State Roundup: Moore proposes income tax hike for state’s wealthiest to help fill budget gap; 7 Republican delegates form House Freedom Caucus

TO CLOSE BUDGET GAP, MOORE PROPOSES TAKE HIKE FOR STATE’s WEALTHIEST: Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Tuesday announced a plan to raise income tax rates for the state’s wealthiest residents, money that would help close a looming $3 billion budget deficit and fund public taxpayer investment in private industries meant to strengthen the state’s economy. Katie Shepherd, Katie Mettler and Erin Cox/The Washington Post.

• Moore said his budget proposal would include tax cuts for about two-thirds of all Marylanders, and no sales tax or property tax increases. He characterized the cuts as a reform of the tax code that will be “simpler, fairer and for the vast majority of Marylanders, lower.” Moore said “82% of Marylanders” will get a tax cut or see no changes in their taxes at all. Bryan Sears and Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.
• The corporate tax rate would be cut as part of his plans, but Moore said the proposal means “asking Marylanders who have done exceptionally well, that we will pay a little bit more to make sure we’re focusing on having the best public schools in America, making sure we’re having safer neighborhoods and safer communities.” Scott Gelman/WTOP-FM.
• Maryland’s income tax rates currently max out at 5.75% for individuals earning more than $250,000 and couples earning more than $300,000. Progressive lawmakers and advocates — pleading for more funding for priorities like education — have spent years pushing various plans that would add a series of larger tax brackets, up to 7% for those making more than $1 million, while keeping rates the same for those earning less than $250,000. Sam Janesch/The Baltimore Sun.

TRUMP CUTS WORRY MARYLAND OVER THE BOTTOM LINE: No one knows for sure what cuts President-elect Donald Trump has in store for Medicaid after he is sworn in to his second term Monday. But Maryland officials are pretty sure it’s not going to be good for the state’s bottom line, especially if the federal cuts to services are restored through state spending. Danielle Brown/The Baltimore Banner.

LAWMAKERS SEEK TO ADJUST TIMELINE ON BLUEPRINT FOR EDUCATION: Four years after Maryland lawmakers approved an ambitious reform plan to pump billions into the state’s public schools, Gov. Wes Moore (D) and state superintendents are seeking to make changes or delay some requirements. Nicole Asbury/The Washington Post.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture found a second case of bird flu Tuesday on a commercial chicken farm in Queen Anne’s County. This positive case, found through routine sampling, came four days after MDA officials detected bird flu on Friday in a commercial poultry operation in Caroline County. Abby Zimmardi/The Baltimore Banner.

BIG BUILDING OWNERS FIGHT STATE OVER GREEN INITIATIVE: Maryland is trying to force its big buildings to go green, but the owners of these properties are fighting back. Less than a month after Maryland put into place new regulations designed to reduce carbon emissions from large buildings, a coalition representing some of the state’s largest building owners is suing. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.

SEVEN REPUBLICANS FORM UP NEW MARYLAND HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS: Republican members of the state’s House of Delegates launched the Maryland Freedom Caucus Tuesday, modeled after the similarly named conservative group in Congress and state legislatures across the country. Brenda Wintrode/The Baltimore Banner.

• The Maryland House Freedom Caucus is starting off with just seven members, in a chamber with 39 Republicans — but the caucus members are the most pugnacious Republicans in Annapolis, who often take up the most floor time during House legislative debates. Josh Kurtz/Maryland Matters.

BA CO COUNCIL OPPOSING BILL TO ALLOW BEER, WINE SALES AT GROCERIES: Baltimore County Council members are formally signaling their opposition to a state bill that would allow the sale of beer and wine at grocery stores. At a workshop meeting Tuesday afternoon, Republican Councilmember David Marks introduced Resolution 4-25, which requests that the Maryland General Assembly “block legislative actions that would allow for beer or wine sale at grocery stores.” Carson Swick/The Baltimore Sun.

SEN. VAN HOLLEN NOW LEADS CHARGE TO GIVE D.C. STATEHOOD: Sen. Chris Van Hollen is leading the U.S. Senate fight for D.C. statehood even as his state of Maryland competes with Washington to be the future home of the NFL’s Commanders. Van Hollen, a Democrat, has taken over this year from Sen. Tom Carper, the now-retired Delaware Democrat, as chief sponsor of legislation that would make the District the 51st state, placing it — according to the bill — on “equal footing with the other States in all respects.” Jeff Barker/The Baltimore Sun.

CONTROVERSIAL POWERLINE PLAN UNITES MANY IN OPPOSITION: The electricity interests behind a proposed power line that would cut through 70 miles of mostly rural Maryland are finding that many residents don’t care much for the idea. The plan has united Democratic environmentalists and Republican property rights defenders in a grassroots response of outrage. Backers of the controversial power line say that to accommodate economic growth while transitioning from dirty energy sources, operators and observers of the region’s power grid expect the mid-Atlantic is going to need more power lines. A lot of them. Adam Willis/The Baltimore Banner.

CHEVERLY SUES BLADENSBURG OVER HOSPITAL SITE ANNEXATION: After going ahead with the attempt to annex the land where an old hospital used to operate, the town of Bladensburg is now being sued by Cheverly for $40 million, with the town asking a judge to issue an injunction and put a stop to the annexation process. John Domen/WTOP-FM.

FORMER HARFORD COUNCIL CAN’T RETURN TO SEAT, JUDGE RULES: A former Harford County councilman who pleaded no contest to theft arising out of allegations that he stole more than $23,000 from a union that he led for more than 50 years can’t get his seat back, a judge ruled on Tuesday. Dylan Segelbaum/The Baltimore Banner.