January 26, 2024
Ready Report: Fairness in Transportation Taxes, District 5 Night & More…
The second full week of the 2024 Maryland General Assembly Legislative Session has concluded. Here is a brief update on what happened this week in Annapolis.
Weekly Video Update – Fairness in Transportation Taxes
My Weekly Video Update from Annapolis – Fighting for Fairness in Transportation Taxes – a lot of news has been made about transportation funding and needs.
Click the picture below to watch the full video.
Working families are also struggling under the weight of crushing tax burden and high cost of living in Joe Biden’s economy. Our Maryland Senate Republicans & Maryland House Republican Caucus plan which I’m sponsoring in the Senate would address a number of these challenges – the bill –
- Ends the practice of annual automatic gas tax hikes every July 1 no matter the economy or gas prices (we have the 5th highest gas tax in the country)
- Restores the requirement that transit systems have a certain percentage of “fare box recovery” – meaning having rates that actually come closer to paying for themselves
- Stops the government from ever using GPS or mileage tracking to assign taxes to our vehicles.
More to come on this as we move ahead in Session!
Welcoming a Carroll County Page to Annapolis
This week, it’s been great to have Ryan Cave, who is a South Carroll HS Senior from the Mt. Airy area, as one of our Senate pages. The page program is a competitive program that selects a small number of seniors in high school from around the state to come serve two weeks in Annapolis as either a House of Delegates or Senate page. Ryan is a dynamic and engaged student and we had a great time talking about different issues. Looking forward to seeing him again later in the Session!
Governor Moore’s Crime Bills do NOT Go Far Enough
Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey and I, along with House Minority Leader Jason Buckel and Minority Whip Jesse Pippy co-wrote an OpEd in the Baltimore Sun highlighting our concerns with Governor Moore’s legislative crime package. We believe that initiatives brought forward by the Governor do not go far enough when targeting repeat violent offenders and juvenile crime. You can read the full OpEd by clicking the image below.
You are Invited to District 5/Carroll County Night in Annapolis
You are cordially invited to attend “An Evening in Annapolis with the Carroll County Delegation!” This is a free event where refreshments will be served. All Carroll County and District 5 residents are invited to this event on February 19th from 5:30 to 6:30pm at the Maryland Inn, 16 Church Circle, Annapolis MD. Refreshments will be served. (After the 2022 election District 5 now includes the Frederick County portion of Mt. Airy as well)
The Carroll County Delegation includes District 5’s Senator Justin Ready, Delegate April Rose, Delegate Chris Tomlinson, and Delegate Christopher “Eric” Bouchat. Additionally, District 42C’s Senator Chris West and Delegate Josh Stonko will be in attendance which is why we’re calling this District 5 AND Carroll County Night.
The delegation will offer remarks about the legislative session. Around 8pm, the delegation will have to walk over to the statehouse for a floor session, which you are more than welcome to attend. Please bring a photo ID if you plan to enter the statehouse.
RSVP: Senator Justin Ready at 410-841-3683 or email [email protected]
Senatorial Scholarships Available
If you are or know a high school senior or college student, please consider applying for a Senatorial Scholarship. For more information or to request an application, email Emily Van Horn at [email protected] and include your full address. Scholarships will be accepted up to April 15, 2024.
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