Posted on 04/01/2013 6:13:48 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Maryland lawmakers gave final approval Friday to the first increase in the states gas tax in 20 years, acting to replenish a transportation fund that is rapidly running out of money for highway construction and long-planned mass-transit projects.
Under the bill, which passed the Senate 27 to 20, motorists can expect to pay between 13 and 20 cents more per gallon by mid-2016, according to legislative analysts. The increase would be phased in, with the first bump of about 4 cents a gallon coming in July.
The legislation, which transportation officials say would yield $4.4 billion for new projects over the next six years, passed the House of Delegates last week and now goes to Gov. Martin OMalley (D), who introduced the bill, for his signature.
The vote came just a month after a transportation plan was approved in Virginia, a state led by a Republican governor that competes for jobs in a region with some of the nations worst traffic congestion.
The two plans share some features, including a new wholesale tax on gas that is intended to keep pace with the price of fuel.
Passage in Maryland also marked the latest legislative win for OMalley in a 90-day session in which he has pushed through measures to repeal the death penalty and offer incentives to develop an offshore wind farm.
With barely a week left in the session, OMalley also notched a victory late Friday in a House committee that had become a linchpin in his efforts to pass one of the most far-reaching legislative responses to last years deadly school shooting in Newtown, Conn. The governors bill survived challenges from Republicans and conservative Democrats, retaining an assault-weapons ban and a provision to fingerprint gun buyers . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
No more gun control.
Anywhere.
This year, what Owe’Malley wants, Owe’Malley gets from a sycophantic legisl00ture.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
The socialist state of Maryland at war with the citizens of the state.
Elections have consequences.
California just passed and increase in the gas tax as well. When the economy is sputtering at best, these dumb @sses vote to burden the citizen even further.
Absolutely beautiful state, but I wouldn't live there.
And the vast majority of the people in Maryland enjoy the consequences. MD is one of the bluest blue states in the country.
Yes, it is. Confiscate and redistribute with no end in sight anywhere. More evidence that BIG GOVERNMENT IS CRONY SOCIALISM. "Socialism Is Legal Plunder" - Frederic Bastiat 1801-1850
Post, thread, comments BUMP!
Meanwhile, Beretta Gun Manufacturing in MD continues their bluff...
I left MD for FL seven years ago and haven’t looked back.
Okay, so what is the “Assault Weapon ban”? I haven’t been able to find out exactly what it entails. No more sales, turn ‘em in, take ‘em out of state, what?
I live in this state. I just cannot understand why they need this. We have casinos going up all over the place. Supposedly the casinos bring in millions to the state and even down to the county. The property taxes are one of the highest in the country and the state taxes went up in 2013. They also want to raise the sales tax. What on Earth are they doing with all this extra money? We have a very small percentage of poor and very few lazy welfare types. The state is one of the richer states in the country. I just don’t get it.
People who currently own semi-atuomatic rifles will have to register them. They won’t be confiscated (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Once the law goes into effect, people will be able to purchase few, if any, kinds of semi-auto rifles.
Because the MD legislature pilfered the $$ out of the Transportation Fund.
See how this works? Legislators misallocate the money and WE get to pay for their mistakes.
I hate this state.
Actually it could be a great state if it was run by 100 percent conservatives. Seriously, I like the state but the politics are insane. I don’t even have a representative in the county anymore and I live in the dang Capital....it is a weird state politically.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.