The Minority Report 2017 Sine Die Edition

The Minority Report 2017 Sine Die Edition Greetings from the 437th Legislative Session! We want to connect with you to keep you informed on caucus initiatives and the latest in Annapolis. Please feel free to share this with friends, family, and colleagues, and on your own social media sites. 2017 Session Comes to an End   That's a wrap! The 2017 Session of the Maryland General Assembly ended at midnight on April 10. While the session was occasionally marred with Washington DC politics, overall we see the 2017 Session as a very successful one with some very positive results for the citizens of Maryland! Session Successes   A Fiscally Responsible Budget! Thanks to Governor Hogan's fiscal stewardship, the General Assembly passed a fiscally responsible budget that included NO TAX INCREASES! The budget put spending in line with revenues and reduced Maryland's deficit by $400 million. Tax Relief! The General Assembly passed a bill similar to the Governor's Hometown Heroes Act, that gives tax relief to first responders and other emergency response personnel. The first $15,000 of retirement income for first responders and emergency personnel who are at least 55 years old will not be subject to state income tax. Road Kill Repeal! One of Governor Hogan's top legislative priorities was the repeal of last year's Road Kill Bill - the repeal of this bill means that all of the top-priority transportation projects across Maryland will now move forward. Sanctuary State Bill DEFEATED! A bill that would have made Maryland a Sanctuary State passed the House earlier this session. Thanks to an effort led by the members of our Caucus,  a tremendous amount of grassroots pressure was brought to bear on the leadership of the Maryland Senate and the committee hearing the bill. As a result, the bill did NOT pass.   House Republican Caucus 2017