'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
After discussing and debating the state's finances behind closed doors for the past month, the Maryland General Assembly will convene Monday to start debating a revenue package during a special session.
A Senate bill that would require all new homes to be built with indoor sprinkler systems is getting push-back from senators who say it could intrude on local building codes set by county governments.
Mid-Atlantic states are locked in a high-stakes competition to expand legalized gambling and boost lagging revenue, but Maryland might have the fewest chips and worst hand of anyone at the table.
The Maryland Transportation Authority board will vote Sept. 22 on a revised set of toll increases after residents and some officials complained that previously proposed hikes were too steep.
Maryland legislators are looking for ways to raise hundreds of millions in new revenue for roads and other transportation projects, and increasing the state's gasoline tax appears a likely choice.
"I believe we need to focus more of our time and resources on addressing mental health instead of cracking down on law-abiding gun owners and infringing upon our Constitution's Second Amendment," Sen. Richard F. Colburn, Dorchester Republican, said last week.
Guns, death penalty, roads lead Maryland assembly agenda in a busy week →
Sen. Richard F. Colburn, Dorchester Republican and a gambling supporter, said the state now has a chance to catch up to its neighbors and should seize the opportunity, rather than give up on its investment.
