House and Senate conferees working on the state budget tentatively approved an alternative to the contentious stormwater remediation fee dubbed the “rain tax” by opponents.
The surprise move offered by Sen. James Ed DeGrange of Anne Arundel County appears to be an end-run around environmentalists and the House Environmental Matters Committee, which has blocked any changes to the requirement that nine counties and Baltimore City impose a separate tax to clean up stormwater polluting the bay.
A Republican attempt to force legislators to vote on their own pay raise was defeated in the House of Delegates Tuesday, with Democrats overwhelmingly rejecting the move.
The Senate voted Tuesday to provide a 20% salary increase over the next four years to the attorney general, comptroller, state treasurer and secretary of state. Under the bill, which Senate members approved 36-10, the attorney general, comptroller and treasurer would earn $149,500 in 2018, and the secretary of state would earn $109,500.
As Marylanders work to meet the health exchange deadline, the state’s already problematic health exchange website slows to a crawl; Senate OKs bill to lower standard for domestic violence protection, adds second-degree assault to list of crimes for permanent protective order; Senate also approves bail review revamp; House and Senate begin to hash out differences for medical marijuana program; rights groups urge Del. Joe Vallario to release pot decriminalization bill for a vote; legislators approve expansion of Baltimore City needle exchange program; higher ed cabinet secretary resigns; and gubernatorial hopeful Gansler finds health exchange problems a convenient political football.
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