Maryland House OKs budget bill with tax, fee, increases

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland House voted Thursday for budget measures with tax and fee increases, part of a $1.3 billion revenue package for transportation and education.

The vote paves the way for negotiations to begin next week with the Senate, which has not been receptive to the House’s tax, fee and toll proposals in the $63 billion budget plan for the next fiscal year.

Del. David Moon, a Montgomery County Democrat, said the investments are needed to restore economic competitiveness to attract and keep businesses by improving transit and roads and expanding child care.

“We’ve put our best foot forward to try not to put broad tax and fee increases on the table,” Moon, the House majority leader, said. “Everything is surgically aligned with a very specific reason.”

But opponents said the proposals will overburden taxpayers.

“We want to continue to work together as one Maryland to advance policies that will help us meet our budgetary needs, but we have serious and grave concerns about doing so on the backs of middle class folks buying, trading in, registering vehicles that they need to use to be able to get to work, to get to the hospital, to take their kids to school,” said Del. Jason Buckel, a western Maryland Republican who is the House minority leader.

The House voted 121-9 for the state’s budget. Opposition grew for a companion bill that is working in tandem to balance the state’s books and includes the tax and fee increases, changes added into the measure by the House. The House passed the budget reconciliation bill 89-45.

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