MARYLAND’S DEMOCRAT-LED SENATE APPROVES CRUSHING $1.68 BILLION TAX HIKE PACKAGE

In a brazen move that will devastate family budgets across the state, Maryland’s liberal Senate has passed what amounts to the largest tax increase in state history – a punishing $1.68 billion raid on taxpayers’ wallets.

After two days of heated debate, Senate Democrats steamrolled opposition to send their tax-and-spend proposal to a conference committee, where it will be reconciled with the equally harmful House version.

THE DEMOCRAT TAX ASSAULT ON MIDDLE-CLASS MARYLANDERS
Despite deceitful claims from liberal leadership that their plan will provide tax breaks to “94% of Maryland families,” the reality is far more sinister. Here’s what Maryland Democrats are REALLY planning to inflict on taxpayers:

NEW Capital Gains Tax – Adding a punishing 2% tax that targets savers and investors
HIGHER Cannabis Tax – Jacking up to 12%
INCREASED Sports Wagering Tax – Skyrocketing to 20%
BRAND NEW 3% Data and IT Service Tax – Directly hitting small businesses and remote workers
NEW Sales Tax on precious metal coins and bullion over $1,000
NEW Sales Tax on vending machine sales
DOUBLED Certificate of Title Fees – Making car ownership even more expensive
ACCELERATED Vehicle Registration Fee Increases – Fast-tracking costs for drivers
REDEFINING Historic Vehicles – Changing rules to squeeze more revenue from car enthusiasts

Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready spoke truth to power during the floor debate, standing up for overtaxed Maryland families: “We cannot continue to keep going back to the taxpayers again and again in this state.”
EVEN WORSE PROPOSALS IN THE PIPELINE
The nightmare doesn’t end there. The Democrat tax machine is preparing even more ways to raid Marylanders’ wallets:

House Democrats want a HIGHER vehicle excise tax increase (6% to 6.8%) than Senate Democrats (6% to 6.35%)
House plan includes a NEW 3.5% rental vehicle excise tax
House includes a Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program fee increase
Senate includes a NEW $5 per tire fee at purchase
Senate eliminates the rental car registration fee discount

While claiming to make a mere $2 billion in cuts, Democrats are simultaneously throwing money at pet projects like $27.5 million “to make Maryland the capital of quantum” and $38 million for the Tradepoint Atlantic project.

Senate President Bill Ferguson revealed the true liberal agenda behind this tax assault when he declared the budget “represents the world I want to live in”—apparently a world where government grows endlessly on the backs of taxpayers.

The liberal tax juggernaut is expected to reach Governor Wes Moore’s desk by Friday, setting the stage for economic devastation across the state as Maryland families pay the price for Democrat fiscal fantasies.