Steve Burns
WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Both the Maryland and Virginia General Assemblies are heading back to work today to start a new session, with both states in precarious positions – Maryland, with a Republican Governor and Democrat-controlled Legislature, and Virginia in the opposite situation – A Democratic Governor in a Republican-controlled House and Senate.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced his tax plans on Tuesday, emphasizing tax breaks for low-income families, small businesses, and retirees, and the political back-and-forth is already underway.

“These are not right-wing things. These are common-sense policies,” said Del. Nic Kipke, R-Anne Arundel. “There’s an enormous amount of popularity out there for the Governor and the things he’s pushing. I think a lot of Democrats have heard that from their constituents.”

Kipke said Maryland is “out of whack” with its neighbors in terms of tax policy. “This is our priority. Working families that need a break, small business, retirees, and we’re really eager to get some manufacturing jobs back into the state.”

Hogan proposed increasing the earned income tax break for poorer families two years earlier than planned, and a ten-year tax break for corporations that want to move to Maryland.

“For the vast majority of people, it would mean very little relief,” said State Sen. Rich Madaleno, D-Montgomery. “I think people have to be realistic about the Hogan hype machine going into overdrive about what these tax credits do.”

At the same time, Madaleno said Hogan’s proposals were all things introduced by Democrats over the last two years, yet Hogan made no mention of Democratic colleagues in his news conference.

“You take something where you could easily show a degree of agreement from the beginning, and you turn it into a confrontation,” Madaleno said. “Republican voters value confrontation. It’s the narrative the Hogan hype machine wants to see – not that he’s governing, but that he’s confronting the legislature.”

Madaleno’s top priorities remain education and infrastructure, two things he said can keep the state competitive instead of small tax breaks. “On education, the Governor’s leading the charge to roll back education funding, and he’s leading the charge to undermine our ability to continue to invest in our infrastructure,” he said.

In Kipke’s eyes, “the dust has settled. A lot’s gone on since last year, and they’ve learned how to work together. The Governor said he ‘feels the love’ from the Speaker and Senate President, and I think that’s the way he’s going into this.”

But Madaleno still has fundamental problems with Hogan’s plans.

“We continue to have the top 3 highest median income. We continue to have the highest percentage of millionaires,” he said “These are signs of economic health, but all we hear from our Governor is talking down our state, as opposed to, why aren’t we celebrating these incredible successes where 49 other states would be dying to be in our situation?”

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