Maryland House votes for bill to direct $750M for transportation needs

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Maryland House passed a measure on Monday aimed at transferring $750 million over a decade for a transportation fund, part of the push by Democrats who control the House to raise revenue for transportation and education.

With three weeks to go, lawmakers reached the point in the state’s legislative session when measures they hope to pass this year are generally expected to be approved by at least one chamber. It’s more of a guideline than a binding rule. Measures can still make it to the governor’s desk, even if they have not been passed by one chamber at this point.

The House voted 91-42 for the Maryland Toll Rate Reform Act of 2024, sending the measure to the Senate, which hasn’t expressed support for much of the House’s $1.3 billion package. The bill would require the Maryland Transportation Authority to transfer $75 million each year starting July 1, 2025, into a fund for transportation.

Del. Marc Korman, a Democrat who chairs the House Environment and Transportation Committee, said the measure seeks to repay the $750 million that was used from the state’s Transportation Trust Fund to pay for the Intercounty Connector in the suburbs of the nation’s capital. Korman said it was one part of the House’s plan, which delegates unveiled last week, to raise about $1.3 billion for transportation and education.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Maryland House pushes higher taxes, online gambling in $1.3B plan for education and transportation