Friday, March 29, 2013
The bill that increases the gasoline tax by as much as 20 cents by 2016 now heads to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature.
A tax that will increase the cost of gas by as much as 20 cents by 2016 was given final approval Friday by the Maryland Senate. The bill passed largely along party lines by a vote of 27-20. Eight Democrats joined all 12 Republicans in opposing the tax increase measure. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is expected to sign the tax into law. The final vote came after legislators suspended the rules, allowing them to take both a preliminary and final vote in the same day and allow many lawmakers to leave the capital to observe Good Friday. The bill increases the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
A preliminary vote in the full Maryland Senate could be scheduled as early as Friday.
The Senate Budget and Tax Committee Thursday approved a bill that would increase the gas tax by as much as 20 cents by 2016. Sen. Ed DeGrange, an Anne Arundel County Democrat, joined Republican Sens. David Brinkley, Richard Colburn and George Edwards in voting against the bill. The nine remaining Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the bill as approved last week by the House of Delegates. With the committee's approval, the bill could be scheduled for a preliminary vote by the full 47-member Senate as early as Friday. The bill would increase the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government fails to pass an Internet sales tax…
Friday, March 22, 2013
The final debate on the bill turns contentious amidst accusations that House Speaker Michael Busch cut short the debate and opportunity to vote.
Tempers flared Friday afternoon following the debate and final vote by the House of Delegates on a proposal to raise the gas tax in Maryland. When the final vote was taken, the House approved the bill 78-56 but the actual outcome, and roll call vote, remains a matter of contention amidst accusations from Republicans that the debate and final vote were ended too quickly. The bill would increase the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government fails to pass an Internet sales tax. The tax is also tied to the consumer price index, which would allow for automatic increases without any additional legislative action. Those increases are …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The proposed fee increase would generate an additional $17 million annually once fully implemented.
UPDATED (10:18 a.m.)—The cost of vehicle registrations would go up as part of a proposed gas tax bill being considered by the Maryland General Assembly. The bill, which is scheduled for a final vote Friday in the House of Delegates, contains an increase of $3.50 on the cost of registering a vehicle. The additional money would be allocated to the Maryland Emergency Medical System Operations Fund. The fee increase would increase revenues by about $17 million annually. The fees will go to offset an increase in salaries offered to pilots for the Maryland State Police. The agency has 11 vacancies within its 50 pilot positions, according to the review of the bill. The base pilot salary under the proposal would increase to $70,000 and the plan …
Monday, April 9, 2012
Budget bill must be passed by midnight or General Assembly will extend its session.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and House Speaker Michael Busch called on the Senate to compromise on a state budget in time for the General Assembly to end its session at midnight. "The one constitutional obligation we have is to pass a balanced budget," said Busch, adding that House members assigned to the conference committee were prepared to complete negotiations. "Because one chamber has an obsession with a certain issue, that they do not want to concur on the budget until that issue is resolved does not initiate any responsible stand for us not to deal with the budget that is in front of us," said Busch, speaking of a Senate effort to expand gambling to include table games and a sixth casino location in Prince George's County. "They have 11 …
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Petition effort continues despite uncertain future of the proposal in the Maryland General Assembly.
Opponents of a proposed tax on gas continue their efforts to defeat the bill in the court of public opinion. Protesters gathered along Route 40 and Winters Lane to wave signs at passing motorists and collect signatures on petitions at three gas stations along the intersection. The gathering Saturday morning in Catonsville was the latest in a number of such rallies this year organized by the Baltimore County chapter of Americans for Prosperity. The group advocates for smaller government. Hafiz Habib, owner of the BP and Gulf stations at the intersection, said he supports Gov. Martin O'Malley but opposes the gas tax. "He does a good job for Maryland but this bill is not good for Maryland," Habib said. O'Malley has proposed a 6 percent sales …
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Residents of Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George's counties would pay more in either sales or gas taxes to fund transit projects.
Residents of five jurisdictions in Maryland would pay more in sales or gas taxes to fund transit projects under dueling proposals sponsored by two rural Republican state senators. Sens. Richard Colburn and George Edwards are each proposing increases to the sales tax of between one-half to one penny. Edwards has also proposed a more than 2 percent sales tax on gasoline. All of the proposed taxes would affect only residents of Baltimore City and of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The money would go to fund transit projects in the respective jurisdictions. Colburn, a five-term Republican from the Eastern Shore, is proposing increasing the sales tax a full penny to 7 percent in those jurisdictions. The money …
The expansion of gambling to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport would provide money to highway projects, according to the Perry Hall Democrat.
Del. Eric Bromwell is gambling that this is the year the General Assembly passes his bill expanding slot machines to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. This is the fifth year the Perry Hall Democrat has proposed placing machines at the airport. Bromwell said his plan is an alternative to Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed increase in the gas tax. If approved, the machines would be housed in a room inside the airport. "It was never the intent to have machines lining the walls at the airport," he said. Bromwell said the idea is to "capture dollars from travelers who pass through the airport before they take off." "Every month BWI records record travelers," said Bromwell. "They have money to spend." Bromwell is the lead sponsor on two bills that …
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Proposed state budget would offset some costs but the county would still owe more than any other jurisdiction.
Baltimore County would be the biggest loser when it comes to the shifting of teacher pension costs to the state's 24 local jurisdictions under a budget proposal introduced today by Gov. Martin O'Malley. O'Malley's proposed fiscal year 2013 budget includes shifting $240 million in teacher pension costs to local governments. After accounting for more than $244 million in so-called offsets that O'Malley said would soften the blow, Baltimore County would still have to cover about $1.8 million in costs as a result, according to a Maryland Department of Budget and Management document released at the request of Patch. County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, in an interview with WBAL radio, pegged the "hard costs" to Baltimore County at as much as $10…
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Research shows 55 percent of Maryland’s urban highways are congested.
There is talk among Maryland state officials about raising the gas tax to pay for several unfinished transportation projects, and a commission studying the issue is expected to endorse that idea. The proposal would increase the state's 23.5 cents-per-gallon tax by 15 cents, according to the Baltimore Sun--an idea expected to get the thumbs up Tuesday from the state’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation Funding. The proposal would also include provisions that would protect the state’s Transportation Trust Fund from being used to make up for general fund shortfalls, according to the Sun. In August, Patch reported that Gov. Martin O’Malley warned county officials to be ready for possible upcoming tax increases, including a gas tax, …
Christine
4:15 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013
I'm sorry, but I could hardly read your comment. Did you forget all your punctuation? It does not support your point of view when you don't even use simple sentences. It makes you sound like you can't write correctly and therefore may not be that bright, regardless of whether you an Einstein or developmentally disabled. more ›