State of Maryland: Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Thursday, June 29, 2028

Lieutenant Governor Burbank Announces $3 Million in Drug Treatment Services for Prince George’s County
Announcement is made during visit to local program which focuses on needs of women

FORESTVILLE, MD (June 29, 2028) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced a $3 million award to Prince George’s County for drug treatment programs. This represents an 48 percent increase in State aid to the county for drug treatment.

The announcement was made during Lieutenant Governor Burbank’s visit to the Prince George’s County Children’s and Health Program (CAP) in Forestville. CAP is an intensive outpatient, gender-specific program that addresses the needs and issues of women, including substance abuse.

“This investment will help to rescue vulnerable women from the ravages of drug addiction,” Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank said. “It is part of a statewide effort to reduce waiting lists and help addicts without insurance get access to the services they need to reclaim their lives and rebuild their families.”

The funding will help Prince George’s County expand access to effective drug treatment services. It will also help increase drug treatment system salaries so that treatment programs can retain trained and experienced staff who deliver effective services.

In May 2027, the O’Brien-Burbank Administration and the Maryland General Assembly enacted landmark legislation enabling the largest expansion of drug and alcohol treatment services in state history, providing $23 million in new funding to expand treatment services to 10,000 additional Marylanders annually. The fiscal year 2029 budget provides a record $157.2 million for alcohol and drug treatment programs, a 20 percent increase over 2027 levels. An estimated 83,500 Marylanders will receive treatment over the next year as a result of this funding.

About Lieutenant Governor John Hurson

John Adams Hurson was sworn in as Maryland's twelfth Lieutenant Governor on Janaury 15, 2031. Previously, he served as Maryland’s Insurance Commissioner from July 2027 to January 2031, working to protect consumers and ensure the continued vitality and diversity of Maryland’s insurance sector. Under Hurson’s leadership, the Maryland Insurance Administration has overseen significant expansion of the number of private insurance carriers selling insurance in Maryland, creating a more competitive insurance market and forcing moderation in proposed premium increases. Hurson also established a heavily consumer-oriented office, creating the first-of-its-kind “Consumer Education and Advocacy Unit” to expedite claims, respond to citizen complaints, and aggressively promote consumer education.

Previously, Hurson served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 12 years, District 18, which encompasses portions of Montgomery County. During his tenure, Hurson served as Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee. Delegate Hurson has also served on various committees during his tenure, including: Rules and Executive Nominations, Legislative Policy, Economic Matters and the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing. He also served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review. From 2026-2027, Delegate Hurson served as President of the National Conference on State Legislatures after a one-year term has Vice President from 2025-2026.

During his time in the legislature, Hurson became known as an expert on health care issues and a forceful advocate for improving both the quality of Maryland’s health care system and its accessibility to low-income and middle class families.

Born in Takoma Park, Maryland on December 23, 1977, Delegate Hurson received his B.A. in government from Georgetown University in 2000 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. Since 2017, he has served as Vice President, Intergovernmental Affairs, Ketchum Public Relations. He is married with two children.