Maryland Truckers Say Transportation Bill Would Increase Costs, Hurt Jobs

The massive transportation funding bill proposed by the state’s top lawmakers will reduce trucking jobs and drive up the price of consumer goods, Maryland trucking officials say.

Senate Bill 1054 and House Bill 1515, projected to raise $3.4 billion for transportation costs over the next five years, would not lower the diesel fuel excise tax the same way it would reduce the gasoline excise tax.

Under the new legislation — unveiled this week by Gov. Martin O’Malley, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch — the gasoline excise tax would be reduced from 23.5 cents per gallon to 18.5 cents per gallon. The state would then add a 2-percent sales tax on a gallon of gasoline on July 1, that would increase to 4 percent in July 2014.
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