Posted on 11/12/2007 3:11:08 PM PST by Norman Bates
ANNAPOLIS — House lawmakers passed a $1.4 billion tax plan early yesterday morning after long weekend debates in which leaders of the Democrat-controlled General Assembly scrambled to find support for the plan.
The House version of Gov. Martin O'Malley's tax plan includes an increase in the sales tax, corporate income tax and restructuring of the personal income tax and a plan to spend more than $450 million on transportation projects.
Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, called state lawmakers back to Annapolis last month for a special Assembly session to pass his plan of tax increases and legalizing slot machines to generate revenue to resolve the state's multibillion budget shortfall and to increase state spending.
The House plan does not include a gas-tax increase or an expansion of the sales tax to include services.
"I'm very proud of the members of the House of Delegates," said House Speaker Michael E. Busch, Anne Arundel Democrat. "I can't say enough about the people that stood up for what they believed in to make Maryland the most progressive and wealthiest state in the country."
The House plan passed as two bills.
The first bill, which restructured the state's income tax brackets and its corporate tax structure, passed 82-55 with 18 Democrats joining all 37 House Republicans in opposing the measure when the votes were cast at 12:30 a.m.
The second bill, which increased the state sales tax, cigarette tax and car-titling tax, passed 80-56 with 19 Democrats joining the Republican caucus in opposition, at 1:08 a.m.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Was there ever any doubt?
What surprises me is how little time it took.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
And now the bills of doom go to conference...
Thank you, Governor Ehrhead and company.
I suppose not.
This highlights precisely what is wrong with a one party monopoly.
I own a small business here in Maryland (aka the Peoples Republic of Maryland”).
I have a meeting Wednesday in West Virginia. I fully anticipate (following that meeting) that I will move my family, my business, and seven employees to a new location.
Maryland is going to the dogs...I am heading out for greener pastures.
I moved out of my last location when the sales tax hit 7%, on top of all the other myriad taxes. Now I'm in Merlin, and O'Malley's sales tax will be 6.5%; but add in all the other taxes, and it'll be way more. What we pay in property taxes alone — I could rent for less than Maryland home "ownership" allows.
Make sure you tell you tell the governor and your representatives that.
I thought the O’Malice plan called for a six percent sales tax. Do you know something that I don’t?
O'Malice — that's a good one! No, I believe I heard the figure on the Ann Arundel Christian radio station on Sunday.
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