Legislative

In an op-ed in yesterday's Baltimore Sun state senator Paul Pinsky (D, Prince George's County), detailed the problem of multi-state and multi-national corporations paying zero state corporate taxes. They do this by reporting all their revenues in an out-of-state subsidiary. Senator Pinsky argues that a bill requiring combined reporting would force these corporations (Wal-mart, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, etc.) would put them on equal footing with local/state businesses, as well as generate needed revenue for the State's budget.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.

2/13/14 Todd Reynolds

Marylandreporter.com details the fight brewing between the Governor's administration (and especially the Maryland State Department of Education) and other state lawmakers and state teachers over the implementation of the Maryland School Assessment standardized test. Those who want the test waived this year argue that it is out of date and is based on curriculum that is being phased out. But the Governor and the MSDE argue that the MSA gives the administration good measurable data about the status of student performance. A bill to require the state ask for a waiver from implementing the MSA had

Mizuer's bill wouldn't make the drug entirely legal, just change the penalty to $100. Mizeur argued that this idea, to gradually decriminalize marijuna rather than immediately legalizing it is more realisitic.

Read more at the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Brown publicly announced his support for Mizeur's bill in the Baltimore Sun...

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.
 

2/11/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator
 

Tuesday is the first scheduled hearing for the proposal to raise the state's minum wage to $10.10, indexed to inflation. Thursday the bill gets a hearing in Senate Finance. Anthony Brown is schduled to testify on behalf on the administration at both hearings.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.

2/11/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator
 

While the Governor announced his plan to balance the budget by lowering contributions to the state employee and teachers pension plan while not raising any taxes at all, other Annapolis leaders have floated ideas about lowering tax rates on the highest earners. Among these is Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch's plan to lower the estate tax, a move that that, according to the Legislature's budget analyst Warren Dechaneaux, as reported by WYPR, would severely cut into state revenues by $80-90 million per year.

Listen to the story on 88.1 FM WYPR.

2/11/14 Todd

President Obama was in Maryland yesterday to announce a plan to forge a public-private partnership in expanding access to high-speed internet access to the nationas public schools and libraries.

Read more at the Washington Post.

2/5/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

Today's Baltimore Sun has a really good editorial on the Governor's plan to cut $100 million in state contributions to the pension. They aregue against O'Malley's plan, saying the cut amounts to a special tax on employee's and their retirement.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.

2/5/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

The governor's budget, which he introduced last week, includes $4.3 million to add 1600 spots in Maryland's pre-k program. The schools would apply for a grant to expand their program, and the money for that grant wold come from that $4.3 million. Read more at HeraldMailMedia.com.

2/3/14

Delegate John Olsziewski and Senator Cathy Pugh are set to introduce a Paid Sick Leave Bill. The bill would mandate earned sick leave, giving 700,000 people this option that they never had before. It was introduced last year by Olsziewski, but this year, might have a bit more momentum. More at the ChestertownSpy.org.

2/3/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

According to the Baltimore Sun, the state is coming close to cutting the Estate Tax, a tax that is only paid in the state by millionaires. Read the story at the Baltimore Sun.

2/3/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator.