Maryland General Assembly Special Session Looming
(April 12, 2011) A special session will be held this fall to deal with congressional redistricting. Unfortunately, it looks like redistricting may not be the only topic on the special session agenda. There is growing talk that transportation funding and consideration of tax increases will also be discussed this fall. The Maryland Chamber of Commerce strongly believes that a special session is not the proper time to deal with important issues like these.
Remember the 2007 special session? A sales tax on computer services was enacted, despite the fact that computer service companies were given no opportunity to voice their opposition during a public hearing. The House Ways & Means Committee held a six-hour marathon hearing on 36 tax bills … on a Saturday. Bills were considered with little advance notice, and sometimes with no fiscal notes. The General Assembly enacted $1.4 billion in new taxes, with Maryland businesses paying about $800 million.
We cannot afford a replay of the 2007 special session. Transportation funding and tax issues should be considered in a more transparent way, allowing for proper public input, not under the constraints of a special session this fall.
