Tag: Vinny DeMarco
50% hike in cigarette tax gets hearing
Health care advocates are stoking the tax fires again with legislation that would make Maryland’s tobacco taxes some of the highest in the country.
The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee heard testimony Wednesday on SB 589, which would increase the tobacco tax rate from $2 for a pack of cigarettes to $3. The bill also calls for steep hike on all other tobacco products — from 30% to 95% of the wholesale price.
Read MoreGun control debate shows divide between two cultures
The debate and vote on a sweeping new gun control measure that establishes a stringent licensing regime for handguns reflected a sharp split between two different cultures in Maryland. One shuns guns as instruments of violence and the other embraces them as essential to freedom and safety.
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Gun control debate video: Mike McDermott vs. Vinny Demarco
The already heated debate over new gun control measures heats up as Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed new restrictions moves to the Senate floor on Tuesday.
In this 12-minute video, MarylandReporter.com pits Del. Mike McDermott, a Lower Shore Republican and police officer who opposes new gun licensing rules, against Vinny DeMarco, a long-time advocate for more gun control who heads Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence.
Read MoreTax-hike on chewing tobacco, cheap cigars expected to reduce use
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids estimates that Maryland’s tax increases on smokeless tobacco and cheap cigars that began in July will cut the number of teens using those products by one third, according to a University of Maryland law school study being released today (Wednesday).
Read MoreHow DeMarco made his mark at the Maryland State House
Ever wonder how health care lobbyist Vinny DeMarco earned his successive victories on tobacco taxes and expanding health coverage? A new book by longtime health advocate Michael Pertschuk seeks to answer that question.
“The DeMarco Factor: Transforming Public Will into Political Power” is not a biography, but a how-to book that dissects DeMarco’s campaigns over the last 15 years and tries to apply its lessons to other social action campaigns involving legislatures.
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