteran or military-related organizations that you belong to and ask them to help us get people out for the Feb 21st hearings.

3. Wear a hat or other clothing item denoting your military affiliation when attending the hearings.� Please do not wear your uniform.

4. Organize car pools, van pools, or charter buses to come to Annapolis for the hearings.� Free limited parking is available at the USNA; it is just a short walk from the Academy to the State House and Senate buildings. http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/govbldg.html

5. Contact your State Senators and members of the House of Delegates to support HB 362 and SB 312.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmmain.aspx?pid=legisrpage

Regards,

Annie S. Brock

Legislative Liaison

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 U.S. Energy Department forming cyber protection unit for power grids

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-cyber/u-s-energy-department-forming-cyber-protection-unit-for-power-grids-idUSKCN1FY29C?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social

CYBER RISK

FEBRUARY 14, 2018 / 10:22 AM / 6 DAYS AGO

U.S. Energy Department forming cyber protection unit for power grids

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said on Wednesday it is establishing an office to protect the nation’s power grid and other infrastructure against cyber attacks and natural disasters.

President Donald Trump’s budget proposal unveiled this week included $96 million in funding for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry said the DOE “plays a vital role in protecting our nation’s energy infrastructure from cyber threats, physical attack and natural disaster, and as secretary, I have no higher priority.”

Last July, the DOE helped U.S. firms defend against a hacking campaign that targeted power companies including at least one nuclear plant. The agency said that the attacks did not have an impact on electricity generation or the grid, and that any impact appeared to be limited to administrative and business networks.

The previous month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had issued an alert to industrial companies, warning that for months hackers had targeted nuclear reactors and other power industry infrastructure, using tainted emails to harvest credentials and gain access to networks.

In some cases hackers succeeded in compromising the networks of their targets, but the report did not identify specific victims.

Nuclear power experts, such as Dave Lochbaum at the Union of Concerned Scientists nonprofit group, have said reactors have a certain amount of immunity from cyber attacks because their operation systems are separate from digital business networks. But over time it would not be impossible for hackers to potentially do harm, he said.

Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe

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