ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Gov. Larry Hogan has outlined plans for about $480 million in tax cuts over five years.
Hogan says the plan calls for tax breaks for new manufacturers who bring jobs to the state, retirees, small businesses and working families.
The Republican governor has a plan to give tax relief to senior citizens. He built his 2014 campaign almost entirely on bringing tax relief to residents and boosting economic development.
Benjamin Orr, Executive Director of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, said the flaw in the senior citizen feature is that it doesn’t discriminate between seniors who may be well off, and those who are struggling to make ends meet.
“The governor’s proposal is not income-based, it is only age-based, so it is not well targeted to help those seniors who truly are struggling to make ends meet,” Orr said.
Hogan says he can’t imagine lawmakers from either party having a problem with helping retirees on a fixed income or struggling working families.
Leading Democrats say they’re waiting to see more details about the plan, and they’re keeping an open mind. But they say they won’t let education funding suffer. Democrats are still unhappy about $68 million in education money Hogan declined to spend last year.
Maryland’s 90-day legislative session begins Wednesday.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
