ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland lawmakers announced an agreement on Wednesday to resolve differences over proposed tax and fee increases, settling on a far more modest approach after a $1.3 billion package was considered too high in the current economic climate, especially in an election year featuring a competitive Maryland U.S. Senate race with high stakes.
Fiscal concerns were only amplified last week by the collapse Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, after it was hit by a cargo ship.
Disagreement between the two chambers, which are both controlled by Democrats, reached a point where some complained publicly that now was not the time for big tax, fee and toll increases, as Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan was running as the GOP's most competitive U.S. Senate candidate in Maryland for decades.
While the GOP hasn’t won a Senate race in Maryland since 1980, Hogan is a rare Maryland Republican who won two terms as governor, largely due to his criticism of tax increases that resonated with tax-weary voters in his upset victory in 2014.
“If you go back to 2014 and 2018, I think it’s not brain science to see what happened and how the former governor was successful in the state of Maryland, and so that context is very real, and we have to be honest about it,” Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press.
Hogan, who began building his popularity early in his first term by lowering tolls statewide in 2015, has been quick to condemn the revenue package that led to a budget showdown between the chambers. On Wednesday, he wrote that the initial proposal in the Maryland House “would cost us jobs and hurt Maryland families already squeezed by historic inflation.”
“Enough is enough,” Hogan posted on X. “Let's reject these tax hikes and send a message that it's time to end politics-as-usual.”
The debate has unusual implications beyond the state's borders. Democrats hold a tenuous 51-49 majority in the U.S. Senate.
A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll late last month showed Hogan remains an overwhelmingly popular political figure in Maryland, underscoring his potential to turn a usually solid blue state into a competitive one for Republicans. But while his potential opponents remain relatively unknown, the poll also shows that Maryland voters remain much more likely to prefer a Democratic U.S. Senate.
With strong majorities in both the the state House and Senate, and a 2-1 advantage in statewide voter registration, Maryland Democrats typically don’t have to worry much about the GOP in the state capital. But Hogan is a rare Maryland Republican who has won two statewide races. That's something neither of his likely Democratic opponents, including U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, has done.
Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, submitted a balanced $63 billion budget for the next fiscal year in January without tax increases. The Maryland Senate largely kept his budget plan intact, despite a drop in revenue estimates announced after the governor submitted his plan. But the House changed the budget legislation to include new revenues, relying on a variety of transportation-related user fees, corporate tax reform and legalizing internet gambling. The Senate ruled out the corporate tax proposal, as well as internet gambling.
Negotiations between the two chambers dragged on long enough that Moore issued an executive order earlier this week to extend the session by 10 days, if needed, beyond Monday's scheduled adjournment. That won't be necessary.
Under the deal, new transportation-related revenue adds up to as much as $350 million in three years. It includes increases in vehicle registration fees to help pay for rising costs of emergency trauma services in the state. A new fee for electric vehicles also is part of the deal, to make up for gas tax revenues that drivers don't pay to operate them.
There's also a new statewide fee on ride-hailing services. The plan also includes new speeding fines that will increase with higher rates of speed in construction work zones.
The agreement also includes between $80 million and $90 million annually from a variety of tobacco tax increases, including $1.25 on a pack of cigarettes. The money will help pay for the state's education funding plan known as the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, which will be funded for the next three years.
Lawmakers will still have work to do on addressing transportation funding shortfalls statewide next year.
In December, the state's transportation secretary proposed roughly $3.3 billion in cuts for Maryland's six-year transportation spending plan, as inflationary pressures add to the problem as well as the fact that traditional revenue sources haven't kept up with costs.
Maryland lawmaker, Del. Ben Barnes, a Democrat who chairs the Maryland House Appropriations Committee, speaks in support of budget legislation for Maryland's next fiscal year during a debate on Thursday, March 21, 2024, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings played a tight-checking series at even strength. The special teams matchup, however, was lopsided — and that’s why it ended in five games.
“That was a difference in this series,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to win their first-round NHL playoff series.
The Oilers power play went 1 for 5 on the night but scored twice just after time had expired on a penalty. Edmonton finished 9 for 20 with the man-advantage in the five games. Los Angeles, meanwhile, was 0 for 1 in this game, going scoreless on 12 power plays in the series.
“It’s pretty simple to write this one,” Kings interim head coach Jim Hiller said. “You saw one team execute, and one team not, on special teams.”
Zach Hyman -- with his seventh goal of the postseason -- and Evander Kane also scored for Edmonton, which only dropped a 5-4 loss in overtime of Game 2 in the best-of-seven series.
Evan Bouchard added three assists, and Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two each as Edmonton’s offense broke out at Rogers Place. McDavid extended his points total to a playoff-leading 12 (one goal, 11 assists).
Stuart Skinner made 18 saves after posting a shutout in Edmonton’s 1-0 win at Los Angeles in Game 4.
The Oilers move on to the second round, where they’ll face the winner of a matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators. Vancouver leads the series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Friday in Nashville.
The Oilers now get some rest while waiting for their next opponent.
“Rest is always a good thing, rest is a weapon this time of year,” McDavid said. “That being said, we have to make sure we’re ready to roll. Practice hard against each other ... make sure there’s no change in our game.”
Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere and Blake Lizotte scored for Los Angeles, and David Rittich stopped 22 shots in his second straight start.
Edmonton eliminated Los Angeles in the opening round for the third straight year after coming out on top in six games in 2023 and seven in 2022.
“You’re out of the playoffs regardless of who beats you, but definitely not a great feeling getting the worst of it three years in a row,” the Kings' Anze Kopitar said. ”We’ve just got to play better, really. Special teams hurt us a lot, obviously, this series. There were parts of the games where we were good, we were dictating the game, but you’ve got to do it, obviously, more often and every game, too, in order to win the series.”
Down 2-1 in the second period, the Oilers scored three consecutive goals to take 4-2 lead.
Draisaitl had a power-play goal at 7:44 after a couple exchanges with McDavid to tie it. Rittich appeared to rob Draisaitl with a desperation glove save, but fans cheered as if it were a goal upon seeing the replay and officials ruled the puck crossed the line after a video review.
McDavid and Draisaitl connected again just after a penalty expired with 7:39 left in the period for the German forward’s fifth of the playoffs.
“When he’s got his feet moving, when he’s playing hard on both sides of the puck, there’s not many guys better than him in the whole world,” McDavid said. “He always seems to bring that game this time of year.”
The undisciplined Kings put Edmonton up a man again near the end of the period. This time, Hyman tapped home a puck on the goal line moments after Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois stepped out of the box to make it 4-2.
The Oilers hunkered down to hold off the Kings most of the third. But with the goalie pulled, Kempe deflected a shot past Skinner with 2:18 left to trim the deficit to one.
The Kings pressured for an equalizer in the final two minutes until Phillip Danault hooked Draisaitl with 19.7 seconds left — sending Edmonton on a power play and squashing L.A.’s chances of a comeback.
Kane opened the scoring on Edmonton’s second shot of the night at 10:17 with a soft backhand that slipped past Rittich.
Los Angeles tied it with 28 seconds left in the first when the puck caromed around the boards and bounced in front of the net to Laferriere, who shot into an open net with Skinner out to play the puck.
Lizotte then scored 3:08 into the second to give Los Angeles its only lead of the game and quiet Rogers Place before Edmonton replied with an onslaught.
It’s the first time the Oilers have advanced from the first round in three straight years since 1990-92.
The Oilers fell 4-2 in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights last year.
McDavid became the sixth player to record 10 or more assists through the first five games of the playoffs — and the first in nearly 30 years. Draisaitl joined McDavid and Sidney Crosby as the third active player to record 10 points in four or more playoff series.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Los Angeles Kings goalie David Rittich (31) looks on as Edmonton Oilers' Vincent Desharnais (73), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93), Leon Draisaitl (29), Evander Kane (91) and Brett Kulak (27) celebrate a goal during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings players celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Alex Laferriere (78) scores a goal on Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings goalie David Rittich (31) is scored on by Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Matt Roy (3) chases Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) as goalie David Rittich (31) poke checks the puck during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Mikey Anderson (44) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) chase Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) and Mattias Ekholm (14) celebrate the win over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers players shake hands after the Oilers won Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) and Zach Hyman (18) celebrate a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers' Mattias Ekholm (14) celebrates the win over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93), Leon Draisaitl (29), Evan Bouchard (2), Zach Hyman (18) and Connor McDavid (97) celebrate a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, on Wednesday May 1, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
