What did pass the Maryland General Assembly

The Washington Post ^ | April 10, 2012 | Greg Masters

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Although negotiations over a package of tax increases and a proposed casino collapsed Monday night, the Maryland General Assembly passed a lot of bills this session — 791, to be exact. Of those, 96 percent were passed in the last week, including hundreds in the hours and minutes before midnight on Monday. Here are some highlights from the 90-day session’s last day:

STORMWATER FEE

The Senate spent much of the session’s waning hours fiercely debating a stormwater fee bill that was on few people’s radar earlier in the session. The bill requires localities to fund projects to reduce polluted runoff from roads, buildings and parking lots. It has been introduced before, but it gained unexpected momentum this year after Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) scaled back his “flush tax” proposal.

Republicans attempted a filibuster, with Senate Minority Leader E. J. Pipkin (R-Queen Anne’s) alone offering over 10 amendments. “In effect, what we’re saying is we’re going to tax rain water,” Pipkin said.

The Senate shut down debate and approved the bill shortly before midnight. In the House, Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) hurriedly ushered it to passage before Republicans in that chamber could mount a challenge.

The law will apply to Maryland’s nine largest counties and Baltimore, although Montgomery County is exempt because it has a similar fund already. The Senate adopted an amendment to exempt government property and volunteer fire departments from paying the fee.

Localities will set their own fees based on the amount of land covered by pavement, sidewalks and rooftops. But fees could be reduced for landowners with swales, rain barrels and other means of reducing pollution runoff.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[Vendome]

Gas?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Yes, but no gas tax increase.