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 …
Sunday, March 10, 2013
by Jocelyn Rubin, Capital News Service
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, March 10
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley rolled out a new transportation investment plan this week, designed to build up the state's Transportation Trust Fund, relieve traffic congestion, and create jobs. O'Malley announced the proposal in Annapolis with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and House Speaker Michael Busch by his side. Busch stressed the need for a funding plan that would provide Maryland with the same competitive edge for federal transportation money, as states like Virginia. "There's limited federal dollars," said Busch. "If we don't have the money to match the mass transit money, which is 50 percent of the cost, we're going to the end of the line. Virginia has put themselves in the position to get to the front of the line…
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Additional revenue could fund state transportation projects.
- GOVERNMENT
- Ben Gross
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
While gas prices have been lower since Hurricane Sandy, a Blue Ribbon Commission has recommended increasing taxes on gas to help raise $800 million in annual funding for the Maryland Transportation Trust Fund, according to a recent WTOP story. Each gallon of gasoline carries a $0.235 state tax, a figure that has been level since 1992, but with the transportation fund being raided to help balance the state's budget, lawmakers may consider raising it during the 2013 General Assembly, according to the report. Gus Bauman, who chaired the commission that recommended the increased tax (in addition to upping roads tolls and fares, fees to trains and busses, as well as vehicle registration licensing and titling) told WTOP: "I'm absolutely …
Monday, April 9, 2012
Patch follows up on in the last hours of the Maryland 2012 General Assembly.
Monday is the last scheduled day of the 2012 Maryland General Assembly session, and lawmakers are still wrangling over details regarding the budget, which faces a midnight deadline. Failure to reach a budget agreement would require legislators to come back on Tuesday, according to Towson Patch. In the meantime, Patch checked out the status Monday of some of the bills that garnered interest on our sites in Maryland. Have a bill status you’d like us to check out? Let us know in comments. Same-Sex Marriage: A Done Deal. On March 1, Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the bill that takes effect in January of 2013. It would allow same-sex couples to marry, but a new question is being debated: Can same-sex married couples residing in Maryland, which …
Friday, February 24, 2012
The governor's proposal to shift teacher pension costs from the state to the county could have far-reaching negative effects.
Gov. Martin O’Malley, as part of an incredibly ambitious (hubristic?) legislative session, has proposed shifting the burden of teacher pensions from the state to the counties, a move that has been vigorously opposed by most local governments, led by Howard’s own Ken Ulman. Initial reaction from people I’ve spoken to has been muted, if they’re even aware of the issue. Attentions are shifted by a proposed gas tax and same-sex marriage bill and this issue is sneaking by, despite the direct and long-term impact it could have on both your wallet and your children’s education. The simple fact is that a teacher pension shift will have immediate and far-reaching impact on everything from local police patrols to the ability of the school system to …
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Howard County readers react to the news of the week.
Patch has compiled some of the the most blunt, thoughtful and outrageous comments on Howard County Patch sites this week. Readers talked the most on how to find the right dog for your family,Gov. O’Malley’s gas tax proposal, the Great Pool Debate in Columbia and how the community of Savage has embraced Burmese families. Choosing the Right Dog For Your Family “Fabulous! A dog will change your life. My dog gives me a reason to get up every day. Wonderful article and thank you for letting people know what a serious responsibility it is when you get a pup. Great job.” - michele c dimity Community to CA: Keep Jeffers Hill Lap Pool Open "People will not accept pool closures as a result of shoddy accounting. They will also not accept closures …
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The county executive says he's still thinking about teacher pensions and can't yet take a position on the governor's proposal to add a tax to gas.
Despite the chatter surrounding Gov. Martin O’Malley’s request that legislators add to the gas tax, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman is still steaming over something else, according to the Washington Post. During his State of the State address Wednesday afternoon, O'Malley asked legislators to make "tough choices," including applying the state's 6 percent sales tax to gasoline. After O'Malley's speech, Ulman reportedly said that he couldn’t even take a position on the gas tax proposal because he still had pensions on the brain. Earlier this month, O'Malley proposed moving half of the burden of teacher pension payouts to the counties in order to help close the state’s deficit; Ulman is not in favor of the proposal. “Frankly,” he told the …
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 ›