Maryland Democrats Bash Trump’s Jobs Report While Ignoring the Economic Mess in Their Own Backyard
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland Democrats never miss a chance to seize on a weak national headline and turn it...
Taxes and Fees
Maryland Senate Republicans Move to Roll Back Vehicle Registration Fee Hikes
By MDBayNews Staff ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Senate Republicans are pushing new legislation aimed at reversing steep...
Montgomery County’s FY26 Budget: No Tax Hike — But Higher Bills Anyway
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County leaders are touting their Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget as a model of fiscal...
Governor Moore Demands Tariff Reimbursement — Maryland Families Demand $5,000 Back
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Governor Wes Moore has joined Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Treasurer Dereck Davis in...
MVA Fee Hikes Hit Maryland Families Hard: Safety Measure or Cash Grab?
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland families are once again feeling the squeeze — this time at the Motor Vehicle Administration....
Maryland Counties to Annapolis: Trust Us With Our Own Tax Policy
By MDBayNews Staff As the 2026 session of the Maryland General Assembly unfolds, a familiar tension has resurfaced in...
Maryland Bans 287(g) — But Sheriffs Aren’t Backing Down. Now Comes the Legal War.
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland is about to test the limits of federalism — and taxpayers may be the ones...
Grammer Slams HB 55 as “Extortion Cameras.” Supporters Call It Public Safety.
By MDBayNews Staff Robin Grammer is not mincing words. In a sharply worded social media post this week, the Baltimore...
Another Billion in Borrowing: Annapolis Expands MDTA Debt as Toll Hikes Loom
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In a move that received far less public attention than it deserves, the Maryland General...
Maryland Ranks 46th for Taxpayers — And the Reasons Are Structural, Not Accidental
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland has landed 46th out of 50 in the Tax Foundation’s latest State Business Tax Climate Index,...
Montgomery County Fast-Tracks ‘Trust Act’ as Residents Question Costs, Priorities, and Process
By MDBayNews Staff Montgomery County is racing to pass Expedited Bill 35-25, branded by its sponsors as the Promoting...
House Overturns D.C. Tax Changes, Escalating Fight Over Federal Tax Relief and Home Rule
By MDBayNews Staff Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to overturn a District of Columbia...
Moore’s ‘National Harbor Sphere’ Tax Is a Shiny Distraction From Maryland’s Real Budget Problems
By MDBayNews Staff Governor Wes Moore is selling Marylanders a familiar Annapolis product: a flashy, headline-friendly tax...
Maryland’s Latest Crackdown Targets Drivers—Not the Real Problems
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland lawmakers are once again aiming their fire at the wrong target. A newly proposed bill would...
Maryland Comptroller Warns Lawmakers: Major Income Tax Changes Risk System Failure in 2026
By MDBayNews Staff Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman delivered an unusually blunt message to lawmakers this week: the...
Montgomery County Expands Green Bank Role With Climate Resiliency Bill
By MDBayNews Staff ROCKVILLE, Md. — Montgomery County Councilmembers Dawn Luedtke, Andrew Friedson, and Evan Glass on...
Moore’s FY 2027 Budget Avoids Tax Hikes — But Relies on Quiet Cuts, Shifts, and Delays
By MDBayNews Staff Governor Wes Moore, on January 21st, released his proposed Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget, a...
Governor Moore’s FY 2027 Budget Balances the Books—But at What Cost?
By MDBayNews Staff Governor Wes Moore on Tuesday released his proposed Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget, a nearly $70.8...
Maryland’s Giant Golf Ball: What’s Being Overlooked in the Rush to Celebrate the Sphere
By MdBayNews Editorial Board Maryland officials are celebrating the arrival of the Sphere at National Harbor as a marquee...
DECADE Act or Déjà Vu? Wes Moore’s Business Plan Revives Incentives—but Avoids Real Reform
By Michael Phillips | Maryland Bay News Maryland Gov. Wes Moore this week rolled out the DECADE Act of 2026—short for...
Is Maryland’s Vehicle Emissions Testing Program Past Its Prime?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews For decades, Maryland drivers in select counties and Baltimore City have been required to...
Federal Downsizing Exposes Montgomery County’s Reliance on Washington
By Michael Phillips | Maryland Bay News Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is blunt about what he believes defined...
Can Maryland Afford a 3% Flat Tax?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews — Annapolis Watch By the time any major tax proposal reaches a hearing room in Annapolis,...
Would Maryland’s Economy Grow Faster Under a 3% Flat Tax?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Debates about tax reform often focus on fairness or fiscal balance. But for many...
Why Working-Class Marylanders Lose the Most Under the Current System
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s tax code is often described as “progressive,” “fair,” or...
How Maryland’s Tax Code Became a Playground for Lobbyists
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s tax code did not become complicated by accident. It became complicated because...
What’s Actually in the 3% Flat Tax Plan? A Detailed Breakdown of Delegate Bouchat’s Proposal
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In Part 1 of the Maryland at 3% series, we outlined why Maryland’s fiscal environment has...
Maryland at a Crossroads: Why Tax Reform Is Back on the Table in 2026
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland enters the 2026 legislative session facing a problem state leaders have quietly...
When Local Government Fails, Taxpayers Should Have a Nuclear Option
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews | Right-of-Center Commentary Local government is supposed to be the closest to the people...
Rushed Flood Barriers, Rising Bills: Annapolis’ City Dock Push Lands Days Before Election
By Michael Phillips, MDBayNews Less than two days after floodwater once again swamped downtown streets, Annapolis moved...
A Broken System of Cronyism: How ‘Friends of Friends’ Run Annapolis City Hall
In Annapolis, even lame-duck politicians know how to take care of their friends. On October 27, just days before Election...
Time to Scrap Maryland’s Outdated Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program
In a state increasingly burdened by high taxes and outmigration, a bold proposal from Delegate Christopher Bouchat (R)...
Opinion: Frederick’s Crossroads — Trott’s Case for Fiscal Sanity Over O’Connor’s Managed Growth
Eight years into Michael O’Connor’s tenure, Frederick’s budget has ballooned 60 percent while population grew only 20...
Maryland’s Gas Tax Reality Check: High Costs, Low Transparency
For months, Maryland drivers have grumbled about high prices at the pump — and viral posts claiming “$1.99 per gallon...
Carroll County’s $1.9 Million Cannabis Windfall: Dude, Where’s the Budget?
Carroll County just scored a cool $1.9 million from Maryland’s shiny new cannabis tax fund — all courtesy of adults...
The Quiet Transformation of the I-270 Corridor: Boon or Boondoggle?
When most Marylanders hear about transportation and development, they think of the flashy, billion-dollar projects—the...
Maryland’s Congressional Delegation: Tax-and-Spend Politics at Home, Blame Games in Washington
When it comes to blaming Republicans for Washington dysfunction, few states put on a show like Maryland. On October 1,...
Virginia’s Surplus Success vs. Maryland’s Structural Struggles
Governor Glenn Youngkin has something to brag about, and it’s not just political spin—it’s math. Since 2022, Virginia...
Maryland’s 430-Law October Surprise: Because Freedom Needed More Fine Print
Maryland just sprinted into October 1 with ~430 “new or improved” laws from the same session that already dropped ~300...
Takoma Park: Maryland’s Hornets’ Nest of Collectivism
When most people think of radical leftist enclaves, they think of Portland, Seattle, or San Francisco. But you don’t need...