The Maryland House of Delegates approved a $14.6 billion budget for the general fund that doesn’t raise taxes but relies on a wide range of fee increases to fill a $1.6 billion shortfall. In a 97-42 vote, the chamber passed a funding blueprint that would raise fees on car titles, license plates and property and birth records, among other charges to drum up money.
The spending bill will move to the Senate, which is exploring revenue options such as a steeper sales tax on alcohol — a measure that cleared a Senate panel.
The House version includes roughly $97 million in additional cuts to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s budget and reductions in employee benefits to pay for $58 million in education spending above what the governor proposed. – Brian Hughes
