Governor Wes Moore by MDGovpics is licensed under CC 2.0
Maryland’s remaining Republicans are taking a stand against Governor Wes Moore’s unaffordable budget. With prices continuing to rise, members of Maryland’s freedom caucus have launched a grassroots petition demanding the end of all taxes and fees on energy bills until the Governor and general assembly act to protect Maryland taxpayers.
Energy prices in Maryland have taken money out of everyone’s pocket. Utility companies have cited a 50% increase in distribution costs since 2020. This has caused renters, homeowners, and businesses to face higher bills every month, hurting family budgets and bottom lines. Despite this, Maryland’s government continues to tax and fee people on every purchase they make, forcing families and businesses to absorb more costs every month.
Governor Moore’s proposed budget will maintain all the tax and fee increases passed in 2025, including the notorious B2B tax. This tax vastly distorts supply chains, as the same good and service can be taxed at all points of its lifespan: Production, transportation, storage, and selling. As with all taxes, this will be paid by the consumer at the counter. And it will discourage businesses from continuing operations and opening new ones. Already ranked 4th most expensive state to do business in, this tax makes a bad situation worse for Maryland.
In addition to higher prices at the counter, tax rates continue to be some of the highest in the country. Maryland’s top income rate is 6.5%, with an additional 3.3% local income tax in some areas. And the property tax rate can go as high as 2.45%, nearly twice the national average. Put that on top of a 6% state sales tax and a 46 cents per gallon gas tax, there seems to be no safe harbor for wallets in Maryland.
The budget does not provide long term solutions to solve this unaffordability. With some creative accounting, it shuffles money from a series of Maryland’s investment funds to cover the state’s deficit, hiding the actual problems of the state and blaming the Trump administration. $100 million of these funds will go to a one-time rebate for residents facing high utility bills. Instead of trying to buy off their constituents, Governor Moore and the Maryland general assembly need to address the root cause of this issue and get rid of all the unnecessary taxes and fees the state levies on its people.
Ending the taxes and fees on energy bills would be the first step down a long road of redemption to make Maryland a business friendly and wallet friendly state again. No progress can be made if Governor Moore and state Democrats continue to tax every aspect of life and blame all their problems on Republicans in Washington. Hopefully, elected officials will see reason and support the struggling businesses and families they represent.
