New Maryland governor outlines tax relief plans.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan laid out an ambitious legislative agenda Wednesday in his first State of the State speech, proposing several forms of tax relief, charter school expansion and reforms to how Maryland draws its legislative districts.
Some Democrats, however, were angered by Hogan’s characterization of Maryland as having a “floundering” economy. They also questioned where Hogan would find the money to cut taxes, after struggling to close a $750 million budget hole. . .
Democrats, who control both houses of the Legislature, said the new governor went too far, both in his negative description of the state’s current economic condition and in the tax relief he was proposing. Critics said he sounded like a candidate who has yet to make the transition to governing.
“It’s wrong to paint such a dire picture,” said Del. Kumar Barve, D-Montgomery County. “We earn money. We make money. We’re a prosperous state. Do we want to be better? Absolutely. But I really object to the notion of saying that we’re some sort of fiscal hell hole, because that’s simply not true.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-maryland-governor-to-deliver-his-1st-state-of-the-state/2015/02/04/7ef1ebe8-ac46-11e4-8876-460b1144cbc1_story.html
