$34b Budget passes House, Senate committee passes a version that is similar — but different in key places; 3% alcohol tax and softened regulations looking promising; Senate gives gov 180 days to act on parole for life sentence; doctor’s note to get out of marijuana misdemeanor passed by Senate.
Day: March 25, 2011
House passes budget; Senate committee makes retirement changes
The Maryland House of Delegates passed a slightly trimmed version of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s $34 billion budget on a straight party-line vote Thursday evening. About 90 minutes before, the members of the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee passed its own version of the same budget. They agreed to most of the changes made by the House which had been suggested by the Department of Legislative Services, but they disagreed on a few key points.
Senate committee quickly passes new 3% sales tax on beer, wine and alcohol
Maryland’s first alcohol tax increase in 39 years easily passed the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in a 9-4 vote, putting an extra 3% sales tax on all purchases of beer, wine and liquor. The new tax will go up 1% a year for the next three years, raising an estimated $88 million by fiscal 2016, with some of the money going to public schools and services for developmental disabilities.
Dueling ignition interlock bills pass both chambers
Two different bills that expand the ignition interlock program to keep drunk drivers off the road passed both the Senate and the House of Delegates on Thursday morning, setting the stage for an end-of-session showdown.
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