Things to watch in the 2014 Maryland General Assembly session

Some other things to watch for:

Despite the 40 tax and fee increases implemented so far during the O'Malley years, the state is now predicting another huge "structural" deficit.  So watch for our delegates and senators to use any excuse, any emotional appeal they can find to justify reaching into our pockets and stealing even more money to finance thair insatiable addiction to spending other people's money.

And, despite the deficit, watch for them to introduce bills to spend even more money as handouts to non-government groups.  For example, Sen/ Peters' bill SB 19 to take a quarter of a million dollars of our money and give it to some private group to build a dome for a lacrosse field.

And also depite the deficit, watch for them to introduce bills to increase the size, complexity, and cost of the state government.  If the past is any indication, most of these bill will come with a false promise that no or minimal additional money will be required.  But if they had not lied when they passes such bills in the past, there would not be another huge deficit problem.

Additionally, watch for them to pass unfunded mandates that will force businesses to spend more money, and raise prices.  Senator Benson has already started down this road.

And they will also strive to further make a mockery of the notion that Maryland is the "Free State," by passing all sorts of authoritarian nanny laws telling uds how to live our lives.  Nanny Benson has also started this ball rolling.

Finally, at least one non-Prince George's delegate is sponsoring legislation to make it harder or illegal for us to protect ourselves from the violent thugs who have made us the second most crime-ridden jurisdiction in Maryland and the most crime-ridden DC suburb.  No PG members have signed on to this movement yet, but given their past pro-criminal records, I expect some of our legislators to become co-sponsors.

Followup to Arthur Turner's message "10 things to watch in the 2014 Maryland General Assembly session" from the Washington Post

http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/10-things-to-watch-in-the-2014-maryland-general-assembly-session/2014/01/08/40d7f67c-7817-11e3-b1c5-739e63e9c9a7_story.html